Autumn / Winter music thread - 2026/2027

Telescopic stools are great @Incertus , DS9 is still using his. Good posture makes such a massive difference to tone, so the right seat height is quite important.

DS played at a competition last weekend that had lots of string players (he was in the under-16 categories, so a large range from about 7 to 15) and it was blindingly/ deafeningly obvious which students had been successfully taught proper posture and which hadn't.

I say successfully taught, as a couple of DS's friends go to the posture-specialist university level cello teacher who charges $100 an hour to give them the same set of exercises every week for years, but these kids don't get any parental supervision of practice so they never fix anything. When DS went to her, he did the exercises supervised every day for 2 years, applied them to his playing until it became automatic, made good progress, and then I stopped those lessons and went back to the Suzuki teacher full time, since i realised the posture teacher wasn't going to come up with anything new to say.

I’ve gone with this one - splashed out an extra £4 for a rainbow version which she will love. Will report back!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/WedDecor-Collapsible-Telescopic-Adjustable-Lightweight/dp/B0DDTVXHR9/ref=sxin_21_pa_sp_phone_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.3bd9bc47-57a3-4f93-b4e8-750ec81f798e%3Aamzn1.sym.3bd9bc47-57a3-4f93-b4e8-750ec81f798e&crid=3VWLGTYQTJDID&cv_ct_cx=telescopic%2Bstool&keywords=telescopic%2Bstool&pd_rd_i=B0F9KNKDXH&pd_rd_r=2c3ed726-7285-407d-a778-af71ff50d080&pd_rd_w=BEom5&pd_rd_wg=sAV9t&pf_rd_p=3bd9bc47-57a3-4f93-b4e8-750ec81f798e&pf_rd_r=3JWHK0JNEMTYY1B6BS1F&qid=1789735199&sprefix=telescopic%2Bstool%2Caps%2C145&sr=1-1-fbc3951e-6c4e-4104-85d5-8dff376e781b-spons&aref=GaMXHUZoRN&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1&th=1

I wonder what the difference between the caswells £35 one and an eBay £8 is? Unless it's better had having the spike rest t thingy underneath.

These stools are quite popular with the little cellists dd sees - they are adjustable and pack down to very little which would be helpful if he has orchestra etc later on. https://caswells-strings.co.uk/product/minimax-cello-stool/?srsltid=AU7gw4WCO6wN4Okl5IQaSmuxgWEyZMZEDwVuTwTmnVtUPUoVrdzK5XEH

My 13-year-old DS has decided to take a break from piano after doing his grade 6 so he has started cello lessons today at school. There are only two students having lessons so it seems a bit precarious but we’ll see how it goes. On piano, he’s learning music from Minecraft and the Amazing Digital Circus while his teacher gives him exercises to work on his technique, rather than pressing on towards grade 7. My 11-year-old DS has started brass lessons again, on trumpet this time after doing cornet then tenor horn, but is rather hampered by a complete lack of practice. It’s such a shame as we’re a very musical family so he almost certainly has the ability to do well, if only he would put some effort in.

Thank you all for the suggestions! She’s outgrown our kids chairs but too small to have feet on the ground with any of our others! I think will go with what you’ve suggested @horseymum - cheap and cheerful so worth a try!

We do also have an (unread!) hardback copy of The Mirror and the Light @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest so that will be a good backup! I haven’t had a response from my friend on the theory q yet btw.

Dd has a tiny cellist student and helps at a beginners orchestra with players who can’t reach the ground on regular chairs! Most of them have little plastic stools - maybe Ikea?

https://ebay.io/m/FmhtCGCamping stool

They are sold as fishing stools too.

Lovely to get a new instrument. You can extend the spike to make the body higher so raising the feet not such a problem but I've seen the cello teacher near us use those extendable camping stools, you can get some with adjustable height. They're like a cone with a seat. I'll find a link but you need to check heights.

Very exciting!

There are some purpose made solutions, but they tend to be expensive. Adjustable shower stools (from mobility aid companies) can be good.

So exciting incertus. When DD started bassoon and chairs weren't right her teacher used to make her put a large book under her feet. Used the mirror and the light for years - never actually finished it as in my mind it's now a footstool.

Don't know if that's helpful

Hello all! We’re going to pick up my little one’s rental cello tomorrow - exciting day! I realised we don’t have anything appropriate for her to sit on - she can’t quite get her feet to the ground on the piano stool at its lowest yet. Does anyone have any recommendations of adjustable chairs/stools that would work for little ones? Are drum stools what we should be looking at?

NervesAreShot my DD plays Violin and goes to JD and would to be a Musician.

Thank you and great to hear 🥰

At the moment his long term goal is to be an orchestral tuba player but he loves the broader musicology too so is torn between uni and conservatoire routes - lots of research to do!!!

@NervesAreShot Welcome! I've learnt so much from this group of people. Congratulations to your so on getting into the JD. What does he fancy doing with music, there are lots of options?
Glad he enjoyed the NYO audition, my youngest was just delighted to get one step further than last time and really enjoyed the day.

My son did. Tbh he was shocked and over the moon to get to recall stage so anything more will be a bonus 🥰 Which instrument does your DC play?

Hello, I’m new to the classical music world and am looking for a community to support us through the next few years. 💖

my son is in Yr12 and has recently expressed an interest in pursuing music as a career (his primary instrument is tuba but he also plays drums, piano, baritone horn and sings). We spoke to his school who recommended applying to junior academies and he starts at RCMJD next week.

hopefully I’m in the right place 🤞
I look forward to chatting

St Andrews doesn't offer music degrees but has a good music department. At one point they had a bassoon octet!

Dd also applying to Cambridge albeit not for music. She’s picked her college based on many things but a significant factor was a choir that sang no more than three times a week to give her some breathing space!
Assuming she gets an offer of course. It’s been tricky finding unis that are good for her STEM subject that also have good co-curricular music and we’ve been focusing on unis that also offer music or music adjacent degrees as they have better and wider societies.

Me too @herbaceous - but I was clear it was as well (she is doing the A Level). Prob just misinformation. I was cheered by the fact the music student she clicked with most had taught herself piano to the requisite grade 5 (like DD) and didn't have grade 8 theory either.

Anyhow, as I tell her, it is just one choice of five and she'd love Durham/Manchester etc too. It's just lovely seeing them excited about the next stage isn't it.

Though in all cases she needs to knuckle down and get the grades!

I thought grade 8 theory was an acceptable alternative to A level music for admissions. Not an addition!

@Incertus thanks so much that’s so useful! I’ve tried to get my head round what music theory actually is but it makes my head spin- i didn’t even understand when she did grade 5. What a shame someone told you the wrong thing- though it sounds like it all worked out in the end.

I’ve texted my friend so will report back! It is bonkers what some people say - I didn’t apply for Music in the end back in the day because one of the Directors of Music told me I needed to have grade 8 piano, which was also not true.

I think you can only go by the published requirements - would seem ridiculously unfair if they had some secret extra hurdle they didn’t tell you about, as well as being inherently unlikely given how few people actually do grade 8 theory.

There’s no magic to graded theory exams vs the harmony lessons your DD is having though - the fact that that is available to her is an incredible advantage, and better yet if no one else shows up so she’s getting it 1-1!

Thank you so much - that's useful to know - and yes, I think holding them to higher standard is fair - it is night and day what is offered, though she's only been there since year 10. This admissions officer certainly hadn't asked what type of school DD went to when he answered me though.

There isn't a grade 6 plus theory class at DD's school - very much all about the playing - but there is a harmony class, which she does attend (often on her own!). All intel very very gratefully received.