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.

got the email. Got through to next round only just I think, as they said her excerpts need a bit more dynamics and steady tempo throughout so not sure about next round as this is first time.

Can I join? Well done to all those through to NYO next round. I’ve just received an email saying my DD is through to next round of NYO auditions (brass). She’s 13 and first time auditioning so quite new here. We’re currently away in a caravan in the middle of nowhere so can’t access all the clicky links about the audition itself as Dropbox seems to want Wi-Fi to open anything. For those who have done NYO before how have you found the commitment alongside school? - my DD is going into Y10 next year. I know absolutely nothing is guaranteed at this stage, but want to go into this next section of audition eyes open (honestly didn’t think she’d get a second audition).

Well done too, we haven’t done this before so not sure what to expect ( violin ). I didn’t think she would get through to next round and she doesn’t have a lot of time to practice and prepare as we are away on holiday and she is also doing a weeks residential last week in August!

We’re away a lot too and he got through. I’m now a bit ‘Do you have time to do enough music this summer owing to the amount of time you are away doing, um, music?’

Mine finally checked her phone to get her news of getting to next round, think she surprised herself! I've had one in previously so happy to answer any questions I can. The audition day has several parts, your pieces, the excerpts, group playing and some group chatting. A whole day helps them to settle into it. You definitely don't need to be super outgoing in the talking.
It's a big commitment if you get in ( time and finance), I'm sure it's about 40 days in total with inspire things and schools tours as well as the actual residentials. They need to be really organised about studying but they provide study facilities. It was great for my middle one, really developed confidence and independence.
Do impress on them the need to know the excerpts really well, and everything else that's happening around your part. Easy to do now with imslp scores or YouTube with rolling scores.
We built our holidays around residential and concert dates but it was so much fun.

Also even putting a video in, or getting to next round is still an achievement, even if they don't get further. You'll be heartily Sick of the pieces by September!!

Congrats to people through to next round of NYO - auditions sound very intense!

DS is doing his little orchestra course at guildhall this week - feeling a bit apprehensive about it as he won’t know anyone but I’m sure he’ll enjoy it once he’s there.

@678socks other than 2 x Benedetti sessions this will be the first time he’s played in an ensemble of any kind so won’t be going down as an experienced orchestral player on his NCO audition form or whatever they ask about…we still haven’t got round to doing the video as DH is away. It’s blatantly going to be a rush at the last minute!

@Compsearch they ask if they regularly play in an orchestra of above or below 21 members I think from memory

NYO yes for DD too. That's already a bonus as far as we're concerned, really surprised and encouraged. She's taking it the way I hoped she would as she'll give her pieces her best shot but mostly treat the assessment day as a fun day out.

Not for us either. Second rejection and I don’t think he’ll try again. He’s so much better as a player than last year, we thought there was a chance. Such a shame as he loved Nco and we thought he had a chance with a semi minority instrument. I sometimes think this music thing is a bit too much for us and maybe it’s time to stop spending so much time on it now and concentrate on academics!

Congrats all to those through to the next round with NYO. DS9 is reading over my shoulder and asking when he can audition. I pointed out it's a different country, and another 2 years until he can do his first auditions for the national secondary schools' orchestra.

Question about residentials: is there any kind of intermediate level of residential between non-residential Suzuki workshops where Mum carries the instrument, music, stand, bags, etc and practically carries the gormless vague child from one class to the next; and sending the child off to something for a week where they're expected to manage themselves entirely?

DS is too gormless and vague (AuDHD and probably dyspraxic) to sort out keeping to a timetable on his own, let alone managing carrying a cello, music, stand, bag etc (he still can't even get the cello on his back or walk more than a few metres with it). He has got so far beyond the local kids at Suzuki workshops they've become pointless, musically. He would LOVE to go on music residentials in the UK or other, closer-nearby large countries, but he's too immature. He's also nearly at the age where he'd be expected to cope with managing himself and all his belongings. Has anyone else ever had to deal with this?

Musically he can cope without input - he can do chamber music, lead the cellos in an orchestra with no help, and can act like an organ scholar with no help; it's just carrying the instrument, getting from one room to another, packing, unpacking, remembering where he has to be next etc that he can't cope with... and if made to try, is then too spent by lunchtime to even be able to eat and just sits there and cries... I've tried to make him more independent the last few Suzuki workshops and it's been miserable.

@nearlyfinishedmusicparent sorry to hear that. It feels horrible for them and you. I remember mine getting her second rejection from a different orchestra and it wasn't fun. I think they have to accept that anything with auditions/ competitions are really hard and sometimes feel unfair or the 'wrong' result. I hope he can bounce back from this. The vast majority of those who apply won't get an audition ( they are limited by space and money), so he's in good company. I hope it doesn't put him off trying for hard things. There are so many other opportunities around the country. I think last year people shared some of the different options. For lots of kids, music alongside academics gives a good balance of focus and relaxation. Hopefully he can find something creatively satisfying that fits in with other aspirations and doesn't feel like giving up.

@DitheringMusicParent I don't think mine went to music residentials until about age 13, so don't feel too hard on yourselves if you don't think he'd cope yet. There's a lot to cope with when away. We have always found the pastoral staff to be amazing but they won't be able to offer one to one support. When he's a bit older, you could approach an organisation to see how they support children who need extra support. You'll get a feeling from how they answer that.
If you are able to travel to the UK, look at the Benedetti foundation, they do single day workshops or sometimes non residential weekends where they are separated by ability. You could gradually step back the support you provide over a weekend. Lots on here have done NCO, so you could ask people about the support there.

