NYMT/BYMT 2024!

[Biscuitsneeded]

Seeing as NYMT have announced their shows, it feels like a good time to start a thread for anyone with DC planning on auditioning for 2024 for either NYMT or BYMT - as performers or musicians, or as assistant creatives. Please come and say hi and tell us a bit about your DC. There are lots of experienced parents of DC who have been part of both organisations, and these threads are always genuinely supportive and helpful.
I'll invite some previous thread participants below - please come and say hi!

@Mumster40, Ds is year 13 and has a place at Conservatoire for September. Very much like @doesanybodyhaveamap he and we decided that traditional unis wouldn't be right for him as most don't do a BMus in music performance. He auditioned for 4 and got an offer from 1, thankfully the best place for him. Hes autistic so it was more important to us that he got an offer for the right place for him. Had he not got an offer he would have taken a year out and re applied. It is very tough and ds really struggled with rejections initially but as time goes on we are more and more sure that where he's going is absolutely the right place for him and we know he will be so happy there. It really depends on just how passionate your dc is about MT. My niece for example is in her first year of specialist musical theatre/dance college and loving it. It's from 16-18. She really stressed about whether to do A levels (quite academic) and then go on to MT college but she desperately wanted to try. She will start auditioning soon for conservatoire/MT courses. I do believe it's important to allow kids to do what they're passionate about. But, they do need to be realistic and have a back up plan.

Sorry that was a long post!!

@doesanybodyhaveamap and all other muso parents, fingers firmly crossed for Saturday! I hope they all get a place.

@Mumster40 You are, of course, correct that it's a brutal industry, rejection is normal, and it's actually helpful for them to experience it a bit in their childhood/teens so that they learn to pick themselves back up and try again if performing is really what they want. DS can name loads of friends he grew up performing with, who he thinks are phenomenally talented, but they let a couple of rejections/covid/lockdown knock their confidence and they are now training to become doctors or lawyers or historians or scientists. Quite honestly many of them were more talented than him, but possibly they were less resilient and less determined. And had other things they were keen on doing. DS only ever wanted to act and has always known that rejection is the most likely outcome at a professional level. We will see if he's as chipper about it all in a few years once he's out of drama school and experiencing the usual trajectory of infrequent or non-existent work, but I think if the DC can cope with disappointment at this age and still want to come back and audition again, then they are at least made of the right stuff to put themselves through the drama school audition process. In answer to your question, DS was adamant he was only applying for drama school and not university, and we supported him in that because, well, you have to try! I think an Acting degree will give him skills and contacts as well as training, and if he doesn't end up being an actor I suspect he will still want to work in theatre somehow, so a chemistry degree was just never going to be an option. And actually, although the drama school auditions aren't all as friendly and jolly, kind and inclusive as an NYMT audition, I think the NYMT experience prepares them very well for drama school auditions later. It was daunting, and there was an excruciating amount of 'waiting for news' (again, this NYMT/BYMT process is good practice!), but as DS went into every application knowing the odds of a place at the end of it were pretty tiny, the rejections weren't as painful as all that. Does your DC want MT or Acting?

@disorganisedmummy @Biscuitsneeded Thanks for the excellent advice. We are still a long way off drama school so who knows what will happen by then! At the moment they are very keen on MT but dance isn't strong as they've never taken classes. Glad to hear your DC are doing so well! Good luck to all the musicians this weekend.

Also @doesanybodyhaveamap and@yodaforpresident ! Much appreciated advice thank you x

Good luck to all the musicians waiting! And to the BYMT crew who are on a reserve list too, crossing fingers for all.

On the college/uni front for us it was eventually decided our kid wasn't as suited to A levels as they might be to other routes. So will be doing an extended diploma which is worth 3 A levels. Should things change, a good mark in that (as could be reasonably anticipated) would get them into most universities - I mean, not Oxbridge and not medicine but those things were never in consideration! So in our opinion, we already have that "something to fall back on" people bang on about. Mine absolutely cannot wait to get started - and has 18 days left of school before study leave 😆

The advice we were given was to try and do a degree rather than a diploma, allowing for various things in the future (such as teaching). We were also given info we didn't know then on funding which is doubtless going to be useful in a couple of years!

We anticipate the uni auditions as being one with lots of research to do, lots of location specific prep, and lots of waiting and rejection. But hopefully, one with the right outcome in the end! It's one of the advantages we see from a specialist college for the next two years, as they know what they're doing and can aid the prep side. Finding time to do things like adding to repertoire while also at full time academic school is almost impossible here - what needs to be done is done but the nice to haves, rarely happen between homework, training, rehearsals and so on. When they are part of the everyday, it's different.

