November Music Thread

I agree the biggest bonus of belonging to jd (for us at least) would be to be able to meet and play with other exceptional musicians at their age. So you won't be the youngest nor the very best (except for prodigies in which case they will always be the youngest and very best wherever they go ). DS already made a few good friends there (and of course he is in a naughty gang..., his aural teacher calls them 'my naughtiest children of the world...).

I was at the JD of GSMD for 6 years, as a junior exhibitionerand they were some of my happiest years. I'd have wind and at 9am, followed by maybe a flute lesson, then choir, then a Wimbledon, quintet coaching, General musicianship class and then symphony orchestra all afternoon. We had recitals, competitions, masterclasses etc - the things you can't access as easily on an ad hoc basis.
It was wonderful and I made life-long friends there. If we lived close enough to London, I would definitely consider it for ds.

Niggle I thought you'd looked into AYM too. It is very different to a jd. Yes they do have a few violinists etc but probably as many if not more brass players , guitarists, drummers etc If you get an apprentice place then no the emphasis isn't on classical music the weekends look at different things so last weekend was classical improvisation and looking at the structure of certain types of classical music but they have also had weekends on composition and dalcroze this term . If you get offered a full place ( which ds has ) then it's a MUCH bigger commitment at least 1 weekend a month plus the expectation that you go away for at least 3 and ideally at least 4 weeks of your school holidays on AYM courses - which is why I think it suits older students . . These courses do look at all different types of music but that includes classical so this weekend is one of many chamber workshops ( Friday to Sunday ) where all the classical instrumentalists get together. This time there is also a weekend for guitars. You can use music and dance scheme grants for fees ( and put any surplus towards lessons I think) and they also have access to lots of bursaries ( thank goodness) . It is something quite unique , very intense and won't suit everyone. Ds loves it as he really likes jazz, improvisation and big band music so he gets to study that as well .
Waffle I went through the same dilemmas as you Goo does loads anyway and I think if you have to travel a huge distance then that can make jds tricky . Ds may join one instead at some point who knows but for now this is more than feeding his passion for music . They do also expect that their students continue to play in other orchestras or bands depending on where their musical interests lie

I should add that 1-2-1 lesson is one hour long. MDS covers 45 min, we pay additional 15 min.

This is what I think of jd. It's more of an one stop shop, like a package holiday arranged by a trusted travel agency. You can avoid hustling around for arranging everything by yourself and the quality is kind of guaranteed. If you have time, knowledge and network, you can go as a backpacker and in fact may benefit more as it can be truly catered for you and your needs only. JD provides individual programmes but the flexibility and freedom is of course limited otherwise it won't function as a college.

If I had a choice I may have preferred going solo and arranged things as needed.

We had a really good school concert last night, DS played in six of the ensembles, having been roped into one more glock part at the last minute. So that was sight-reading, with only one run through before performance. I told him how good having to perform impromptu is for his development.

waffle we put off jd for two years thinking he was doing enough at school. But now I am really pleased he has decided to go. What DS is getting out of it is: an excellent motivational teacher for his 1-2-1, playing in the percussion ensemble with as good and some better percussionists which he's loving (nobody at his level at his school), the size of the orchestra (his school's Symphony Orchestra is truly excellent, but smaller), the access to more percussion instruments (not so important for a flautist!) and one hour musicianship/g6 theory weekly lesson that's helping with his GCSE composition and his development as a musician. Theory teacher is fabulous too! So at jd everything goes up a notch, so to say. Except the jazz/Big band he plays at school I would say is at the same level right now than the one he plays at jd. On the other hand, the hours he spends there he's not putting in any individual practice and Sunday is pure homework, so his individual practice has been reduced...
My guess is that the biggest difference for Goo would be to meet and play with other g8+ flautists. That could challenge her in a good way. Right now she's the best in her school and that sometimes can feel a bit like a ceiling.

waffle for us, the main advantages of JD (as you know, our CAT is more like the London colleges version of JD- weekly music days of lessons and extra activities) are the fact it's funded by her MDS grant and the additional opportunities like weekly theory class, dalcroze lessons and varied ensemble work plus regular performance training.
I'm not sure her lessons achieve the same as her previous, a combination of so much in one day and the fact that her 45 minutes include arriving, settling and being interrupted five or ten minutes early by the next person where previously a 45 min lesson would be the time she was focussed on her lesson with time either side for change overs, stickers etc.
We certainly haven't cut down on the additional music activities like school groups and music service ensembles.
The biggest advantage for us to JD is that she loves going, regardless of any issues I have with a few things. She's getting a lot from dalcroze especially and it's rekindled her enthusiasm for theory.

gilly that was very moving and a really touching thing to do.
For those who missed it, here's the full recording on YouTube:

Oh, and the girlfriend obviously has lots of qualifications in dietary health that I, as his mother, don't possess. I have only spent a few years telling him that eating so much meat is not good for him, particularly referencing his own father who has been successfully treated for a tumour the size of an orange in his colon (very, very lucky, it hadn't spread). During his big growth spurts, he could eat half a cold chicken as an after school snack.

