Spring / Summer 2026 music thread

I guess also difficult to know whether the JD teacher would be a good fit for your child, given that I think they have to stop having lessons with the ‘home’ teacher who may be amazing anyway? That element worries me.

Some home school, some go to specialist schools, I guess the pressure comes from having to do Menuhin, Grumiaux or other major international competitions at some point, this is hard work.

We only have experience of one JD and one specialist school, and ours are definitely focusing on developing orchestral musicians and not very pressurised. I know of someone who moved to the strictest teacher at our JD and it felt low pressure for them after another establishment 😂

In our experience, JD can be a slightly more narrow but perhaps deeper orchestral training with fewer solo performances whereas specialist school is broader in genres, options and combinations of groups. DD would normally play in one orchestra and one or two chamber groups at JD (she did two orchestras but it wasn't the norm) and would be required to play solo twice a year. The orchestras were v very good but she wasn't allowed to do first sectional desk because she was the youngest. At school, she does at least six orchestras/ensembles (I don't even remember off the top of my head), her seat depends on rep and required skills not so much on age, and she plays solo every term or more often. The rep is less challenging though. I guess specialist schools are better for versatility - she plays jazz for example which she wouldn't be allowed to do at JD until much later. I think JD is better if you want to separate school and music and focus on particular genre and one or two instruments. We couldn't fit three instruments and would not be allowed eg piano second study as we were not serious enough about piano. The school tolerates DD's lack of practice at the moment though her teacher is growing more and more impatient.

It may be very dependent on the place and teacher though. Some teachers at JD entered their students for multiple solos in preparation for exams, our teacher just didn't do that. I'm sure other JD structure their studies and priorities differently.

JD foreign land to me also.

DS at the moment seems to do minimal practice. Didn't hear him practise a single song for his diploma this week, but maybe he practised at school!

He tends to ramp it up when an exam or performance is looming. For other stuff just wings it with sightreading and chutzpah.

Ime people who aspire for a solo career on the violin drop JDs quite early as it's mainly orchestral work there.

That's intriguing. Do they go to music schools, or just home ed and practice all day? Completely alien world for me.

JD is something DD is considering and mainly orchestral would suit her down to the ground. I thought we were balancing less orchestra time against a higher standard than local y.o. so this could be good news in DD's book.

That wasn't at JD, just to make it clear. Ime people who aspire for a solo career on the violin drop JDs quite early as it's mainly orchestral work there.

Jobs are undergoing radical change anyway so it's v very difficult to predict anything. There might not be enough pupils for music teachers so it's not a sure bet either. Online entertainment is expanding though, but I'm not too sure online audience would be raving about classical music :) Chalamet got a furious backlash from the classical world but it only shows he actually hit the nerve.

That's so sad kids going off the rails over musical pressure. And a scary thing about JDs maybe, that there are so many very talented players in one place they don't realize how special they are - if you stick to local things I bet everyone would think these kids were the bees knees and nobody would think to question professional aspirations.

I don't think very many people have a career "just performing" these days, but nor do that many have a career "just teaching". All the violin teachers in our local area have bits of performing in their portfolios.

I have no idea anymore as she is away at school, but I think ensembles/ choirs/ chamber averages about 1.5 hours per day. Her first is voice so limited on how much she can do on that per day anyway, but I think clarinet is most days for about 30-45 minutes and cello the same about three/ four times a week. The others are adhoc - guitar went back to school last weekend, so I would imagine that is being played a lot this week as they have started a band apparently. DD is ruthlessly efficient when she practises though as she knows that she has no time.

No idea how much mine do but seems to be working! It seems to ebb and flow according to needs and balance of pieces/ orchestra music dependant on how close the course is! They also seem quite focused and efficient which probably helps. Careful listening to pieces and orchestral excerpts in context counts as well, even when not holding the instrument.

I think our JD friends were doing roughly the same on harp at 10.

I don't think there is a certain benchmark as children are so different, some are more physiologically mature or can do more focused practice so don't really need long hours.

That’s helpful, thanks! Harp is their main really I think and their tutor has said around an hour. It gets stepped up with the Eisteddfod etc. Schoolwork and GCSEs starting to eat into time a bit more too. And things like the DofE, which I can really see the eldest enjoying.

@chocolateisnecessary it’s so instrument dependent. I did brass and did probably max 1 hour a day until I went to conservatoire, though had 1-3 hours of rehearsals most days on top.

