Do children typically attend county music services and do school orchestra? Or does that create clashes?

[bryte]

DD plays an instrument. She's working towards grade 3. We have an excellent county music service where we live and she attends every week. She's just started in Year 7 at a secondary school which has a high standard of music and children who play an instrument have each been invited to join the orchestra. I don't want her to give up with the County music service. Do children involved with county music usually do both if their school offers the provision or is it too much and inevitably school orchestra takes away from outside music activities.

Based on our county music service I can't see why she couldn't do both. Ours involves playing on a Saturday morning and two concerts a year - hardly a major commitment. If your school orchestra rehearses at the same time as music centre then you've a problem but otherwise I would have thought that one would support the other. Ensemble playing is good, more ensemble playing is better.

I know lots of children who do both. One of the schools I work at expects instrumentalists to take part in their orchestra/ wind band etc. The only issue I can see is if they rehearse at the same time.

Unless there's a direct clash of times, I'd expect a keen musician to do both. It's good to support the music-making that's going on in school (as well as making new friends).

Wrote long post then edited it: I basically did everything available, though much of that was once I was older (secondary and then 14+).

I basically did everything, though in year 7 I think it was just the school orchestra and choir, the recorder consort and the (senior) youth orchestra. School things were always at lunchtime, though, so no clashes.

Definitely do both if she can manage it. School orchestra will probably be in school time with end of term concerts. County music rehersals are more likely to be weekend rehersals. To me the whole point of learning to play and instrument is the joy of being part of an ensemble.

My 3 DC do both. As some of their lessons are at school it is compulsory to do school bands.

Thank you so much everyone. I didn't want to be the 'too keen' parent overloading her. County Music is at the w/end and school orchestra is after school one evening. She is keen to start the school one, I just don't want her to stop the county music one. Not yet. The tutors are fantastic, it'sfun, they also do some singing, and it's important, I think, to have friends out of school.

Wholeheartedly agree with needing friends out of school. Also, county ensembles often get some amazing opportunites to work with professionals, composers etc. My dd has been away on tour this summer and had the most fantastic time both musically and socially.

I guess it all depends how much else you do. When I was at primary school, I did a whole range of activities including badgers, brownies, drama, ballet and swimming. By the time I was in the sixth form, I had loads of things going on... but they were all musical. As in several orchestras (weekly or 'project' based and of various standards), big band, quartet, baroque ensemble, choirs, recorder consort, playing in the pits for local am-dram shows...

If you ask how many groups some DC do on here, there is no way you would think school orchestra and county overloading! I would include mine here.

My DD does both.

Mine do/ did both with no problems that I recall

The problems occasionally with cathedral choir. Interestingly as a non choir school choir they had a clear policy that school trumps cathedral unless there are truly exceptional reasons. This seems to make relations with school easy, we've never have time out for cathedral result in anything less than a letter saying " enjoy this marvellous experience"!

Overloading hee hee :)

Btw school ensembles compulsory if you have in school lessons here . County groups will always run at higher standard too..

County choir is the odd weekend and evening practice and 1/2 term courses.

Doesn't clash with school