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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

Autumn 21 music thread

334 replies

thirdfiddle · 18/09/2021 11:44

Well, we started the summer thread on a rainy day so how about an autumn thread on a sunny day?
Welcome all parents of musical young people, from total beginners to total professionals. Please come and chat in one of the friendliest and most helpful corners of MN.
What's new this term?

OP posts:
Siriusmuggle · 11/11/2021 13:34

Ah OK. I'll carry on fretting then. Child is v chilled about it.

Siriusmuggle · 11/11/2021 13:36

No overlap then:
6 are RWCMD, RNCM, RBC, RCM, RAM, Trinity.

Comefromaway · 11/11/2021 13:48

He only started playing keyboard 3 and half years ago so is not at conservatoire standard. He's roughly playing somewhere between Grade 6/7 standard. (his sight reading is fantastic but he really needs to work on perfecting his pieces which is the opposite to many!).

Leeds offer a Foundation Year for those who are not yet at Grade 8 standard.

londonmummy1966 · 11/11/2021 14:45

@Siriusmuggle - its a bit early still to worry about having heard I think. DD heard from RBC very quickly - both in terms of being asked for interview and being offered a place after that. RCM took much longer (I imagine they have more international applicant to sift through) to hear about interview but DD was then offered a place during the interview which meant that the process wasn't as slow as it initially seemed. I know from her school friends that RAM was a day or two after RCM but that Cardiff got on with it even earlier than RBC.

Hope that helps a bit

Siriusmuggle · 11/11/2021 14:48

That makes sense. Seems like those two are always the earliest then. I think he’s got some sort of online lesson with rwcmd too. He tells me little 🤣

minisnowballs · 11/11/2021 15:20

Does anyone know anything about the National Youth Choir. DD2 (12) auditioned on a bit of a whim and has been offered a place in the Girls' choir. She loves residentials which seems to be the draw of it, but I wondered if it was any good?

Comefromaway · 11/11/2021 15:33

When dd applied for postgrad RWCMD was really quick to offer her a recall (1st rounds were all recorded last year) RCS lost her application and RAM took an eternity.

londonmummy1966 · 14/11/2021 17:48

@minisnowballs - I don't know the choir personally but I know Jo Tomlinson well - she is absolutely amazing and anything she runs will be huge fun whilst your daughter will also be imbibing a lot of good stuff on singing technique without even noticing it.

DD2 has quite a few friends who are in it (or have been in it and now progressed to the main choir) and they all speak very highly of it.

minisnowballs · 15/11/2021 06:53

Thanks so much londonmummy- that sounds fab. She’s the lady who auditioned dd2 (can see from the email feedback) so hopefully she saw something- dd2 has only just started singing lessons and picked a really random song (burn from Hamilton at 12!) so I was surprised she was accepted. Sounds like it will be good for her though

londonmummy1966 · 15/11/2021 11:01

@minisnowballs - she will learn a huge amount from Jo she is a really inspiring choral director. If you are in London and want to see her in action she is conducting on Thursday - PM me if interested.

minisnowballs · 15/11/2021 11:02

Would have been lovely - we have a date with Dear Evan Hansen that night (much anticipated) so will have to pass. Another time for sure!

londonmummy1966 · 15/11/2021 11:10

@minisnowballs TBH that sounds more fun than the Libby Larsen Jo is conducting....

I'll let you know what else she is up to as it is good to see conductors from behind sometimes!

yodaforpresident · 15/11/2021 11:32

@minisnowballs Girls Choir is a lot of fun. My DD(10) got to do her first courses last year. The residential in particular was great and the showing at the end of the week for the parents (which Jo led) was amazing - it was hard to believe that they were young children. Truly awe inspiring.

minisnowballs · 15/11/2021 11:57

@yodaforpresident that's brilliant news.

dd2 is worried it is going to be 'posh', having watched the videos (we're not much used to things in grand boarding schools), but I'm sure there's a spread of people and it will probably do her good.

horseymum · 15/11/2021 12:06

My dd went to a residential music camp in a 'posh' boarding school. The building is gorgeous but the bedrooms were pretty scruffy looking, I was really surprised! She loved the experience and I'm sure there will be a range of people.

Comefromaway · 15/11/2021 16:53

I'm a bit worried. Ds hasn't had a piano lesson for ages. His teacher had to cancel one for a staff meeting (he also works in schools) then it was half term, then ds had to cancel because of his college concert and now he has tested positive. With auditions looming it doesn;t bode well. He needs to work on technique and the teacher needs to be able to see and correct him clearly so online isn;t working.

horseymum · 15/11/2021 17:07

That's really frustrating, I hope you get something sorted soon. Would setting up a second device for a zoom lesson mean the teacher could see more than one angle to get a better view? Just turn the sound off so no interference.

minisnowballs · 15/11/2021 17:49

That sounds very stressful Comefromaway. I wish I had useful advice - just commiserations - it is just so stressful to plan anything right now.

northerngoldilocks · 15/11/2021 17:57

for online piano lessons we had a music stand next to the piano - it was angled so that you could see the piano keyboard as well as the person playing. Would that work?

londonmummy1966 · 15/11/2021 18:58

When DD was having piano lessons over zoom in lockdown she put her phone on the side of the keyboard so that her teacher could see her hands rather than her face. It seemed to work for her.

Original poster
thirdfiddle · 16/11/2021 00:47

for online piano lessons we had a music stand next to the piano - it was angled so that you could see the piano keyboard as well as the person playing.
Yes, this - a lot of flexibility. We used a large tablet so child could see teacher demonstrating too, and attached to the music stand so we could angle it as much as we needed. Maybe having a second person in at the beginning of the lesson to experiment with camera angles could help get the most out of online lessons.

OP posts:
yodaforpresident · 16/11/2021 09:29

Second music stand with ipad attached to it worked well for us - used it for cello and piano all through online lessons.

yodaforpresident · 16/11/2021 09:33

@minisnowballs don't worry about the residential - the accommodation is not dissimilar to university. Everyone is really friendly and they take the pastoral/ social side really seriously too.

minisnowballs · 16/11/2021 09:41

She's done PGL before without anyone she knew so not really worried about that bit, just about not 'fitting in' given that she's from an inner london comp...I'm just worried she'll come back wanting to go to boarding school.

This morning's joy. Grade 7 aural. She's been going to lunchtime classes at her saturday school for her december exam, but appears to have learned absolutely nothing. We have a book and CDs and I am not musical - any advice?

Wrinklyeyes · 16/11/2021 10:15

@minisnowballs - DD also at inner city comp. She has been to music residentials at three different ‘posh’ boarding schools and was not keen on the accommodation in any of them, didn’t like the food in 2 out of 3 and even though she enjoyed the courses was very happy to be back in her own bed each time.

On the aural, the answers are in the back of those books. It might seem overwhelming but just remember on the day there will only be one of each question. As long as she opens her mouth and says/sings something she will get marks. And encourage her to give confident responses even if she’s unsure of the answers. They will give more marks for (correct) confident responses than (still correct) hesitant answers.