Autumn 2020 music thread

Can you try to ask around via local private schools etc to see if anyone has a 'special visit' planned? I think they are still happening this year (basically the examiner comes to the school or other venue, usually shortly after the regular session of exams is finished, and the person organising it has more control/flexibility about the timetable, and can sometimes squeeze extra people in). It's usually schools with many candidates, or private teachers who want specific dates to have all their pupils together, and they ask around other private teachers to make sure there are enough candidates to meet the minimum, or sometimes teachers with unusual instruments that are hard to transport to other venues, etc. I think there are more restrictions this year as the venue has to be Covid-safe etc, but I have heard that some people were still planning them (but that was planning before the recent Tier changes, so don't know if that's affected anything). Local music teachers groups etc might know of who might be organising them, or the usual local exam venue might know if they have hired it out for a special visit to someone later on, or the private schools might have leads.

Thanks to those that have replied to my post.

I’m not feeling hopeful.

I can not find a single uk slot available let alone in our local area (London).

Am I correct that session 3 ends on December 19th or are there any centres with later dates.

DD is still rehearsing as though the exam will still take place in 10 days but I’m not sure how it will happen 😔

mbell that's awful. Fingers crossed something comes up. We've got one on the 15th (dd's flute grade 6) and she's self-isolating until the 11th so it looks like she might be ok. Still seems deeply unlikely that the stars will align and her, the accompanist and the examiner will all actually be able to be in the same place at the same time on the day though. Hope you get sorted soon and your dd copes with self isolation ok.

Thanks @horseymum and @thirdfiddle. The teacher at local private schools isn't taking anyone new on (and he's not really a horn player), and the music service horn teacher won't teach her privately as she feels it's a "conflict of interests" when DD could learn with the rather useless brass teacher music service teacher they can offer..... I don't quite get her reasoning, but maybe she just doesn't want a private pupil.

But I'll keep on asking around - thank you for the suggestions.

Mbell we had the same problem a few weeks ago; I checked the slots at least twice a day and we got a cancellation for the day after quarantine eventually.. Lots of people end up having to move bookings due to quarantine so fingers crossed you will get a slot that works.

The letter from PHE is very clear that self isolation has to take place even if you have a negative PCR test during this period.

The website gives no free slots anywhere in the UK for 18th Dec onwards.

I’ll try and call ABRSM tomorrow but I’m hearing that they don’t respond or answer emails. Might try the exam venue directly 🤞🏽

Worst possible timing indeed.

Oh no, mbell, what awful timing

Wondering if a negative test (?PCR test, privately, as one can do for overseas travel) would mean she was ok to take the exam?

Also, have you checked for late booking slots at your current venue and any others nearby? (Not sure if that’s what you meant, sorry.) I suppose something may come up with late cancellations over the next few days if you keep checking...

😭 😭 😭

DD (13) has just this minute been instructed she must self isolate as a COVID contact until 6pm on 17th Dec.

Her grade 7 cello exam is booked for 16th Dec 😢

What are the chances that ABRSM would be able to accommodate her exam this side of Christmas or early in the new year?

She’s been totally on track for the exam and ready and prepped as you would expect 10 days before the exam.

Nothing available on line. Has anyone been able to speak with staff from ABRSM recently?

Feel like I’m clutching at straws and just feel so sad for her

Hi starmer, can't help with horn teacher but we have always gone with word of mouth. Or if there are any specialist music schools or junior departments you could look to see who teaches there and contact them. One of our teachers is a family friend, the other a professional in an orchestra and teaches at a conservatoire. Lots of professional orchestra members teach too. I would have thought the French horn world was quite small, so if you contact one, they might put you in touch with someone else who can help. Good luck, it's a lovely instrument.

Hello
I hope it's ok to post on here. I have 4 DCs playing various instruments. DD (11) really wants to start the French Horn but I'm struggling to find a teacher.
I don't want her to learn through the local music service (who are generally great) as she already learns violin through them and I think missing lessons twice a week is not ideal. And also because DS1 already learns trombone with the brass teacher who she would be given, and I feel he has been a bit hopeless.
Does anyone know of any French Horn teachers in the NE - Durham / Darlington / Teesside area?
Thanks in advance.

