The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Today I had the privilege, along with my fellow rock choir members of singing in the Stevenson Hall, what an experience. We were accompanied by the Scottish Opera Orchastra, wow! I can honestly say this awesome experience will stay with me for a long time.
As for the Conservatoire it’s a lovely building. It had a box office, shop and café on the main floor. the staff I encountered today were fab.

Sunday mornings and Royal Conservatoire Coffee Concerts are a match made in heaven. What an inspired idea, and at just £10 for coffee, cake and a concert (£7.50 concessions) an absolute bargain!
I was lucky enough to make the very first Coffee Concert of the season and it was a useful introduction to the venue and what it might offer to the general public. Coffee and cake was served in the café post-​concert where the performers and organisers mingled and chatted with an enthusiastic audience. Nice touch.
Aside from an varied programme of concerts and performing arts staged by students past and present and visiting world-​class talents, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (previously known as RSAMD) has a Box Office and large café at its main entrance up those imposing steps. The corridor between the café and the Stevenson Hall (where the coffee concert was held) is lined with photos of the college’s alumni — a veritable who’s who of the arts, music and theatrical world.
I was absolutely blown away by the acoustics at the Stephenson Hall which really did justice to the singers and musicians who provided us with a terrific show. The seats in the auditorium were very comfortable with ample leg room but then I’m a bit shorter than the average person!
Tip #1: If you need more leg room in the Stevenson Hall then select an end of aisle seat (at the stairway) in one of the blocks of stalls either side of the main block of seating. Hope that makes sense?
Tip #2: If you are looking for somewhere very inexpensive to eat, drink and/​or meet up in town the café here may be just the ticket. Geared mainly for students but also open to the public the daily specials included vegetarian and vegan dishes (hurrah). A generous cup of tea cost 80p and a Dear Green Coffee cost £1.40 (in a lidded cup so you can take it away if you want).
Tip #3: Ample sockets available for charging phones and laptops (and possibly free wifi but don’t quote me)
Pop in and check it out for yourself if you haven’t already done so and keep an eye out for their events programme.

A building I’d seen many, many times but had never really paid attention to it before. I was lucky enough to visit for TEDx Glasgow recently.
It’s a really well laid out space for a conference-​style event; a large foyer and lots of seating. There’s also a café (done by the folk at Where the Monkey Sleeps) with a good range of drinks and snacks to keep you going.
The talks were presented in the main hall which has cascading seating meaning you’ll never have to strain to see over the person in front of you. It was always quick and easy to get in and out of the space, and at lunch people sat on the front steps in the sunshine.
I’d definitely keep an eye out for upcoming events here to see what else is going on in this great building.

This place is really great for upcoming musicians. The atmosphere as soon as you walk in the door is electric and the performances they put on are extremely professional.
The Junior section gives younger people with great potential to further their musicality and opens more doors for them careers-​wise.
Both the Junior and Senior sections offer world class musical tuition and I for one have benefited extremely much from their junior course.
*To anyone willing to give it a shot who live in Scotland I really do recommend it — its the best there is!*

Nowhere near talented enough to go here.
Hasn’t stopped me loitering around with friends who do go here and attending some events, which are frequent, and well organised.
I have been to approximately 4 events in here and they have all been excellent, with students going the extra yard to put the effort in to really impress their audience. Presumably some of the performances are assessed and part of their course requirements which ultimately mean that they try like a bear.
The interior is lovely, and well kept, as good as proper nearby theatres like the Pavillion or The Kings.
A lively, welcoming place.

Great for opera, musical theatre and music, the RSAMD gave us the Best Doctor Who and constantly feeds the Scottish stage and orchestras. Their opera is worthy of its place on the Theatre Royal’s stage, and they are constantly showcasing their talent in small, in house shows.
Best of all, they have a special course for future live artists: they provide the strange and really exciting shows that eventually move to The Arches– the mighty Nic Green started off here, and she is now wowing the world with her Trilogy. Worth keeping an eye on their Facebook page for performances.

Rated 3^rd in the UK on the Guardian specialist institutions league table, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama offers a number of courses in music, drama, and the arts. With an impressive list of acting alumnus, including Alan Cumming, James McAvoy, David Tennant, Robert Carlyle, and Ruby Wax, there is no denying its prestige.
What I am more interested in reviewing, however, is the RSAMD’s events and concerts. The Academy hosts a number of musical groups and performances from all over Scotland. I visited to see my brother play in the Glasgow Schools Symphony Orchestra (GSSO) on a couple of occasions. The theatre space is lovely, with a very wide auditorium and plenty of stadium-​style seating. The leg room isn’t bad, and the chairs are low enough not to be kicking the person in front! The stage is quite low, so you look down on it. Great for musical performances.
The RSAMD is a lovely venue to visit for music and small performances. A bit different than going to the theatre, but fun nonetheless. Highly recommended!