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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 23 Music chat

995 replies

horseymum · 31/08/2023 11:30

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.

OP posts:
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Comefromaway · 14/09/2023 14:33

You need to be around Grade 7 for NYMT so he's not far off on horn but is at the standard for piano.

They do remember you there though. My son auditioned on piano in 2021 and didn't get in which was probably right. He didn't do grades but we reckoned he was around Grade 6ish level back then. A year later he didn't audition, but they contacted us as they remembered him and they had a particular slot they needed to fill. And the rest as they say, was history.

herbaceous · 14/09/2023 14:45

Oh I hadn't thought piano! I thought you meant horn!

What a good idea. He can sightread just about anything, and every evening plays various classics by looking up the chord charts and lyrics online, and singing while playing. Last night it was Annie's Song and My Way!

Forgot another instrument - the church organ!

Comefromaway · 14/09/2023 14:52

Sight reading is a really useful skill when it comes to NYMT, especially for Concert or the new shows. But when you audition as a musician it's a video submission and you can submit a 2nd instrument too. They will allocate according to whatever players they need for that season's shows.

Comefromaway · 14/09/2023 14:56

Keep your eye out around January time for audition info.

Alsoplayspiccolo · 14/09/2023 17:08

At grade 6 horn, he could apply to NYO Inspire if he’s at state school, herbaceous. Otherwise, might be better to wait a year or two to try for NYO, as they ask for grade 8 standard but that’s definitely a minimum requirement.

He sounds like an incredible all-rounder!

herbaceous · 14/09/2023 21:39

He’s at a private school - on 50% music scholarship - or else NyO inspire would be brilliant!

he had a piano lesson today, and his teacher is talking about doing his diploma by Christmas! This seems ambitious!

Original poster
horseymum · 15/09/2023 07:32

@MelodiousThunk I realise noone has answered your question. I'm not familiar with the exam type you mean, but I imagine at grade 1 the requirements are fairly basic so I wouldn't worry too much if his teacher is happy.You could try looking for the marking criteria to see what they are expecting. Perhaps you could get him to try responding with a more limited range of notes so he can't use scales much and needs to think of repeated notes and rhythms for variety.

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minisnowballs · 15/09/2023 09:33

crikey @herbaceous - Dd's new teacher is definitely more going for 'pick everything apart before we move forward',post grade eight - but specialist school was always going to do that, right?

A week in to new life here. So far DD has not had a first study lesson as teacher has covid, so she's just teaching herself new pieces in her practices...She's joined a choir, had a voice lesson with a teacher she loves, is not that keen on her new flute teacher (who isn't the one she'd worked with before and who was expecting to have her) and has a terrifying timetable that her houseparent is trying to help sort. She's definitely having to learn to advocate for herself in a big way when it comes to where and how she spends her time musically.

She's also gashed her hand on some touristy cobblestones outside the woodwind department - she's such a londoner and clearly isn't used to anything other than urban pavement.

BUT she's made friends, loves the ensembles she has done, and is enjoying the academic lessons, which are apparently easy but engaging (this may well step up, but so far set one maths is not exactly stretching her, which is a bit of a surprise).

She is developing a posh accent when I speak to her on the phone. Sure she'll lose that as soon as she gets home.

She also seems to have been to tesco a lot and had absolutely no homework.

herbaceous · 15/09/2023 10:08

Remind me where she is MiniS? I have a brain like a sieve.

minisnowballs · 15/09/2023 10:24

I don't think I've ever written it down (I guess so it's not google able or whatever) - she's down in the South West at the specialist school there. Huge culture shock after south east london.

SweetforOrchestra · 15/09/2023 11:02

Ah @minisnowballs for some reason I had totally assumed she was going to Chets! Now the touristy cobbles make more sense 🤣

Alsoplayspiccolo · 15/09/2023 12:07

“Touristy cobbles”… = the oldest residential street in England. 🤣

Glad she’s mostly settled in well, minisnowballs. Hopefully, the issue with the flute teacher is just teething problems on both sides (both new to the school) and will settle as they get to know each other.
DS seems to visit Tesco quite often…and Waitrose!
Sadly, he’s not developed a posh accent. 🤣

Weve had scant communication with him since he went back but we were treated to a photo of a very fine looking omelette he’d made late last night!

