Spring /Summer 24 - Music thread

Thank you all for your replies. Apologies for not replying to everyone individually - it’s been a bit of a day of it one way and another but have read everyone’s comments and there’s some suggestions I can explore with DS.

We considered ( briefly) buying new but even with the discount, buying a trusted second hand instrument was a better bet for us. Different for everyone though. I think you can get a case as well through the scheme.

Ha! In music, the wand always chooses the wizard.

Hi, @GreenTeaWhite - I 'm not a clarinet parent- but I will reiterate as I always do that if you're buying new and your child does any of their music at the school they attend and it is a state school, you should be eligible for the Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme (AIPS). This allows you to buy your instrument VAT free.

Even if your school isn't very clued up on this (and ours really wasn't) the music stores can usually help them. It can save a significant amount so is worth bearing in mind...

https://www.musicmark.org.uk/resources/assisted-instrument-purchase-scheme-aips/

Funnily enough in addition to being a horn parent I am also a clarinet parent and we have just had to upgrade my daughter’s clarinet for g8 and beyond. Her teacher recommended a Buffet R13 but we went to Howarth in London and she preferred the Buffet Festival. Not that I know anything about these things myself but apparently they have the same core 🤷‍♀️

I was very lucky and managed to find a festival £1000 cheaper than Howarth in the Thomann 70th anniversary sale (it was still miserably expensive). They are about to release a new edition of the Festival so there are some deals and discounts out there for the “old” model. It can be difficult to tell the difference online and you have to look at the model number. I was really worried about buying one she hasn’t tried online but the discount was too good to turn down and she is really delighted with it.

my daughter’s teacher said that second hand is fine if you get them from a reputable dealer. We ended up going new only because she was set on what model she wanted and we couldn’t find anything second hand. Howarth sold a really nice looking second hand one the day before we went to London to try them out 😏 so they are out there. You just want to be sure it has been well maintained and serviced, but Howarths told me that well maintained clarinets have a life span of decades.

if you get new they have to be played in quite carefully while the wood adapts to the moisture.

Hope that helps - I found it all stressful because there is so much money involved and my daughter is quite young so it felt a big decision for her because this will have to last her, well, forever!! but she is really pleased with what she has and it makes a noticeable difference. She had a second hand Yamaha 650 before.

Hello everyone, hope you've all had a good summer! Thanks again to all who signed the petition re the closure of the JC at the RWCMD in Cardiff. The debate is yet to happen, as they couldn't do it before the summer recess, but it's too late now, as the management went ahead with the closure. The teachers have in the meantime managed to set something similar up, so that's promising!

Anyway, I wondered if there are any clarinetists, or parents of, that I could ask about clarinets. My DS has just passed his grade 8 clarinet exam with distinction and plays a Hanson SE intermediate level clarinet. Now that he's going to move onto diploma level playing, we're thinking of upgrading his clarinet. I'd appreciate any advice you have re models, the pros and cons of new v. secondhand (other than cost of course!) and where to get them from. We're thinking about buying both a Bb and an A clarinet, which he's never had before. Thank you!

I think so @Thatmissingsock 😁 not sure my child agrees

@Siriusmuggle that seems reasonable 😂

He’s halfway through a music performance degree. His previous horn took him up to grade 8 and then he got this one prior to 6th form at specialist school. It’s a professional standard instrument so I feel like my instrument purchasing work is done 😂

Oh gosh @Siriusmuggle that's a lot, am assuming your DC is at quite a high level? Mine is only gd6 yet so i think we are ok on a lesser instrument hopefully

That actually does sound like a bargain. His current one was £5,500 second hand. A new one would be £11k. That’s why he can buy his own in the future!

Yup, horns seem to be pricey don't they. We got a reasonable full double for about 1800 but i dont know whether we'll need a better one at some point.

I see people are hearing back from NYO auditions - anyone's sprogs auditioned for NCO?

More horn parents than I thought! Hope they all keep it up- mine is third year conservatoire and has had loads of fun opportunities with it.

Another horn parent here *waves

Yes London would have been easier 😂.

Glad you checked 😂 I think they try to spread them out but actually sometimes it's easier just going to London as more frequent services there!

Ha just realised it's Newport WALES.

Goodness gracious. That's a trek.

Oooh we got Newport!! Isle of Wight means a ferry trip.

Do people tend to go the night before? Arrive early?

Also anyone know about financial assistance - can we claim the ferry? And will that go against her wanting to take part in anything on future. Do I book the ferry now?? Thankyou cleber people

I am a French Horn parent too! DS currently playing in a holiday orchestra course... It's the only thing that really keeps him going with it. He's more into his singing and piano ATM.

But yes. He got a double Paxman horn a couple of years ago that apparently was a 'bargain' at two grand.

@Ginanddiatonic hello! how funny! dd2 is actually changing teachers (not a big change or surprise but the long-standing bassoon teacher is off to do new things and his deputy has been appointed as the. Re one). She’s happy enough with this. Bassoon behaved itself yesterday so fingers crossed this continued. Meanwhile.. school shoes and haircuts

@minisnowballs @Pollyanna8234 may be worth seeing if Benslow instrument loan scheme or the Cherubim trust have any good quality loan instruments available? We explored this for DS as he needed an A clarinet - unfortunately they were all out on loan so we’ve ended up having to buy over the summer but it’s certainly worth enquiring.

And gosh just reread and saw the stolen suitcase bit. Hope all is okay.