Spring /Summer 24 - Music thread

The colourstrings locations are Highgate, Muswell Hill, Islington and I think there’s maybe one in Kingston too? - I think you’d have to be very wealthy to afford a family house in those areas these days. Though I suppose there might be others trekking from Newham like us 🤣.

Did anyone else spend about 5 hours in the proms booking online waiting room today? We did eventually get the tickets we wanted!

Ah yes, @Ubertomusic I kind of meant heading for fee-paying secondary (with those hard-won scholarships) - plenty go to state primary I think.

Hi @minisnowballs :) At Colourstrings, roughly 2/3 were from state schools as far as I remember - all started together in reception year. Middle class postcode but nothing posh.

Not sure starting early is a London thing though - we discussed with DD recently how Tchaikovsky's violin concerto was considered so difficult all star soloists he approached refused to play it, now its 2nd mov. is on ABRSM g8 syllabus. True, not the whole concerto, but still...

Starting early to get 11+ scholarships to top-10 schools IS a London thing though 😂

I also find london insane - and I live here! But all of this stuff with the tiny violinists feels like it takes place in another world (fee-paying schools and very certain postcodes). DD2 has taken a far more 'ambling' path with her music... so it's surprising to look back and see where she's come from. Suspect it will be even more weird by the time she gets to uni applications, whatever she chooses.

Meanwhile, in case anyone ever wonders what they do in the evening at specialist school, she sent me a picture last night of a bassoon she and a friend had made out of biscuits, for someone's birthday. Niche- but she seems to have been enjoying herself.

@Ubertomusic - I do find London insane sometimes. 6 is a perfectly fine age to start the violin (have loads of info confirming this - ex-pro musician with many violinist friends) but it’s interesting how the different programmes seem to feel very differently about what is the “right” age with very little flexibility - I completely agree with you that it’s about maturity really, which obviously differs from child to child.

Annoyingly neither CYM or Guildhall Kings X offer Kodaly classes, so I think Colourstrings is the only option atm. I’m waiting to hear back from them about a place for Sept so 🤞🏻

@mustardrarebit ah I see - makes total sense. A gap year sounds very fun and exciting!

Thank you @Compsearch she's in Y6 and should be moving into secondary school. She was offered one around 15 miles from our home that meant she would need to catch a bus at 6.30am and change at the dodgy bus station at 7am. She has been offered a scholarship at a local independent, but the costs and short time she would be there don't make sense. It was our back up in case she didn't get into Chets at all.

Oops - meant to post this elsewhere so editing

In our experience Kodaly helped more in developing rhythm, DD doesn't have a perfect pitch and was struggling with intonation until she became a chorister, then it improved massively but is still far from perfect 😁

@Compsearch my DD did Kodaly at Colourstrings from age 4 as far as I remember, and her class was based on school age bands so it's not very early to start, all of them were the same age. She then went to a pre-JD that uses Kodaly - probably not a proper programme as they did pretty much the same stuff. I guess CYM and Kings X do something very similar.
6 is rather late for the violin these days - and Colourstrings is a relaxed place compared to many. Suzuki classes start from 2 sometimes, 3 is normal. DD learns the violin, started at 5 and is still lagging behind at 10, even though she was able to focus and happily practised for ~40 minutes right from the start.

Age is not that important though, it's more about physiological and psychological maturity, interest in music and a good teacher.

Thank you @Ubertomusic - I have checked that one out - there’s a kind of intro to music class for ages 5-7 but I think it’s a bit too basic for what I’m looking for. Their proper programme starts at age 7+ (year 3).

Seems to be a total gap for DS’s actual age (year 2 in September) - which I guess might suggest he’s a little young to be starting…but when I spoke to Colourstrings they said 6 was on the late side for violin 🤯.

Huge congrats to your DD @mustardrarebit! You must be chuffed! Sorry if I’ve missed it but why the gap year rather than stay in her current school?

