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.

Ha and thanks @Londonmummy66 a tall order indeed. I shall be intrigued to see how it is actually received.

My brother - who is a piano teacher - heard the recording and reckoned it was ok, but we will see how accurate his assessment is (he teaches trinity and this was ABRSM). I failed my grade 5 piano the first time I took it, and only passed with 104 the second time so have no illusions over the scale of the challenge.

Thank you @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest and well done to your lovely dd on her results. Fingers crossed for her g5 piano results.

When are you taking her back. Does she start next week?

Thanks @QueenMabby and yes, she's back next Thursday. Currently trying to find a sufficiently short skirt that still fits with the school uniform rules for sixth form, but she's so tiny herself that it will probably have to be one from the school uniform range for 14 year olds.

🤣🤣 - I’ve told dd I would take any skirt she wanted to wear to the tailor’s to have it taken up but she’s not rebellious enough!

Best wishes to those starting conservatoire courses next week and in the coming weeks. All change for some households.

For those going to other further/ higher education, studying or not studying music, I hope they still find joy in music, so many opportunities to continue after school.

DS had his Rodolphus choir audition, which seemed to go well, despite him changing his mind re song two hours beforehand, and the audition being held in the most bizarrely ramshackle building. Called the 'music studios', on Marylebone Lane, it was a collection of small rooms above a shop, with no soundproofing, nowhere to wait, constant stream of confused punters shuffling in and out...

Know them well - have had a number of auditions there myself

Couldn't believe it stayed in business. Endless complaints from people using the rooms - too hot, too noisy - and others turning up to be told it was double booked, that they'd have to cram into smaller ones etc. Really weird.

I know them well - very centrally located with lots to do around there.

Oh yes - it's a great location.

Feels like it’s time for a new thread for the new term!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/extra_curricular_activities/5401991-autumn-winter-2025-music?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

Well, DS passed the Rodolfus audition! Very exciting.

Well done mini @herbaceous! I don’t know anything about rodolfus apart from that they do a summer course. I presume it’s a regular commitment?

It's an auditioned choir of about 100 16-23YOs. Members can either be from the courses, or just anyone.

You pay a small subscription, then have to commit to at least one thing per year, such as recordings, concerts in fab locations etc. So each gig isn't the full choir, meaning more exposure. They also have workshops, etc.

Sounds amazing!

This year they're recording NYE evensong for the BBC!

Congratulations to your DS @herbaceous - that sounds like a brilliant opportunity and he clearly impressed them at the audition. I recall watching him on young chorister though and he was amazing then!

V touched you remember him from YCOY! His voice has gone down a couple of octaves since then, but I like to think he's retained the charm!

Hi - has anyone had any experience in muting a piano and harp a bit in a terraced house? The neighbours are starting to get annoyed. Currently looking at foam and mats etc.

Your piano tuner can probably do something to the hammer felts to quieten it down a bit if you ask. Harps aren't usually that loud so not sure why your neighbour objects to it.

It’s got an extended sound board on it. He was playing bass chords yesterday when she knocked the door. We can turn it around so the sound board doesn’t face the wall and use a rug but it’s so hard to do anything. He can’t play with felt through the strings each time.

Even then its not exactly a trumpet is it. Turning it round and using a rug are probably all you can do although you could experiment with wrapping the soundboard in foam packaging or bubble wrap. His teacher may have some ideas, OtherwiseI think the best you can do is say you'll ask the piano tuner to see if they can do something there and agree a limit on practice times. If it was 5pm in the afternoon I think she might be being a bit unreasonable, if it was 10.30 pm then maybe not....

It was 4.30pm so I was a bit surprised tbh. I guess all we can do is try and see if anything helps. If not, will have to agree on times but it’s only ever between 4pm and 7.30pm anyway.

Then they're probably being unreasonable in objecting to the harp but in the interests of good relations tell them you'll see what you can do but make no promises. How annoying!