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Extra-curricular activities

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Autumn term 2019 music thread

420 replies

thirdfiddle · 30/08/2019 16:45

September is looming, the old thread is getting full - I think it's time for a new music thread. This is a support thread for parents of children who are into music or indeed just thinking about giving it a try.

Perplexed about starting the piano? Experimenting with ensembles? Concerned about college applications? All welcome here. Huge thanks to those lending their expertise and sage advice and particularly wafflenose for starting the threads.

So, new school year, what's new with your mini musicians?

OP posts:
ZeldaPrincessOfHyrule · 21/09/2019 20:05

Petra that's a really kind offer, we're in Milton Keynes. It's such a difficult decision, I suppose if we did buy and he does grow super quick, we could sell it. He's so hard to predict! I don't know if kids' violins really hold much value either.

PetraDelphiki · 21/09/2019 20:37

They don’t really hold a lot of value...could you get to sw london? Pm me if you want

horseymum · 21/09/2019 20:51

Hi BBLY, I'm a bass player and I use a folding bar stool type from IKEA, but it's quite heavy. I borrow a stool when I go to orchestra as it's one less thing to carry. There is a brilliant bass teacher/ player/ composer called David heyes on Facebook, you would probably get a response on that page as there are teachers and players. Fab that your ds is getting started on a mini bass, means a better chance to be more level with other string players.

Mendingfences · 24/09/2019 08:53

Hi BBLY dd2 plays bass, the stool she uses at home is foldable but not easily portable. She certainly can't carry bass and stool. (To be fair it's a juggle to get both in the boot of my car...). She manages the bass on her own but if she needs to take the stool then she also needs to take a porter Wink

BBLY · 24/09/2019 09:38

Thank you both. I've bought a stool and he will carry that in a backpack whilst I try to navigate the train and buses with the bass. I'm also looking for a set of bass buggy now, seem to be a good investment that my back and legs would be thank for!Grin

Mendingfences · 24/09/2019 09:48

Good luck BBLY bass is very cool but also very errm large Grin

hidingmystatus · 24/09/2019 10:49

May I come in too? My DD is now putting in her UCAS for Music Composition; plus applications to the USA. She's taking G8 oboe after Christmas, restarting piano (proficiency tests, ugh) and I know nothing about music at all. She is doing Music A-level, though, so questions can be passed on. Mostly, she says that you need to be really well up in theory (she did G6 a couple of years ago) because otherwise it's very hard indeed.

BBLY · 24/09/2019 10:50

Thank you Mendingfences! He'd been learning at school so we used to drive him and there was no need for a stool. Now he's started at the JD driving is not really an option! But he does love it so I support him wholeheartedly. Smile

Mendingfences · 24/09/2019 11:54

Why oh why are these musical education settings so lacking in appropriate stoolage [overdramatic sigh]. Although i do find it somewhat amusing that dds bass teacher seems to have raided the bar at the culture centre and appropriated a bar stool for her Grin

raspberryrippleicecream · 24/09/2019 18:37

Good luck to your DD hiding. DS2, just started A level, did G6 theory a couple of years ago so good to know he's made a good start!

Siriusmuggle · 26/09/2019 13:15

Hi all. My boy is now in year 11. He did grade 8 last year so no exams for him for a while. He's doing English Schools orchestra at half term, any one else doing that one?
He's currently auditioning for 6th form at a music school, does anyone have any experience of the process and does anyone have a child now doing A levels at a music school (or even just a child at a music school).

Lotsofmilkonesugar · 28/09/2019 11:44

Hi siriusmuggle no personal experience of this but there was a long thread on mumsnet last year sometime discussing the pros and cons, I think it should still be available to look at.
DDs first county youth orchestra rehearsal today, sitting outside listening to a very enthusiastic rendition of ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ they seem to be enjoying themselves 🙂

Boyskeepswinging · 28/09/2019 15:35

Yay, great to hear, Lots! Sounds like a fantastic choice of repertoire for a youth orchestra, it's so much fun to play.

PaddingtonPaddington · 29/09/2019 11:09

Still waiting to hear about DD county youth audition decision, hopefully next week.

