Spring /Summer 24 - Music thread

@minisnowballs Hi, long time lurker here. DD is a singer but I’m a (lapsed!) bassoonist, I suspect I had the same teacher as your DD albeit MUCH earlier in their career! For the “bit broken bassoon”, hold fire on contacting Howarths, tell the school and let them sort it. It may not even need much fixing, many an issue can be sorted in-house. If it needs to be sent away, it can be and school can arrange a temp replacement. Basically, just focus on getting clothes and shoes!

For selling instruments, we have only bought/ sold through the teachers, either one they have owned or from a pupil of theirs, then sold to pupils. Both instruments have kept their value thankfully. So sad when council instruments are not used, there's a beautiful mini bassoon not being used in our council.

we used to borrow the school piccolo @GeneralMusings - it was a school with very little music but used to be a grammar and had had more music in the past - they dug it out of a cupboard and let DD have it for nothing while she was there. I did insure it for them though. The sad thing is it will probably now go unused for decades since she's given it back - the dust layer on it was very thick.

We won't be upgrading the flute like we'd hoped post grade 8 but she also isn't at music school. She'd love to try a piccolo but that also isn't happening unless it can be rented / a loan!

I nearly fainted at the cost of DD's flute @Pollyanna8234 . We spent her inheritance from her great grandma on it (and then some!) but then realised she also needs a bassoon and a piccolo.

Neither of which we yet own.

Praying she never needs her own contra. The Child Trust Fund can only stretch so far.

That reminds me of a conversation we had with DS earlier this year @Siriusmuggle after his teacher announced that the Conservatoire flute we bought him in year 8 was no longer up to the job and we needed to buy a Professional flute for our 16 year old (yr 12). To think I once thought that he could use his Child Trust Fund to buy himself a Conservatoire flute when he was going to a Conservatoire! I was quite clearly delusional. I have made it clear we are now done with buying instruments!

Top tip-Woodhead’s sell excellent quality used horns. So his paxman was around half the new price. He’s got two years of conservatoire left so we’ll see what the future holds. It really is a great instrument- lovely to’meet’ another horn parent.

@Siriusmuggle - your last sentence really made me chuckle!

Yes, we were asked to buy my daughter an Academy earlier this year (at 9 1/2 but a bit big for her, she's settling with it now - a new teacher who I think just couldn't bear teaching her on her single F!). We were warned it would probably only take us to age 16. Trying not to think about that 🙈🙉because your recent outlay must have been incredibly painful! But worth it for your son to make his career out of it. It's such a beautiful instrument.

@MockCroc we bought the Academy when he was 10, and ready to move up to a double. We were told that it’d be more than sufficient for his needs unless he decides to become a pro horn player, much hilarity. 6 years later we had to trade it in for a Paxman 20 professional level horn ready for him to go to music school and subsequently conservatoire, he’s aiming to become a pro.
I’ve told him any further horns are his job, not mine.

Thanks @Siriusmuggle. I might drop them an email. It was in that frustrating price bracket where it cost enough to buy that I would like to sell it and get something back (£350) but wasn't expensive enough for dealers to be interested. She only used it for a year before she was asked to upgrade (to a Paxman Academy funnily enough!). I suspect I just need to let them linger on Ebay and stick a poster in the music centre when they go back in September.

@MockCroc you could try Woodhead's for the horn. They sold my son's Paxman Academy for me.

Hi, new here and very impressed by all the activities of the musical offspring. I was wondering whether any of you have advice on the best place / way to sell second hand instruments? All my children have needed new instruments this year so I have an apprentice flute, a single F horn and a Yamaha 650 clarinet that all need new homes. Apart from EBay, which seems very hit and miss (and not much of a market for youth French horns!), can't find a good route to selling them because, perhaps with the exception of the clarinet, none of them are valuable enough to make them worth selling through dealers. Thanks so much for any suggestions!

I don't know what the rules are with repairing the blessed thing @se22mother . It belongs to DD's school and I've never even signed a hire repair agreement. So I probably need to email before we do anything. But then yes, sadly it's probably Howarths.

@minisnowballs yes it was a huge feat to pull off in so short a timeframe.
I'm guessing you will have an emergency Howarth visit ... we had a mad dash there on Saturday

@northerngoldilocks great to have them both in the same orchestra - well done to her! I managed that for ONE glorious year before dd1 decided that this particular family of orchestras 'gave her ulcers'. DD2 greatly enjoyed the top orchestra for her second course this time @se22mother though for her a symphony in four days is a huge step up and apparently her bassoon is slightly broken.

She's just realising that she needs to get ready for 'back to school' and for her that means a lot of music practice, apparently. Particularly for flute which has taken quite the back seat this holiday, which will not please the teacher.

I'm more concerned by need for new school shoes and quite a lot of clothes as her suitcase was stolen while we were on holiday and we've not replaced it all yet.

Well done @northerngoldilocks . DD has been in the top orchestra for 4 years now but I do remember the delight every time she got promoted.

Wow! They seem a fair way apart! It’s just over an hour to Barnsley for us, so it’s not too bad.

We haven't been told which day yet but looking at distance it could be London, isle of Wight or lewes!

Delurking here to introduce myself and also add thanks.

I am in no way musical but 15yo ds2 recently announced that he wants to study A-level music, and then do a music degree in some form. I’ve been on a steep learning curve since!

He’s also been accepted onto Inspire this year and has been offered the October Barnsley day. I wouldn’t even have known about NYO inspire without reading about it here so thank you very much everyone who has mentioned it.

Really appreciate you all experienced music people on this thread.

We wouldn't have applied or really been confident enough to know what it was (and therefore too scary for an autistic child) without all your answers and experiences. Thankyou 😊.

Oh lovely, hope she enjoys it.

Ooh she's in! I didn't realise there were several dates in October (makes sense!)