November Music Thread

windmum

Our county level ensembles have no lower age limit, entrance is by audition and they say it's a minimum of G6 standard but depending on the competition for places it could be effectively G8 standard. Saturday morning music centre groups are also age blind. I would ask someone at your local music partnership what they recommend for young advanced players.

I can't see why there should be an age cut off of 13, I could understand one at primary/secondary transition but 13 seems very random.

•Windmum* don't have any obvious ideas (although maybe if you hint at your location it might help somebody) - something like Aldeburgh Young Musicans or one of the CYM (like Saffron Centre for Young Musicans) if you are close or something similar in your area? Howeverr, I would say plenty of time and no rush. Your DD is going to get lots of chances in the coming years and lack of extent orchestral playing right now is not going to make much difference.

Oh, just read Trumpet's post and basically I was repeating the same suggestion - sorry!

Hello WindMum, welcome! Sorry to hear you were disappointed by jd. While it's worth flying for some, it's certainly not for everyone. But hopefully you can find something more suitable to your DD very soon. Have you contacted the local youth/ensembles aiming at 13+? DS's youth orchestra was originally for teenagers, but they allowed DS to join when he was 9. Recently I noticed they changed their intake policy from just teenagers to Y6+. Currently there are two primary school players inc. DS in the youth orchestra. You may be surprised how flexible those places are?

Sorry I've made a massive assumption about clarinet. there were also flute players last year as well as saxophone -though nyjc wouldn't be much good if you played bassoon

I would enquire again about your county advanced ensembles and orchestras etc . I know that if ds wasn't auditioning for NCO ( the dates clashed) even though he isn't old enough yet they would have let him audition. In fact a friend ( who's the same age) auditioned and got in ! Both were also encouraged to audition last year - year 7 . I also found it's worth asking about progression in other county run ensembles if you have them . sometimes you just need to ask and then they are happy to accommodate younger students. Certainly ds has been playing with much older players since year 5 . It is tricky but hopefully there will be many more opportunities come year 7. Last year Ds also did some work with the National Youth Jazz collective it might be worth looking up their regional courses there were younger players involved with that last year including clarinet

Hello all - been reading for a while but this is my first contribution!

Went to a JD visit day on Saturday and left disappointed, wouldn't be worth the 2+ hours trip in EACH direction). Looking now at other opportunities besides NCO (fingers crossed for results of this years audition) for orchestral playing at Year 6 (year 7 in Sept 2018). JD only had 'wind sinfonia' until year 9 (or so). Local music centre doesn't cater for year 6 kids who are playing at grade 6 level on 2 instruments either, all advanced ensembles are for 13 years+ locally. Any ideas of other full orchestras for 11 year olds who are playing at grade 6 standard (will be taking in the spring 2018). DD plays with the local adult orchestra but needs to play with kids her own age (and she'll have to repeat NCO U11 again, we think, because of the change to the age banding and therefore the promise of the NCO U12 Easter course in addition to the summer course and regionals - should she get in again- has gone for this year). Thanks all for your help!

We missed it too I will watch it on catch up later

Paul, thank you for sharing the info. So nice to hear your little violinist adores him and can appreciate such a programme. Mine wanted to watch Robot Wars instead...

He’s amazing! Violinist dd adores him

I saw him live a few years ago and it was unforgettable.

Missed him . Catch up

Nigel Kennedy on BBC 4 now

Rudolph threw up on it

What an amazing tree! And it looks so realistic. Makes ours looks like Rudolph threw up on it. I think ours will be going up next weekend.

green what a gorgeous tree.
DS makes quite a nice pocket money now and if he had more time he'd make more. His main gig is teaching drums to a younger boy, and he gets small amounts for playing jazz at certain events. He's just been asked to play timps at a carol service in a local church and they will pay him what they call expenses. We're not Christian and it's quite amusing that so many music opportunities in this country are linked to churches and cathedrals - he enjoys them all though!

That is an amazing tree Green! Beautiful!

and happy birthday minidouble!
DS1 was a bit surprised when I tried my new Japanese phrase on him but he understood!

Happy birthday Minis!

Welcome japanese

Christmas- I am kind of in denial but my girl is having two dance things she'll love (a course at central school of ballet and an insight day with the Royal associates) and some music of course. Everyone else is looking less likely to be achieved by the day!

Haha, Double, fair enough, I am dreadful for the teenage years ahead!!!

She has just turned 11 Green - so 364 days older!

Hope miniraspberry is feeling a bit more comfortable now.

Happy birthday to miniRaspberry and Double DD2. Hope he is feeling better today Raspberry and especially beibg kept busy with his day! Double, do I remember correctly that yours is also 10 today? She is then only 1 day younger than mine.

We dont have any belief however we stayed in London this Xmas and I had a day off on Friday for her party so I put the Xmas tree up, it might be too early however I will have no time off till the week before Xmas so I thought I got 1 thing done. I havent had time to finish the decoration yet, hopefully after the dinner tonight(with a large glass of wine).
Just dropped mine at her Sunday Orchestra and walking to get a coffee then will hop back with hope to have a peak of their rehearsal and might be able to spot the Boy.

Oh that's a shame raspberry ds can't wait to sort out some paid work ( busking is what he's got his eye on I think) . Waffle I have also just about sorted my 2 online now off to snape to pick up ds and hopefully do some shopping in the lovely shops there before hand

I think impacted was the correct term, Drummers. It was a bottom canine tooth, that was lying horizontally at the base of his gum. It had crossed the midline and angled itself nicely to come up the other side. We need more appointments now for a plan for the future.

He is missing out on paid work, he plays with a local group at a leisure park on Sunday afternoons. It was folk music in November and they gradually add Christmas music!