Spring / Summer 2026 music thread

That’s amazing news @Siriusmuggle. Best of luck to him.

Exciting new in the Sirius house. The kid has got an audition for a professional orchestra job. He’s seeing it as purely good audition experience rather than actually standing a chance. It would be a great job except it’s part time and based in London and he’s currently midlands based but trying to move back up north! But he’s done well to get to try.

Can I add to that - if grades aren't what was expected and or a DC wishes they'd applied to conservatoire - some offer a "last minute" round of auditions. I know someone in DC's year at school who got into RAM after missing their uni offers. Conservatoire places are often a back up for Oxbridge candidates who then drop them if they get the grades meaning that there might be space for a suitable candidate.

I mention RH and Bangor as they are good quality courses, not because they were odd in that they were in clearing. Almost everyone is in clearing nowadays, for almost all courses. But there may be only one or two places, or they may be tens and tens. And some places are only up for hours - some never go away, they stay open until students turn up in September. There are 'bargains' to be had all over the place. Courses are only a 'bargain' if they suit the student of course - but they and/or you may find it reassuring to see just how much is available.

@herbaceous I see that Liverpool is in clearing at BCC for Music. I'm sure you know this but it's definitely useful to look at clearing this year to get a feel for how and if grades drop, and for how long courses remain open. Obviously it could be different another year, but this year looks a lot like last at the moment. We (almost) "knew" for example that Bangor and Royal Holloway would have places and that they would be well below tariff, because this was a pattern over several years.

I'm gutted about the Mahler too, love seeing the Aurora orchestra. We saw them live in the Edinburgh International festival last year. This year we saw NYO USA, who were fab.

We went to the NYO prom. The Ades was incredible!

@horseymum also loved the Respighi! Lots of my friends were in it - a brilliant concert! I also watched the NYO prom
with DH and thought it was fantastic. Loved the Ades which I’d never heard - seemed a great choice for such a big and young orchestra! Haven’t shown it to the kids yet as it was on after their bedtime, but think they will love it too.

Such a shame that more aren’t on tv. I cannot believe they didn’t televise the Aurora Mahler which I was gutted to miss out on.

Hope the back to school goes well. We haven’t had our summer holiday yet!

I'm not sure there's anything you can prepare for the improvisation, just be prepared to go with the flow!

Thank you ☺️ that’s really helpful. She doesn’t like improvisation but I will get her to practice having ago beforehand.

Mine found it a really positive day. Even if you don't get through, it's a good experience I think. For wind players anyway they had their individual audition where they played their pieces and excerpts. They will ask questions about the excerpts, so need to know what is happening in the rest of the orchestra. Do this by listening with the score. Then there is a chamber playing time, mine already has the music for this. Then I think there was some group discussion and some improvisation.

Hi
My DD has got through to second round audition for NYO does anyone have any experiences of what the day is like from their DC?
I don’t think she will get any further but wants to enjoy the day and meet new people.

Can't believe we are getting ready to go back to school here ( Scotland!). A busy start to the term for everyone, so hitting the ground running. Concerts to attend, and play in and auditions to prep for. Am determined to actually practice more myself as well.
If you have younger kids trying to decide on an instrument, have a watch of some of the proms on TV, great for seeing the action. We loved the Respighi one and will also watch the NYO one when we can all watch together ( if we get an evening!)

When looking at opportunities they weren't sure about, our take was, well you'll 100% not be able to go if you don't explore it and maybe apply for an audition. You may not get in, you may get a place and decide not to take it up, that's fine (although just check you actually can pull out with no cost, as I think with NYO at least if you get a live audition and pull out without a doctor's note you gave to pay).
Lots of music courses clash, and often mean missing school. I'm fairly relaxed if I think it's something worthwhile I just write to the school. They either approve it as educational or don't but as we don't have fines here it doesn't matter! Mine is missing four days in the first three weeks of school for an orchestra thing and an audition.

@678socks It's tricky with deciding what level of course they benefit from, usually I think one where the majority of players are more experienced but also can be a confidence boost to be one of the better ones. You learn best when stretched but not overwhelmed. Or it can be frustrating if you are streets ahead of the others ( although this teaches other skills like patience and leadership)
@amr78 I m sorry to hear about the various pressures you have. Music will always be there for our children throughout their lives I think, in whatever form. I hope you find a way through to the next step. Building their confidence and resilience is so important, whatever that looks like for them at each stage.

@678socks of course! It did take place in the Guildhall school so I guess there would be that familiarity with the premises, but there was no overlap in terms of teaching staff and the standard was obviously lower than anyone attending a JD. It was perfect for what I wanted which was something easily accessible and fun and very easy for us to get to, as I think DS is still too young for a residential, which opens up a lot more options.

Ah ok thank you! Sounds like not one for us maybe then as I gather Grade 6 is planned for Christmas. It was just the familiarity of the buildings that I was thinking of rather than the faculty although I am surprised there is no overlap. Can I PM you for other ideas?

