Spring / Summer 2026 music thread

Ha the 'make the kid carry it because it's cute and no-one will stop them' is exactly the strategy I had suggested to my husband 😅I think it's 99% likely to work, but his problem was the 1% chance that it doesn't and then we're stuck with deciding what to do with someone else's antique violin at stake 😳so he said he's not comfortable risking it.
I think we will likely end up buying another one to keep in the UK because travelling with it seems too stressful. I hear what you're saying about different instruments @Ubertomusic, but she's generally fairly adaptable and probably better that than not playing for extended periods of time.
How long do kids normally stay on each violin size? Just wondering how much to cough up on the second instrument...

Oh wow, your DS is already on 1/2, time flies! :)

Friends at JD had a similar problem switching between violins so I assumed it's a known thing in younger players, but I agree it's probably not a given.

High risk strategy but we fly regularly on easyJet and Ryanair between London and Ireland and just take my son’s 1/2 size violin as hand luggage. He has never been stopped - I make him carry it so they either don’t notice it or perhaps let him off as he’s cute! They are short flights obviously so that may also be a factor. I guess with a valuable instrument may not be worth the risk.

Alternatively the borrowing/buying cheap option could be worth a try. My DS seems to adjust instantly to different instruments so it’s not a given that it will be a struggle.

Anyone remember when Lufthansa lost a number of brass instruments 4 years ago when Chet’s went on tour? They also lost my son’s trousers but fortunately his instrument went cabin baggage.

Yes - the issues with a cello are even worse as you have to buy it an extra seat and then if the flight is full the cello seat is the first to go "as you can check it in" - err no that is the reason for coughing up for the extra seat in the first place. Although shout out to easy jet - my cellist friends say they are the most helpful.

This happens with various airlines https://www.thestrad.com/news/manila-symphony-orchestra-outlines-travel-ordeal-as-musicians-forced-to-cradle-instruments-on-cebu-pacific-flight/21486.article

Gewa Space and BAM Cabin are still 62-63cm I think.

Usually the length is dictated by the bow rather than the fiddle so a case that is only for a violin can be a bit shorter - however I don't know if they make them for smaller sizes below 1/4 and 1/2

An option would be to check the case into the hold with the bow in it but take the violin onto the plane in a silk bag and have it on your lap - OK for a shortish flight not so good for a long one.

Switching between violins might be tricky for a beginner, even if the instruments are technically the same size. Even mass produced violins differ ever so slightly and beginners might have difficulties to quickly adjust finger positioning for intonation. If you have an antique one, the tone is also very different from the modern ones. I have two antique violins in front of me atm - both French Mirecourt, roughly the same period but probably different workshops, and fitted with different strings. They sound worlds apart 🤯 I guess all this might be slightly confusing for a young child, imagine you think your fingers are hitting the right spots as your muscle memory remembers them but you're somehow out of tune or the sound is not what you're used to. I may be wrong of course as children learn really fast, but it never worked for us.

We do not fly with the violin so no advice on this, sorry.

I was just going to suggest getting a cheap one to leave if it's family you are staying with but the issue is they will grow quickly and move through the sizes. Maybe look at renting options? Or at least leaving a bow so you can get the shorter case.

Thanks @Londonmummy66 .Would that be less long? The problem is the length, other dimensions are fine.

I'm wondering if it might not be better to buy a separate violin to keep in the UK to avoid flying with it at all. I'm completely new to the world of string instruments - do you have any suggestions for places to buy from?

There are violin onlyh cases you can get - so the bow goes in hold luggage and the violin in hand luggage

Hi everyone, hoping for some advice about flying with a violin. We live in mainland Europe and visit the UK 2/3 times a year, for several weeks at a time. We always fly rather Ryanair or Easyjet because they're the only ones that fly in/out of the right airports
Since my DD started on the violin last year we have taken it with us to practice. She originally had a 1/10th which just fit within the hand luggage size, but she's recently moved up to a 1/8th and the case is now too big (62cm long, the limit being 55cm). I know they have a specialist instrument transporting service but we have heard that it's not to be trusted. The violin is not actually ours - it's been lent to us by her teacher, is 100+ years old and rather valuable, and I am terrified of something happening to it!
Do you fly with instruments? Would we have to book a seat for it if we want it to come with us in the cabin? Or do you think we might get away with booking a normal hand luggage bag and hope they don't measure it?