I asked DH and he has no idea how much his JD students practice piano, but guesses it ranges from 1-4 hours per day. He doesn’t impose or suggest a limit - at that level it’s up to them how much they want to do/how much progress they want to make vs the other things they’ve got going on.

I don’t think there is a benchmark as such as just so many variables. I aim to get my 7yo to do 30 mins per day but we often only manage 20 as he messes around a lot! No idea how we will manage to fit in more as life is very full ATM, but I guess he will stay up later as he gets older?!

It’s tricky. Feel a bit helpless with the loss of the JD at RWCMD sometimes. There’s no way to know and no one to ask!

Mine do around 45mins to an hour each night on two different ones and around 25mins on a third. Plus a bit of theory. I just wondered if there was a benchmark really.

When DD auditioned for JD at 10, head of strings said it should be two hours a day for the violin. The recommendations are not reality though 😁 There are children at JDs who practise very little, not even every day, for various reasons and those who do four and more hours, especially before concerts, exams and competitions. I don't think JD teachers make them do that much, it's their personal choice.
JDs differ too, some are more pressurised.

I think that absolutely depends on the child, their instrument, level and ambitions @chocolateisnecessary

DD2 prob does two hours a day on her main instrument now - that's two hours in a practice room anyway. But there's a lot of faffing in that - endless fiddling with reeds etc.

The rest just has to fit in somehow, mainly only played in ensembles or if she's prepping for an exam or performance.

But she might spend another two hours a day playing or singing - in chamber, symphony, whatever else, which must improve things?

And two hours of lessons a week on the main instrument?

But she's not a pianist, or strings.

I’m really curious - how much practice do JDs and specialist skills recommend?

Sounds a bit like the lies we tell the GP about units of alcohol. GPs double it. Music directors probably halve it!

@CelloMumFlums, when DD auditioned for her current specialist school, the HoD asked her how much practice she did a day. She doubled it (and then some) in her answer. He goggled at her, smiled, and then said -'well, you're going to have to do a bit more than that!'.

She is a BIT more on it now, but definitely not at the 'hours in a practice room' end of things.

Sending speedy healing wishes @northerngoldilocks DD arrived at NCO last year directly from an emergency pharmacy visit for antibiotics (non-contagious!) and the NCO Nurse was fabulous!

Thank you so much @Londonmummy66 @horseymum for the advice. Eek re the practice Q- definitely on the “efficient” end of the spectrum here!

DD actually played mostly baroque last year (not Bach though) as her violin teacher was a baroque specialist, but she's with a new teacher now and it's about re-setting her technique again... which I totally get especially as DD is hypermobile and needs to build more strength in finger joints but it also means her teacher picks up specific pieces to work on specific technical issues like pinky collapsing on strings etc. She plays lots of technical studies instead of learning new pieces, just to address that physio/somatic issues.

Bach feels... monumental at the moment. I would really want her to play Bach and she does a bit in chamber and yes, it's more accessible, but I think polyphony would be a difficult concept to grasp atm.

@Ubertomusic - why not spend a bit of time looking at Baroque - the Bach Partita's may take maturity to play but some of the other rep and in particular chamber works are fun and accessible? There's a whole different music scene out there for Baroque musicians - most of whom are currently overwhelmed with work as its "Passion season".

Yes, I totally agree and I keep telling myself "calm
down, it's very good for stage confidence and it's a lot of fun", but I felt overwhelmed tbh 😂

Yep, we know 😞 but I think the best she could aspire for on the violin is teaching anyway. The competition is too intense nowadays and we've already seen a couple of violinists of her age going off the rails because of pressure, or just starting to hate and avoid it, despite natural talent etc.

@Ubertomusic shows are amazing and so much fun. It helps that DD boards re rehearsal schedule. Literally couldn't tell you how many rehearsals but I know she missed a lot of them for Symphony.

She is no actor either, and certainly no artist - but I figure all public speaking experience is good and all of it good for performance anxiety. And great for making lifelong friends.

I very much enjoyed all their shows, they're really good at drama but the rehearsal schedule was crazy for us (that's partially why they're so good - they take it seriously, besides the pool of talent) and DD is definitely not an actor.

She'll keep dancing "for fun" and she does art at home, not taking it for GCSE so without the pressure of exams and exhibitions :)

That's another question actually, how to do that much music or any art for that matter without it becoming a stifling experience yet still getting results. I'm not sure I know the answer, not for the violin at least :)