Autumn / Winter 2025 Music

[northerngoldilocks]

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.

I thought that - then I realized they were still showing 2025 dates!

They updated it at the end of half term last year so should be any time in the next couple of weeks that it opens for booking

One of mine did NCCB this year - the younger bit of this - following a recommendation on here and she had an absolute blast. She can't do it next year because of the dates but she would highly recommend it

Pro Corda also do strings and piano courses - I can only comment on strings (which DD enjoyed).

On the subject of courses does anyone know of a course where a 9/10 year old, on around G3, can do piano and clarinet? Not sure if such a thing exists! Residential in the South-ish of England ideally. Thanks!

Not residential but its worth keeping an eye on the CYM/Trinity Laban and guidlhall websites as they do a range of more general music courses over the summer (details not out yet). TBH most summer courses are either instrument specific or focussed on windband/orchestral experience. At Grade 3 I would think there wouldn't be that much on piano but plenty of courses for clarinet. The Gloucester one I mentioned above would be suitable (and mine loved it at that age).

The problem with piano is that there is very little orchestral/chamber music for non advanced piano. My first study pianist DD managed to get a slot for piano and cello on a national chamber music course after she'd done her Grade 8 but even then the piano part of her trio was far far harder than that for the cello and violin playing with her.

Wells do a wind summer school from age 10. No min grade I think just not a beginner! Kent music also do various residentials so worth a look but no personal experience there.

Thanks for all this info! Realised I need to be more organised this year.

I think I will sign DS up for Viva strings as it’s non-residential only for 7 and 8 year olds (he will have just turned 8) and I don’t think he is (I’m not!) ready for a residential yet, but I also wouldn’t want him to be one of the only ones not doing the residential part. Pro corda looks fantastic for future years but is so expensive!

If anyone is aware of anything similar and good for small string players at Easter, please let me know.

Im also torn about suggesting DS auditions for the full programme at CYM for next year. We dropped out of the PYP this year as he wasn’t loving recorder and it was a massive time commitment for me and his sister, and he’s also likely to be moved into the full choir at Southwark at some point this year (he’s on his second term as a probationer and apparently doing very well). If he does do that, it will involve a full day on Sunday so perhaps Saturday would be too much as well? Can anyone give any insight into what the timetable would be like on Saturday and whether I could just drop him off and pick up later? (This wasn’t possible on PYP and it was too much for my DC2).

Viva is fab. The ESO in Brum might have an Easter course that’s non residential for a few days. We’ve done that before and stayed at a premier inn.

Exciting news for ds. He has got three confirmed performances on a national tour early next year.

He was meant to play for the same tour this year but he is not now needed for those dates. However the dates he has been asked to play are much closer to home so we can go and watch the show.

Thanks for the tips! Yes it’s a funny one for DS2 as he’s very musical but when he started as a cathedral chorister, he had to change instruments to clarinet and piano, so went from a standing start on those at the beginning of Y4. Was doing sax and singing before. Obviously does theory and singing as well as part of the chorister life. Thanks I’ll look at those course options!

@Compsearch I’ve been dropping DS off at CYM and collecting him at the end of the day since year 6, but didn’t take up DDs place as didn’t feel comfortable about doing the same for her in year 5. I think in summary you can but whether you would want to is another matter.

DS has always just got on with it, never happier than with his head in a book so even if he doesn’t have anyone to hang out with he’s fine and now he’s yr 10 he just takes homework.

DD didn’t seem as confident in year 5 so had reservations about her being so self sufficient. Guess it depends on the child and what their timetable is. If they’re junior school age they need to be walked from notre dame to Morley but that’s the easy bit as staff or parents will take them over. My concern was more about gaps between lessons / ensembles

@Comefromaway sounds like a great opportunity!

Should anyone fancy summer in Scotland, the RCS does a few non-residential courses for different instruments/ ages, including an advanced piano one and younger wind band. Plenty of accommodation in Glasgow or nearby if you avoid Edinburgh festival season! ( Or embrace it and have a cultural holiday!)

@Compsearch - I negotiated a shorter day for mine at CYM due to the Cathedral but they were in Yr 7 and had Grade 5 theory already. Basically they did orchestras and chamber music and then one did keyboard harmony and piano and no choir and the other did chamber choir as she loved Linda and GCSE support class (meant she had a lot of older friends....). I always found them to be pretty flexible - and half the Southwark choir seemed to be at CYM anyway.

Thank you @Londonmummy66 and @northerngoldilocks - it sounds like DS (who would be year 4) is too little still
for the drop and go, so I’m not sure we can manage it.

Im counting down the years until at least one of them can (hopefully) get into the JD my DH teaches at, which will make my life a lot easier! Maybe we will just focus on holiday courses for the next year or two.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest Hope your DD is safely ensconsed at ESO! DS seems to have arrived, and the lack of communication I'm taking as a good sign.

@herbaceous I've heard absolutely nothing!

only had a 40 minute trip from home though (frankly I've told her she can come back in the evenings if she's not enjoying it), so wasn't expecting too much trauma. She seems to have taken everything but the kitchen sink though and is apparently going to do 'much revision' in the evenings. I will believe this when I see it. Which I won't.

How reassuring to be near home! It's over 200 miles from us...

He has taken some 'reading' for his English A level. If any of that gets done I shall eat all my hats.

Similar @herbaceous - perhaps they can form a reading club.....

Hmmm....

I'm hoping someone forms a 'Celeb Traitors watching club'!

Sounds like that is exactly what dd’s dorm was last night but the safeguarding would have gone very wrong if your ds was in there. Dd seems chirpy. Dorm of five though!

Hi all, what a wonderful thread! We are very much child-led in our household and clueless about music. Our DS started secondary school in the private sector in September as a music scholar. He is loving it with all of the opportunities it holds and the music teachers are very excited about him and informed us to apply and was successful at the audition for NCO residentials next year. He is also very sporty snd will be looking at doing trials in the summer 2026 for county level and he has some serious potential at this sport. The school is aware of his all roundness and made comments as such, ie how talented he is.

I’ve just started looking at JD and realised that it is all day on a Saturday which clashes with some sports fixtures at school. So I guess they are not accommodating for such clashes? I understand that it’s a team effort and appreciate the ensembles requires 100% attendance. There are a number of private schools, probably all, with fixtures on Saturdays and some even have Saturday school like Epsom College. Does their students just miss out and not apply for JD? Extremely curious to get some insight into families that have experienced such dilemmas. It feels like a shame to miss out on the sports fixtures at school with his new friends and make an impact in one sport in particular.

Also I have tried to keep all opportunities open which has been a balancing act for us but we have always made it work. I have no idea or does he, whether he wants to do music in the future. Tbh it frightens me and DH at the financials of pursuing a music career. We just want him to love what he does and make decisions as and when it happens. Maybe this is the first one we need to deal with?

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest DS has a room all of his own! Maybe because he’s reached the grand old age of 16?

DD2 is also 16... (lower sixth) they had said all at that age would have their own rooms but she says she's in with FIVE 16-17 year olds. "it's a lot" was her comment!