Spring Term 2020 music thread

[squintsoftheworldunite]

Thought I would start the ball rolling on the first 2020 music thread since I’m awake. Happy New Year all of you and your lovely little musicians. Carrying on the long tradition of music threads here begun moons ago by wafflenose .... hoping our threads continue to be a place that’s welcoming to all, whatever standard, experience, backgrounds or situations of music bring you here.

2019 brought incredible music experiences for us, our biggest year to date. Exhausting but incredible. We said goodbye to the year with a final music lesson to end what has been an amazing first year on a new, and now first study, instrument. We’ve had a year free from practical exams but full of auditions and performances and so much to look back on with gratitude. I certainly couldn’t have predicted 2019 this time last year! I hope we can say the same of 2020 this time next year. Happy New Year xx

I had to take a step back and remember you are non UK Mending. Lovely to hear about life on the other side!

I've just got a discounted invoice for the last term of JD, definitely wont be back this term!

Im not sure when our JD will be back in action, in person. Currently theory, individual lessons and quartet via various online platforms but no orchestra. The lessons that are back on have fairly atrict rules, the building is not open, pupils are collected from outside by their teacher, no parents allowed in, hand washing before going in and alcohol gel at before leaving the teaching room. 1m distanse at all times and no music to be given out - must be sent electronically before hand. I've probably forgotten a few bits too but it is very very nice to get a bit of normality back

Not sure if this is the right place to post. My son had a JD audition for Rcs in March and still no news. Has anyone else heard yet?

My daughter did video audition for JD in March too, Birmingham and RAM. We got to know quite quickly within a week for Birmingham and RAM. She got an offer from BC and put on reserve list for RAM and a place has become available with an offer to join RAM also.
I would contact them to find out as it seems along time since the audition.

Finally got his result today - accepted for Saxophone and Voice 🎉

Thats excellent news islander

Thank you!

Great news islander!

Brilliant News!

Anyone prepared to share with me whether they got any scholarship or bursary for a junior conservatoire or similar? I can't find anywhere how much you might get in relation to your income. I'm very tentatively looking into one of these but the cost is huge and while we can technically afford it, we have three children and mortgage etc so it would be a stretch. We have a fairly decent income though so not sure if we would qualify for any assistance. (Husband is a medical professional, I'm on a low wage). It seems so much to spend on one child (£2.5k plus train fares)when the others likely won't have anything comparable.

Horseymum - I'll PM you as I am just looking at the forms my daughter's centre for advanced training has sent me now.

@horseymum sounds like we are probably in a similar position financially. We didn't qualify for anything from JD, but do at specialist school where she will go in September.

Thanks, I think that would be the same. I don't really want to move her schools just now as that would put all our eggs in one basket and she is really settled now but the JD sounds good. I was just wondering as some of the funding applications asking about your financial position ask about income from investments etc and we have nothing like that so wondered if they were prepared to help those on higher incomes too.

I know somebody took part in the last NYO inclusive event. There is another next Friday. I'll try and post links later.

It's Jupiter this time, you can play, sing or remix some MP3 tracks.

Hope everyone is well.

DD has just been accepted at a music centre for advanced training from September after online auditions. She is over the moon as am I. I know we all think our DC are talented but must admit I didn’t think she was in the league expected and it was more of a it’s worth a try and good experience hence I didn’t look into the details of it all. It’s so expensive! I was thinking it was around 2k but it seems more like 3.5k. I had a look on the gov website www.gov.uk/music-dance-scheme but it didn’t really help clarify any household income thresholds.

The music and dance scheme is ridiculous - to base awards entirely on income including pension contributions when you could live in an inherited house with a fleet of super cars and have granny discreetly paying the fees; or be stuck renting in London, having started your pension late and be desperately trying to maximise income but also save for a deposit. The CSA financial award when DD was a chorister took your precise circumstances into account (via a company that many public schools use to administer their bursaries).

But well done to all the junior department successes!

Is there any bbc young musician chat anywhere? Going to catch up on the percussion tonight

Any Year 13 families with A levels cancelled but a place to start at Conservatoire hopefully in September?

How are you and your DC doing. DS is practicing trumpet reasonably often and has read a few enjoyable books in the garden.

He has a place at Trinity Laban which were both really excited about

They have an upcoming webinar with tutors where they can ask questions about how things are likely to be in the autumn.

I'm impressed and glad they're doing the webinar for them, but wondering what sort of answers they'll be able to give to everyone's questions.

We've also booked some accommodation (waiting to hear if that was successful) and applied for student finance.

How about everyone else? What are your DC making of it all?

Congrats to your son Juggling! It is difficult for them to remain motivated when there are no ensembles. My ds is regularly practising (tenor sax). He is struggling more with piano though. He is 15 so a little younger. Dd (11) needs nagged to pick up her trumpet though! I'm sure you ds will do well at Trinity Laban and fingers crossed their year starts bump-free.

Thanks Islander, it's so nice to check in with you all here. I guess, like so many people, I'm finding all the uncertainty a little difficult to cope with.
DS is doing OK with it all though, and also my DD who's a student at Swansea and has stayed on there with her flatmate, so that's the main thing.
Really hope there could be some encouraging information for us all about how the start of the new Uni year is likely to look for them all.
I guess that webinar that I mentioned that's coming up may be an opportunity to get some answers as far as the Conservatoire knows how things will be at present.
DS hoping that he'll at least be able to have a one to one lesson with a good new teacher, and being able to move down there is obviously a key thing too.
Agree that it's hard for the musicians at the moment being without their bands, orchestras and ensembles.
And that's actually DSs question that he's put through for the webinar - will these be possible again in the autumn?

DS2 is at a JD elsewhere. He is still getting his 1-1 lessons and practical musicianship via a mix of set work and an online tutorial.

He is still practising, but not probably not enough to replace all the ensembles at school, JD and elsewhere. He also misses choirs. And really missing playing organ, we don't have one at home and all the churches are shut!

Older DS can also be heard playing around the house a lot and recording and uploading pieces for his uni groups.

Juggling we've just heard that DD's US Conservatoire will open in autumn in person. So off she'll go. But they're still working out housing and so forth, so we don't really know a lot yet.

Sounds like a lot of congrats needed for dcs with jd achievements. It must be a worry for yr13s though with so much uncertainty over what may or May not be open in the autumn. 🤞🏻 all round I think!
Dd continues to have her weekly (School) piano and cello lessons online although our school is not reopening after half term. Dd missed her g3 cello exam as abrsm shut down two days before so I suspect that we’ll just abandon that now and do g4 eventually as she’s moved on to newer pieces.
She continues with her g5 piano stuff. Her teacher was telling us about the new online grades for abrsm - 4 pieces recorded as one session and uploaded but no scales SR or aural! Sounds odd to me but dd keen to have a pop at it when it starts in August so she needs to pick a fourth piece at some point. She’s glad not to have to do scales although she has them all done really so it’s not like she hasn’t put the work in already! What does everyone else think about the new direction abrsm are taking? Apparently it’s not just for Corona times but will be a permanent change. Normal in person exams are still an option and it’s possible to do a mix so g1 in person then g2 online and so on.

I saw the abrsm statement. I think it will be a challenge to do as it had to be in one take. We have done lots of recording projects and the number of times the last note is dud is very annoying!

I've just had a quick look. It looks like it will suit some more than others, it depends how the extra 30 marks pans out I think .

Be interesting to see how it affects the ABRSM/Trinity divide you see sometimes