Autumn 23 Music chat

[horseymum]

It's autumn term already! I'm sure there's lots of music going to happen this term. Welcome to anyone who wants to chat about your child's music activities, whether current or things you hope to do. It's a friendly group with experience at many different levels.( I've learned so much) No question is a daft one and don't be put off by chat about higher levels, all our children couldn't play a note once.
Come and ask about starting music lessons, which instrument to choose, exams, music festivals, specialist schools, orchestras and ensembles. We love talking music.
We also love to share music exam successes or struggles etc ( you can't always shout about these on FB!).
Feel free to do a wee intro if you want, although it's still public so only share what you want to.

Hi @MeeMinnie - can see you've already had some advice re your son, but thought it might be useful to confirm a couple of points.

1. I have assumed that you will be arriving in the U.K. in the summer ready to start school when your DS is going into year 12? If so you could look at the junior departments of the london conservatoires. They start audition applications in the autumn term for entry the following September so the timing could work out. Worth looking at RAM, RCM and Junior Guildhall. They have info on their programmes on the website.

1. Junior Guildhall offer pre audition advice sessions. Given you aren't sure re levels then that might be a good first step. If he's at the right standard for junior guildhall then can probably assume could also audition for the other 2 as well.

1. You could also look at Trinity ( but Richmond to Greenwich isn't great as a travel option) or CYM if the ones above aren't a good fit re level.

1. Other options are to find a good teacher locally (I don't have any links I'm afraid but perhaps there is a local online forum or similar you could ask in? Then he could join holiday orchestras as well (search this thread as there has been quite a bit of discussion on here)

1. Final point is that if he's keen to do music at post grad would a specialist music school be an option from 16-18. Purcell in N london might be the most logistically practical.

Does anybody know whether you need to play all the scales, arpeggios and pieces in one take for video audition for NYSO? I'm about to record DS this week but am anxious we may not be able to do all that in one go! Can I edit the video to link several together, or upload several video clips for the audition? Many thanks - this is all quite new to us!

Don't know what the instructions say, but with little ones I'd feel very free to take time between items and say the instructions back to him as much as helpful e.g. 'can you play your G major scale now DS', but probably yes in one take unless it specifically says not. Surely they're not asking for that much from the youngest ones? He'll stroll it.

@chickentikkasalad I would try emailing their admin team. I emailed them with a question and they were most helpful.

Good luck with the audition.

Thank you @thirdfiddle, that sounds sensible. I might email them tomorrow with the specific question, as @Violasrule suggested.
I'm not sure about strolling it - the piece the teacher chose is very long, he still can't play through it without stopping a couple of times.l in the middle. The teacher's view is to show them what his potential could be. She's not keen on perfecting it for the audition. She doesn't want to take the fun out of it by making him play like a more mature student. She says just record it whatever way he's playing and see whether they one it... I kind of agree with her and it's taken some of my pre audition/exam anxiety out so that's a good thing

Sounds a bit overkill from the teacher in terms of difficulty. At that age they're looking for him playing something in tune, in time, with a decent sound, with a bit of musicality, and looking like he's enjoying himself. It doesn't need to be long or complicated. But equally as long as it's not so hard as to disrupt him basically making a good sound then a few mistakes or stops won't harm his chances either.

I do agree with the teacher about don't treat it with too much respect, he's not auditioning for the NYO yet. They're just looking for some kids who will enjoy the course. (Which your DS totally is.)

@thirdfiddle thanks for the comment. To be fair the teacher just basically just chose a piece they were working on. She didn't want him to perfect a piece for the audition so it'll just be a snapshot what he's learning. He always likes a challenge so she's constantly giving him a piece just slight on the harder side but he's still able and still loving it!

Ah i see, that makes more sense. Yes we mostly just recorded whatever favourite pieces of the moment were. I guess at some point we'll have to get more serious about auditions if DD wants to get into higher level ensembles.

DS plays one of those shortage instruments and has never actually auditioned for anything, even the local YO he plays in which is supposed to be auditioning. Possibly a wise move on their part if they wanted the seat filled, he's v laid back and was quite happy in the intermediate band.

Yes I guess as they progress if they want to get into more advanced orchestras the audition will be more serious :). More nail biting time ahead!

How wonderful that your DS gets in opportunities more easily. He must be very good for them to want him so badly, even if it's a rare instrument - of course the wise choice of instruments on him helps as well. Well done!

DD2 had her first special oboe and bassoon day yesterday, at which there were an improbable 77 children, apparently... !

Oh wow! Mine have never been to a double reed day but would love to. I've been to double bass days and they are fab, everyone just 'gets' why you enjoy the instrument.

@horseymum she had been sent home sick on thursday but was desperate to get back for it - I'm so impressed that she managed a tube, train and then local bus journey on Saturday to ensure she was there. Would have loved to have seen it myself - trying to persuade her to do the RAM one which is in half term so I can see this time!

Wow @minisnowballs that's impressive- she's so determined! Hope you get to see her performing soon!

