Spring /Summer 25 - Music thread

[northerngoldilocks]

Time for a new thread for spring!

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.

I don't know the new assistant - I'd try to ensure he's prepared to sing unaccompanied as well as accompanied.

DC has got into RCMJD and Guildhall Juniors. I'm trying to work out what the difference between the programmes that they offer are, to work out which to choose. DC prefers RCMJD, but it's further away (though not massively, we live in north london) and seems much more expensive. Does anyone have any insight/experience for a non-muso into how these 2 differ, and whether RCMJD is worth the extra money??

@nlondonmummy123 well done to your DC. How old are they and which instrument? If they are young then JG is quite Kodaly heavy. MIne was older and a pianist when they went to JG and that is a very structured programme (and absolutely excellent). They had 3 piano classes each Saturday - sight reading, duets and workshop (which might be on stage presence or accompaniment or comparing several recordings of a piece etc etc). They also had supporting studies classes - music theory class which led to the Guildhall certificate as they didn't think GCSE music cut it anymore, a GCSE support class looking at the set works and a composition class. Strings were a little different in that they had chamber groups and orchestras etc. It was a great programme.

@yodaforpresident Just to say thank you for the Poco books recommendation - my daughter is loving working through the first one (and is now very keen to do the exam for the certificate - I am less keen given the cost but may give in as don’t want to discourage her!). She also got a merit in her recorder exam so we can relax a bit until the next one!

Hi, they will be in year 7 next year, a string player, so maybe too old for Kodaly? Not sure? I know there is a musicianship class where they do sol-fa, which is new to DC. Not sure if sol-fa is the standard in all these saturday schools?

I imagine the sol fa will be Kodaly - some of it is quite complicated and it might well be a harmony based class. (My post Grade 8 DD did some in year 8/9 with a teacher from school and found it hard work!) Musicianship is the class that leads up to the Guildhall Certificate and GCSE support classes. Is WIlliam B still in charge of strings? His energy is really impressive and he's a lovely man (DD was a second study string player and did quite a bit with them).

Yep, William B still there, still going strong! I think there are lots of good things about JD. RCM - DC really loved this and bonded well with the audition panel, but it's not my preference due to distance and it's much more expensive...not sure why!!!?

@WheelySquirrel congrats on the recorder merit! Well done to her

@WheelySquirrel- congrats on your DD’s merit. Well done her!

dd has auditioned today for a school performance of SIX. Much negotiation over it as they’re putting it on in early July which means (if she gets a part) she’ll be rehearsing all during her GCSEs. She’s hoping to hear by Friday so watch this space!

Her cello teacher wants her to take her g8 in December. He did ask if she wanted to take it in July but with exams and the production (and an out of school dance show) it was just one thing too many. Plus the last cello grade she took was g4 so she has a LOT of work to do on scales and arpeggios - that’s the summer holidays sorted! 🤣

Standard fees are about £350 more per year? Their first study lesson is five minutes longer, maybe that's why 😂

RCM is considered more prestigious for strings so if your DC likes it better maybe it's worth the commute?

For strings, the teacher is probably more important than the school IMO.

If I take the private lesson up to an hour so they're both for the same amount of time:
RCM is 6213 per year
JG is 5220 per year

William B did tell me with great glee that RCM was 1k more per year when we went on the experience day....I bet he does that a lot to get people to choose JG!

LOL unfair competition! 🤣

I don't remember the fees structure in detail but iirc Guildhall increases lesson time by 10 minutes, RCM by 20... I may be wrong though.

For strings it really does depend on the teacher. Guildhall cellos all look happy and healthy 😉

@QueenMabby - don't envy you the scale slog, but that will give your DD something to do in her long post-exam summer! Hope the audition went well!

No musical let up for DD2 before GCSEs - she's just had the Symphony schedule for the summer term. Thought she might get out of at least half of it because she's Y11, but no, she's in both pieces. And having to learn a load of stuff for the composer's concert at the beginning of next term, where they have to field an orchestra to play the music written by first-study composition students.

Sometimes these students have little idea of the complexity of playing a bassoon, she says, so the pieces can be quite hard

@WheelySquirrel wonderful news on the recorder result, well done to your DD! Glad that she likes the poco books too - they are very child friendly I think.

Next term is quieter for us on the exam front, only a Grade 7 cello. DD is thinking of doing the performance Grade 8 piano over the summer but we shall see. Youth opera kicking off now and a few external recitals and NYCGB coming up outside the normal school stuff. Summer starting to look nuts though!

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - my DD would sympathise with her over composers not understanding musical complexities - she does a project with the RCM composers and someone thought that she could crescendo through a held note - on a keyboard instrument.....

I got roped into doing a bassoon and organ sonata a few months ago. The composer had evidently never played a wind instrument, let alone a bassoon. There were no rests, and the most fiendishly difficult combinations of fingering.

@herbaceous - not like you have to breathe or anything, is it?! Lovely to hear of adults who still play - always my fear that DD will reach adulthood and just stop. Particularly as she still doesn't own her own bassoon.

and @Londonmummy66 even I know that's not possible!

Though I think that Liszt also wrote these into piano music, so maybe in good company!

Anxiously waiting for grade 8 piano results for DD here including checking the ABRSM portal despite knowing they'll be released to her music school first and then they'll email me. Did get an email from them this morning but sadly was just a reminder for holiday orchestra details for next week!

DD doing a talent show today at school - playing guitar and singing Taylor Swift. Always makes me laugh that whenever she does anything for her whole year group she picks the instrument she doesn't have any lessons on and picked up chords from youtube.

Thankfully the wait is now over - she got a distinction so am thrilled for her! She got a pass on gr 7 and was honestly a bit disappointed given how she thought she could have done so I'm really pleased its worked out for her this time. Still utterly hopeless at aural tests but thankfully some amazing sight reading made up for it!

@northerngoldilocks fabulous news! Enjoy celebrating with her

@northerngoldilocks congratulations to her - Grade 8 is such a huge milestone!

@northerngoldilocks that's brilliant! Such a relief to know and what a great achievement.

@northerngoldilocks- well done to your dd. Fantastic result!

Well done @northerngoldilocks DD - many congratulations! Now you both can relax and enjoy!

Fabulous news @northerngoldilocks for
your DD, she must be so pleased!