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 northern - yes DD has done two years of Projects.

I can give limited information about the online provision as DD didn't engage hugely with it, she was really in it for the in person stuff. There was certainly an online sectional before each of the two weekends for their orchestra/instrument. Those were on Sundays so hopefully better for not missing stuff.

There were a lot of other resources like webinars and things, and musical challenges. But I'm hoping someone else can give you better info, as I say DD didn't engage that much and I may also be confusing things with NCO Online in 2021.

On the weekends yes they have a 'sharing' at the end of the weekend where they play the pieces they've learned. They've had some amazing soloists along (Sheku Kanneh-Mason played at one of DD's and was just lovely with the kids). More or less a different set of repertoire for each weekend, with one or two overlap where they didn't have time on the first weekend and wanted to give it another go.

Congratulations on the NCO successes. My son did main orchestra a few years ago. He’s still in touch with some of his orchestra mates and at least one is at conservatoire with him, it’s such a great thing to do.

Congratulations on all the NCO audition success and commiserations if it wasn't to be this year. Glad your wait is over.
We had a lovely afternoon at the Welsh college of music and drama. It seems a really friendly and welcoming place, loads of ensemble opportunities and good facilities. It seemed like part scholarships might be available, and lower cost of living there might make it attractive too. It is such a long way though, DD will need to think about that aspect.

@horseymum i hear really lovely things about the place- but having just done a very long trip to pick up dd2 yesterday definitely think about the distance! Though I’m sure she’ll get to be a whizz at public transport.

congrats to all for nco and nyo(saw some familiar faces on their orchestra list published this week)- and for those for whom it wasn’t to be this time, commiserations- but when one door closes another definitely opens we are finding- well done to them all for trying!

Just to add to the commiserations, DS auditioned twice for NCO and didn't get anywhere - not even what used to be associates.
He was hugely disappointed at the time and we thought he'd missed the boat because of starting the cello relatively late (he was nearly 9) and would always be out of the running for things like NYO.
Fast forward a few years and he's caught up and is flying - not getting in definitely didn't impact anything.

Just want to add congratulations to all the audition successes and wish you better luck next time if it didn't work out this time!
It was exciting to read all the news! Love this thread!

Def agree alsoplayspiccolo. There are lots of different paths, and lots of different opportunities. Even conservatoire isn't the only way in - some great musicians around who did academic degrees first and performing after.

Thanks chickentikka. & Did you get your DS's audition recorded in the end?

Thanks @thirdfiddle , I did record it in the end and sent it. It wasn't easy and not the best one. But it was the best I could manage without causing too much stress!

Hope they are quicker with a response than NCO! Sure it'll be fine.

Let's see - the deadline is 31st Oct so I will be any time after that I guess

We have a recorded audition to do for NYOS this week too, hopefully not too stressful!

Good luck horseymum

We are currently away that's why we wanted to record and send everything beforehand, so we can relax while on holiday.
Feels funny it's the first time DS hasn't got his violin with him on holiday. It's quite liberating though I think he enjoys a little time off, especially after quite a stressful week of recording!

Think we've decided to turn down DS's projects place in NCO. I just can't reconcile the cost with the offering especially as it would mean missing 2 full weeks of Sat school (so 2 1:1 flute lessons, 2 1:1 piano lessons, wind band, flute ensemble plus other groups). I'm sure the group sessions would be lovely but with flute there is always a danger that the tutor is 'woodwind' rather than flute specifically. If he didn't do the sat school and the really good holiday orchestra I'd snap it up, but I'm struggling with what he will get from it that he doesn't from other offerings. Also the missing the flute lessons feels counter intuitive.

The only fly in the ointment was that I asked his flute teacher who said - it's only worth it if he gets something out of it he wouldn't elsewhere, which made it easy to think we would turn it down, but then I asked his head of dept who said he should do it 😬

It's so tricky balancing these things isn't it. DD will miss a couple of Saturdays at JD for NYO but we feel on balance it's worth it for the experience and the wider connections but in previous years we never missed a Saturday for anything really because it cost so much and you can't make up lessons when you cancel. ( someone else just gets an extra free one!)
There's always another opportunity for something else, even if it's a bit different.

