Spring / Summer 2026 music thread

[northerngoldilocks]

Time for a new thread as the old one is filling up and think we can claim its spring now!

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.

@Compsearch he loved it! No feedback as yet as he hasn’t seen his tutor. Just really hoping that it leads to more.

brilliant @Siriusmuggle - what a great opportunity- fingers crossed for him that it leads to more (and great on the cv even if it doesn’t)

Brilliant @Siriusmuggle - hope it leads to much more.

On the rather less glittering end of the brass scale, grade 3 euphonium booked and accompanist (brother) procured. No going back now. I'm going for face-to-face - figured if a thing is worth doing I may as well do it the old fashioned way. Will probably run out of breath in a panic.

Son has been at rcmjd since he was 8, so we are in our 7th year. He really enjoys it, but he’s not like lots of DCs on here that seem to devote lots of time on music, he seems to coasting through with minimal practice, so I’m not sure if our experience is that helpful 😅 but feel free to get in touch if you would like to know anything more.

That actually cheers me greatly @BBLY because mine all seem to coast along similarly. Good to know others manage to make this approach work!

I hope he enjoys it as much as the chorister in our house! It's a good time of year to increase it, while the days are longer and lighter and you don't have advent/Christmas/Easter to contend with right away. I think DS sailed through his first term as a full chorister on pure excitement tbh!

That seems a very light rehearsal schedule! Seem to remember DS had morning rehearsals every day, and four or five after school or weekends. Plus four or five services.

Different cathedrals have different patterns for choristers and this DC is at a cathedral that doesn't have a choir school and pays a pittance - my DC got 55p an hour not very long ago. Also the girls do half the weekly services and the lay clerks do one on their own.

Of course. DS’s cathedral has half the services done by girls, and the grown ups did Mondays. They didn’t get paid either, other than in the form of reduced school fees!

I guess when there’s a school attached to the cathedral morning rehearsals etc are logistically easier.

Yes @herbaceous this is Southwark Cathedral in London and DS is at a normal state school 45 mins away, so 3 x a week is more than enough (indeed, may be too much for him - will have to see!).

They have increased the number of services the girls are doing so in fact won’t be every Sunday - probably 3/4 - which Im
pleased about. He does enjoy it but definitely prefers violin and football!

Just want to wave at the lurker on this thread whose DD was also on tour in Bolivia......