Summer 21 music thread

Does anyone else have a child applying to conservatoires for September 2022?

JD starting on Saturday here! First few weeks will be alternating online/ in person so she won't meet one of her teachers in person till next week. Thankfully she has already met her main one in person. It will be great to get some live music in a group finally.

Thank you @Trumpetdad, I did receive the email and the relevant residential doesn't clash with our holiday!

@SE13Mummy. In case you’ve not got the email, NCO dates announced today

Main Orchestra (for those aged 13 on 31.08.21)
Spring 3rd - 9th April 2022
Summer 14th - 21st August 2022

U13 Orchestra (for those aged 12 on 31.08.21)
Spring 9th - 16th April 2022
Summer 7th - 14th August 2022

U12 Orchestra (for those aged 11 on 31.08.21)
Spring 10th - 16th April 2022
Summer 31st July – 6th August 2022

Wonderful @minisnowballs - it’s a delight to hear them again. DD had her summer residential a few weeks ago and we were allowed to be part of the ‘sharing’ - it did bring tears to my eyes.

Dd2's concert was really impressive and she was high as a kite afterwards. Amazing to see children performing again - and she didn't look completely lost so that was a win. She even played the piccolo (very briefly) and now wants one. Sigh.

Now back to the joys of back to school - does their uniform fit, why have their feet grown, etc etc

OK, I'm sure the scale in the ABRSM practice isn't ambiguous as i did go through that one with DD - as far as I know there's only one from them directly. Thanks for the hint to alternative practice papers though, that's really helpful actually and how kind of people to put them together.

thirdfiddle thank you! I did use the official ABRSM practice test and I achieved a good score so I thought I should do the real exam hence asking if they are very similar. While doing it it seemed that one scale was ambiguous but I might have to focus more. I have used unofficial practice materials too. It's just that I am an adult and I am teaching DD and would not like to make such mistakes if DD progresses more.

yodaforpresident thanks for the warning. It's brilliant that schools use their premises to let children sit exams. Our study has 3 billies almost up to the ceiling. I might have to use a laptop in the next room then.

Ah, not the official ABRSM practice paper then? I'd be really surprised if they used an ambiguous one in a real exam, that'd be mean. Syllabus only goes up to 6 sharps and doesn't mention natural minors, so they may be assuming you won't consider those.

I was quite relieved that DD got to do the theory exam online at school. We had to do the room scanning for a different online exam and it was a total pain as the room we used was full of books.

If easier, you can cover up books etc with a sheet when scanning the room and doing the exam. They need to be totally covered.

And congratulations to your daughter thirdfiddle!

Good luck to everyone's children on their new ventures. It's interesting they are having so much fun!

Thanks thirdfiddle!

It wasn't a proper paper that I did but the practice ones. I did one on a mobile where I couldn't drag and drop and then another on a laptop where it worked fine. I mean could it be that there were two correct answers depending on it being melodic or harmonic or natural and as long as you choose one it's fine? I really can't remember so that's not much of help from me. Is it meant to be a melodic, a harmonic, a natural or any of them? I only lost 2/15 marks from the scales/clefs section so it's ok but I was wondering as at times I can't seem to get a proper clef unless it is a natural (from practice I've had at Victoria William's website).

Oh and yes, they reduced the list of terms fairly recently.

Choco, just done theory with DD so I might be able to help there.
Yes you have to scan the room, but there can be books as long as they're closed.
I don't know about exact number of questions but from what DD said it sounds like format was very similar to the practice one.
Doesn't seem likely there would be two correct answers. Which qn on the practice paper, I can check for you if you like?

Oh, I forgot my most important question! I have read that you must be in a room without any books and you scan the room the show this. Is this true? Our desktop is in a study room full of billy bookcases.

Can I ask some theory questions?

Is the grade 5 online exam exactly the same format in style and number of questions as the one you can try? Also, I finished one but it seemed that a question could have been correct on two different clefs (my answer was marked as correct). Is it possible that there might be two correct answers on scales and clefs and as long as you have chosen one of them you are alright? They don't say whether it is harmonic or melodic so I have no idea if a 7th sharp would be a melodic sharp or part of the key signature. Could they also have presented a natural?

Also, I have the theory in practice g5 book which has lots more terms than the official list by ABRSM. Have they reduced them with the introduction of a new curriculum?

How lovely! I can't wait to hear her first rehearsal. She is joining a JD but it is mixed online and live to start with 😔. I play in an amateur orchestra and our first play through is usually pretty ok. After that it often gets worse as people overthink!! We get to start next week after our last concert in March 2020.

horseymum that's so sad. Fingers crossed soon. DD2 managed a few year group bubble ensembles last year and some flute ensemble stuff at her Saturday school, and DD1 had some quartet rehearsals.

DD2 is blown away (and more than a bit intimidated) by her first full orchestra experience.

"It sounds amazing mum and they're just SIGHTREADING everything. And then the conductor picks up all these mistakes but I can't hear them at all. And his baton cost £700..." and so on, and so on..(how can anyone pay £700 for a baton btw, is it from Ollivander's?)

I'm looking forward to seeing her play on Thursday.

My DCs have still not played live in an ensemble yet since covid. The youngest never has. They did some trios with their teacher at the end of last term but no school / council ensembles we're back last year and they don't usually start till October anyway 😟

Aww lovely - I completely understand why you'd cry, after they've all missed out on so much. This course has an actual concert (so exciting). I shall be in bits listening to them.

Amusingly enough, after all my whinging about them asking for a piccolo which she doesn't have , DD2 appears to have spent all day learning to play one - having never picked one up before. I think it's probably quite difficult from what she's been saying.

The first time I dropped DC1 off at a much-reduced orchestra rehearsal after the first lockdown had ended, I waited outside for a bit & loved seeing all the kids arriving with their instruments. When I picked her up later that day and could hear the music from outside, I had a wee tear. This was back in the winter, it was freezing & I was bundled up in layers, hat, mask. I must have looked ridiculous crying away to Jupiter .

Thanks. She's not particularly 'crushable', so poss worth a try. I am a very lazy/busy mother though, so the thought of extra recordings makes me want to cry. Perhaps I'll see how her orchestra week goes this week and whether she enjoys.

Apropos of that it was cheering to drop her off for orchestra this morning and see children streaming in with their instruments for the first time in forever. Particularly loved the family I saw where the dad was cycling in with a cello on his back, on a cargo bike, with two young children in the front, one with a violin. Made me feel very lazy taking DD2 on the bus!

Mini - as long as she is not a child who would feel not being a offered a place as a devastating knock to confidence then I reckon there’s no harm in having a go on any of the orchestral instruments she plays.

It’s possible that some NCO ‘regulars’ may be prioritising other commitments this year or things may have changed for them in terms of their engagement with NCO since Covid. What I mean is there may be more gaps to fill - even on popular instruments - than you’d think.