Hi, does anyone have any experience of the trinity digital assessments? Daughters teacher wants to enter her into an exam, but I am worried about the audio quality that can be achieved through using an iPhone or laptop especially as she plays drum kit! We also have to be able to hear the backing track. It’s all rather loud...

We've also had a 'permitted exercise' bassoon visit - horsey - but the bassoon remains unusable. She's grumpily back on the mini one. Fiddly isn't the word.

Thanks for replying, Totalshambles. I expected better from such a well established organisation

Zero response to two emails over a week ago seeking an amend to the certificate ....fully expecting the certificate to arrive without the correction. Sigh....

Hi everyone Has anyone needed to be in touch with ABRSM customer services recently, and can tell me what their response times are like?

DD took an exam nearly two weeks ago. Her music teacher got the result within a week and we received an email from ABRSM on Sunday to say we could set up an account to view the result and mark form. Unfortunately, it seems the teacher input the wrong DOB so the system won’t let us create an account.

The teacher tried to email a PDF of the mark sheet but it won’t open in Acrobat. I did notice DD’s surname is incorrect in the filename so I’m concerned it might be wrong on the certificate (at this point I’m also concerned that she didn’t get the surprisingly good result we were told and somehow got someone else’s by mistake!).

No response from ABRSM customer services - I’m sure they’re very busy with exams ongoing, but it’s a bit tough on DD.

Mini- I feel your pain, bassoons can be fiddly little beasts. We've had to do a few minor repairs like sticking cork pads back on but I drew the line when we had a sticky key. Turns out ( after photos and holding offending piece up to screen) that DD had slightly bent something. Teacher did a long cycle over ( permitted exercise!) to fix it on the doorstep. As it involved a lighter I'm glad I didn't have to do that repair over zoom! Thankfully at last face to face lesson he was also able to help DD sort her feed as that is tricky over zoom 😂
Lovely that some folk are able to play in-person. We quite enjoy recording projects but they can pile up.
Waiting to hear results of abrsm theory and NYOS audition.
Juggling, glad your ds is enjoying his course, what an experience to be immersed like that.

We are lucky to still have ensembles at school and a very limited choir - year group only though. Very, very grateful.

Is anyone waiting to hear from NYCGB?

Just reading the end of the, Spring music thread where I was telling you about DS starting at Trinity Laban, in Greenwich, on his trumpet performance course, and someone kindly said to let you know how he's getting on......
Well he's had a really great first term there. Getting on so well with his two trumpet teachers and having in person weekly lessons with them. They're both asking him to focus on slightly different things so that's been great having them both. Also is in a brass quintet that practices together weekly, so that's keeping him going, when there's clearly not as much music making going on as there would normally be.
He's also made a lot of new friends including a new girlfriend who's coming to stay with us for Christmas, partly because she's from India, and getting home this year would be very difficult for her.
So am looking forward to meeting her and hope we can provide a welcoming and homely Christmas for them both.
My DD is a student in Swansea, and staying on there this Christmas with her friends. Missing her but it can't be helped - hoping there'll be a good window to meet up soon in the new year

thirdfiddle, ignore me - I'm a miserable sod ...it's the fact it's two instruments for one child and one for the other and everyone wants a recording (and the bassoon keeps breaking - honestly, it's like a petulant child). One recording down, three to go. Will be so glad when things go back to normal!

Horsey, I'm with you. I'm really struggling with the recording expectations from DDs' music school. We're not very techy and she keeps needing to record things with click tracks/backing. She doesn't have much time and neither do I (and what time she has she ought to be spending on her G6 flute which should be in early december). It feels like this expectation is for the music school's social media, rather than for the kids. But that's probably just me being mean. We're drowning in it rather, and it's making practice miserable - where ensemble playing is usually a joy for my dd. The final straw was when they asked if she could wear a christmas hat - which means I now need to spend the evening getting decorations out of the loft, because funnily enough I don't have one hanging around....

Anyone else really fed up with no ensembles etc? We're now back to zoom lessons too. Christmas without all those concerts will be a sombre affair here.