Spring / Summer 2026 music thread

@Londonmummy66 yes that- but with extra led lights round it…

Thank you, sorry should have said we need to be able to see the whole body (seated).

@678socks we got one similar to this for DS to use - though ours was from ikea - they seem to have discontinued it. Handy as freestanding:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/NEZZOE-Frameless-Dressing-Free-Standing-Windowsill/dp/B0B6P7Q95Y/ref=asc_df_B0B6P7Q95Y?mcid=b128f167aa1b345f969cbebe524a99cb&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697179731904&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12952327104423279331&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9044962&hvtargid=pla-1746287142701&psc=1&hvocijid=12952327104423279331-B0B6P7Q95Y-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1

Does anyone have a cheap mirror (not hung on a wall ideally) for posture checks etc? I had one leaning up against a wall and small person fiddled with it….

Best of luck @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest- you can do it!

Can someone please remind me of the good app for aural training for g8? Thanks.

Good luck with the grade 3 @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - I think you'll need to buy one of these to make sure your certificate really stands out from the rest https://www.eventprophire.com/product/giant-gold-frame-3/

Less of the 'just' @thirdfiddle - grade 8 is serious stuff. The aural? I have no idea how anyone does it.

I'm just preparing to record my grade 3 euphonium. Did consider face to face, but it's hard to get an accompanist etc for that, and hard to fit it round work. If I get through I'm looking forward to having 'my' certificate on the wall with everyone else's - in fact, if I pull this off I shall make sure it has pride of place!

And well done stuntnun's DS on knocking out that theory too!

achangeofnameisasgoodasarest merit on a diploma is bloody brilliant in my book. Let alone on a second instrument on half an hour a week - congratulations!
And 678socks DD congrats too.

Just one grade 8 exam for DD this term. Which is more than enough for us. The aural tests :o I don't remember them being that hard when I did mine, maybe my brain has gone downhill since my teens.

really good news @678socks - sounds like she really worked for it! And thanks @StuntNun - she'll be fine with it - she wasn't actually even expecting to get a merit, so it's just the closeness that's annoyed her. We have made the appropriate fuss (from afar) and sent her a card with the ARSM letters after her name (which is what it's all about when you're a teen, right?)

@678socks Well done to your DD on her exam result. What a week she has had!

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest that’s a fantastic result on the diploma but I can see that it’s frustrating to miss the distinction by one mark. It’s so easy to get bogged down in the mindset of always expecting a distinction for everything and forget that a good pass at grade 8 is still a fantastic result.

My DS is celebrating his theory result by trying to forget all the theory he learned as he won’t need it again. My suggestion that he and I could take grade 6 together was not well received!

Well done on the exam results. Seriously impressive.

She did it, very nice distinction! Lovely reward for a lot of hard work.

@StuntNun fabulous news! Totally agree, much preferred the old way. DD came out of her exam feeling very despondent so I don’t have a good feeling. Should hear tonight though. Hope she and I are wrong as she is going to be bitterly disappointed otherwise. Worked her socks off and was easily capable of high marks in all areas.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest- that’s an amazing result. Well done your dd. To do that on two consecutive days for second and third study is an incredible achievement.

@StuntNun - great result for your ds too. Well done!

Why is Bach either amazingly brilliant or absolutely awful? Dd is having a “bad Bach” day today - lots of crashing down on the piano keys!

congrats to your DS @StuntNunexcellent news!

@StuntNun brilliant news! Well done to him and a fab score

DS passed his grade 5 theory with distinction - 71 marks out of 75 - so he can take his grade 6 piano as planned in June. What a relief, those online exams are a PITA, I think I would rather sit in an exam room for two hours like the old days.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest wow, just wow, that is an enormous achievement!! As a parent I just quail at the idea of getting a child through that lot.
Accompanist work is fabulous, such good training.
Thanks everyone, the solo was great this morning so just fingers crossed for later on!

Congrats @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest ! It's good to get the exams out of the way.

@Comefromaway excellent news - building up quite the portfolio career!

I'm sure she'll get over it. It was a decision to take both of these this term so they are out of the way so she can take the 'important' ARSM (bassoon) next term without distraction. So it's done the job.

One mark below a distinction is gutting, but someone has to get that and she only has half an hour a week lessons on each.

It's only one day a week but ds has accepted a job working as an accompanist on one of the degree courses (with extra ad hoc hours when they do performances & assessments.)

@678socks, as a non musician I know so
little about a musician’s life that it feels scary. But I agree with you there’s no point discouraging someone’s love and talent. We’ll just follow them and see what happens.

Congratulations @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - seriously impressive!

And well done/good luck to yours @678socks. I really need to get DS doing some theory! He’s done nothing formal so far so really need to get a move on.