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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.

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Comefromaway · 08/09/2025 10:14

We are definitely coming to the end of the student journey. After a slight blip of a little (written) resit, ds is about to start his final year of conservtoire.

However, at this point I am convinced that he is not going to graduate. I want him to, but he isn't bothered at all. He is thinking that he doesn't want to do an MA after all and just go straight into working, which to be fair, is already happening.

He is currently working on a show about to open in London and has been offered a week depping on a national tour. Then there is 2 months of panto. A possibility of some sound design work next year too.

Dh and I will try and convince him to graduate but he saw conservatoire as a means to an end (and he hates the written parts of the course).

Original poster
northerngoldilocks · 08/09/2025 10:17

@Comefromaway that all sounds like its going brilliantly for him on the playing side, and i guess it doesn't really matter if he graduates or not in terms of immediate career but can see why you'd want him to graduate too.

In unrelated discussions, i've just been sent the ESO email this weekend about their October courses booking now, so anyone interested in those might want to take a look. We've never done them as they're outside London, but know others on this thread have and they're non residential so suitable for younger kids.

OP posts:
herbaceous · 08/09/2025 11:15

I'm still dithering about the ESO residential course. DS wants to go, but isn't totally mad on it, and it's v expensive. And he's really only needed to bump up the numbers of horns in the Mahler.

However, it would be an amazing experience, and some of his other orchestral experiences aren't now going to happen because he's in the Rodolfus choir!

Choices... choices...

@Comefromaway - sounds like your DS has found his groove. I think once you're 'in' with the pit band crew, you're set for life! Easy to see why graduating has fallen down his priority list.

Comefromaway · 08/09/2025 11:18

I know but it is SO frustrating. The resit was because he spent three weeks in Paris over Easter just before assessment deadlines working on a show over there. He ended up with a recital, a presentation and an essay all due on the same day so the essay never got handed in.

Original poster
northerngoldilocks · 08/09/2025 11:50

Ah - my reference was for the English Symphony Orchestra youth course in Bromsgrove rather than English Schools Orchestra. Its a 2 day non residential option.

OP posts:
achangeofnameisasgoodasarest · 08/09/2025 11:53

@Comefromaway that must be frustrating - brilliant he's doing so well though. Given what he wants to do it sounds like he's set up to get plenty of work, guess the only problem would come if he changed his mind and wanted another type of job where the actual having of a degree matters to tick a box...and it feels like they should get a bit of paper for all that debt.

But maybe I'm just old fashioned!

@herbaceous ESO have let us pay in stages. DD2 is keen and the rep looks good - though agree it is expensive.

I've heard almost nothing from her since she's been back at school except that she's first bassoon in Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, and quite scared. Also seems to be in two wind quintets. I otherwise got a photo of some nachos she'd been making that looked a bit burnt.

Oh, and she appeared on the school insta in a skirt so short that other parents sent me texts about it. And no blazer, on the day on which she was receiving an honorary scholarship for academics so presumably had to be visible in assembly. Not sure that bid for deputy head girl or woodwind head she's planning next year will be very well received unless she changes her clothing choices.

She's back on Friday for LSSO so at least I'll get to hear from her then if she can bear to be at home for more than five minutes..

Comefromaway · 08/09/2025 12:09

a skirt so short that other parents sent me texts about it

I cannot imagine any circumstance where I would send another parent a text about the length of their daughter's skirt unless it was a VERY close friend and meant as a joke!

achangeofnameisasgoodasarest · 08/09/2025 12:30

it was indeed a joke - don't worry! The school uniform code is very strict, and DD2 is spending most of her time 'pushing the boundaries' at the moment. The joys of teens.

yodaforpresident · 08/09/2025 14:27

That's a difficult one @Comefromaway as he only has one more year to go. Would it be possible to switch to part time - painful to stretch it out further but if it means that the chance of completion is higher? It sounds like he is already doing very well professionally, so I suppose there is the question that if he is already getting those opportunities without the degree, then is there a chance in the future that he might ever need it?

DD did her first pit band with NYMT this summer and was very much bitten by the bug!

Comefromaway · 08/09/2025 14:49

He has never been academic. He's clever, yes but he has always done the minimum academically to get by.

Comefromaway · 08/09/2025 14:50

What show did she play for? NYMT was a game changer for ds.

yodaforpresident · 08/09/2025 15:02

Carousel - she was spoiled with such a wonderful score. They did ask her to do TE but sadly she couldn't do it as she had intake training for nyt and didn't want to have to reaudition. They are a fabulous team.

Possibly a controversial opinion but I believe that exams/ degrees are only useful for showing a benchmarked level of skill to let you do the things that you want to in life - if your DS is already doing those things then I would say he is already there.

