Spring /Summer 24 - Music thread

Thanks. Have they put the date of the October one. I sort of want to be ready in case she has got in. She so wants to know!

I think they do it in batches. They only tell you about the first event, other events are allocated later and vary according to instrument and ability. Some things will be for those who auditioned for the main orchestra and didn't get in. Might just be one or could be more. It seems a bit fluid during the year as sometimes people are unavailable so next person on the list gets asked.

We haven't heard back from inspire yet. Does that mean she didn't get in?

And if you do get in - do you hear about all the events you got in for or just the first one and they take it from there to choose?

Thankyou. So appreciate you all!

@minisnowballs I bet a lot of them have either played it before, or are just talking a good game. A lot of paddling will be going on under the surface!

@comefromaway hopefully he's got a few ideas of pieces to listen to and decide which he can stand to listen to for so long! He seems very organised though, he will nail it!

thanks @Comefromaway I think she feels she should be able to cope with it cos 'everyone else is' and she's now at specialist music school. It's a very high level orchestra though, and I suspect 'everyone else' may not have only been playing their instrument for under five years.

I also suspect 'everyone else' might be talking a good game about how well they are coping.

That sounds incredibly tough. Not given the music in advance, wow!

@Comefromaway you are thinking in advance! DD2 is on her final orchestra of the summer. She is EXHAUSTED. They're doing Rachmaninov's second symphony in four days and weren't given the music first and I think she's found the limit of what she can achieve in that time. Faster pace even than school symphony I think (plus she's usually contra on that where there's less to play).

She's sleeping well, at least! Her dad suggested they watch a movie at 9pm last night and she opted for going to bed instead.

We were only talking about Warsaw Concerto the other week because he was giving an analysis of why Solitaire by the Carpenters is such a good song & I was telling him he should listen to Richard Carpenter playing Warsaw Concerto.

Its for a potential MA in Musical Direction (Musical Theatre)

Just asked my husband who suggested some interesting pieces. Not sure what it is for though, so apologies if these are wide of the mark!

Anything by Kapustin, Gershwin - Porgy and Bess transcription or Rhapsody in Blue, Chopin Ballade no.1 (it's in the movie The Pianist, so movie music!). Stravinsky Firebird transcription by Agosti, Moonlight Sonata is in lots of movies. Richard Addinsell - Warsaw Concerto (but technically not classical, just classical in form). Faure Cappricio. op84 no1.

Ravel & Stravinsky could be a good idea.

Someone who loves musical theatre and film music might not mind Ravel? Not technically classical of course. Possibly Chopin? Stravinsky? I bet if he listened to some different options he wouldn't end up hating ALL of it! 😂

At this stage I’m not sure.

”For Musical Direction you will attend an audition at which you will perform two pieces that you have pre-prepared (1 classical and 1 musical theatre), sight-read, coach a singer and conclude with a short interview. More information will be provided once your application has been received.”

Here is a question for you. In 2 years (nothing like advanced planning) ds will need to play a high standard classical piece on the piano. He HATES classical music. He loves musical theatre & film music.

So any ideas on a piece he can learn that can be deemed to be classical but not be too painful for him. He's also got small hand so no Rachmaninov! I'm wondering about early 20th C perhaps?

Just wanted to flag that any budding singers out there might also be interested in the RSCM Millenium Youth Choir - they usually have 2 courses a year - one a week or so in the summer and one long weekend in the Easter holidays based at a cathedral (Easter often St Pauls). DD2 has done several and really enjoyed it.

Reporting in from the Rodolfus Choral course. It's amazing! The Liverpool cohort is quite small - maybe 20 in total - and so far they've sung mass in the Catholic Catheral and evensong in the Anglican. Sound amazing, for their youth and the time they've had to rehearse.

As well as the group singing they have individual singing lessons, masterclasses and consorts. DS is in 'monosyllabic teen' mode at the moment, but I'll try and get more details out of him to pass on!

DD only applied at the start of August too @GeneralMusings for clarinet and cello. She has been offered a day in October but it potentially clashes with a school trip that she may or may not get a space on unfortunately. I’m going to have to contact school to see when they will be able to tell us.

You have reminded me that we have actually not applied for this year. However, I have no idea whether DD2 is really still eligible. Big sister is, but not interested in doing it at all.

We have always been state school people - don't have any other characteristics that would make DD2 eligible - but obviously move to specialist school makes her now an 'independent school pupil'

DD2 only left her state school because it stopped doing music GCSE - and is now funded by MDS at specialist school. They did ask about funding sources etc and I've always been very upfront about who and what she is - last year they still gave her Inspire though we put down everything about her move, but I feel a bit guilty about it!

My observation is that very few kids in her school have moved there from state (might be more at sixth form). They mostly seem to come from cathedral preps. But no-one in the world would claim she doesn't get enough school music now - she just didn't up to year 10. Guess I just send it in and see what happens?

@northerngoldilocks DD2 didn't manage the Unite day last year, and still got the residential - but that could be a new policy, or just that they didn't have enough bassoons!

Do they get told initially just about the inspire day and then it goes from there?

I hope I've not disadvantaged her by applying not at the beginning of August!

She's quite excited by the whole thing and it's people on this thread that explained some of what it's like that have really encouraged her interest so thankyou all 😊

@yodaforpresident Fantastic news about inspire! My daughter finished her application yesterday and is hopeful but as a flute is aware it might not happen.

Thanks mini :). Glad to hear it is actually a lot and not just a lot to my ears! I may have a look at switching! I really didn't expect to be struggling this much at this stage in life. (Although very aware this is relative, we have food, housing etc just can't afford the extras easily).

It will be the end of her GCSEs and we can't afford to go away as a family so I'm really hoping they bring the cost down/we find a way so she can have this as a celebration.

Its so lovely hearing everyone's news :)

@Alwaysplayspicc will definitely watch when we get back from hols - DD was very excited by all the highlights. She's got an orchestra course next week but fortunately from home which takes down the cost and means we occasionally actually see her!

@generalmusings that seems like a lot for a trip - I really hope they come back with some funds/bursaries. We've never been able use them as we are over the threshold (except for MDS),I literally paid for DD2's recent orchestra tour by switching a current account around and getting a load of switching bonuses for doing so. It was a terrible faff but we made quite a lot of money.

Nearly everything our children have done have offered bursaries - while I don't get them for either of our own DDs our foster daughter is usually eligible as she's Ukrainian and is here on her own (except for us, obviously) and has no other way of funding. She's just got into one of the big choirs and we're massively proud of her - but it's a relief there is assistance. Fingers crossed you find something.