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Original poster

Music performance in school - what's normal?

37 replies

GCSEmusichelp · 14/07/2022 09:44

Just trying to sense check myself here.

I have two daughters at the same big comp. Older one is in Year 10, studying GCSE music and was of course at the school pre Covid. Younger one Year 8 so has now been there two years.

As I've posted before, music department has struggled with Covid, as have many, and younger one will have to take GCSE music as an add-on afterschool 'club' because not enough people picked it as a real GCSE class.

She learns a few instruments. Her main one is flute and she's passed Grade 7, preparing for 8. She doesn't learn this in school, but attends a Centre for Advanced Training on Saturdays, where she also learns a second (shortage instrument). However, she learns cello at school and takes grade 5 this week.

It's not that she's a massive show off, but she has barely been allowed to play any of her instruments in school in the two years she has been there. She was once allowed to send in a recording in lockdown for a music lesson, because they all were, and she did a recording with three other cellos at the same time, which was hidden on the school website and not publicised at all.

She plays in one ensemble in school which did an informal performance two weeks ago as part of a 'get together'.

This week was told she could play in a school lunchtime concert with her cello before her grade 5 exam. She was really excited, but when she arrived at the concert there was nobody there. There is another concert next week but she is told this 'isn't for her' because only grade 1s and 2s can play in it. Fair enough, but hers didn't happen!

She is desperate to play - and knows that because GCSE music is now a 'club' for her year there will barely be any performance from that either, unlike for other years where this takes place in school time classes.

Neither current music teacher has ever heard her play any instrument solo- not even the instrument she learns in school - because it is all keyboard work and she's not a pianist. The school graded her 'average' for music..which she found hard to take

Is it unreasonable for her to expect that at some point over the last two years a music teacher (or even her class tutor) might have heard her play one of her instruments in some capacity- especially given this is very much the subject most important to her?

Even if one of them had taken her aside for five minutes and heard her play it would have been such a huge deal to her.

I recognise they're busy and all children are important, but she is, for context, the child taking the two highest in-school music exams this term (it's a school that goes up to 18, and she's 12) and they make a huge fuss of their dancers, sportspeople, artists and those doing drama monologues, who get to perform.

She does get chances out of school, so perhaps they feel she has enough.

It's not that she even wants a public performance, she just wants a teacher to hear her play...just once, because some form of recognition from school that her hard work is important matters to her.

Am I expecting too much - I expect I am - Covid transition has been tough for her and she's so sad about the GCSE that it's hard not to take it personally? The school used to have lots of performance opportunities so I'm used to it being a given that they can do something.

Tell me to pull myself together!

OP posts:
Original poster
GCSEmusichelp · 14/07/2022 11:58

I didn't move her because we didn't find out they wouldn't offer the GCSE until the middle of year 8, by which time she (understandably) didn't want to leave her friends. This is the first time ever they have not offered it, and it is because there were no music teachers during the covid period, so nobody was encouraged to take it.

@ChicCroissant I don't think she wants to play to the whole school - perhaps to one teacher, or her class, or for someone to listen to a recording she's made. Literally no-one has heard her play - not one teacher, or her form class, or her music class. There has not been an evening concert in which she could play, nor a recording that a current teacher has listened to (the teacher who asked them to make recording has left).

There is no school orchestra - all of these things did exist before covid. They don't now.

OP posts:
getupstandupsitdown · 14/07/2022 11:55

It really depends on the school. Our big state comprehensive has a fantastic music dept - with a school big band, orchestra, concert band, a number of choirs and trainer bands. You are right to expect more, but it is hard for schools. They need to motivate kids to attend after school clubs. Getting them to play music they enjoy (they all love Stevie Wonder and film music!) helps. Then they can do school concerts and it builds from there. Takes time to build this up.
But the county groups should also provide fantastic opportunities to play too.

ChicCroissant · 14/07/2022 11:52

I think you are being unrealistic tbh, my DD is doing GCSE music and they have never played for the whole school - I don't think they've even played for their Music class. They record pieces and send them to the teacher. They have a school orchestra club, and have played at school concerts but outside school - in the evening. Never had once-a-term concerts even pre-covid.

