Autumn / Winter 24 - music thread

[northerngoldilocks]

Feels like time for a new thread for the new school year!

Come and talk about music lessons, choosing instruments, exams, auditions, specialist schools, orchestras or whatever other music activities are going on. Everyone is welcome, from those with total beginners to those whose children are studying music at advanced levels. Ask for advice or share successes or struggles.

Hey all, I've been lurking for a bit. DS has received a Cambridge offer and is now thinking of a Choral Award. Luckily for him it's not a huge-prestigious-famous choral college, he wouldn't want all that commitment. The webpage doesn't suggest how to proceed as he's got a deferred-entry for a year, so I'll encourage him to email the music director.

Congratulations to your DS @PhotoDad - brilliant achievement.

What does he have planned for his gap year?

He has a coaching licence for various watersports and is planning on spending a few months in Australia and a few months in the Med as an instructor. We'll see...

@PhotoDad - many congratulations to your DS. Most Cambridge colleges allocate scholarships via the March choral competition - assuming he is holding an offer from one of those colleges he'd normally be applying in next years competition (he can submit by recording instead of attending if he is in Aus at the time. This page has the contact details for the scheme administrator if the MD at his college can't help. https://www.cmp.cam.ac.uk/choral-awards/

Well done to your DS! What a lad.

My DS is contemplating a choral scholarship, but the very idea of the admin involved makes my head hurt.

In the meantime he's considering adding drama to his three A level choices of music, English and politics, because of some careers website his school had them all do, and it told him he could be a theatre director... Four A levels seems a LOT. Especially as they have to do an EPQ as well.

Hi - does anyone know of any piano short courses suitable for grade 6/age 10 in the hols or at weekends etc that aren't summer schools? Or any mailing lists to get onto for workshops etc? Struggling a bit to top up lessons/enthusiasm now the junior conservatoire at RWCMD has closed.

I'll be honest and say I wouldn't advise that, especially if an EPQ is compulsory. Music and drama together will be incredibly time consuming with practical work etc. (I did Music & Drama A levels but obviously the syllabuses are very different than in my day but even so!) Perhaps he could do his EPQ on a theatre related topic.

I've not found any non residential ones i'm afraid - DD (11) is going to the Wells Piano Summer school this year but she will be 12 by then and is excited about it. She wouldn't have been keen last year. Can report back after so you can see if it might be a good option for next year.

The Chethams summer school seemed to be that for under 18s a parent had to stay with them (not 100% sure on this but last time i looked it seemed to be the case) so if you had time then that might be a good ' not quite residential' option?

If you could report back, that'd be amazing. She loves Viva Strings with her violin, but I can really see a gap with piano atm. Thank you!

RCS in Glasgow does a piano summer school which is non residential ( IE you find your own accommodation in Glasgow or nearby) 12+ and grade 8 so maybe something to keep in mind for future years.

Definitely. I'd love to take her to Scotland for something. Thanks!

I've heard good things about Viva strings - though did wonderer if it was more skewed towards younger kids? DD may be interested in a residential violin option too depending on how the piano goes so would be interested in any feedback on that one too please? DD does a few non residential things on violin like holiday orchestras, Sat strings groups as well as school groups but hasn't yet done any residential courses

There were older kids there last year. Rachel Cooper tends to take the younger ones and the older ones do chamber groups with a different tutor and the 'showing' at the end was really brilliant. My daughter absolutely loved it.

Thanks - I just saw that they have chamber groups for grade 6 plus standard players so that would be a good option for her if she doesn't want to do the piano course again the year after (I think they overlap). DD did some of the Benedetti courses in lockdown and Rachel was amazing in those so I'm sure Viva Strings would be great

Ah Viva Strings looks brilliant - sadly clashes with our holiday, otherwise I’d have signed DS up like a shot.

Will put it on my list for next year!

If anyone has any other suggestions for summer courses for beginner strings (DS will have just turned 7 and I think is around Grade 2 standard? He’s learning 3rd position atm so whatever that is). Ideally non-residential but happy to travel.

On summer courses mine have done these and enjoyed them.

National Chamber Music Course (officially strings although my DD managed to sneak in a piano trio as well as cello). Grade 5+ and 10 -18. Its residential, some amazing tutors and they do two ability selected chamber groups and age selected orchestra plus choir. https://www.ncmc.org.uk/

Gloucestershire Academy of Music two residential orchestra courses - Junior Grades 1-5 for ages 8-14 and Senior Grade 5+ ages 11-18. When mine did seniors half the county youth orchestra attended so standard was high. They usually do music in the morning and early evening and head out for fun activities in the afternoon. They also run a non residential intensive Grdae 5 theory course which my pupils found very helpful. @chocolateisnecessary The website also mentions a piano course for ages 11-18 - its in Gloucester and non residential so not too far from Wales if you could stay in the city. Mine haven't done this one so no idea how good it is but their other courses are a decent quality. https://glosacadmusic.org/sessions-and-ensembles/holiday-courses/

https://glosacadmusic.org/sessions-and-ensembles/holiday-courses/summer-holiday-2025-non-residential-courses/piano-summer-holiday-course/

Oh thanks @Londonmummy66 the chamber one looks good. DD does a trio at school but currently lacking a pianist so might be short lived. She is the other pianist who could do it - but then they wouldn't have a violinist so its not an ideal situation so finding something outside school for her could work.

@Compsearch for non residential have you checked out the Guildhall courses? They're doing an Easter one for Grade 1 plus standard so maybe that would work out?

Easter Music Course | Guildhall School of Music & Drama

@northerngoldilocks - it was a great course. I would just say that when DD did it she was working on LTCL piano repertoire (to give an idea of her standard and even then they were a bit chary of giving her piano) but was keen to do this as cello was her third study so wanted to balance out the hard work of piano with the light relief of cello......

Thanks - DD would do violin for it rather than piano - I'm just thinking about how her days in a trio as a violinist might be limited. The fact she is in one at all is amazing as her school does lots of lovely inclusive things but doesn't have many kids playing at a particularly high standard (there are a few though), so the fact this exists for her is amazing. The down side is that now the pianist in it is flakey there isn't an obvious alternative!

Thanks @Londonmummy66!

Thank you @northerngoldilocks - it looks great (and location perfect for us as I work round the corner) but is age 8+ and he’ll still be 6 at that point.

Another one to add to my list for future years!

Ah- forgot about the age thing- will be an issue for lots of holiday courses I think.

Yes it’s not a bad thing - lots to look forward to!

@Compsearch Try the English Symphony Orchestra youth one? They do two days in Aug. We just book a premier inn when we do theirs. The kids have a fab time.

Talking of summer courses, has anyone got thoughts about the Guildhall choral courses? DS is quite keen on the notion...