Alsoplayspiccolo · 15/09/2023 12:08

Actually, the oldest purely residential street in Europe - I stand corrected. 😀

MelodiousThunk · 15/09/2023 12:53

horseymum · 15/09/2023 07:32

@MelodiousThunk I realise noone has answered your question. I'm not familiar with the exam type you mean, but I imagine at grade 1 the requirements are fairly basic so I wouldn't worry too much if his teacher is happy.You could try looking for the marking criteria to see what they are expecting. Perhaps you could get him to try responding with a more limited range of notes so he can't use scales much and needs to think of repeated notes and rhythms for variety.

Thanks for replying @horseymum I should have said its the ABRSM Jazz syllabus so very different from classical I think. For grade 1 they have to learn major, natural minor, Dorian, pentatonic and blues scales, and I think he has got it into his head that he has to go full Charlie Parker and use ALL the notes. I will encourage him to stick to pentatonics/blues scales to reduce the palette and make him focus more on phrasing and developing a musical idea. I think his teacher is just happy for him to hit the chord tones to open or close a phrase at the moment so I won't overthink it.

minisnowballs · 15/09/2023 13:12

@Alsoplayspiccolo ha- I lived on a much photographed cobbled street when I was at uni- murder in heels after a college ball but I never fell over them sober (I’m assuming dd is sober!).

I don’t think she’s reached the dizzy heights of waitrose- or cooking omelette - was amused she’d gone out to buy Brazil nuts of all things. Nut free school understandable (and she ate them on the way home rather than bring them in) but she’s clearly missing them.

herbaceous · 15/09/2023 14:22

I know just the place! DS sang in the cathedral there last summer, and stayed in the school boarding house on that famous street!

Thelonius - I barely understand what you're talking about (classical dullard here) but imagine for grade 1 the requirements are pretty simple and don't need overthinking.

QueenMabby · 15/09/2023 21:21

@minisnowballs - glad she's settling in to the school and I hope the flute teacher niggles get ironed out soon.

We had school prize giving today. Dd was up for an academic prize but also got a surprise prize for most outstanding female chorister (in the junior section anyway)! Huge cup and a book token. She was thrilled.

minisnowballs · 16/09/2023 07:11

@QueenMabby huge congrats to your dd- that sounds well deserved but also very pleasing!

@SweetforOrchestra she did like chets- I think for us non-musical parents it would have felt like the scarier choice (though surely it has some cobbles somewhere too?) - similar distance for us. It felt like a great choice for sixth form…

QueenMabby · 16/09/2023 08:57

@minisnowballs - dd did a piano residential at Chets a couple of summers ago. It was our first (and only!) experience of a boarding school. The practice areas and performance spaces were fab but gosh we thought the boarding houses were depressing! Food was good though!

minisnowballs · 16/09/2023 11:50

@QueenMabby dd’s boarding house is rather nice…not plush by any means but very homely.

she’s been to a few for courses- Queen Margaret’s school in york gets her vote for nicest boarding houses.

chickentikkasalad · 16/09/2023 16:52

Just got the message from piano teacher DS had distinction initial grade! He was very pleased but still a bit disappointed with score of 133 Grin. I'm trying to tell him a distinction is a distinction and he should be proud Smile. Interested to see the breakdown score though.

herbaceous · 16/09/2023 19:13

A distinction certainly is a distinction! And it's not as if he scraped it! Well done him!

georgedawes · 16/09/2023 20:50

A distinction is brilliant! Well done!

QueenMabby · 16/09/2023 21:00

@chickentikkasalad - a distinction is brilliant and the mark within that is not important really. Your ds has done really well.

chickentikkasalad · 16/09/2023 21:00

Thank you for the encouraging words - I'll let him know the collective thoughts of the mums Grin