RCMJD or Yehudi Menuhin School

[CURIOUSMIND]

Please give me your comments .
Are they equally hard to get in? Fees to the value? Children's future is brighten up or narrowed down? Or anything else .

[pigsinmud]

Completely different aren't they? one is saturday school and one is full time boarding. I would have thought ym is much harder to get in to although pretty cheap if you are from uk.

Personally I wouldn't want to send my child to a specialist school. I feel that you are narrowing their choices, almost pushing them in to music. Vast majority of professional musicians went to normal comps - based on dh's colleagues. He knows 3 people who went to chethams - one is highly strung and still in music, the other 2 went in to different professions.

[CURIOUSMIND]

Thank you schike!
YM have 85% children boarding, so it's possible to be day pupil.Not 100% YM children became a musician eventually, a small percentage of them go to study science etc.
Please ,I am ready to listen to different voices.I and me are debating, and I need to make a decision.

[pigsinmud]

Just re-read and realised I sounded really negative, of course it could be a fantastic experience - I suppose it depends on the child. I know that my musical child would not want to spend half the day doing music, but others might love that.

I assume you've looked round - did the children look happy? That would be my main concern. Good luck with your decision!

[Pusheed]

I would choose RCM unless you realistically see DC becoming a professional musician.

A 'normal' school paired with RC on a Saturday is the best of both worlds.

Don't make the same mistake as a friend of a friend who went to a specialist music school. He came out the other end armed with so-so GCSEs and a determination not to seek a career in music.

That aside, RCM is much easier to get into. If you think about it, YM attracts those who are very serious about their music. It stands to reason that they will play to a higher level.

That, plus I know someone who got into RCM and she play at the same level as DC i.e. good but not wow!

[Colleger]

The RCM is also filled with Purcell students who come down at the weekend.

[CURIOUSMIND]

While I am thinking about RCMJD or YM, I prefer YM at the mement.So, nagative point is what I need.Give me lots of reasons not to apply!

'YM attracts those who are very serious about their music. '
'I know someone who got into RCM and she play at the same level as DC i.e.good but not wow!'
I can see my Ds1 is serious and wow, but don't know how serious is serious enough,how wow is wow enough for me to choose his future at such young age.RCMJD has a rough guide, grade 5 distiction before age 11.I have no idea about YM entrance standard.(They won't tell me.)If at age 8, everybody are playing at superb grade 8 standard, then I don't dream anymore.

At the moment, I can see Ds1 need more regular consistant professional guide for practice ,composing, more study into ochestra intruments in which he is so interested , to compose for them, to get the best sound at the right moment(in his own language).

If I gave him the oppotunity, but he didn't turn out to be a musician, performer or composer, then can't we just come back to normal school?If I didn't give him the opportunity, I may regret forever.

Give me lots of reasons not to apply!

'The RCM is also filled with Purcell students who come down at the weekend.'
This sounds very crazy! (I am not serious enough yet, am I ?)If my Ds1 is in YM, I will let him do sports, lots of going out on the weekend.

[BettyPerske]

I'm not sure if I can offer any real time advice, but as I never hear these schools mentioned, justwanted to add that my mother went to the YMS when it first opened back in 1963? in London at the time. She stayed until she left to go to the RCM when she was about 16 or 17.

There were about 11 pupils when it started. Nigel Kennedy was one of them and she remembers tucking him in to bed at night as he was only 7 and she was a bit older.

it was the best thing that could have happened to her as the school's ethos was so completely nurturing and free. She loved it, the yoga, the going out at midnight, the sense of the holistic, looking at the whole person not just the musician.

It was incredibly hard work but they had the most fantastic teachers, visiting ones sometimes, Mr Menuhin himself, it was a world away from her home village.

She did not become professional. She dropped out to marry my Dad and have babies but most of her school friends did become pro, and she said you had to have that need to be doing music ALL the time, she worked hard enough to stay as she didn't want to go home, but didn't have that all consuming passion to play and practise and improve constantly.

She says most of the kids there did have that.
I wanted to go myself, when I was little but she thought I would hate boarding and refused to let me!

But to this day I have the impression of somewhere slightly miraculous, slightly other-worldly.
It certainly changed her life.

[BettyPerske]

Also YMS is in the countryside in its own little kingdom. I would feel more happy about that for a boarding lifestyle, than central London - though I'm not sure where the RCM school is exactly?

[claraschu]

YMS has changed an awful lot since then, Betty (as I'm sure you know).

Also, they don't teach composition, I don't think, just strings and piano.

The grade 5 before 11 is misleading for RCMJD. My son had a grade 5 distinction at age 8 and didn't get in to RCM when he was 14 (and he was easily grade 8 standard, and in the NYO).

[pianomama]

I would get a consultation (i.e. informal pre-audition) with YM school.They wont tell you about standards in terms of grades as they don't regard them as important indicator.

