Ambassador Q&A - Bernadette Kellerman

What did you enjoy most about your studies at RCS?

I loved the multidisciplinary environment. It’s rare that all different types of performing arts are under one roof – all the time. I learnt the different ‘languages’ of each discipline, which is an interesting process. It helped me understand their thinking and how I can contribute to their performance. This kind of sets you up with skills to work in any setting.

What are you most proud of?

I’m quite proud of the different performances I did and how much I developed as a performer over the four years at RCS. I became a lot more confident but also started to work even harder on my performance practice. I don’t know which of those two came first, but it definitely worked well for me.

Who was your most inspirational teacher?

This is a tricky question as I had many fantastic teachers, but Marie Fielding stands out in my professional and personal journey. She was not just an amazing teacher but also made me a better person. I sometimes was a little too pragmatic when it came to performing and didn’t really show my own voice and emotions in my playing – and Marie gave me the confidence to change all of that.

What was your first job after graduating?

I worked throughout my studies at RCS as a musician and tutor and continued to do so after graduating alongside my postgraduate education.

How did you get into the world of sport and psychology after RCS?

This is a bit of a funny story. I always knew I wanted to add another string to my bow (had to be done, sorry!), and I considered physiotherapy and medical school as my two preferred options. I got rejected for physiotherapy due to not having a scientific background, and medical school would have meant to plan my move back home to Germany, which I somehow was not ready for.

I love cooking, and six weeks before my final recital I cut my left index finger quite badly while, embarrassingly, cutting spring onions. So suddenly there was a huge void. I couldn’t practice in preparation for my recital, and suddenly, I had all this time to think about what my life post-RCS could look like. So, I started looking into performance-related postgraduate degrees and came across the MSc Performance Psychology offered by the University of Edinburgh. I took the leap and applied, and against my expectations, I was offered a place. The first few months were a rough ride because it was a hard pivot into a very academic environment, but I was supported so well by my teaching staff, particularly Dr Alan MacPherson. I started to develop a critical understanding of parallels between my performance art experience and the sports world and discovered the benefits of my performance experience I wasn’t aware of previously. Two MSc degrees and one PhD later, I’m working as an applied sport and performance psychology practitioner and as a postgraduate tutor at the University of Edinburgh.

I love my job because every day, I get to work with incredibly interesting people on helping them get better at what they do. Every client is a case study: What worked for Person A will most likely not work for Person B because their situations are totally different. I need to listen to what my client has to say but also respectfully challenge them to help them with their performance – this requires some careful conversations with them, but also with their coaches, managers, teammates, significant others, and parents, just to name a few. This can be very complex sometimes, so stepping away and reflecting on my work with my excellent colleagues is just as important.

I still teach and perform as a violin player in Scotland, here’s one of my recent gigs.

What would you say to those thinking about studying at RCS?

Go for it! Be prepared to leave your comfort zone to discover what you’re capable of, to meet new people, and to push yourself as a performer and a person. These things are not always easy but oh so worth it.