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.

I think I need an acronyms list for this thread!

Sorry Stuntnun! Any in particular? In general
NC = national children's, followed by guess the ensemble, orchestra choir wind band brass band
NY = national youth, followed by assorted activity types from orchestra to musical theatre to all sorts of things
There's also some ES and NS - English schools and national schools...
All completely separate organisations.

And the odd BY for British Youth.

The whole extracurricular vs super curricular thing is odd IMHO as surely both show the ability to organise your time very efficiently, potentially show leadership skills, team working etc, resilience and often technical skills well in excess of age expectations. All of which surely surely are useful
indicators for a successful student?

Thanks @thirdfiddle it’s all a mystery to me! My son goes to music lessons and there’s never any mention of any other opportunities. The delights of state school education, I suppose.

We're also state school - not sure how much I'd have heard of through there directly, but from a very early stage we got them into ensembles with our local music service. Who are fabulous, and have ensembles from literally your first term of lessons beginner up. "N" things came later when that wasn't quite working socially because of the age gaps for DD. DS has found local ensembles fit both musically and socially and has had no need to look further afield.

There might be mention of London Schools Symphony Orchestra too. I'm not close enough to be up on the London orchestras but understand there are some things that are at a very high level. Our county youth orchestra is more of a grade 4/5 up.

Lsso is typically grade 8 plus . Quite well thought of. Think SLYO is also mentioned on these threads - South London Youth Orchestra- that is also well thought of and high level.

Update on the ensemble competition. They got through to the last 6 out of the original 14 who qualified but haven’t made the final 3. They’re delighted as they were the only British group to make the last 6. The 3 groups that got to the finals are mostly full time pros in their home countries. Their head of department is really happy with them. And they’ve had a great week.

That’s fantastic.

That’s amazing news @Siriusmuggle. What a fantastic achievement.

Amazing news

Thank you. I love seeing where our kids can go from starting out with primary school music lessons. Some of his mates are playing at the proms tomorrow which is mega impressive too.

That's brilliant @Siriusmuggle - wonderful stuff!

That’s great @Siriusmuggle- huge congratulations for your DS

Right think we have a recording in the bag so will submit tmw and then try to forget about it. Think likelihood of acceptance is low. Quick look at the form and already wondering how they use the answers to regularity of playing in a a big orchestra etc etc 😂😂

I don't think it's a major factor for projects, DD auditioned at 8 and didn't play in a big orchestra then.

I don't think they're using the questions for picking players. Maybe for planning tutoring - or even seating plans, makes sense to mix experienced and inexperienced particularly at the back of string sections where it's easy to feel lost if you're new to it all. Like I don't think they're using the what grade are you question to pick players, but do use it to share info back to future potential auditioners to give an idea of when it's worth having a go.

But also things like talking to potential funders: x% have never played in an orchestra before, y% from the state school system etc.

Forgetting about it is the trick. One I'm very bad at, but it's so long till the results come back you should definitely try. It's all good practice at the whole audition process and like DD's teacher said with NYO, one thing's for sure, if you don't audition you definitely won't get in. Fingers crossed for a whole new generation of MN NCO-ers!

Thanks all. Bit like lots of things, if you don’t try then you don’t even have the option of getting in 😂. Very good experience as all exams so far have been face to face.

I really hope it’ll be called just off the playing and not the other stuff. The form still has a JD down for RWCMD and that department was axed two years ago.

People who put that down should get extra points for time travelling ability.

Ha! Yeah. After the way they treated the parents and kids during that, I’m not playing along with their strange idea that one workshop a year per instrument gives them any equivalence to a junior department.

DD applied 3 times before she got a place. She had the same orchestral experience each time and the only thing that changed was her playing. So my take is that it is really their playing that counts and the rest is useful info as set out below.

Can anyone help me with instrument insurance? My DS aged 11 has been playing a loaned tenor horn at junior school but, now he’s moving to high school, I need to buy him his own instrument which apparently costs over a thousand pounds. He will need to take it on the bus to and from school and it will be left in a school music room as it’s too big for his locker. Do I need to arrange any specific type of insurance cover for it?

For insurance we use new moon (with cover in a locked vehicle) - check them and lark. Both cover accidental damage and will be pretty cheap at that value