Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

Autumn / Winter 2025 Music

981 replies

northerngoldilocks · 31/08/2025 12:39

Time for a new thread in time for the new school term!

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
thirdfiddle · 05/10/2025 01:48

Compsearch, loving the big violin big sound excitement. We got a couple of years aged 6-8 out of 1/2 size. It's partly about when they need a better quality instrument too though - if it has a good sound then there's no rush to up-size. 6' blokes don't all have to convert to viola after all.

Londonmummy66 · 05/10/2025 15:34

Also loving the story on the upgrade to the violin sound! I remember DD2 being so excited when she went from a (quite nice) Zeller half to an amazing medio fino 3/4 - never did so much practice in her life before or after! what was lovely was getting a card from the girl we eventually sold it to who thanked her for it and said how excited she was by the better sound too....

horseymum · 05/10/2025 15:44

I love hearing about the instruments moving round people and then finding out where they have gone. More people know each other where we live so it's more likely there will be a connection. Just think of the joy each instrument gives as it passes through all these families!

Londonmummy66 · 05/10/2025 19:00

@Compsearch - fascinating read. I must show it to DD as her cello apparently used to belong to Julian Lloyd Webber - must ask her if it remembers his performances! I think it really did as there are some early BBC recordings of him playing a "ladies cello" which has a distinctive stain on it which matches the stain on DDs.....

MockCroc · 06/10/2025 17:06

I have a y7 (11 yr old) who is really keen to write her own music. She has a chrome book and an iPad. Can anyone recommend good software for this? And what other kit would be good to get her a basic and accessible production set up? I have no idea where to start.

Comefromaway · 06/10/2025 19:03

I’ll have a think. They have just discontinued support for some of the best notation software.

horseymum · 07/10/2025 19:50

I used musescore for arranging music when I ran a group. Not sure if it can run on a Chromebook. I tried dorico on the iPad but couldn't get to grips with it. I guess garageband is good for recording things and does quite a bit. I don't know it's full capabilities though. I know the kids used it at school. Hope she enjoys being creative. We enjoyed using acapella to make multi track videos in COVID but there are better ways to do this such as recording the sound separately and adding to the videos. There are more expert people on here I'm sure!

Comefromaway · 07/10/2025 20:24

Ds used Musescore when he was first starting out. Then he moved onto Finale which was his favourite but they announced it was being discontinued. He is now learning to use Dorico.

herbaceous · 08/10/2025 12:19

Morning all.

Just had a message from DS saying he's been roped into playing in the recorder group. This is despite him never having played a wind instrument in his life. He's winging it via use of a fingering chart next to the music.

This is in addition to wind quintet, brass group, orchestra, chamber choir, senior choir, barbershop group, jazz band and his rock band.

And playing Tony in West Side Story! YES! His dream role.

And out of school singing in two choirs, plus Rodolfus, and playing in two orchestras. Plus ESO.

Oh, and A levels.

herbaceous · 08/10/2025 12:20

Oh, and doing his singing diploma.

Comefromaway · 08/10/2025 12:51

Busy boy

herbaceous · 08/10/2025 12:53

DP suggested perhaps he needn't do quite so much, but DS dramatically replied 'it's what gives my life meaning'. You could almost hear the swoosh of a dramatic cape.

Comefromaway · 08/10/2025 12:56

I've pretty much given up on those arguments about doing too much.

TreeAtMyWindow · 08/10/2025 13:24

My goodness, @herbaceous!

The thing I don't understand is when they're meant to practise the instruments. DD goes straight from school today to the music centre, by the time she's finished there's only time for dinner and bed. I would say that later bedtimes will do it when she's older, but it's hard to see how your teenagers fit everything in!

herbaceous · 08/10/2025 13:27

The answer to 'when does he do practice' is generally 'he doesn't'!

He'll do maybe a couple of hours of piano at the weekend, or late in the evening if he's got a lesson the next day. Singing never gets practised, as far as I can tell, other than in his many choirs. And he seems to wing his horn lessons, with technique improving by sheer mass of ensemble playing.

I think he's allowed to use the music rooms at school to practise during free periods if he likes, so this may go on.

I think his sightreading, plus technique practice in ensembles, stands him in good stead. This approach has seen him to diploma level, so seems to work for him!