@Siriusmuggle that's handy! I imagine she will need that if she doesn't come home every weekend. Otherwise I suppose it it will be brought home for a quick wash.

@Compsearch Maybe a little late and someone has already mentioned it - Guildhall has recently opened a new centre in King's Cross, I guess they have musicianship classes there https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/study-with-guildhall/children-and-young-people/guildhall-young-artists/guildhall-young-artists-kings-cross

No idea about their admissions though, but worth checking IMO.

There was an element of potluck to it, particularly in a dorm of 4 teenage boys.

@Siriusmuggle amazing - we are very much doing the labelling - think Matron would give me very short shrift if I suggested she did it! DD can have her washing done, but doesn't - says it then isn't a given when you'll get it back..

At Chets you put your laundry in a bag and they do it for you I think. They even label your clothes. The house staff are amazing.

@minisnowballs thank you for sharing your experience, it's really helpful. I can see how it appears to others, I couldn't imagine my middle daughter attending a similar type of school, but it does feel like the most appropriate and natural progression right now. I'm glad we have time to work on the practical side of being away at school. Fortunately she is very organised, but keeping up-to-date on laundry is probably something she hasn't considered!

@mustardrarebit - I think it is just so far out of most people's experience that you might find they're just confused rather than judging. DD2 left her state comp at the end of Y9 to go to her specialist school, after weeks of vacillating (she was very happy where she was). Most people eventually got it, and my dad - initially very unsure - now reckons it was the 'only choice' in the circumstances.

In terms of missing their parents - our experience is that day-to-day they are very busy and don't really. Sometimes when it all goes wrong it feels like it goes very wrong very fast and you have to be prepared to work quickly to pick up pieces. However, nearly a year in we're learning to deal with the pinch points before they happen - nearly always at the end of terms, and teaching dd2 to be more flexible as things come up very fast and often with very short notice.

You have lots of time to prepare! I wish I had taught DD2 more about doing your own washing (though she is fine), and more about organising her own stuff and practice. I also wish I had asked more questions about how the comms work between houseparent, tutor, head of department and head of music. But DD's school is the complicated 'not only musicians' one, so that may be easier elsewhere.

@minisnowballs knowing she's relatively nearby does make it feel easier. I'm still getting a bit of judgement from some school parents, and my own parents were unsure until they saw how happy she was to get in. I'm sure she will be so busy that she won't have time to miss us!

@mustardrarebit that is really good - the weekend thing. That would make such a huge difference to us, and I think will make it far easier for you. DD has saturday am school, and Sunday evening cathedral services so it is trickier. We can occasionally bust her out by taking out a practice period at the end of her Saturday school day and then negotiating a pass out from cathedral on Sunday night, but it would be frowned on if we did it too often.

This is my biggest worry. She does like to be at home with us, but is also keen for some independence. She will certainly be missed, even the Kevin the teenager behaviour, as much as I hate to admit it! Luckily we don't live far away and she can come home every weekend, if she wants to.

This is extremely relatable. . I have had this repeatedly although the distance is not as far....

@mustardrarebit - as someone with a child at specialist school at the moment though, do continue to enjoy every moment with her while she's at home. I've just seen DD2 play for five minutes in a lunchtime concert - she gave me a quick hug and then informed me she had to go back and do 'the rest of my bassoon lesson' - I'd travelled three and a half hours for this!

I do think is a bit hogwarty to be honest. The parents don't get much of a look in there either!

Thank you. It's great to see her so proud of her achievements and eager to go to secondary.

Thank you! I must admit, I'm a bit jealous. It looks like a wonderful experience. I'll console myself with the library tour!

@mustardrarebit your daughter will love it! There's far more freedom than the usual boarding school experience, especially in 6th form. Lots of freedom to go out to gigs and evening events for example (think there is a 10pm curfew at the weekend but can be extended). It really couldn't be further from Mallory Towers!