@Mumster40 it's never too late to start dance. My dd started dance lesson 2 years ago, she had never taken 1 single lesson before. She was lucky and was offered a scholarship by the dance school so she was able to take every single class available.

She has been applying and auditioning for sixth form this year and has been offered places on Musical Theatre and also Dance at Artsed (we didn't even apply for dance). Unfortunately she can't attend due to costs. If your DD is determined on studying MT its def worth considering some dance lessons. Also just remember they are looking for someone with potential who they can train not the perfect performer otherwise they don't need to be there.

@Cherylf123 what a fantastic post. Sounds like your daughter has blown the audition panels away! She must be very talented. I hope you find an affordable sixth form for her. Have you looked at EDA? Totally agree, never too late to start dance lessons, and necessary for most MT courses I would think - not necessarily in order to be the best in the room,but in order to cope with the audition routine and then wow them with singing and acting if dance isn't your DC's main focus. I think boys can sometimes get away with never having danced if they show potential, but girls would be wise to get a couple of years of dance lessons under their belt if at all possible.

AAAAAGGHHHH! So excited! One happy muso got Into the Woods!!!

Well done to them.

Congratulations to @doesanybodyhaveamap 's muso! Great news. Any more musos have news?

Congratulations to your DC @doesanybodyhaveamap !

Morning all!! I have an ecstatic ds who is viola 1 for Into the Woods!!

Congratulations musicians!

Congratulations everyone! Can’t wait to come and watch x

Congratulations musicians!!! All coming together!

can I be cheeky and take advantage of all of your knowledge and experience please? We’re looking for a company, class for a Saturday for DD for after NYMT. What are people’s experiences with ‘stage school’ or Pauline Quirk please? And any others to look at please

Congratulations to all the musicians and thank you to everyone for answering my questions. We had the NYMT pastoral zoom for parents earlier this week and it was so helpful. They are going to have an amazing time.

Congratulations to all the musicians. Fantastic news!

@LibbyRuncie no direct experience of PQA but it's important to recognise that this is a franchise, like stagecoach, and standards do vary! The best thing to do is take advantage of trial sessions with the classes you are considering, and see where your child is happy but also being stretched. Try and catch an end of term performance or show to give you an idea of the overall standard.

I've heard good things about West End Kids and also Stagebox programmes. But we've never participated.

My own DC's have done really well with a small independent theatre school which has given them access and opportunities in professional productions/projects. Plus NYMT of course! Best training of all...

Sorry one more thing @LibbyRuncie ! DC is very lucky to be in an independent school with a very strong performing arts offering. Appreciate that this is not something everyone can access- mine is only there because I they have a government scholarship as a musician which makes it just about affordable. They are a joint scholar (music and drama) but the drama alone wouldn't have made this affordable for us. Super grateful for the MDS funding!

@Mumster40 that's lovely you and your DC want to watch. We're not closing the biscuit tin in here just yet - still hoping for good news for your and @wonderfullife123 's DC from BYMT.

@LibbyRuncie I would echo what has been said above. Our local Stagecoach is AMAZING, but they vary depending on the skill and enthusiasm of the franchisee. Ditto PQA. I'm not saying don't do it, but get a trial first and see what DD/you think. We were lucky; our local Stagecoach set my DS on his course and taught him so much, has lots of older and talented kids who want to train post 18, but not all branches areas good as that.

Alternatively, I think your DD auditioned in Birmingham (sorry if I'm wrong)... Have you considered SOTE weekend school https://schooloftheatreexcellence.co.uk/sote-birmingham/

or BOA? I think NYMT's new chief exec has connections to BOA so you could even ask him! He seems very nice and approachable!

OR if Birmingham is too far to go every weekend, I would honestly just find local dance school for that side of things and then look at amateur opportunities locally. Is there a local youth theatre? Or do local amateur drama groups put on shows that sometimes need younger participants? Don't dismiss amateur shows - these days the standard is often v high and they seem to be stuffed with trained actors who decided not to do it for a living but deliver high quality performances. Kids learn so much from being in shows, whatever the level.

Congratulations to your DS!

@Biscuitsneeded yes we did audition at Birmingham! DD is soo excited about NYMT! ll def take a look at the weekends in b’ham!

i am dubious and PQ to be fair! Just not very much around us at all!

@LibbyRuncie Your local PQA might be great. All I am saying is check it out before committing a term's fees!

@Biscuitsneeded definitely! I think it’s going to be try both stagecoach and PQ and see which one suits best!