Autumn / Winter music thread - 2026/2027

@MockCroc sorry I’m late to the party on this but I know several brass players (I feel like maybe as many as up to half of the people I knew when we were about 12-14) who had braces (train tracks) as kids, including horn players - obviously in the days before there were any alternatives available - and there were no lasting effects for any of them. Some are professionals now. It did affect their playing for the time they had them in, but they caught up quickly afterwards. I don’t think you need to stress too much at all. I need braces now as an adult and really wish I’d had it sorted as a kid!

It feels weird to have no more open days, no more weighing up different courses, etc. Now just have to wait and see! Cambridge want various things - essays, compositions etc, and maybe Manchester will ask him in for an in-person audition.

In other news, the school show - Guys and Dolls - has been cast. It's his final production, and he's going out with a bang as Sky Masterson.

Congratulations on the UCAS forms! Just a long wait for auditions/ interviews/ offers! Mine just has to decide what to apply for by this time next year. We're slowly crossing things off the list.

@herbaceous DD's is in too. And her first conservatoire audition appointment is through. Tough week to be honest - but at least it's half term on Friday. We're going down Thursday to watch her play Peer Gynt, which she is rudely dismissing as "Tik Tok Music". It was the one classical record we had when I was a kid so I'm really looking forward to it!

Mine didn't last as I didn't wear a retainer, just like @NimbleFox

@NimbleFox - thanks for sharing. It seems that a lot of players find train tracks tricky. Although I have read some internet articles about players managing and even some saying it improved their playing because they had to learn to play with less pressure on their lips, there seem to be a lot more people saying they have struggled. I think we are heading towards aligners… I do worry about putting the children through all this treatment and it not lasting, but that’s a whole other issue I guess!

UCAS application is IN! No going back now.

He plumped for St John's Cambridge in the end, Durham, Manchester, Kings London and Edinburgh. Now all he has to do is get stellar A levels!

He's a sanguine chap. Said 'mum, I'm like a goat. I'll be happy wherever I go.'

Oh, I've recalled another JD brass player who managed through 18 months of braces. Couldn't get to nationals though but this can wait. I need to ask them about embouchure.

DD's teacher just said do it as soon as you can as it'll get more intense around important auditions, but DD still has quite a few baby teeth... 🤦‍♀️

Friends (adults) have just had Invisalign for themselves and apparently prices have dropped quite a bit. I haven't double checked myself though.

I had twin blocks as a child (cornet player) and played through it no problem (taking them out) - although I wasn't the same level. I never had a permanent retainer though so the teeth all moved and I went back through the process as an adult 3 years ago with teeth removed/train tracks/implants - I couldn't play with train tracks so took a year out. Because of how much my embouchure changed, I still can feel the impact on my playing 2+ years later (but my theory is I'm having to rewrite 30 years of neural pathways around how I start a note, so it would be easier if younger, and I had a lot of dentistry over that period - plus there's also a psychological element of splitting a note because you think you're going to). My range is back and the splits are almost gone but it has taken work.

Some kids seem to cope playing with train tracks fine with wax/guards etc.

Thanks @Ubertomusic - that is interesting to see. I think I am leaning more towards the Invisalign option although it is quite a bit more expensive and really depends on her being super good about wearing them consistently. It is tricky because the orthodontist thinks she would probably manage with twin blocks and braces and her teacher has had students cope with braces but says all things being equal (i.e. she's not asking us to spend additional money if we don't have to) she would lean towards Invisalign, but we would be about a year through treatment before she gets the train tracks and it is a worry getting that far through one approach only to discover we need to change plans.

Sorry no specific answer @MockCroc but I'm planning for Invisalign when the time comes. A brass player we know had to stop playing completely and another one decided not to do braces at all for various reasons, including an unpredictable change of the embouchure after the treatment. I'm more concerned about this tbh.

