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.

Ah tenor horn @StuntNun - I love them! Has anyone tried to encourage him to switch to French horn yet?

And do they really cost over £1k? Have you looked for second hand?

Once you add in a mouthpiece it’s just over £1000 for a decent second hand tenor horn. I don’t think he has the commitment for French horn!

Thanks for the recommendations, @northerngoldilocks

We use Lark for insurance too.

Well done to little @Siriusmuggle - a great result

We use lark for all our instruments.

I did use lark but @Comefromawaymentioned new moon on here and it was at least 10% cheaper and the terms seemed more reasonable to me. Definitely worth checking both

New Moon have a lot of ex Allianz employees working for them & seemed great on instrument insurance but they couldn’t, when I asked provide the public liability he needed.

DD is away on a music course in the US for six weeks and Lark allowed me to change just the instrument she was taking to worldwide online for a minimal fee which was very helpful to me.

Good to know. What standard was she when she first applied? It is interesting that they apply so far ahead too as all will have progressed (hopefully) before they actually turn up.

She’s violin so don’t think that it’s the same on all instruments. Probably grade 5 when she first applied for projects or weeks in yr5, then gr 6 for weeks only in year 6 (and a no both times) and then auditioned with gr 7 pieces for u13.

Lower strings here but similar otherwise

At a music festival this year we happened to hear two players playing the same piece. One young child played it like a g5 player. Loads of promise, but she'd clearly picked a challenging for her piece. The other child if I'd closed my eyes it could have been a pro playing. Same piece. Real insight into what these audition panels may be seeing and why you shouldn't rule anyone out because they're "only playing grade x pieces".

I think it's even more complex - we've heard two cellists playing the same piece, both played really well but one was Romanian with a Russian teacher as far as I remember, and the interpretation was entirely different. They were both 11-12 but it was already obvious.

That is an interesting one Uberto, but I don't think should count against either of them for orchestral auditions as they'll be given interpretation by the section tutors. I think what NYO are doing now is interesting as they will be able to really get into how well players match with a section at the in person audition days. When I did it you just had to turn up and play your solo and fiendish Derek bourgeois studies.

That’s a really good point too @thirdfiddle- definitely about how it sounds and not just the on paper standard! Anyway, auditons and competitions are fickle but all part of the overall learning experience in terms of how to approach them and how to deal with the outcome.

DD has worked hard on her audition this time so if she doesn’t get back in she will be hugely disappointed but also hopefully feel that she did her best.

I agree that it wouldn't count against anyone, and actually co-leaders at NCO have very different styles, I'm not sure how NCO plan exactly but I guess they rotate to match the style of pieces (I may be wrong as I didn't pay that much attention tbh but players are VERY different).

Yes, group auditions are always better. For smaller and louder sections like trumpets or trombones one soloist type player can really stick out, not always great for a balanced sound.

The leadership rotations at the weekly residentials are something I love about NCO. One concert DD's section entirely reversed order between the first half and the second half. I've think I've also spotted a section that rotated after every piece. It's fun, and it gives them the chance to experience different perspectives (and realise how much harder it actually is at the back!). Can certainly believe there is some style matching, from what DD says they try out all sorts of things over the week. She loves a bit of choreo, and has on more than one occasion found herself on front desk for those pieces :)

Also love how they make use of their multi-instrumentalists, with various players popping over for a bit of super impressive piano playing, and one or two other more exotic combos of string instrument plus something random that was needed for a piece or two.

Love the comments on back desk. DD was always back desk at LSSO as the conductor said he didn't trust anyone else to watch as closely. Not sure her choirmaster would have said the same.... She was also the one who was always popping up to play any weird keyboard instrument going.

One of the most talented children we know from JD was also back desk in NCO.

Has anyone heard from NYO about first round auditions yet?

No, still waiting. It should be today but
nothing yet.

Hi Sorry to jump onto this thread but is anyone waiting for NYO results today ? had nothing through seems odd as I’m sure it’s today.

Check your account. I can see but was waiting for the email to confirm. Might just have to get her to look!

Nothing here either via email. Should it be somewhere in the portal? DD has looked there but nothing to be seen.

We have received now. No for us sadly.