Spring / Summer 2026 music thread

@Ubertomusic you should be able to get a plastic one pretty easily and accept the weaker tone as a short term fix while you research. If you can't find a new stainless steel one (I've never heard people talking about the metal beyond silver plate/gold plate) there are a few mouthpiece replating services, Doodles is the only one I can remember from advertising it although I've never used them and I know there are others. They might be able to advise, or asking a specialist brass shop like Rosehills what they would recommend.

One of my friends makes wooden versions of mouthpieces for people, but again you have to want that different tone.

That’s good to know! My DS always likes to choose from the wider list which usually means three expensive book purchases for me! So good to know it’s at least keeping the examiner happy! He’s taking grade 6 piano next month but has already decided he’s going to do the Harry Potter C piece for grade 7. He didn’t even look at anything else on the list!

Agree - my friends who are examiners love anything over a Grade 6 as they have to listen to so many Grade 1 violin and piano exams where everyone plays the pieces out of the book - they love it when someone plays something that is on the list but not in the book....

Fabulous diploma result achangeofname!!!!!

I think people don't understand about diplomas. The way I think of it is a pass is like a distinction in a grade exam : you need to be able to play your repertoire with a high degree of both accuracy and style. Decent players can still fail.

So, many congratulations to changeofnameDD and friends.
I think the examiner had an absolute treat. Who wouldn't prefer that to two days of grade 1 pianists!

It is actually quite painful 😞 School gave her a stainless steel one for trumpet but we need another one for cornet and they don't seem to be available in the UK, or at least I cannot find anything at our usual shops. I found Giddings but they're in the US and I'm not sure it will arrive on time for her residential. I'm just wondering maybe I'm missing something.

I don't even understand how you could play for years with no problem at all, then go to swollen and bleeding chops overnight 🤷‍♀️

Singing was beautiful!

@herbaceous - how rude. Perhaps if you said he got 92% they'd realise how good it is!

I fear his thespy works rather impinged on his y12 exams - he had rehearsals every night, and all Sunday, the week before. Hopefully his predicted grades won't have suffered too much, as that will scupper any chances of Oxbridge choral scholarships...

His theatre company is asking him to audition for Dear Evan Hansen next May, but I feel I'm going to have to put my foot down with a firm hand re A levels!

Re diploma mark, DS got 46/50, and a 'friend' said 'only just a distinction'. I thought 'sod off'.

@herbaceous thanks - some of her friends got 49 but I think 47 is an excellent result! Poor examiner must had had an absolute marathon 2 days with lots of her year getting their diplomas out of the way before Year 13.

Break a leg to Jean Valjean tonight! Amazing show to be doing. DD has reluctantly given up on theatre ambitions for next year as she knows she probably needs to concentrate on actual A Levels. But it is very reluctant (and I think she's got some pitband aspirations anyway depending on the band they need).

Ouch @Ubertomusic that sounds painful. Does school/teacher have any ideas? They must have lots of mouthpieces? Agree with you about the singing, very uplifting.

A question for brass players, can you recommend any manufacturers of hypoallergenic mouthpieces? DD seems to have developed a severe allergy to nickel or something else on the mouthpieces (strangely enough it happened only recently, after many years of playing). Do you think gold finish would help or is it the same nickel? I know there are steel and titanium mouthpieces, but looking for personal recommendations before spending a fortune 😞

@Londonmummy66 thanks for that, looks great. She's at a JD so hopefully covered the material there. She's just been procrastinating actually doing it!
@herbaceous Les Mis will be epic! That's what mine played in. It's so long too and very emotional.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - amazing result! A highly convincing distinction! Good to hear of thriving bassoonists.

I'm a bag of nerves here too. DS has his opening night as Jean Valjean in Les Mis. He is of course as cool as a cucumber, but as the tech rehearsal last night was something of a disaster, they have yet to run the whole show on stage. And it's a proper theatre with paying audience and everything!

@horseymum - not sure where you are in the country but this is a very good course for grade 5 theory https://glosacadmusic.org/sessions-and-courses/holiday-courses/theory-courses/

Brilliant result to @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest 's youngest for diploma. Hopefully wasn't as hot for exam. No current exams here although youngest needs to actually do theory now as grade 8 is now on the table ( grade 7 was trinity to avoid this!) I can't imagine listening to final degree recitals, very stressful I'm sure. Older one just played a week of a musical for a local school - such hard work, kudos to those who do this all the time!

I've just come back from the school concert - singing at any level is so moving and uplifting...

It’s actually woodwind I imagine for her - clarinet specifically - no idea why other than she loved tooting things as a baby (DS did not!) and is a sort of chirpy little character. But after making her play cello and piano anything else will be absolutely 100% her choice!

I still can’t get DS interested in piano though he is absolutely loving singing at the moment.

Best of luck @Siriusmuggle and @Comefromaway - I don’t think anyone will care about the actual degree result if they come out excellent musicians (which sounds like they will).

Congrats to your DD @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest and best of luck to everyone waiting for the results!

Strings outnumber brass, as ever 😂

DD has a friend who plays both cello and a couple of wind instruments, there is absolutely no need to make life easier :)

I’m not holding out much hope for my Ds having passed the written part to be honest.

I didn't even know they had those at conservatoire @Siriusmuggle - fingers very much crossed for him!

Waiting for degree results here, very stressful. Confident that all practical elements will be passed but it’s all riding on passing the written project- something he hasn’t managed in any of the three previous years.

Oh wow huge congrats @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - incredible result!

@chickentikkasalad that is great re NCO. DS has been practising for his video audition but both pieces are still quite ropy in some respects…still have a few weeks until the deadline but not holding out massive hope.

DD has had cello slightly inflicted on her as DH sees the potential for a family trio (guess I’ll just watch?!). Will be so interesting to see how she develops as she is so different from her brother. I feel she is a natural wind player but time for that later on!

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest- that’s an amazing result. Well done your dd!

Dd has had a vocal masterclass today which is helpful as she’s doing her g7 singing exam next month along with her g8 cello. I’m hoping they go OK but not much practising is happening at the moment so we’ll see.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest brilliant news! Mine managed to play together once at a festival….never again…!!

Wonderful result @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - really happy for her.

I'm sorry to say it never gets any easier - I had to sit through DD's first year masters recital last week and it was terrifying. I was far more nervous than she was.....