Summer 21 music thread

I think we might have to admit it's a new term
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/extra_curricular_activities/4352298-Autumn-21-music-thread

We dont have a piccolo but we do have various sets of ear defenders for practise - percussion mainly (although trumpet practise is also fairly errm penetrating

As for languages, we're in scandinavia and the kids are from s young age just expected to handle (music) instruction in any scandinavian language or english with instructors /mentors from various places

Video auditions seem ridiculous at this point - particularly with tutors he already has, sirius.. good luck though!.

Nomorehorses it's so exciting to see students applying to study abroad. Both of my girls speak some Spanish (went to school in Latin America when tiny) and we've kept their tutor on in the hopes that they would cope if they ever needed to study for anything in a Spanish-speaking country - German would faze them though! Since they both seem determined to study latin as their one language for GCSE they aren't getting any help from school!

Just received the school piccolo. Ouch. Love that it is the only instrument I've ever seen that comes with earplugs. Presumably for the player, not the rest of the family? Perhaps we need more?

I really think they should be in person now with video as a contingency plan.
The crazy thing with RNCM is that his tutors work there and he sees them in person every week anyway. I don’t know if they’d be on the panel but if they are he’ll be doing a video for his face ro face tutors to watch!

@Siriusmuggle RAM is recorded audition sent in to them, no live video option. DD also not a fan of recording.

I was annoyed that last year (for postgrad) RAM still wanted the £100 audition fee for a totally online recording. Other places dd applied to reduced the fee for online auditions reflecting the fact that they didn't have to pay for accompanists and other costs related to in person auditions.

@nomorehorses he's not a fan of recorded ones -he'd rather do live video. He hasn't got that repeated take mentality. We'll have to see how it all pans out for them.

@horseymum the places DD is applying the teaching will be in German. School are being great at helping her get up to a reasonable level (from scratch!).
@Siriusmuggle DD is also annoyed about RAM wanting recorded submission - but this does help to spread things out a bit as they want that in by end of October and then her live London ones will be normal time around beginning of Dec.

At the Leeds open day they said that applicants would be given the choice of either an online or in person audition. Ds wants to go for in person. He is applying for Popular Music so a bit different to most of you but has ruled out places like ACM as he also wants access to more classical based musicians and/or musical theatre singers for hopeful collaboration.

Just had a message from mine- trinity, rcm & Birmingham are in person auditions but ram and RNCM are online. So the two favourites are now online and therefore likely to go less well. Typical.

@nomorehorses That sounds exciting, my dd is only just starting at JD and would love to go to a conservatoire when she leaves school but hasn't even thought about Europe. Are these courses in English or is your DD good at other languages? I wouldn't even know where to start thinking about institutions outside the UK, she's currently assuming she will go locally but that is partly as it's the only one she's really heard much about.

@Siriusmuggle my DD is currently doing applications for 2022. Three London and three or four in Europe. I haven't been on here for a very long time, but thought I'd pop in to see if anyone else was applying this year.

@Siriusmuggle, I have a DC strarting RNCM this year.
@Knotaknitte, sorry your DS has had so much disappointment, I'm hoping things will be improved this year.

Sounds really difficult for him. I hope this year is nice and smooth and normal.

The last two years have failed to meet expectations but that's the pandemic for you. I thought they did well last year with playing, he was having a group ensemble every week at a time when it was not possible to play anywhere else. They performed a couple of times to an empty concert hall and he was able to have his year end recital with his accompanist. Having him at home for chunks of the year meant I was witness to much ranting about whatever essay he had to turn in (#bloodyballet), it's not all playing and doing what interests you.

I am hoping that this is a normal year where I get to go to a couple of concerts and his final recital (providing he invites me).

How is he finding it?

I would have liked DS to go to the northern, he wanted to go to Birmingham. No prizes for guessing where he went. Had it been left to his sixth form college he wouldn't have got the form in on time because they didn't do enough applications to be aware of the early submission date.

Having just moved the contents of a flat (again) I am glad that he didn't consider Wales, the extra driving is more than I'd fancy.

Apparantly he's now taken RWCMD off his list. He's now going for RNCM, Birmingham and all 3 Londons. He wants to go to London, I want him to got to RNCM. I don't think he's booked any actual open days or anything like that, he'll just wing it and expect to get a place. I do know he's practicing and has been rehearsing with his accompanist.

Thanks mini, she's excited to get going. Sounds like a good collection of instruments. It's amazing what schools have stuck in the back of cupboards. We discovered our music service had two bassoons. I'm just wondering if there is a cor anglais or contrabassoon lurking somewhere!!

We are off to Leeds tomorrow too (or rather we are travelling up tonight).

Cripes mini, that's quite the collection. Great news about piccolo options!

Good luck to your DD horsey. And v exciting to see these bigger teens looking to go further.

Saturday school doesn't start til the 25th here (but I think is normal, not hybrid), some teachers already popping in some extra lessons, and school music lessons now back.

DD2 exhausted from trying to learn the ropes at secondary (she's Year 8 but wasn't really allowed to move from her classroom last year so she keeps getting lost), and I'm feeling like a fool as having confidently asserted that her comprehensive school doesn't have a piccolo, it of course does have one for her to borrow for free, she can pick it up whenever she likes and can play it in two different bands.

That'll teach me to underestimate the music department. (though I've literally never seen anyone play one in anything and her sister has been there three years).

Comically, we now have the offer of two piccolos (her CAT has offered her one too), as well as the two bassoons, cello, viola, violin, flute and piano. People are beginning to comment on our 'music room' (which was meant to be the living room! ) - I'm just so grateful that people lend us these things - don't think we've ever paid for instrument hire.

Well, mine is just starting so I'm no expert but might be able to answer the odd question. We did an online open day then a video audition which consisted of two pieces, some scales, an interview where they were given some questions and you could either ask them those, or they just did a kind of talk, answering them. I think live would be less stressful!