@678socks do you mean the intermediate strings course they did as part of the guildhall summer offering?

Yes my DS said there were kids from Oxford and Birmingham there. I have to admit I found that a bit surprising - he enjoyed it but I’m sure there are equally good opportunities elsewhere (eg Rachel Cooper’s viva strings one and similar).

It was non-audition and for grade 2-6 so whilst it was very fun for my DS, very well run and handy for childcare for me (we live quite close by) I wouldn’t have travelled far for it iysim. DS is grade 5ish now and I think even by next summer he’ll be beyond it. It’s not linked in any way to junior Guildhall and is probs just bit of a cash cow for them (was pricey!). But depends I guess on what your other options are locally. Happy to answer any other qs!

Just have a quick question on the guildhall strings course. Does anyone know whether there were children from outside london there? The dates actually clashed with our end of term up here so unless they move it another time we wouldn’t be able to do it. If it was all Londoners then there probably isn’t any point in mentioning it to them. Very initial discussions about JD’s have started and I thought this might be a good thing to do before we even discuss anything with the child in question (inclined to say no to anything unknown).

@Ubertomusic on the teeth, it’s the 4 at the front, especially the top 2 that make the most difference, and matters less on trumpet than say horn. I think most kids have those by about 7/8. Hope your DD recovers quick from the dentistry - sounds tough but I’m sure better to get it done than not, and she’ll recover quick!

@amr78 sorry to hear of your DS’s struggles - you sound like a fantastic mum.

BTW I think we had a brief discussion on this thread about teeth and starting brass instruments - there is an opinion that it's better to wait until at least front teeth change, but in our case it would've meant waiting forever. DD is in solo section of a national project but even her canines have not changed yet. Her embouchure will need some work no doubt, but I guess it will be a gradual re-adjustment.

Hope your DD is doing well now @Londonmummy66 and all the best to
her with the job search!

Your post sent me down memory lane as my DS collapsed on the street (probably had a seizure but we'll never know) just before his A Levels, had a head injury and developed a long term neurological condition as a result that completely destroyed his sleep for more than a year. He had to re-do one subject whilst still recovering. Life gets in the way as usual, but grit helps to overcome lots of obstacles. My DS is not musical but I sometimes think of music as a kind of training in grit and perseverance - not a very romantic or highbrow outlook on arts and culture, but I hope it may help DD to keep going when it's hard. She's just completed a residential playing through pain for a week - nothing major in her case, just three teeth removed but it's very uncomfortable when playing solo brass. I offered her to skip the camp this time but she was adamant she wanted to go, and she didn't tell them she was in pain. I'm in two minds about that but at least she's making her decisions already and follow through with them.

@Londonmummy66 that sounds so tough. Well done to your DD for achieving her goals despite all the challenges. Health is very important - keep trying to remind myself of that when I’m lying awake at night worrying about things I largely can’t influence!

@amr78 _ agree with uber that health is so important. My other DD ended up with a spinal fracture in year 12 that messed up one of her A level papers so badly she dropped 2 grades and lost her offers. A gap year for surgery and a chance to approach admissions tutors with grades in hand and an explanation and she has just graduated with a 2:1 from a Russell Group. Four years ago it was not the outcome I exected after results day. Now all she needs to do is find a job.......

@amr78 Testosterone like any hormone injections can significantly affect emotions and cognition, it varies between individuals but it's definitely a lot to cope with. Health is more important than music or academics so I'd take it easy until the hormones settle a bit - yes, easier said than done during exam years but honestly it's not the end of the world if GCSE or A levels are not that great.

I totally understand the grief journey, it takes years to adjust, especially if there is some talent in the picture. On the other hand, it could've been much worse with severe autism which is a total nightmare. High functioning ASD people often live fulfilling and interesting lives, even if not very conventional :)

@Ubertomusic @Londonmummy66 thank you for your comments 🙏🏻 Feels like there’s so much to get my head around! Still learning a lot about neurodivergence given the diagnosis is comparatively new so am very grateful for other people’s insights and lived experiences. In addition to the neurodivergence diagnosis in Yr 10, DS had to undergo testosterone injections to kickstart puberty. It’s a lot to contend with on top of all of the other pressures,
DS has consistently maintained that he doesn’t want to pursue music beyond A-level. When he was making preliminary A-level choices in Yr 11, his rationale for chosing music was that he’s not good at much else (his words) and felt it was his best chance of obtaining an A. I think this is the crux of his choice, rather than it being driven by a genuine passion. Discussing his intentions/feelings regarding music is a difficult conversation to have - he invariably shuts it down very rapidly.
His other A-level choices are humanities-based. He doesn’t appear to have any leanings towards a particular degree/career but is set on going to Uni - I suspect that this is largely influenced by his friends’ plans and him being unaware of what other options are available to him.
I’m gradually coming to terms with redefining what success looks like for DS but it’s very much work in progress. I’m certainly on a bit of a grief journey in terms of the hopes and aspirations that I’ve had to cast aside.