Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

Spring /Summer 25 - Music thread

706 replies

northerngoldilocks · 14/02/2025 18:04

Time for a new thread for spring!

Come and talk about music lessons, choosing instruments, exams, auditions, specialist schools, orchestras or whatever other music activities are going on. Everyone is welcome, from those with total beginners to those whose children are studying music at advanced levels. Ask for advice or share successes or struggles.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
JDDecision · 08/04/2025 14:33

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

yodaforpresident · 05/04/2025 13:08

I can spell, honestly, just very jumpy internet here…

Original poster
northerngoldilocks · 05/04/2025 11:37

Thanks all. She is thrilled, as am I. Her teacher thought she was ready to sit back in Dec and then I wanted to push it back as there is no rush, wasn’t sure if this was far enough back but seems it was perfect timing for her on the line between ready / over the pieces. She did add a new piece around Xmas and ditched one of the original ones so that helped keep them fresher!

re aural im no help im afraid. Despite a term of 2:1 private lessons DD only got 12 in that section 🙄. When she came out of the exam she said ‘it’s great I’ll never have to do it again’- had to point out that was sadly untrue as gr7 violin is looking likely this year and then gr 8 on that to go!

OP posts:
Londonmummy66 · 05/04/2025 11:06

sittinginachair · 04/04/2025 23:32

My 10 year old is getting ready to sit g6 on pedal harp and piano but is struggling with the aural. Anyone sound things that are helpful for that age?

@sittinginachair fellow harp mummy here - you have my sympathy for the PITA of an instrument....

I really rate all of Paul Harris' books (scales sightreading and aural). This is the one your DD needs https://www.ackermanmusic.co.uk/improve-your-aural-grade-6-book-and-cd-new-edition-from-2010-11.html?srsltid=AfmBOoo0vV3GnRnP3FkbApoGRKCANqkFXrPTeXJG32Rt9I15bg8baXYI

Improve Your Aural Grade 6: Book & CD (New Edition From 2010-2011) (Paul Harris)

Improve Your Aural Grade 6: Book & Audio (Harris). Improve your Aural! is designed to take the fear out of aural. Through fun listening activities, boxes to fill in and practice exercis

https://www.ackermanmusic.co.uk/improve-your-aural-grade-6-book-and-cd-new-edition-from-2010-11.html?srsltid=AfmBOoo0vV3GnRnP3FkbApoGRKCANqkFXrPTeXJG32Rt9I15bg8baXYI

sittinginachair · 04/04/2025 23:32

My 10 year old is getting ready to sit g6 on pedal harp and piano but is struggling with the aural. Anyone sound things that are helpful for that age?

yodaforpresident · 04/04/2025 21:52

Fabulous news @northerngoldilocks for
your DD, she must be so pleased!

chickentikkasalad · 04/04/2025 21:49

Well done @northerngoldilocks DD - many congratulations! Now you both can relax and enjoy!

QueenMabby · 04/04/2025 21:19

@northerngoldilocks- well done to your dd. Fantastic result!

horseymum · 04/04/2025 20:06

@northerngoldilocks that's brilliant! Such a relief to know and what a great achievement.

Londonmummy66 · 04/04/2025 18:37

@northerngoldilocks congratulations to her - Grade 8 is such a huge milestone!

achangeofnameisasgoodasarest · 04/04/2025 17:59

@northerngoldilocks fabulous news! Enjoy celebrating with her

Original poster
northerngoldilocks · 04/04/2025 17:35

Thankfully the wait is now over - she got a distinction so am thrilled for her! She got a pass on gr 7 and was honestly a bit disappointed given how she thought she could have done so I'm really pleased its worked out for her this time. Still utterly hopeless at aural tests but thankfully some amazing sight reading made up for it!

OP posts:
Original poster
northerngoldilocks · 04/04/2025 10:45

Though I think that Liszt also wrote these into piano music, so maybe in good company!

Anxiously waiting for grade 8 piano results for DD here including checking the ABRSM portal despite knowing they'll be released to her music school first and then they'll email me. Did get an email from them this morning but sadly was just a reminder for holiday orchestra details for next week!

DD doing a talent show today at school - playing guitar and singing Taylor Swift. Always makes me laugh that whenever she does anything for her whole year group she picks the instrument she doesn't have any lessons on and picked up chords from youtube.

OP posts:
achangeofnameisasgoodasarest · 04/04/2025 09:52

@herbaceous - not like you have to breathe or anything, is it?! Lovely to hear of adults who still play - always my fear that DD will reach adulthood and just stop. Particularly as she still doesn't own her own bassoon.

and @Londonmummy66 even I know that's not possible!

herbaceous · 03/04/2025 18:58

I got roped into doing a bassoon and organ sonata a few months ago. The composer had evidently never played a wind instrument, let alone a bassoon. There were no rests, and the most fiendishly difficult combinations of fingering.