They are after an exceptional talent and they are qualified to spot it, they will also have a good idea whether the school will suit your Ds or not.

RCMJD is a great place (DS is applying this year and looking forward to it)
BUT it would still be up to you to organize sufficient practice time before/after school, extra lessons if he has exams/performances/competitions, your Saturdays will be taken up fully as you will need to stay there all day with him.
YM will will provide perfect environment and take care of practice etc.
Some children find YM school claustrophobic as it is pressured and competitive but you know your child better then anyone so can decide whether he is one of those who thrive under pressure.

The other (and probably most) important consideration IMO is the choice of teacher not the institution.

[Colleger]

It's far too young to be considering a school and you seem to be caught up in the prestige of it. You should listened to the advice.

[pigsinmud]

How old is your ds1?
My dh would try and put anyone off becoming a musician! Stay with regular school and play as much music in his spare time as he wants to and ENJOY it.

[pianomama]

Schilke - can you elaborate? Is your Dh a professional musician?
Playing music "in spare time as he wants" is a good advise for a hobby.

Whoever was it who said "The hell is full of amateur musicians " ?

I would assume someone choosing between RCMJD and YM are thinking professional training and the ''spare time" approach won't do.

[gettingalifenow]

I don't really know how you can compare YM and RCMJD?

You need to compare YM with Purcell and Chetams (just search this forum) and to compare RCMJD with Guildhall and RAM JDs.

You need to decide first if you want full time music school or if you want just a Saturday school. You're asking the wrong question.

Yes, RCMJD has lots of Purcell students, but they have many more who are at day school elsewhere.

[gettingalifenow]

Also, to answer pusheed's comment, I don't think you can assume that YM play to a higher standard..... Young Musician of the year semi final last night had 2 semi finalists from RCMJD, 2 from cheets and 1 from, I think, not a music school.... (1 of the RCMJD players also at Purcell)

And if you look at the category finalists during the last week, the same kind of mix seemed to apply....

(I realise you have to be pretty into it to have that detail but thought it might be helpful on the standards issue)

[Colleger]

The most important thing about becoming a good musician is having the right teacher.

[BettyPerske]

I'm sure it has, Clara

[pigsinmud]

pianomama - dh is a professional musician. Would not recommend it as a career. Ds2 said he couldn't decide whether to be a violinist or a vet...dh didn't hesitate with his answer of vet!

An awful lot of his colleagues have packed it in and retrained as solicitors, accountants anything else. It's hard work, insecure, badly paid and musicians never seem to want to take holidays...might miss a gig.

[pianomama]

Schilke - Just curious , as my DS is heading this way..I do know a few musicians who have wonderful life but also know some who "wished they were accountants" - is it just that the grass is always greener on the other side?
I guess our role as parents is to give the DC as best opportunity as possible, leaving important choices to them and try not to influence them based on our own experience. The world would be very depressing with only vets and accountants (no disrespect to either profession) and no fine musicians..
BTW I wouldn't send my Ds to YMS just because it would not suit him personally.

[pigsinmud]

Oh absolutely we need musicians and i'm sure there is the aspect of grass is greener. I'm sure there are loads of accountants who wish they were musicians

Dh likes to stress that he went to a rubbish comp and was 4th trumpet in his city's youth orchestra, now he is better than those first, second and third trumpets. The career is open to anyone who practises and plays well. It didn't come naturally to him.

You just have to make sure your child would fit in to the high pressure atmosphere of a music school - i know my ds2 wouldn't like it.

Plus, musician's family have to put up with hours of evening practice - amazed my children sleep through this trumpet exercises

[pigsinmud]

Sorry - one more comment - dh wants me to add that he loves his life and wouldn't change his career. Had great experiences. If ds2 really wants to be a violinist we will only encourage him.

[pianomama]

That's better. I just had an image a child practicing being a Vet at home...Bring on violin

[CURIOUSMIND]

I hold my breath to read all your comments .Thank you so much all of you for sharing your opinion with me.I am sure I feel a lot more back down to the earth now.

I also read these:(Google)

The pressures of growing up as a musically gifted child

The Approach of the Yehudi Menuhin School to competition

[1805]

Please talk to DC as to what they want.
I found out years later that my teacher had recommended Chethams to my parents for me. They just said a flat "No" without even asking me. I still really resent that.

[1805]

Re pressures growing up - I suffered from 'Mental Exhaustion' (burn -out) in my teens, but still got to where I am today (working muso). It was a hard life with many social sacrifices growing up.
Would I do it differently if I could turn back time????
Honestly, I don't know. I wouldn't like to not be where I am today, but also, would have liked to not have a mini breakdown and no life.
That's my story anyway. Hopefully people can come along with happier stories!!!!