Braces and brass player question! This is very specific but I am hoping there might be some parents there who have gone through similar. My daughter needs treatment for an underbite and then teeth straightening. All other things being equal orthodontist would recommend twin block for 9 months followed by train tracks. She’s a French horn player and I am concerned about whether she would be able to play with the twin blocks in and whether she will tolerate the train tracks. If she can’t play with the twin blocks in it’s not the end of the world, but it would slow her treatment because of the extra hours she wouldn’t be wearing them. The train tracks would be more of an issue. She’s JD / NCO so does do days with a lot of hours of playing.

The alternative is a type of Invisalign which is a lot more expensive.

Are there any brass parents out there who have faced similar issues?

Our eldest had the twin block / train tracks treatment but she is a clarinet player and managed with it.

thanks!

Mine loves getting the orchestra list and seeing where everyone is from and who she has met before.

@Incertus thanks that's good to know from your DH. I know it used to be the case exams were generally irrelevant, just wasn't sure now it goes through UCAS conservatoires, whether there was any more relevance to having things on paper. Anyone doing NYO Inspire? DS just got the music for that. He took it upstairs but is now listening to Mendelssohn Elijah at top volume instead of practising...

Ah that’s so cute @EmeraldSlippers! DS really really loves the instrument and also practice is just the norm in our house (my DH is also a pianist) which helps a lot, but I think would be good to aim for something. Which perhaps brings us back to an exam after all!

That's really a shame. I'm so impressed that you manage to keep him motivated to keep practicing and improving without a specific goal in mind! My kid turned out to love performing so it's a big drive. (the other day she said to me whistfully "I just wish I had a violin concert or a ballet show every day"!). Was a bit of a surprise because she's quite a shy little thing in general, but she just lights up on stage. Of course she's still young so the stage fright could still kick in at any time...

@EmeraldSlippers that sounds lovely and I agree would be ideal, but his teacher doesn’t do this - I think his other students are mainly adults who might not be so keen. I’ve mentioned it a few times and had encouraging noises in response but nothing has come of it. DS’s school doesn’t have any performance opportunities really either, which is a shame.

I watched the TV - very frustrating that you see so little of what they were playing but I was blown away by the ability of the harmonica player to communicate when he had his hands in front of his face.....

i think they're all incredibly brave to go for it and so impressive. It seemed a bit more music focused and less 'sob stories' focused this time. Which I liked. But i only watched a bit.

Hi, don't have any experience of competitions because my DD is only 6 and has been playing for just a year, but she's in a lovely music school where she plays in a violin group class every other week (Suzuki method), has a little solo concert at least once a term and big group concerts twice a year. For her it's incredibly motivating and inspiring to do the concerts (otherwise it's difficult to get a piece to performance standard) and see the more advanced kids playing too. Does your son's music teacher not organise any type of concerts or performances with their other pupils?
When my DH does private piano lessons (as opposed to in the music school), he arranges a 'concert' once a term for the students, be they kids or adults. It's normally just the family coming along to hear, but the student will dress up bit smartly, present the pieces at the beginning and play their repertoire (normally 4 or 5 pieces). I've been to a few when they were in our house and they're quite lovely!

Yes, we've watched the TV programme (we know a few of the performers). Let's agree not to pick apart individual players as the editing can give a very skewed perspective though! They are amazing players and very brave to put themselves forward. Mine have always been very inspired by it.

Yes @Ubertomusic I think JD would be great for him in the end but we were thinking of aiming for him to start in year 6/7 (if he gets in obviously), so in 2-3 years time. He’s got choir on half of Sunday so would be a lot of music over the weekend without much downtime if it was most of Saturday as well, but I guess that might be less of an issue as he gets older. He’s been really enjoying choir (and seems to be coping with the Friday night choir + cubs combo thankfully!).

On the topic of inspiring kids, I saw bbc young musician was on tv over the weekend but haven’t watched it yet (will do with the kids) if anyone else is interested and hadn’t realised it was on!