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.

@Comefromaway DD2 went to a very useful talk on doubling from one of the experts at Birmingham the other day. She has come to the conclusion she needs more instruments, not fewer. So she plays flute and bassoon now but knows she also wants to learn sax and clarinet (she already plays piccolo and contra to an extent).

I suspect she is not in the 'virtuoso soloist' camp. She just wants a viable career!

However, as one of the head of depts at her school pointed out to me, she has to audition at conservatoire on one instrument, so she won't be picked for her flexibility. Guess it's always a balancing act. It does seem a bit harsh on her at Year 10 though - especially with only a term at music school behind her - to have to make any decisions now.

At the Royal Welsh conservatoire you can do a multi instrument pathway.

My child does two instruments to decent level, she briefly dabbled with flute and knows she'll probably have to do a bit through college if she wants to be able to teach in schools but she'll leave it to later as no time just now.
We're trying to decide what to do for 6th year- school insists on a full timetable but this won't leave enough time for practice. She might leave and do a subject online, or see if they will accept Flexi schooling. ( In Scotland so she's sitting highers soon).

My duaghter isn't in the same league as most here but is hoping to take her grade 8 on flute in the summer (Yr 10) but not sure if she's quite "there" yet.

The issue we have is that the local youth orchestra take many instruments around grade 6 but you have to be grade 8 to audition for flute! She doesn't feel she is exceeding at flute to the extent some people she knows post grade 8 but is hoping she can get a place as some friends are there already.

She's started oboe as she loves the sound and in 2 terms has come on a really long way. She's aware they're competing for mouth shape (!? I know I've got that wrong) but she truly loves both instruments. The school wind orchestra is already asking her to play oboe even though she's not at such a high standard as there aren't as many as flute.

If we had money for instruments and lessons she'd love to do more....

I read your first couple of sentences and immediately thought - switch to oboe! My DD has friends who play flute and are objectively better than her but there are so many more flautists so it's harder for them.

@CupOfCoffeePlease have people said you can't do oboe and flute - or is it the cost of keeping up lessons on two at once (which is painful, I know)?Sounds like she's doing really well on oboe. Flute is always such a hard one for spaces.

I played oboe briefly in high school. It's a lovely instrument.

We're sticking with both for now as she desperately wants to pass her grade 8 /get into the local orchestra and she also wants to do oboe because she loves it! I think there is some conflict in how they're played but not at her level..

I was thinking after grade 8 we'd probably keep her lessons to go through her orchestra pieces (if she gets in) as much as anything else while she builds confidence.

Im dont think she practices either instrument as much as people think she does though!

She would love to try clarinet and saxophone but we're not going there!

Cost wise it's currently a bit of a struggle but it makes her so happy!

@CupOfCoffeePlease that's brilliant - she sounds so keen. Yes, getting the grade 8 out of the way seems a good idea. Suspect all will become much clearer as time goes on as to what to concentrate on. Good luck to her - I love the oboe. My total favourite to listen to, but from what I understand very hard so she must be talented to have picked it up so quickly.

Good afternoon. I am new here. My son is hoping to gain a place at Chetham's. Audition is in March. He loves music. Any Chet's mums here? Thank you.

PM if you like. I;m an Ex Chets parent. Or ask on here and I'll try to answer any questions.

Not Chets @questions88, but if you'd like any help on the funding etc I have one at specialist school so I've negotiated the funding and auditions stuff recently.

The people at Chets were super kind to our DD- and her confused mum. I really liked it, but she had her heart set elsewhere. Good luck - if you think I can be helpful do ask.

@minisnowballs we are looking at Chets too. Advice Audition went brilliantly and dc is very keen to go. We are self employed and our income has taken a kicking over the last 3 or 4 years though, so the financial side has me worried. DC is also worried about the actual audition, so if anyone knows what to expect that would be brilliant! Thank you.

Doesn't Chethams have a kind of sliding scale of fees/bursaries? So those who can afford it pay full whack, and those who can't pay less...

Latest dilemma - DS had to choose a song to sing for the school's 'night of musical theatre'. Lots of deliberation between various Les Mis songs, Send in the Clowns, etc, but went with Maria in the end, from WSS. Performing it next week. Clashes with a committee meeting I should go to. Hmm....

@mustardrarebit DC1 had a chets audition about 5 years ago now so may be a little out of date. From memory they had 4 separate tasks - aural tests (where they ask if you have perfect pitch and test accordingly which was a bit of a shock to DC who is used to cruising that element), a theory paper, the actual audition and an interview with a house parent. Whilst they were busy with that I was interviewed by the Head for about 30 minutes.

The audition is pretty much as the other poster (sorry, can’t see on my phone) described.
fees are under the MDS scheme so are on a sliding scale. It’s designed to be accessible based on income, the rough fee levels are available online.

@londonmummy1966 they interviewed the parents?! thank heavens we didn't go for that one then. DD2 just got asked at her music school whether her parents were musical. When she laughed and shook her head the deputy head tilted his head to one side and said 'but they understand, right?'.... She was apparently very non-committal about that.

@mustardrarebit As a self-employed parent with MDS, it moves up and down depending on how much you earn in the preceding year and if your income changes drastically you can ask for a 'continuing year assessment'. However, it's byzantine and some of the things they class as relevant income are weird (pension contributions and bank interest inside an ISA for example).

They also think that any other children you have only cost you £2,000 or so a year.

DD1 is very pissed off about this - calls it the 'muggle child payment'... she costs us plenty more than that despite not being at music hogwarts!

For us its painful but doable - but I guess that's exactly what they want it to be.

@minisnowballs - yes there were four auditionees that afternoon and he had a session with each of the parents. It was quite informal though. Having said that we had a joint interview with Mr T when DC auditioned for music Hogwarts too.

Yes, I was a bit worried about what would be classed as deductible (if that's the right term). We are just between brackets and could afford one but the higher would price us out.

Thanks, that sounds like the advice audition, apart from the theory and parental interview. I'll be delegating that job to dh. I don't think my y3 experience in recorder club is relevant here! Do they ask for scales?

Thank you. I'm hoping we scrape through at the lower bracket.

The parents interview was really informal and our chance to ask questions. Nothing to worry about. Both the heads (they have two) are lovely and really approachable.

Thanks for your reply. £2k seems a bit low... I wish they were that cheap! My DC2 is also a gifted musician, but she doesn't like to perform or for anyone to know. Perhaps if I suggested musical Hogwarts she might change her mind! I'm glad it moves up and down though, with the muggle child payment we might be ok.

DH is definitely doing the parent stuff. I am a proper muggle.

That's reassuring. I didn't fancy a musical interrogation!

Thankfully we didn't have a parent interview for JD. I guess it's less important when they are just there on a Saturday. DD would probably have been rejected because of me as I often ask questions and have been known to make complaints. Although I do write complimentary emails too. Our JD definitely doesn't want the parents involved, except for paying!
Good luck making these decisions.