You also seem to be taking it all very personally, and it isn't personal to you or your daughter. Is there a reason why you haven't moved her to a school that does do GCSE music if that is important to her, especially if you say the local ones do concerts more frequently?

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 14/07/2022 11:42

Both my children engaged with school music (state school) and did get to perform in concerts. I do however tend to think that (sadly) more serious musical education is usually only available through private lessons and opportunities outside the school environment.

Original poster
GCSEmusichelp · 14/07/2022 11:33

Thanks - she does get lots of playing chances out of school, now covid is over @MaximumLeeway - she has done NCO this year plus NYCGB - and I guess will be eligible for NYO Inspire next year as a state school musician. It's more that school is a massive part of her life, and she isn't allowed to do the thing she cares about, while everyone else is.

I didn't think one concert a term was unrealistic - it's the minimum in the new music curriculum for state schools and most round our way seem to do them... (and this school used to) it just hasn't happened at her school since Covid. Maybe the other local secondaries are the outliers.

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Pantsomime · 14/07/2022 11:24

I’d email the music teacher, copy her form tutor or head of year and copy the head in to ask if she could play in assembly. Put down that she’s never played in person to anyone in school or received any acknowledgment unlike the public recognition of the dancers, sports achievers etc and would like to be recognised in the same way and perhaps inspire the grade 1s and 2s in school ( which you mentioned they concentrate on).State that if they are unable to accommodate her to explain why so that you can inform DD. They will have to respond

MaximumLeeway · 14/07/2022 11:14

Your expectations of the school are unrealistic to say the least...! Ime only top tier private schools take music seriously and even then not all of them... sport often dominates!

Do you live in or near a city of any decent size? There will be city/town based and county based ensembles to join. Youth specific and all-ages (adults and young people together).

Here's my experience:

The county youth orchestra was for 11-18, no parental supervision required, 1 rehearsal weekend every couple of months, (residential or day attendance) and minimum 2 annual performances, plus opportunity to audition for national groups and overseas tours.

The wind band was an all ages wind band requiring parental supervision for under 18s (if the parent plays anything they simply join the band too, a nice way to spend time with a teen who might otherwise not want to be around parents!). Played regularly in the city centre bandstand and a couple of other performances.

Cast your net much wider and get DC into these groups, you will be pleasantly surprised if you can get through the initial clique-yness these groups often have.

Original poster
GCSEmusichelp · 14/07/2022 10:59

@PatriciaHolm - grade 5 is the highest, at cello and voice (both my dd). There is a grade 4. DD did her flute exam out of school so it wouldn't have counted, but there have been grade 8s in the past.

There are assemblies, but no music in them.

OP posts:
PatriciaHolm · 14/07/2022 10:42

If grade 7/5 at flute/cello are the highest exams anyone there is going for (if i understand that correctly), and no-one wants to do the GCSE, that would suggest the school has very few good musicians, so it's a bit of a vicious circle -they don't have musicians, so can't offer much in the way of orchestra/performance opportunities, so people are discouraged and musical children not attracted to the school.

It doesn't sound as if the music teacher is really much help either.

Do they still do assemblies? Maybe suggest she does one of her grade 5 pieces in one?

Original poster
GCSEmusichelp · 14/07/2022 10:14

I raised it with the music teacher - who was just angry. Apparently they are working 'exceptionally hard to provide performance opportunities' (just not for my dd it would seem)...

I was cross enough when they pulled GCSE music and apparently that was me having 'overly high expectations' so I'm not holding my breath that this will do anything other than make her even more determined NEVER to hear DD play anything. I don't want her to be stigmatised.

OP posts:
stillsmilingtoday · 14/07/2022 10:06

You're not expecting too much, it sounds very disappointing. I'd raise it with the head of year and music teacher. Hope it works out, she sounds very dedicated and talented - well done to her!

trickyex · 14/07/2022 09:57

I would feel very disappointed in her shoes and yours too.
I have two sons who play lots of music at school, even the younger who is not doing GCSE.
I would raise it with the head or head of year. The school should be encouraging their pupils esp post covid, not the opposite!