Spring / Summer 2026 music thread

We have a piano at home, but really we're reliant on access to a church. There are a few possiblities for practice instruments (several churches around with very good organs, where the evangelical congregation no longer wants classical music). However the playing in services, playing pre-service and postlude/voluntary at the end is difficult, as there are basically only four churches that ever have any use for an organist - Teacher A's, the church and cathedral that Teacher B plays at, and the cathedral where Teacher B's student is organ scholar.

Senior schools here don't even do music let alone have organs! Nearest schools with anything resembling a music program, and (in one school) a chapel with an organ, are 400km away.

I need to talk to Teacher B, I think...

Wow @DitheringMusicParent what a dilemma!

Is there an actual reason why Teacher A said he’d have to leave the choir/organ scholarship - eg is it reserved for their pupils? Or was it just a kind of petty decision? If the latter I wonder if you could just have a conversation with Teacher A and see if there’s any chance DS could stay on in some capacity (even just choir) for the re reasons you’ve given?

If not, are there other social and musical opportunities that you could find for DS that aren’t linked to either teacher?

I think 7 is very young still - my DH (pianist) had an excellent piano student who is now organ scholar at one of the biggest Oxford colleges who didn’t even start organ until he was about 15. I don’t think it’s a clear cut decision at all as social opportunities are hugely important, and plenty of time to prioritise the teacher later. But I guess it’s worth seeing if there is any way you could have your cake and eat it first.

That sounds a really tricky one, specially when he's still so young. Could he stay in the choir as a singer and keep the social contact with the church that way? When you say opportunities to play, do you have an electric organ at home for practice or are you completely reliant on access to a church? I know getting to play in services is important too. Any senior school possibilities which have an organ? Have you had a conversation with B about what his older students do for playing opportunities?

I should add, we're a long way away from any other possibilities, and Teacher B is very easily the best teacher within about a 500km radius.

His students are kind of invisible though. One has an organ scholarship in the Anglican cathedral (which pays the scholarship instead of paying a regular organist). The others play ad hoc occasionally as deps for Teacher B, not because they're not good but because so few churches have music.

Organ scholarships are rare here, churches have almost no money and don't bother paying for scholarships unless they have someone they really want, so for DS to have got the one at our church at age 7 is pretty significant.

Help, advice needed on switching teachers.

We live in a small town with two organ teachers.

9yo DS currently learns from Teacher A, who is kind, convivial, runs a nice church choir full of lovely people, with very strong ties to its congregation. Teacher A is not a particularly attentive teacher or thorough musician, though very nice, and agrees to whatever parents suggest, as long as they actually implement everything. Teacher A was the obvious choice when DS started as a wriggly 6 year old who probably wasn't going to be very good.

However, to everyone's surprise, it turned out that he is very good indeed, and wants to become an organist.

Enter ideas of Teacher B, who teaches at the local university, plays at a couple of churches/cathedral that are distinctly less convivial than ours, conducts everything that matters in town, and is an all round fabulous musician. His teaching is detailed, thoughtful, highly professional. DS had some lessons in London earlier this year and the teacher there said DS is very good, could easily become an organist, but suggested he really should be changing to Teacher B, as he isn't being taught well by Teacher A.

Teacher A is currently on sabbatical and DS is temporarily learning from Teacher B, who is fabulous. Neither DS nor I has any desire to go back to Teacher A. OK, so we ask to stay with Teacher B and tell Teacher A we're not coming back. Risky move in a small town, but probably worth it.

But...

DS is homeschooled, and the church Teacher A is DoM at, is one of his main sources of socialisation, both the kids in the choir and the congregation. Teacher A has said clearly (in a discussion earlier this year) that if he changes teachers, he has to leave the church and the children's choir. No access to the organ or any opportunities to play, and hand back the organ scholarship.

Teacher B's churches are much more hardline, less welcoming to people like us (atheists who have somehow ended up being a family of church musicians), have no organ scholarships, fewer opportunities for DS to play, and have almost zero children or young families. I can't imagine them being as welcoming as our current church and have some evidence that the cathedral definitely isn't. So we'd be looking at another decade or so of just being the organ student in one or more churches that really don't feel like home, until he can go to university. By then he might have given up.

What would you do?

Just thought I'd mention that Thrift+ website has a 10 for £10 sale on pre owned clothes which might be worth a look if anyone needs concert blacks. A lot of smaller sizes that might suit teenage girls - I didn't look at the mens but imagine it will be the same.

@Ubertomusic we have just dropped a ballet class here so no annual show, I am sad, she just wanted an evening off (which I totally understand) but it is tough at such a young age to have to cut stuff to make way for one thing (music in this case).

Submitted! Not any great expectations, but seems like many of her NCO mates are having a go and what's the harm. At least she's learned the process for next year when she'll have more time to focus on it.

That’s great! My son is going again this year, he loves it! You can dm me and I’m happy to share anything I know!

@BBLY My DD got accepted to the Chineke! Junior Residential this August. Do you know anything about the repertoire/ how the orchestra works. And do orchestra members get to meet each other before - my daughter is a bit nervous

I definitely recommend doing them spread out over at least a couple of weeks where possible but definitely a few days. Make multiple ones and choose the best. It will probably be the first one!!

Thank you @horseymum and @thirdfiddle and best of luck to your DC. We always seem to end up recording auditions on the hottest day of the year here!

I was certainly under the impression from the video submission guidance that they can submit it in as many or as few videos as they like.

@CelloMumFlums I've no idea, all I know was there was much hilarity as older one was 'helping ' younger one. Not sure any actual usable takes got done yesterday! I think they can all be separate but I leave her to do it. The staff are pretty helpful though if you get in touch.

Hope all final year recitals are going well and best of luck to those with exams next half-term.

Super grateful for any advice re 1st round NYO video auditions: do intro and both pieces need to be in 1 take with 2 excerpts in the other (as for NCO) or can you submit eg 5 videos with intro/ piece 1/ piece 2/ excerpt 1/ excerpt 2 separately? Thank you!

😂 My overworked and depressed brain was not imaginative enough :))

DD's former violin teacher says he was happiest in Japan - very well paid 100% secure job, family accommodation provided and classical musicians revered by the Japanese... not sure if that's universal though as her Japanese teacher was not supported at Japanese school and actively discouraged from doing music instead of academics 🤷‍♀️

And I was seeing him on a park bench cuddling up to a couple of labs for warmth.... no doubt where DD will end up.

That should of course should read digs, not dogs.

I know. That's one of the reasons I was reluctant for DD to prioritise dance, the others being extreme competition, injuries and short career...
It still feels sad though, irrationally.

True but you still need to live.

one of the problems was having to keep paying London rent whilst out on tour. Dogs were provided, but the pay just wasn’t enough.

Good luck @Comefromaway
we’ve just got home from my kid’s final year recital. I was really nervous! He definitely relaxed as he went along and the final (very difficult) piece went as well as he’d hoped. His tutor, head of department and other professor of his instrument came to watch which was great but also nerve wracking. It was good to see so many of his friends supporting him too, can’t believe that’s his last bit of assessed work done.

Oh well, no one is in the arts for the money, I guess 😂

Dancers are also paid far worse than musicians too.

Dance is even harder than music... 😞
We're of Romani descent so amateur dancing never goes away and of course there are lots of classes to maintain structured training, but there are not so many performing opportunities in adult life...
Anyway, I digress :)

She isn't really dancing at the moment. I hope that one day she will redisover her love of dance but a lot has happened.