Now he has asked me to get smoked salmon and pumpernickel bread for after school.. oh and don't forget the lemon.

Waffle, could you set up your own group, with other flutely contacts?

There seems to be a girlfriend...

I don't mind other sports DS does. Cricket, tennis, golf, cycling, swimming...., most of them are observers/supporters friendly. It's usually during warm weather and/or indoor, and the washing is easy too - swimming is the best as all I have to wash is a tiny pair of swim shorts!

On the other hand, football is a real agony to me. I enjoy watching DS playing of course, though I don't understand offside rule. But it's freezing cold, usually involves a long journey, and the washing is a real nightmare especially after they play in a dampy weather. The studs are still covered with mud contained thin glasses. Luckily DS needs astroturf (the other pair) today... But this means I'll end up having two pairs of boots disparately requiring a serious wash this weekend!

DS says he likes all the sports, but then somehow he does football more than any sport. Why.... Why...

Although DS, 16, who has managed to grow to 6ft 2 and look like a pro swimmer on a diet of bacon and pasta (using a large salad bowl as a normal bowl is way to small), now wants a gym subscription and eats a double helping of porridge for breakfast.

There seems to be a girlfriend...

Thank god all my children think sport is something to do with a Sky subscription, which I won't allow them to have..

I carry a blanket, a folding chair and a big mag of tea. I sometimes take my laptop to do admin stuff, but it's usually kept in my bag. Too cold and too dark to type a word...

Sorry I keep talking about my footy parent agony. I just has a day too many of this recently...

It's footy season for us. Luckily we haven't had any rain yet, buy oh my, I'm gonna have frostbites!!! Lots parents are very enthusiastic like us here for music. They don't seem to be bothered too much about the long drive and waiting in cold (no cafe nearby...). They love watching matches and some eager dads cannot stop shouting at their sons (you are not allowed so they often gets told off by staff).

I love when we are out for DS's music - inside, warm, even I have a seat. Heaven....

Sounds exciting, Niggle!

I have, however, found a violin music group for DD that I am very excited about. We will have to stay in a hotel overnight probably for monthly visits, but it is just what I have been looking for over two years. They have visiting high calibre tutors from places like the RAM/RCM/RCS and even had a visit from Nicola Benedetti a while back. Worth the travel 2 hours each way I think. Will report back after our first visit!

Oh, and at around £3,000 a year, unlike jds, you also have to continue to pay for your 1-1 lessons with your own teacher.

Woolley, we looked at AYM and decided against it for now. I really think it might depend on your instrument. DD is a violinist and there is a seems to be a lot of other instruments, but not many violinists. There doesn't appear to be a large classical repetoire and there is a lot of improv, etc, and a lot of workshops on musical styles from around the world. I just don't see how it will help DD be the best classical violinist she can be. It would be interesting, but the time and money commitment would be a lot without really getting what we are looking for. There seems to be one classical based weekend workshop in the year and 12 or so others that are not. Perhaps it is a deliberate policy not to compare to the London jds.

Trumpet could tell me if I've misunderstood, but that's what I have picked up.

On the learning side I said, but at the moment (and probably for the next good many years) all the spare money we have goes to DS, so I can't afford to have a teacher for myself. So I'm basically an active self-learner...

You know Waffle, I would LOVE to have the career you have. It must be tough sometimes of course, but how fulfilling to be able to seed something so beautiful and nurture and help them glow and enjoy all the different outcomes. Unfortunately I don't have skills to share nor teach so I am always on the learning side.

When he auditioned he had only taken grade 5

They aren't at all interested in grades in fact one of ds's friends has largely learnt by ear ( he plays guitar). DS auditioned with a grade 6 ish piece that he could play very well and a grade 8 piece that he fancied learning and wasn't quite ready but showed what he was about ( fearless / or just plain stupid depending on your viewpoint ) . For the second audition he played a piece that he was learning for grade 7 again it wasn't totally ready but demonstrated his potential-I think this is what they are most interested in. One of the younger apprentices had taken grade 5 or are at that standard I think .