Comefromaway · 08/09/2025 15:34

I so wanted to see Carousel but even if we had have gone it would have been the cancelled performance.

yodaforpresident · 08/09/2025 15:45

They were very unfortunate with the rain on Saturday especially given we have had such a dry summer. We were lucky to have seen the first show on the Thursday, so had the whole outdoor Fair experience, and then Canteen Carousel for the last show was fabulous too! It was professional quality and they coped admirably with the adversity.

Comefromaway · 08/09/2025 21:15

Well he has had his timetable today & as discussed they’ve given him a piano teacher who is also an MT MD to help with his ambitions & progression.

Londonmummy66 · 08/09/2025 22:21

achangeofnameisasgoodasarest · 08/09/2025 12:30

it was indeed a joke - don't worry! The school uniform code is very strict, and DD2 is spending most of her time 'pushing the boundaries' at the moment. The joys of teens.

Mine totally pushed those boundaries to the extent Ispent a lot of time on the phone pointing out that I was well aware of the dress code in CIty law firms and had supplied that. If she chose not to wear it that was on them and not me... Didn't stop her getting a scholarship to RCM and a prize at the end of year 13 so I suggest you ignore so long as you know she has the correct clothes...

yodaforpresident · 08/09/2025 23:13

That’s great news @Comefromaway.

achangeofnameisasgoodasarest · 09/09/2025 08:23

@Comefromaway sounds like they're really on it with supporting his ambitions.. Wonderful to have a ds who knows what he wants and is in the right place with the right skills to do it

@Londonmummy66 good to know - I think the uniform regs are ridiculous for what its worth. Even the city lawyers I know don't dress like that unless they're in court. I suspect it'll all calm down once she's laddered all her tights and realises it's easier to just wear trousers.

Spoke to her last night and I think the enormity of losing the sixth formers from last year is just beginning to sink in - she has to be in everything, including a Schubert octet, the senior wind quintet and all the usual symphony gumf. Sure it will be good for her - but perhaps her determination to be in the school play was a mistake.

Londonmummy66 · 09/09/2025 10:50

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - good practice for learning to balance her time either for conservatoire or uni (especially if she ends up with a choral scholarship....)! It also means she will have to practice very efficiently which is always a great skill to have!

Ubertomusic · 09/09/2025 11:01

Comefromaway · 08/09/2025 10:14

We are definitely coming to the end of the student journey. After a slight blip of a little (written) resit, ds is about to start his final year of conservtoire.

However, at this point I am convinced that he is not going to graduate. I want him to, but he isn't bothered at all. He is thinking that he doesn't want to do an MA after all and just go straight into working, which to be fair, is already happening.

He is currently working on a show about to open in London and has been offered a week depping on a national tour. Then there is 2 months of panto. A possibility of some sound design work next year too.

Dh and I will try and convince him to graduate but he saw conservatoire as a means to an end (and he hates the written parts of the course).

I think being too busy at work is a nice problem to have for a young musician these days. I've just read this interview https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/sep/08/louise-alder-soprano-stage-fright-arts-funding-last-night-of-the-proms , it makes a rather depressing read and it was great to hear your DS's news confirming it's not all doom and gloom in the industry.

‘The cultural landscape is decimated’: Louise Alder on stage fright, arts funding and the Last Night of the Proms

The great soprano will be the first British singer to top the bill at the Last Night in over a decade. So why does she advise her younger colleagues to leave the country?

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/sep/08/louise-alder-soprano-stage-fright-arts-funding-last-night-of-the-proms

Comefromaway · 09/09/2025 12:06

I think it is also important to note that a good proportion of his work is not keyboard playing, it is programming/sound. It's so important to be versatile.

yodaforpresident · 09/09/2025 12:41

That is a very depressing read indeed @Ubertomusic

Alwaysplayspicc · 09/09/2025 17:37

Depressing but unfortunately all too true.
I went back to performing 9 weeks after the birth of my daughter for the same reason - no sick pay, no maternity pay and no pensions for freelance musicians.
My DH plays for one of the National opera companies who have just had their full time chorus cut to just 20.
It’s dire.

achangeofnameisasgoodasarest · 09/09/2025 18:28

@Alwaysplayspicc so depressing...

Ubertomusic · 09/09/2025 21:49

Sorry I didn't mean to depress everyone! 🤦‍♀️ I was actually cheered up myself by @Comefromaway post. I agree with what she said, it's important to be versatile, and I keep thinking what to do with DD's studies as she had to specialise earlier than we planned... She's not a techie though so MusicTech doesn't seem to be an option in her case.