Music Specialist School Discussion

[Kutik73]

Sorry, this is rather long…

We’d never considered specialist school route for our musical DS, especially at such a tender age (he is Y6). However, we’ve recently started seeing it could be an option in possibly near future.

The state secondary school DS is supposed to start from September has good reputation with a wide range of extracurricular activities and music is one of their strengths. However, they also hand out heavy amount of academic work daily, and basically keep their pupils pretty busy. Keeping teens busy could be a good thing, especially for those who may get in trouble or glue themselves to screen otherwise. But DS loves music and he likes to immerse himself in music more, but in reality, he’ll have less time for such freedom once he starts secondary school. The additional journey time is another thing. It takes 45 mins to get there, whereas it’s only 5-10 mins currently.

A friend suggested we could see specialist school as a small private school with strong music activities rather than a place where all DCs were aiming to be professional musicians.

Her logic is, the class size is a lot smaller than the state secondary school so pupils get more attention hence learn more efficiently, all the while there is no compromise in music studies. DCs who are keen to keep up academic work on top will manage to get good enough GCSE results for decent sixth form if they decide to pursue other than music for A level/uni. Although sixth form seems the most popular (and sensible) time to join specialist school, KS3 is actually the best time because if DCs change their mind on course, it’s easier for them to return to ‘normal education’ possibly at sixth form with good enough academic record and musical ability strong enough to be a music scholarship material. But if they stay focused on music and in fact decide to take it seriously, starting early will only become beneficial. Though, it depends on circumstance of course, and instrument. DS plays violin/piano for instance - hence early start can be rather important.

However, I heard and read some scary stories about music specialist school while I was researching. Some claimed they felt like they were living in a prison, some expressed unhappiness (even though they recognised the benefit and appreciated their fortunate position), some teachers talked about very able young musicians going to specialist school as a huge mistake, etc…

DS innocently expresses strong desire to go to music specialist school. I, as a parent, wish him happiness more than anything. By accepting his desire and letting him go where he says he likes to go, am I pushing him into a harsh and scarily competitive world unnecessarily? Or, like my friend suggested, it could be a lot more flexible than I may have been thinking and in fact could be good alternative KS3 education for musical and academic DCs?

Any thoughts/knowledge/experience would be greatly appreciated…

I've just stumbled on this thread and read it right through (procrastination plus!).

Kutik I wish you the very best for the next year, sounds like you have worked really hard to research the choices for your son and make sure you know what is what and why. I remember our journey from "When can I sing in a choir like that?" to sending our eldest to choirschool just before she turned 10; it started with "don't let her discover that girls' choirs exist" ... When they really want something even at an early age there is a lot to be said for following their dreams, within reason. [come to think of it, though, I haven't told my youngest that specialist music schools exist ... but see below we all think he's going to the right place next]

Regarding performance skills - my son has only started to "get it" (for solo instrumental work) in the last couple of years - he's nearly 13. That despite being thoroughly professional as a chorister. At 10 he was still very much making music for himself and had to find out how to apply the discipline necessary to polish stuff properly. He is still pretty diffident about acknowledging an audience.

Choirschool standards - having had two children through two schools, one day, one boarding, I'd say that their instrumental work does tend to take second place to the choir, especially if a day student. My boarder might have got further at home with me "nagging" more, but hard to tell, some of that was a personality issue anyway. Though some of her friends did also do very well, I recall a couple going to Wells and one Eton music scholarship during her time. Academics - well, a certain minimum is looked for at voice trials to ensure they can keep up, different choirschools have different standards I think. (I have heard interesting tales of the process and numbers at the voicetrials my uncle did in the very different world of the late 50s). The fact that most schools are preps working to the common entrance syllabus (or similar) means that they do keep moving and have a higher goal at 13+. Academic achievement being valued and interaction with other like-minded children does a lot too.

I've got two academic children. The eldest was prepped for scholarships mainly by extra work 1-1, which was interesting when her brother's school not much more than half the size runs a separate scholarship class in year 8. Reflects different destinations I guess. For my youngest his "letter from Hogwarts" has come in the form of an academic scholarship to a public school - one of many things that appeals is the mixing of year groups within the scholars' boarding house.

Someone up thread ? raspberry? has an organist child. For organ I would definitely encourage you to check what public schools can offer, as the all-round preparation an organist can potentially get in a school that runs a chapel choir looks to be tremendous. One of the schools my son had auditions for took me aside and discussed building up his confidence as they would need to get him working with the choir ...

It was me Pythonesque.

I take your point. DS is/was a chorister. He sings on the back row now, getting paid to do it sometimes too. He has also already earned money as a stand in organist at a local church.

I think though it is definitely the submersive atmosphere of music school he wants.

Gilly I'd thought of that too!

Gilly it must be hard but you certainly shouldn't feel rubbish - you have given your dd the most amazing opportunity.
There are times - like tonight - when I would quite like to be redundant !! But I think I too would really miss it - though I wouldn't miss trying to coordinate Ds's diary !! Can't wait till he can do that himself

She was amazing Gilly!!

Just ignore me, I was feeling so down and miserable
it's one of the ones I wanted to see.
Thanks Paul I've had lots of parents messaging saying they enjoyed it.
I'm not sure if they've had a singer before, I think she thinks she's Billie Holiday now Although, who'd wish that on their child.
Will see you for the ensembles, I'm looking forward to that, will miss the last concert too, but not so bothered about that one.

