Spring 23 music thread

[thirdfiddle]

I saw some sunshine today so it's officially spring! Here's a new thread for all things musical.

With a nod to those who started the series, well before my young folk picked up an instrument or I braved the vipers of MN. This little corner is for support only, and bragging about your young folk's musical achievements is positively encouraged.

How are things looking for new year? Anyone new want to join us for a chat? Any lurkers want to delurk? All welcome from pre beginners to music college and beyond.

Phew luckily just a couple of bent keys! No damage to the body of it…All fixed easily by her orchestra teacher!! What a relief

Thanks @thirdfiddle. We're right at the start of things so I don't really know how she'll be to grade 1. The prep test books just arrived which caused DD lots of time excitement :)

Thats a huge relief @Alakazam8 . DS has a tendency to break his flute at the least convenient times - usually mid orchestra and its essentially witchcraft to me in terms of how it works! Glad to hear its an easy fix especially as it sounds like she could really do with a familiar clarinet at the moment!

Also - @Comefromaway I noticed on social media that 'future talent' opens for applications from 14th Feb - not sure if it would be suitable here but might be worth a look. There are different awards for different areas / ages too on their 'development programmes' but i'm not clear if these differ from the main one.

Thanks for the info. When I started fundraising I envisaged that I would be offering to fund lessons for a child, probably at their school via the music service, nominated by a teacher and I would never even know the name of the recipient.

But in this instance the school is unable to provide the extra lessons needed and we are in the situation of having to try and source things ourselves for them, with the constraint of travel issues for their family.

Sounds like they'd be a great candidate for MDS, @Comefromaway - where we are in london the main problem with it is of course that most eligible families are relatively high earners (it's all relative, but to be able to live here at all the average income level does tend to be higher) so actually they often offer it and then find people are over the earnings limit for Saturday school MDS funding. So I get the feeling it is often there for genuine need - while that may be less of a problem in other areas of the country I think it SHOULD be there for those who need it most. You're doing a brilliant thing in providing this I think - what a difference to make. Fingers crossed.

As he's possibly based near RNCM has he considered applying to Chetham's? Or even looking at Chet's summer school as I know they have bursaries for those. Chet's is MDS funded, purely means tested. They also have a few links & crossovers with RNCM. I think junior RNCM is also MDS.

I don't think boarding at somewhere like Chets would be appropriate at this stage.

Without being unkind he's not really at the necessary level for either place though it's clear that he has potential. Often first study pianists are Gd 8 or equivalent at a much younger age.

His music teacher at school thinks he would be ready to take Grade 8 by the end of the year with sufficient lessons.

Remember he only began lessons last September.

I’d definitely have a look at the summer school in that case. He sounds like a determined and talented character.

That sounds hugely impressive @Comefromaway - surely any junior department would be interested in that level of passion?

Do RNCM do pre audition meetings / help sessions. I know guildhall do these for their JD. There is a fee but they give advice as to level/ appropriateness. Maybe that is something that could be considered to get a steer and then if appropriate they can apply, if not they can look for alternative lessons from a private teacher?

Good idea northern. I think thing to do may be to get in touch and explain the situation and ask what they recommend, consultation/just audition/come back in a year or two if he continues on the same trajectory. As they are looking for potential not achievement though, I think he'd be looked at differently to a child who's been having a few years of consistent lessons and reached similar standard. Year 7 is still plenty of time to realise potential.

The music world are usually quite good at rallying round and sorting out the things needed for someone with talent where the family don't have the knowledge or resources to help. I say usually, as long as you don't hit an office compter-says-no.

Anyone done music medals? I teach a wee girl recorder and think it might be a nice and relatively cheap intro to an assessment. She's only young. Is it easy to do the assessor training and administer the tests?

Just to update, child mentioned above is now able to have weekly lessons at school which I will offer to pay for via my crowdfund.

That's amazing, well done!

Well done comefromaway, that sounds like a great step forwards for him.

Sorry can't help with the music medals horsey. I know it's often used for e.g. recorder group lessons where teacher doesn't have time to prepare children individually for an exam.

Once-frequent but long absent poster here - previously posted about ds (now final year conservatoire) but now looking for advice for myself….

Many physical music shops seem to have closed in the last few years. Can anyone recommend a good woodwind shop with a decent range of mid-range clarinets, roughly in the West Midlands area?

Lovely to see this thread continuing, I was an original poster back in the day!

My 3 DC are all at or finished uni now, but over the years have done piano, organ, sax, clarinet, variety of brass, violin and cello. I've had a Cathedral chorister, sent them to NYO inspire residential independently and to JD. So if I can help anyone please PM.

Currently one DC isn't playing but is hoping to go back once they are sorted job wise and settled. The oldest played all through uni , met his partner in the music society and they both still play in a brass band.

My youngest is at uni now, not studying music but spending vast amounts of time in the department. He also gets paid for various gigs, organ at local church, pit band, orchestra dep.

Hey raspberry! Lovely to see you and hear your young people are thriving. Music is for life not just for grade exams <3

Lovely to hear of kids keeping up their music in their own way, it's what I want for mine in the future, whatever path they take that music would bring them joy and comfort. ( That's why we need to start saving now for a bassoon for DD in five year's time when she leaves school!!)

Lovely to see someone with ‘graduated’ children. Dd2 thinking about packing for NYO Inspire tomorrow. Only slightly panicky as they emailed on Friday asking if she’d take first bassoon on the longest of the pieces they are working on- she’d worked on bassoon three and now someone has dropped out. There aren’t many in her section so it’ll be noticeable- she’s been away all weekend so hasn’t practised.

she’s found someone to go with her on the train though who she knows from
nco- and in fact friend’s mum is going too so that’s going to help with my panic! Hoping she’ll have fun. Her sister is revising for gcse Mocks and I’m mostly at hospital with my mum while trying to work so it’s good to have her out of the way.

@horseymum hope your daughter looking forward to it. I’m laughing quite a lot at this daily mash article

www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/arts-entertainment/my-bassoon-grade-5-has-served-me-well-in-life-muses-middle-class-man-20230210231560

hoping dd will actually use her bassoon when older- but it was in someone else’s loft for 30 years so this rings true!

Hope your dd gets on ok @minisnowballs I'm sure she'll be stellar as first bassoon!

Loved the article too - it did make me laugh. We had a concert this week. Just an informal one and a lot of more junior musicians. It was interesting. Regardless as to the accuracy of the playing even I (with my lack of musical ear!) could could tell the difference between the ones that really loved it and the ones who had gone "plays an instrument ✅". Or their parents had! 🤣

Exciting times on 'bassoon thread' 😆

Have just dropped DD at her holiday club which is a guitar holiday club. I was a bit concerned when i booked it that it might be quite young - got there and almost all of them looked to be either reception age or year 1 - so backed out quickly before DD noticed / complained! She's in year 5 so suspect she might not be thrilled. She is however desperate to learn the guitar so hopefully the group sessions on that will be entertaining enough for her.

DS has London Youth wind band all week - its his first time doing it so hoping thats better for him. He's the other end of this in that the LYWB is for 12-18 I think and he's still 11 (but very nearly 12) - He will be 12 by the summer course though which involves a residential so that's all good.