Yes @horseymum that's exactly it. I think for NYO it seems clearer that it's worth missing Sat school, as a great opportunity and the residentials are something different with an opportunity to make friends with other young musicians.

However, for NCO projects I'm not convinced DS would make new friends as it's only 2 weekends and not residential- so that doesn't lend itself to getting to know other players (experience is that at breaks they all just go on phones) so it would all be whether the orchestral experience was better than others he does and again it's hard to tell.

That's so hard to tell northern! From our perspective, the Projects orchestral experience was joyful, but not in a challenging repertoire or super high standard sort of way. They do short, fun pieces, lots of them. It was easy music that DD could sightread and concentrate on performing style and having a fun day. It's not perfection, there is a fair amount of tutor/volunteer stiffening in some sections, but it is a huge roomful of little people playing music together and having a ball. There might even be recordings of some of them on their social media if you search back to give you an idea what they do and what they don't.
For DD it worked really well socially, particularly in her second year when she was starting to remember people from the previous year and from other courses. Local youth orchestra is a higher playing standard (mostly, it has more gaps too), significantly harder repertoire, but DD finds it difficult socially being small and shy. I have a feeling they Projects may have forbidden phones during the day so they had to talk to each other- will check with DD...

It is tough- but given he's also 12 (year 8) he's getting towards the top of the age group.

Think he might be better doing inspire at some point given state schooling (which won't effectively cost £550 for 2 weekends). I don't think he will ever get NYO main given he's a 'hobby flautist'

Would definitely consider it more for DD though (although she'd have to get in first 😂- maybe next year...)

That makes sense yes, NYO inspire will be a much higher standard and likely more his age group too.

I'm after a little advice, would getting lessons through a music centre linked to a council's music hub be better than using a private teacher? Just in terms of opportunities, teaching quality etc?

I've hit a dead end with our school/county's services, but there's a music centre in our neighbouring county that is quite close and offers lessons. I'm wondering if it's worth looking into, both for a second instrument and possibly to switch piano teacher (I've not yet had the courage to tell the current one how I'm feeling about the lack of progress!).

We have only used private teachers so I can't comment on the alternative ( until one started at JD that is). I found that two out of three private teachers were professional working musicians in orchestras and often needed to be flexible but this suits us as so do we sometimes. The communication is much better than I hear my friends using school lessons- two came to house, one is in same street so went there. Two out of three are way better than teachers in school, one probably similar. Not having lessons in school meant we had to seek out some of the opportunities like regional orchestra etc but once we were on their radar it was fine.
I'm also looking to switch a piano teacher and it's a bit awkward as don't want to tell them. Am hoping circumstances changing might bring it to a natural close then we can change teachers. I think DD needs a bit more of a nudge to progress. She's been wallowing around in grade 5 for over a year!

Where we are, no, music centre teaching isn't particularly better or helpful for opportunities. It's often the same people at different times of the day/week as private teachers. I prefer using private teachers as then I have control of who we get rather than just getting allocated someone.
Our music centre you can apply separately for their ensembles, and then you're in their system for any other opportunities than may come up (they sometimes do theory classes for example or solo performance opportunities). They've been brilliant for both kids & neither have ever had lessons there.

My son's private piano teacher worked for/ran our local music centre. As above the music centre services were available to any young person who lived or went to school in the correct area, regardless of where they had lessons.

Thanks all, looking at the website they do have a beginner orchestra and some other groups that are separate to the lessons - but from what comefromaway said I'm a bit concerned they won't let us join anyway seeing as we're just over the county border. Our county's service doesn't have much and everything they do have is located miles and miles away from us, whereas this other one is only about 4 miles! It's so frustrating.

It's worth asking I think teapotkitten - don't think ours mind where you live to be a member, but you wouldn't be eligible for some bursary funds.