Londonmummy66 · 03/04/2025 18:51

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - my DD would sympathise with her over composers not understanding musical complexities - she does a project with the RCM composers and someone thought that she could crescendo through a held note - on a keyboard instrument.....

yodaforpresident · 03/04/2025 11:37

@WheelySquirrel wonderful news on the recorder result, well done to your DD! Glad that she likes the poco books too - they are very child friendly I think.

Next term is quieter for us on the exam front, only a Grade 7 cello. DD is thinking of doing the performance Grade 8 piano over the summer but we shall see. Youth opera kicking off now and a few external recitals and NYCGB coming up outside the normal school stuff. Summer starting to look nuts though!

achangeofnameisasgoodasarest · 03/04/2025 11:22

@QueenMabby - don't envy you the scale slog, but that will give your DD something to do in her long post-exam summer! Hope the audition went well!

No musical let up for DD2 before GCSEs - she's just had the Symphony schedule for the summer term. Thought she might get out of at least half of it because she's Y11, but no, she's in both pieces. And having to learn a load of stuff for the composer's concert at the beginning of next term, where they have to field an orchestra to play the music written by first-study composition students.

Sometimes these students have little idea of the complexity of playing a bassoon, she says, so the pieces can be quite hard

Ubertomusic · 02/04/2025 14:41

nlondonmummy123 · 02/04/2025 14:31

If I take the private lesson up to an hour so they're both for the same amount of time:
RCM is 6213 per year
JG is 5220 per year

William B did tell me with great glee that RCM was 1k more per year when we went on the experience day....I bet he does that a lot to get people to choose JG!

Show quote history

LOL unfair competition! 🤣

I don't remember the fees structure in detail but iirc Guildhall increases lesson time by 10 minutes, RCM by 20... I may be wrong though.

For strings it really does depend on the teacher. Guildhall cellos all look happy and healthy 😉

nlondonmummy123 · 02/04/2025 14:31

Ubertomusic · 02/04/2025 14:14

Standard fees are about £350 more per year? Their first study lesson is five minutes longer, maybe that's why 😂

RCM is considered more prestigious for strings so if your DC likes it better maybe it's worth the commute?

For strings, the teacher is probably more important than the school IMO.

Show quote history

If I take the private lesson up to an hour so they're both for the same amount of time:
RCM is 6213 per year
JG is 5220 per year

William B did tell me with great glee that RCM was 1k more per year when we went on the experience day....I bet he does that a lot to get people to choose JG!

Ubertomusic · 02/04/2025 14:14

nlondonmummy123 · 02/04/2025 12:44

Yep, William B still there, still going strong! I think there are lots of good things about JD. RCM - DC really loved this and bonded well with the audition panel, but it's not my preference due to distance and it's much more expensive...not sure why!!!?

Show quote history

Standard fees are about £350 more per year? Their first study lesson is five minutes longer, maybe that's why 😂

RCM is considered more prestigious for strings so if your DC likes it better maybe it's worth the commute?

For strings, the teacher is probably more important than the school IMO.

QueenMabby · 02/04/2025 13:23

@WheelySquirrel- congrats on your DD’s merit. Well done her!

dd has auditioned today for a school performance of SIX. Much negotiation over it as they’re putting it on in early July which means (if she gets a part) she’ll be rehearsing all during her GCSEs. She’s hoping to hear by Friday so watch this space!

Her cello teacher wants her to take her g8 in December. He did ask if she wanted to take it in July but with exams and the production (and an out of school dance show) it was just one thing too many. Plus the last cello grade she took was g4 so she has a LOT of work to do on scales and arpeggios - that’s the summer holidays sorted! 🤣

achangeofnameisasgoodasarest · 02/04/2025 13:03

@WheelySquirrel congrats on the recorder merit! Well done to her

nlondonmummy123 · 02/04/2025 12:44

Londonmummy66 · 02/04/2025 12:17

I imagine the sol fa will be Kodaly - some of it is quite complicated and it might well be a harmony based class. (My post Grade 8 DD did some in year 8/9 with a teacher from school and found it hard work!) Musicianship is the class that leads up to the Guildhall Certificate and GCSE support classes. Is WIlliam B still in charge of strings? His energy is really impressive and he's a lovely man (DD was a second study string player and did quite a bit with them).

Show quote history

Yep, William B still there, still going strong! I think there are lots of good things about JD. RCM - DC really loved this and bonded well with the audition panel, but it's not my preference due to distance and it's much more expensive...not sure why!!!?

Swipe left for the next trending thread