Original poster
northerngoldilocks · 08/10/2025 13:42

It is hard to fit everything in @TreeAtMyWindow but it does get a bit easier when they don't go to bed at 8pm. DD is now in year 8 and DS in year 10 and it gives more options to practice a bit later - the down side is they have many more other pulls on their time so its prioritisation, plus for them secondary school starts earlier than primary so its put a stop to piano practice for DD before school.

DD has been ramping up what she's doing recently too - though thankfully not to @herbaceous's DS standards. This year appears to be the year of Beethoven for her so far (but its an improvement on the start when it looked like she might be playing Brahm's Hungarian dance in her piano duo, strings ensemble and school orchestra - which is honestly too much of the same thing despite v different levels!).

She's been moved into a string quartet on a Sat which is exciting and definitely a challenge for her as for now the others are all more advanced! Will be great experience for her though and hopefully mean she improves quickly. Beethoven quartet there, Beethoven piano trio at school (she plays violin in that) and she's still working on the 1st mvmt of the Pathetique in her piano lessons! She's also in a close harmony choir, an electric guitar ensemble and another choir on Saturdays.

DS is more measured in that he's working on Gr 8 piano but no exams on flute any more so that's nice. He's moved into Symphony Orchestra at his Sat centre which is by far the hardest thing he's ever done and the fear factor is actually making him practice so its all good! He also doesn't feel the need to be in everything like DD.

OP posts:
Ubertomusic · 08/10/2025 13:50

@herbaceous Congrats to your DS on the role, it must be very exciting!

How does the school manage such a busy timetable? My DD has clashes every single day and I find it increasingly hard to do everything that's needed. And she's not even doing any academic exams yet!

herbaceous · 08/10/2025 13:55

The later bedtimes are a boon.

DS is in year 12 now. Yesterday was a typical timetable. School, then astronomy gcse, then into town with friends for dinner, then 2.5hr choir rehearsal.

Then home for a bit of telly.

Then playing and singing Gesthemene (from JCS) at top volume at 11pm as he'd suddenly decided he wants to do it for a concert on Thursday.

herbaceous · 08/10/2025 13:57

Re timetabling @Ubertomusic, most of the ensembles are before school or at lunchtime. Or are after-school extracurricular activities.

He has his instrumental lessons in free periods. Or during PE, his preferred option!

Ubertomusic · 08/10/2025 14:01

TreeAtMyWindow · 08/10/2025 13:24

My goodness, @herbaceous!

The thing I don't understand is when they're meant to practise the instruments. DD goes straight from school today to the music centre, by the time she's finished there's only time for dinner and bed. I would say that later bedtimes will do it when she's older, but it's hard to see how your teenagers fit everything in!

We could never manage enough practice when DD was at "normal" school. I know of children who do practice around 6am or even earlier but you'd have to live in a detached house or practise on a keyboard for that. Definitely impossible for brass players 😂 but their practice is less demanding timewise.

Ubertomusic · 08/10/2025 14:10

herbaceous · 08/10/2025 13:57

Re timetabling @Ubertomusic, most of the ensembles are before school or at lunchtime. Or are after-school extracurricular activities.

He has his instrumental lessons in free periods. Or during PE, his preferred option!

Yes DD's ensembles are mostly during lunchtime but they clash with MT and other shows rehearsals 🤦‍♀️ She cannot eat properly either...

She also has practice time before school so when there is a choir or chamber music in the morning it means one practice hour less. There are clashes with sport fixtures in the afternoons too 🙈

QueenMabby · 08/10/2025 14:13

We are also in the winging it camp. Dd hoping to do two grade 8s (piano and cello) and a grade 7 (MT Singing) this academic year - all on very little practice! Her day started this morning at 7.30am with a piano lesson and chamber group before school and will end at 9.30pm after netball club via a full school day, dance audition (for upcoming school musical), away (School) netball match and a full play run through (play - separate to aforementioned musical - starts next week). Like others, practice happens mainly at the weekend and the odd evening she has some time if homework permits. It makes me exhausted just looking at her schedule but she thrives on it.

herbaceous · 08/10/2025 14:25

There's a terrifying tiger mum at DS's school who whenever she sees me asks how much practice DS does. She looks non-plussed when 'two hours...' ends in 'a week' rather than 'a day'.

Ubertomusic · 08/10/2025 14:28

herbaceous · 08/10/2025 14:25

There's a terrifying tiger mum at DS's school who whenever she sees me asks how much practice DS does. She looks non-plussed when 'two hours...' ends in 'a week' rather than 'a day'.

Ahahahaha oh well, violinists cry in the corner 😂