@chickentikkasalad congratulations to your child, it's a nervous time waiting.
I don't think it's bad waiting to do grade 8, mine has been playing around grade 8 pieces for a couple of years but will do the exam in autumn to give the best chance for it all to come together.
@Siriusmuggle hope you get good news soon.

Brass is a different world for us non musicians. I’ve picked up a bit over the last 15 years but I’m mostly bamboozled.

Fab news on the recital, congrats @Siriusmuggle ! Fingers crossed for the academic pass!

Re. mouthpieces, I looked at some modular systems from Germany, they look very interesting as you can tailor rims for jazz and other groups/genres and get titanium rims not the whole mouthpiece, but I couldn't get my head around specifications as I know next to nothing about brass. DD has a long way to go till conservatoire so these system would probably be too advanced for her level anyway. American brass forums are full of info, but they have a different sound and I'm not a musician so don't understand some nuances they discuss.

Re mouthpieces, mine is a horn player and he uses PHC which have interchangeable components. He has a gold plated rim on his.
We’re nervously awaiting degree results. He got 100% on chamber assessment and 88% on doubling instrument recital. He’s likely to have passed his actual recital. But as it’s a non compensating degree he has to pass the academic project too, regardless of marks already accumulated. This is far from certain and he’s failed the equivalent module every year so far. I’m nervous.

Thanks all. She’s doing performance grade (piano g8 at Christmas will be practical) but through school so they want to do the recording. The issue seems to be that all her pieces CAN be good, just not all at the same time! One of her friends is a cellist and post-diploma so she might be an option. Something to think about.

Congrats to your DS! 😁

I was thinking maybe going for performance rather than practical @QueenMabby and getting it knocked off over the summer. Might have a local conservatoire student who could come and give her some practice support over the holidays as well? (At this level they don't have to be a cellist as she would be looking for help with the performance rather than the notes and technique.)

@chickentikkasalad brilliant news! @QueenMabby - always best to wait if you're not sure and October isn't a bad time as long as she'll have more time then? I rememer DD being cross when some of hers were delayed though. I guess the alternative would be to learn another piece and do a holiday recording after more practice time if she thinks that the winter is going to be busy too?

That’s great news @chickentikkasalad. well done your ds!

dd is dealing with the fact that her teacher wants her to delay her cello g8 until October. As per her usual it has sent her into a bit of a spiral about not being good at the instrument rather than the truth which is that she’s done very little practice as she’s too busy rehearsing a musical which is being out on in the first week of July and also prepping for the IBO which she has the week after. Music has rather fallen off her schedule.
She’s still doing her g7 voice, but that takes a lot less practice than the cello for her and as she’s singing nearly very day for musical rehearsals, her voice is getting a lot of practice.

I decided to ask the school yesterday and they also released the results to DS! Happy days…He had distinction on g4 piano now!!

I think ABRSM must be monitoring this thread. The results have arrived this afternoon! I've only had them uploaded overnight in the past so only checked on a whim. I hope everyone else's come in soon too.

Thank you - I was wondering whether they were generally slower at the moment. Sounds like we are not alone. The generally super-fast turnaround raises expectations!

They do occasionally take materially longer if there was a query or review of the marking. One time DD and friend did the same exam on the same day in the same centre, one took 2 days one took several weeks. Hopefully yours are just waiting to be released by the applicant and fingers crossed for nice shiny results!

I enter my own kids so have both applicant and candidate logins on my email address (we had to make candidate logins for the theory otherwise it may have been optional). I can release it to myself if I want. Or I forget and then the next week I get confused by another "your exam results have arrived" email.