No Mr M said it was the first time xx
She really was fantastic!
Great- see you Tuesday x

Oooh I wish I was there too, gilly! to you and a big to your DD.

Pythonesque , thank you for sharing your experience. Your post gave me lots thoughts...

DS and I discovered music specialist school together through his previous violin teacher. He didn't show much interest at first. So I didn't put any effort to hid the existence, and when he had an opportunity to have a brief lesson with one of the teachers at a school I didn't think twice and just took him there happily thinking it would be great experience. I didn't really expect he would fall in love with it so hard!

Sometimes I think I might have given people some false image of DS. He loves music, yes. And he is the driver of his musical journey all the way through, yes. But he is not as determined to live for music as some people may think. He doesn't know what he wants in future yet. And quite often he says things that confuse me. As if throwing at me a warning not to take what he says too seriously. To be honest I am not sure how much he is aware of the choice he is making and how much he really is serious about it. He is either very much immature for his age or lives in a totally different world - or maybe both!

Kutik immature and lives in totally different world? If my son if anything to go he will fit in very well :)

herts

By the way.... I presume some regular readers of this thread are interested in or thinking of music specialist school for their DCs, and those DCs may have done something like NCO. The school nurse at the music school DS is going said NCO is a good step to see the suitability of the child for such schools because the life in music school is a bit like NCO's residential course. If the child felt it was too much, then music school wouldn't be for her/him. But if the child didn't get overwhelmed by the demand and amount of work and enjoyed the experience, and in fact wanted to continue or more, that's a good sign of the suitability. Any bell ringing, anyone?

Kutik.

My dd was the same, she was on cloud nine when she got her letter and "Golden ticket" we even had the Willy Wonka song

As for the different world, dd has been tested for most sn /mh cases that might include being on a different planet, and it's just her.
if you think about it they are constantly being told how marvellous they are. They begin to believe this and it's true for kids, but what they have to remember is there are other kids just as good who don't want to attend these schools. They really aren't that outstanding, this comes when they are practically finished school and ready for college.
Then they start at the bottom again like everyone else.
It's nice when they get the huge over the top applause, but I often think we are setting them up for a shock when they are grown up and the applause is for merit only.

Yes that is true. The level required to be professional especially with any kind of solo career is phenomenally high (and requires a good dose of luck). Even the BBC Young Musician competition is a bit misleading. We have been to some international competitions and for my son's instrument the level in those competitions is significantly higher than BBC. It's a big wide world out there. That said a great many do make it either as professional performers, composers, singers, etc but it is no golden ticket.

DS hasn't really thought about beyond the school yet. It's still a golden ticket for him - the ticket to be able to go to the school he wants to go.

Also I think it's rather nice that they get the huge over the top applause when they can, especially if it won't be the case once they are grown up! They've got to keep the realistic head of course though, otherwise some may suffer seriously by the gap of the bubble they live and the real world.

Kutik - dd often says that she wishes the NCO would set up a school!

Aw, string... So her suitability point is super high.... Is she still torn between science and music? If so, what's a dilemma...

DS & I are attending an induction day next week - looking forward to finding out a little more about how things work. I've been finding posts from those of you with DC at specialist schools most useful & illuminating - thanks , in particular, to Gilly. Practical advice and survival tips are very welcome!

It was definitely thriving at a residential music course that led us to accept DD’s chorister place having decided against it the year before. She just came home from it so sure that that was the life for her!

Ds would love to do music all the time and loves NCO though prefers the more relaxed approach of AYM to bedtimes at the minute though he's managing everything and has a good group of friends who are into a wide variety of stuff so for now he's probably in the best place for him - even though he always wants to do music all the time when he comes back from being away

I've just got some information from the school. It states exams should be arranged privately.

Somehow when DS started jd I thought all the exams would be taken place at jd, but then later found out they had to be arranged privately apart from theory and musicianship.

Again somehow I expected all would be arranged at the school, but it seems I still need to do this kind.

Oh no that's just the sort of thing I would hope someone else would sort if Ds was away !!

For kids who are serious about music, there is no reason to take music exams. I don't think anyone at YMS takes them, and very few of the professional musicians I know took them. For kids in regular schools they can provide goals and (kind of) opportunities to perform, but kids in specialist schools have much better chances to perform!

claras, I also thought kids at music specialist school wouldn't be bothered taking exams as they'd probably have better things to do, but when we visited a music specialist school, a pupil told us he was preparing for an exam. He was 15/16 so I don't thing he was talking about grade exams but more like diplomas but then I thought 'oh, these kids do still take exams!'. I am not bothered about violin exams to be honest (DS's lessons have never been exam oriented from the very beginning). But I would like him to take piano g8 as it may open up more opportunities for him to do some teaching work if he wants to go for the route in future. I don't know how useful it will be but someone advised me a long time ago that piano g8 would be useful to keep many doors open.

And he is very close to it as he knows the scales and currently just enjoying learning some sonatas. G8 piano scales are mountainous but as he started learning them straight after g7 they don't appear so overwhelming. He just runs through some of them at each practice. It's a bit shame if he abandon them and forget them or has to re-start from scratch again.

But it's the teacher's decision I suppose, so he may not take it for a long time if not at all...

If he stayed with his current piano teacher he would take it in the next academic year.