Autumn / Winter music thread - 2026/2027

I sympathise with the precarious career. DD has spent the summer running around Europe on courses to make connections, trying to organise concerts which are likely to pay peanuts based on door donations and interviewing for teaching agencies. The latter is likely to be the only thing that pays decentish money. Luckily for her she has a further year of masters to go.

I don't know if anyone on here is from the Liverpool region but there's a new opportunity for 13-21year olds who live/attend school&Uni/play in youth ensembles in the region to do a fully funded 1 year conducting pathway with one of the youth brass bands locally. Applicants should be from the Liverpool City Region or Warrington, approx grade 6 on any instrument, have theory knowledge around grade 5 level and some experience of playing in a conducted ensemble. They don't need to have any conducting knowledge ore experience. They get a year long programme of workshops, podium time, visits to professional ensembles - all fully funded by the Sound! music hub. All of the info is at https://www.shybb.uk/conductors. I know some of the organisers so if you've got any questions DM me and I can probably find out the answer.

He’s a French horn player so not many jobs around. He auditioned for a part time job last week, they were seeing about 50 people. He’s doing the odd week in a pit orchestra which he’s enjoyed but it’s very sporadic.

This will be my son in 2 years I think. Although he is likely to be majority focused on live event sound and music production with a bit of drumming and bass playing. What instruments does your son play?

Is there room for another mum on your bench? I'm a conservatoire mum (and probably shouldn't be worrying about her 20 year old but music is such an exhilarating yet precarious life and it would be good to have some company)

Definitely good to keep hearing from those who have older ones! Also I think they need to have an aim, but plans that go around it too. Mine have been fortunate to have been taught by teachers who do multiple things - orchestra jobs both freelance and permanent, teaching in state/ independent sector, tutoring on courses, chamber music etc so have a good idea of the variety required to pay the bills. Middle one made more from eBay selling this summer than her several concerts.

Please do stay if you can! I would really appreciate any updates, good or not so exciting, on how things are in real life for young professional musicians. We had a conversation with DD over the summer and she has very unrealistic ideas about her future life and work in an orchestra 😂 I think I need to start shifting her focus to teaching, but she hates the idea at the moment.
Best of luck to your DS!

Thank you for the new thread @northerngoldilocks

Not sure if I should still be here now mine has graduated. He’s attempting to make a living as freelance musician which feels extremely precarious. He’s currently trying to get a muggle job to pay the bills.

Thanks for the new thread.

Trying to decide here whether (before the end of next week) to put DS9 in for an audition for a primary and intermediate school 350km away that has a specialist music stream. DS and I would have to move up there and leave DH here, organ would have to take a back seat to cello... but the cello opportunities would be amazing (really good orchestras, chamber music, vibrant environment, loads of good friends from Suzuki stuff).

Generally, I think better to stay here, with DH, in the house we already own, where both organ and cello are going very well (albeit with poor opportunities for cello and it being entirely on me to make any new ones as his teacher lives in the big city 800km away). But the utter awfulness of schools and paucity of music opportunities and friends here does make me feel guilty about that decision.

Thanks for the new thread. Year 13 starts tomorrow for dd. Her singing teacher messaged her today to ask if she would sing the soprano solo in Faure’s Requiem on Sunday so DD’s been practising it all day as she’s not sung it before.

Thank you for the new thread, northern. We are looking forward to a new school year. D in one of them someone dropped out and he had to learn their piece by himself in the morning for the afternoon concert. It was crazy but he did very well! Hope everyone have a great start of new term/year!

Thank you @northerngoldilocks. Getting ready for year 11 on Friday here.