Emailed the admin last night and got a reply this morning - one take not necessary and multiple recordings/links are fine. Very impressive quick response!
Thank you for the advice/suggestions @thirdfiddle and @Violasrule. This thread is amazing!

Can I make a recommendation? RNCM offer free "young horns/bassoons" etc days. If you look on their website you should find the info. It's about once a term and it's 3-4 hours masterclass format with RNCM tutors and some students helping out. While I'm recommending things- this weekend RNCM also have a concert aimed at children, it's called young explorers and the program looks great. Obviously only useful to Northerners.

Its DD's class assembly this week - and its where they do that lovely thing of letting them perform their instruments whilst all the other classes come into the hall which is great, but they have this slightly strange system whereby you're not allowed to play very much of a piece, but then generally end up playing it multiple times. Last time DD played the same page 3 times - even i was bored by the third time!

She's done her run through with the music teacher at lunchtime today and is apparently allowed to play 2 pages (which is unheard of and amazing) but bafflingly can play the first page in the section before the assembly and the second one as they leave. It will be a bit odd as she's playing 'Caballos Espanoles' by Uwe Korn - and its the contrast between the crazy horses running vs the tango that makes the piece work and this way they're separate, but on the basis its the most she's ever been allowed to play, chalking it up to a win! Still wish they'd just let her play the whole thing but only once and be done! The 'whole thing' she took in was only half the actual piece in any event. Its her last one ever at junior school though - so will be the end of an era for class assemblies!

That is so odd

It is just utterly bizarre - but am also trying to view it as 'charming' rather than anything else.

It will be pretty cute though - there are some doing duets and trios on different instruments so its a really nice thing to do.

I think that's excellent! Well done to her - do parents get to go and see?

Yes- that's what is nice about it- we get to go in and the whole class takes part in the assembly to present on what they've learnt.

When DS was in year 6 we forgot that the music bit is before the assembly though and walked towards the hall to the sound of him playing hedwigs theme on the flute. That time I was actually relieved they got multiple goes. Perhaps it's entirely aimed at late parents 😳

Great info, thank you @northerngoldilocks.
He is going to be year 11 after next summer. The pre audition advice at Junior Guildhall sounds useful, even if he decides not going.
I should ask him what he meant by studying cello at university😆
We had a look at the Purcell website - seems brilliant school! Unfortunately it isn't an option for us, even he got scholarship...

@Siriusmuggle thanks for the reminder of the young bassoons. I'm on their mailing list and would definitely have gone to one at least if DD hadn't got the inspire day coming up and hopefully another inspire event in February.

DD played in her assembly this morning - she only got to play once (which is fine) but also slightly shorter than i thought which was odd as they'd had a run through to agree on how much to play. When we spoke to her after she was a bit upset - turns out she'd manage to misplace her music so basically had to play from memory. It was all fine though and pretty sure no one else noticed at all! Last class assembly for her at primary school - feels a bit like the end of an era!

@northerngoldilocks - well done your dd for carrying on even with the stress of no music. What a trooper - that takes confidence.

My dd played in her school concert last night. The cello piece well well and the double stopping sounded great. Her teacher is still adamant about keeping her on her 3/4 sized instrument though which dd is a bit disappointed about!

Keyboard concert next month - dd has a Mozart piece for piano that she's playing so that'll be the next focus. That and next week's school musical. She currently has a cough which we're hoping clears up in time!

@northerngoldilocks I am so impressed with that - most children would have panicked and not done it for sure!

Well done mini @QueenMabby too. Sounds like she's very busy! Re cello sizes, my dd was still on her 3/4 when she left for music school- and our Ukrainian ward, who is 16 and has just started using it for lessons, has been told that she is sticking with that size for now too, so she's not alone!

Here I am feeling increasingly distanced from whatever DD2 is doing....hoping she's just managing to handle it all herself without us. It's a good discipline in trusting her to get on with it, but I cannot get used to trusting a school not to cock things up on music, because of what I was used to before! Sure it will all work out. She tells me nothing much...but apparently is preparing for a flute ARSM and grade 6 singing (moved to Trinity, but also down a grade - seems to be much more exacting for some reason).

DD1 is preparing for a grade 6 viola - despite the four a-levels she's just about squeezing in some practice.

Thanks both - she's a bit disappointed as feels it wasn't as good but have pointed out that no one other than me would have noticed it was any different (including her non musical muggle father!) - it sounded pretty good anyway.

Re instrument sizing, the other thing that has happened is she's gone up to a full size violin- seems that violins can be moved up more quickly than cellos by the sound of it. She loves the full size one , mainly cos its a massive improvement on the dodgy 3/4 one she was playing re the sound and also its much louder!! . Her arms are long enough for it , but given she's got v long limbs but is still quite small otherwise she does look a bit like she's playing a viola! I wasn't sure re timing because she is doing her grade 5 exam in December so thought she might stay on the 3/4 until then but her teacher has listened to her play and thinks that its fine. It does mean that i need to go and get it valued so I can insure it for when she takes it to school and buy her a new lightweight case as the one i had is too heavy for her really. Think we'll head to stringers to see if there is a chin rest she likes better too.