Lotsofmilkonesugar · 30/09/2019 13:55

Hope it’s good news paddington !

hidingmystatus · 01/10/2019 09:15

For anyone whose DC are thinking about applying for music at university or conservatoires - be aware that in addition to the standard UCAS fee of £25.... there are audition fees of much more. We found this out as we submitted the form - the extra fee for Royal Academy of Music was £100 (!!!) and for Royal Conservatoire of Scotland £65 (!!!!). So save up!
And the deadline is ridiculously early - it is today, 1 October, though ours are now in.

As a commentary, it's utterly disgraceful that people who can't find almost £200 on little notice (I'm sure it's somewhere, but they don't exactly make it obvious) can be priced out of music before they've even been auditioned. This is an up front payment.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 01/10/2019 09:50

Hi hiding and everyone
Glad to find you as we're in the midst of applying for conservatoires just at the moment, for DS who plays trumpet
Wrote a longer message but it disappeared on me, so just trying this one for now

Knotaknitter · 01/10/2019 10:05

I'm sorry Hidingmystatus but as a parent that's been through this recently, I am surprised that it was a surprise.The audition fee is on the audition page for all the conservatoires, the total may come as a shock to parents but the information is there. Applicants should be reading these pages as they spell out what the audition consists of and it's not the same for all establishments or all instruments.

Again, the early deadline shouldn't have been be a surprise either, it's something that's mentioned at the open days and it's there on the conservatoire and UCAS websites. DS had to fight to get his application in because his college was focussed on medics, vets and Oxbridge - they don't have enough conservatoire applicants for them to have a listing on the internal deadlines.

For anyone who would struggle to find the audition fee (which is only the start of the costs because after that there's the travel to the audition as well) they should read the conservatoire auditions page and see who to contact about a fee waiver.

In terms of up front payments, the deposit for accommodation is payable in the summer, well before the student loan comes in so there's that to look forward to next summer.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 01/10/2019 10:26

Information can be a little tricky to find though I feel - I was just looking on one of the conservatoire pages for info on audition requirements and wasn't able to find it. Though there was a nice box for any admissions enquiries so I'm sure I could ask there.
I feel I've found out a lot from other parents and friends of DS, such as in his brass band group, often during rehearsal sessions.
Sometimes talking things over and sharing info is easier than gleaning info through the official channels
This parenting challenge feels like quite a steep learning curve compared to DD who applied for a more regular course at Uni, along with most of her peers.

hidingmystatus · 01/10/2019 11:51

Knotaknitter The deadline wasn't a surprise at all, but the size of the audition fees was. Yes, she should have looked at that, but she's going for composition and "audition" is a bit of a misnomer. Anyway, all fixed, but my point was more that that could put off good applicants who aren't well-off.

FiddleOnTheRoof · 01/10/2019 20:29

Ok, this I am sure will be a stupid question on this thread, but ... here goes...

Where can you go with a music degree? What type of jobs are there and how much would they generally pay. Both my kids play to a high standard and one recently said they’d like to take music a’level with a view to taking it at degree level. I, at the time discouraged this, as while they enjoy and play for fun, I can’t see where this could lead other than teaching.

Please don’t berate me for what might be a stupid question to you... this is a genuine question which may cause me to have to go back to DC and eat my words

FiddleOnTheRoof · 01/10/2019 20:31

FYI nothing against teachers but this is the only ‘regular paying’ job I can imagine for a musician

hidingmystatus · 01/10/2019 20:36

My DD is applying for Composition, and is aiming for the USA Conservatories (a whole new level of application hell) and then film and TV music composition. If that doesn't work out, she's going to teach. That's the plan, anyway. If she doesn't get into anywhere, better to know now, and change tack.

hidingmystatus · 01/10/2019 20:38

The other point, though, is that Music at a university (I don't know enough about the conservatoire courses to compare) is a pretty academically tough degree. Things like accountancy or law don't specify accountancy or law degrees, so it's not wasted.

Boyskeepswinging · 01/10/2019 21:57

Apart from playing, teaching and the gazillion graduate jobs that require a degree, any degree, a music degree can lead to lots of different opportunities. Music administration, orchestral management, arranging, scoring, music therapy, sound production, acoustics, agent ... literally just off the top of my head.

Nowadays so many jobs require a degree, any degree, and a BMus from a conservatoire demonstrates a high level of dedication and hard work. And alongside sports people is a fantastic demonstration of ability to work effectively in a team.