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.

Saw the facebook posts - looked like a great concert and tour

Thirding the recommendation to watch the Le Consort prom if you like harpsichord (or any music tbh). DS and I went to that prom but then watched the whole thing again on iPlayer - lovely to see the close ups that we most definitely didn’t get in the upper circle of the RAH!

Weve got no more music things this summer for DS - just the usual practice. And my baby DD (who is actually 4, starting school and not a baby at all) has had her first piano lessons (with her dad!)

Yes, the intimate communication was lovely and I imagine missed a bit in the hall. But live is incredible so nice to have both!

I loved that they did some trio sonatas as well as the fuller orchestral works

Just linking to the RCM bassoon masterclass in September as I know there are a lot of bassoonists on here https://www.rcm.ac.uk/events/details/?id=3027773

Not a bassoonist @Londonmummy66 but do you know what form the masterclasses take?

@yodaforpresident the ones I've attended there have been 3 people playing one after another with the expert commenting on their playing and making suggestions on how to improve.

There are quite a lot of other masterclasses - voice piano flute clarinet trombone cello violin and string quartet https://www.rcm.ac.uk/events/

really interested in the harp masterclass. Anyone know if there is an age or level guidance

Thank you @Londonmummy66 DD has done this at youth choir with the same format. I will have a look and see if we can get the dates to work as I think she would enjoy this.

We've been to a few RCM masterclasses, people who play on stage are RCM students but no restrictions on the audience. For Vengerov's masterclass, there were both young ones and pensioners, I'm not even sure if they were all musicians :) Discussions are often about musicality, not technique, so very useful even for younger ones/lower grades.

Masterclasses always look terrifying to me - saw DD2 do one with Ian Clarke (flute) with two hours' notice in the middle of her GCSEs recently. He was really kind, but it's still not an easy thing to do, especially since this one included an external audience of flute teachers as well as the school staff and the flute specialists.

Fine if you're prepared, which she is for the ones on her first instrument, although she fainted in her very first one... (still learning how to stand up with a bassoon at that point).

I guess it's probably good to get this level of terror out of the way early.

DD2 is off in Yorkshire with the LSSO today - seems to be having fun. She's got an Army music summer academy later in the month, which she is (cautiously) looking forward to. I'm intrigued - it's free, looks quite well organised, and she gets a mock audition/class as well as four days of playing and marching.

She is mostly horrified by the stipulation of smart dress when 'working' and the need to bring a sports bra and running trainers for the 'assessment centre' (helmets will be provided). Not sure the military is really for her, but it will be interested to see what they provide - including free university/conservatoire by the looks of things!

Sorry for the confusion - yes the players at the masterclasses are RCM students but the comments are usually very instructive for more advanced younger players it listen to. Also a good chance to have a nose around and maybe find someone to chat to for those considering applying.

Morning all!

Back from holiday to find that DS got 43/50 for his piano diploma, which seems a very fair result! Decent merit, and you could call it 'almost' a distinction! He's very pleased to have his piano back after 10 days away.

Those 10 days did include seeing Carmen in the arena in Verona, so was AMAZING. Brilliant introduction to opera if you're over that way!

He's also been asked if he wants to do the English Schools Orchestra course this autumn. Anyone know anything about them?

And, finally, @horseymum, I live in York so hit me up for any hints and tips! It won't be the usual choir singing in the minster as they'll be on their summer break. They do tend to get decent cover in tho!

@herbaceous congrats to your DS - he must be thrilled! DD2 is back from orchestra tour, and has a few days off before army music course. I'm trying to get her to tidy the pit that is her bedroom.

DD2 and I put in an application for ESO for her this week as it looked interesting - I found it really intimidating as a process, but that is just me - it wanted dates and marks for her grade 8, and a reference from her director of music. Though perhaps they won't actually ask for that as she does have the cert and marks.

If your DS has been asked to do it though perhaps they already know that stuff about him!

It also said that the only instruments provided were percussion and you had to source all your own otherwise, so I'm hoping they don't think she's got a contrabassoon, even though she inevitably gets asked to play one! We will see.

His horn teacher had been asked by the organisers if he knew any suitable candidates, so he has the teacher recommendation in the bag!

They're doing Mahler 1, which needs seven horns.

That is a lot of horns @herbaceous!

DD2 has just done Mahler 5. Apparently it was very difficult. Maybe Mahler 1 is similar, I don't know....

They used to always ask for a reference (not sure why ) despite grades. Not sure if that has changed

Maybe they'll ask then. They're welcome to one if they want one, it just seems as if it's creating work for teachers who probably have plenty to do.

I think I always find it a bit intimidating because until DD2 moved to specialist school she went to a school that didn't have a director of music - didn't even have a music teacher for quite a while! DoM is not a post that exists in lots of educational establishments so it is offputting for me when they ask for it.

Yes - similar here, whenever i fill in anything for my kids that asks for details of their director of music it makes me laugh - they don't learn any instruments at school and whilst they play in school stuff they don't really have much insight into their skills (just that they're comparatively good). They'd be better for state school kids to ask for a teacher reference on the instrument they learn. For my son his flute teacher would be a much better judge!

I guess they're trying to guard against kids who have just done only exams and perhaps can't sight read or have limited ensemble playing, but it is one of those times that highlights the gulf in provision!

I think you could get the ref from the instrumental teacher instead? Agree though that it shows the process is created by someone with a very particular experience of music education!

We've gone from one extreme to the other with this one. It was quite a shock to the system! Some youth orchestras went from assuming that DD2 didn't know what she was doing to assuming she was some kind of instrumental genius in the space of a month just because I'd changed the name of her school on the application forms.

I sometimes wonder if a specialist school's name on the forms might raise the bar a bit too high... DD has only been turned down for one project yet, her audition video was viewed 6 or 7 times so it wasn't a straight no, but I guess they expected much more advanced singing from a school like that. DD is not doing any vocal studies but there must be instant stereotyping anyway :)

@Ubertomusic DD2 spent a lot of time having to explain at NYCGB that she 'wasn't a singing specialist'. The instant assumption was that she wanted a career in singing when they found out her school.

She loves to sing... For pleasure only.

Update for those interested in the Wells piano course - DD loved it. She's had a brilliant time , made lots of new friends and got the chance to try out lots of new things including a 'jam session' with the jazz course which she loved taking part in. She also went into town a couple of times during free time (i think mainly to superdrug for make up shopping) and went swimming. She said the food was good and she coped better than i'd imagine with the boarding houses.

They apparently do group lessons every morning (so each person plays some of their piece and gets comments and others listen - guess a bit like a masterclass), individual lessons every day and a duet lesson. They have time to practice and then get an option to play in a concert at the end. DD played Grieg in hers on a beautiful Steinway grand - sounded great though was super fast. She said her regular piano teacher might need 'some time to get used to it like that'.... Suspect it will be slowed down!

She's keen to go back next year too.

Aw, that’s fab. I really want mine to do it but she has a harp residential followed by Viva next year and I think a third week away might make her combust! I’m going to really need to keep an eye out for piano top-up things next year. It’s her main instrument really and she’s only really doing lessons on it.