Thanks @horseymumwith a levels this year it feels like the end of applying for all these things to an extent - I always hoped that being post grade 8 would lead to opportunities and find it crazy that it doesn’t seem to. I think we will focus on the uni grades for a while now as the mocks were not stellar and then see what form music takes later on. Good luck to everyone doing audition prep over the summer

Dithering - yes definitely agree with horsey ask what they can do to help. Orgs will really go out of their way to be inclusive, you might be surprised how much support they can offer.

What has he done in terms of pre residential activities? DD did residentials quite young but a lot of the setup was already familiar from weekly string ensembles, and one offs like day workshops, non residential weekends etc. DS wasn't interested till early teens anyway.

Even the residentials in the UK, some of them have a option of attending as a non residential pupil, is that the case near you? Might take the pressure off him and staff if you can scoop him up at the end of the day.

I guess the first thing is thinking what it is he would want to do from a musical perspective, then investigate.

I think how your child is at 9 is often not necessarily an indication of how they will cope at 13. Most residential courses aren’t for younger than 11 ish anyway so he has a bit of time. Executive function is tricky but having clear routines helps and reminders. My DS used to constantly lose things (no ND diagnosis though) but has improved massively. Gets worse when they’re stressed though.

in terms of moving around with instruments and having to manage a timetable I think lots of residentials might not be an issue on that front- instruments tend to be left in one place and there is lots of clear direction on where to go next.

NCO is good on this stuff but you’d need to check eligibility if not in the Uk- Uk citizen or live / school here. You could also look at things like Wells summer courses, some of the younger kids seem to stay locally and attend as day students if that would help.

Also @DitheringMusicParent, he’s nine! I don’t know many children that age who can cope with the organisational demands you speak of, ND or otherwise.

Congrats to all with auditions and commiserations to those who haven't got them. Sounds like lots of prep to do now!

@nearlyfinishedmusicparent I must admit to being a bit sad that DD didn't even have a go this time - in the same vein this year is the end for all of that and now we'll never know if she'd have got through the first round.

But I learned long ago that I cannot make her do things she doesn't want to (she turned down a place in the main NCO for example) and she was adamant on this one.

There will be opps at uni for music whatever he does, given he is post grade 8. Especially if his instrument is rarer. But i know what you mean about it being the end of an era.

I think, notwithstanding all the amazing kids I've been hearing about on this thread, it would have been hard for DD2 to have done it round year 13 stuff next year anyhow.

Her mocks were pretty impressive, but there is a lot of work that goes in to keeping her grades high - it's not as effortless for her as it clearly is for lots of the NYO kids!

English and History are not things you can do without a lot of reading and research no matter how talented you are. Getting glandular fever at the end of her school year really frightened her as suddenly she was having to 'ration' her energy and the school insisted it was all spent on playing when she wanted to make sure she could also do the academic stuff (I think she was prouder of her programme notes for Rach Symphonic Dances than she was her bassoon performance for instance).

She's gone in for LSSO sectionals today taking Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf to read on the train - she's doing his poetry for coursework but 'feels she should understand his work as a translator too'.

Last night she dragged us to the Proms for Beethoven 9 where she earnestly explained how he subverted the symphony to us and anyone around us who would listen. But at the same time informed me she had no desire to be down there playing it.

What do you do with a child like that? I really have no idea how to help direct her for uni - nowhere will let her study music and english at the level she wants both together (perhaps Durham?), and it sounds like since she isn't an NYO/national figure skating/competition winning type, she might not be Oxbridge material.

Guess we just wait and see what she picks. I'd like her to take a gap year (she's late summerborn) but she won't.

achangeofnameisasgoodasarest she sounds very much the Oxbridge type to me - genuinely interested in her subjects and knowing her own mind. It's a wonderful place to study something else and play lots of music, if that is a direction that would interest her.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - I think she is the ideal Oxbridge candidate - engaged, interested in the academics and able to cram so much in and still achieve so she can demonstrate that she can handle the independent work load.

@DitheringMusicParent maybe look at a first residential that isn't so much of a challenge musically? The Royal School of Church Music do a residential course in Bath that takes younger choristers. He can try out the residential side without having to worry about the organisation and the lugging instruments around. You could also flag up to them that he is learning and interested in the organ and they might let him sit in on some of the organ scholar sessions (they are for older teens applying for Oxbridge). DD did staffing on one of these courses and she would have been happy to let him have a go on eg accompanying a bit of a morning sectional on piano. They are quite regimented with herding the younger boys and girls so it would be less stressful than an orchestra course for a first go. And you could have a week staying in Bath so you were near at hand......

I think you’re being a bit silly @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - she probably is an NYO type, but just didn’t audition! She’s at an excellent school, sounds like being very well supported across the board, and sounds exactly like the people I described - wide range of interests. It’s all a lottery anyway though - I’m sure I’ll be similarly stressed out when my kids are old enough.

Gap year could always come if she ends up wanting to have a rethink/another go. I went to conservatoire in mine which was brilliant (having deferred uni).

Durham has a combined arts degree that’s meant to be good, and Oxford has dual arts degrees but I don’t think music can be one of them though haven’t checked recently. A few of DH’s students at the JD are applying to US unis though - partly because they can do a wider range of things there and partly because (he gets the sense) they are veing directed there by their private schools who see it as a safer bet than Oxbridge.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest- I reckon she’d thrive at Oxbridge. She’s a busy bee and they like that. No good if the course doesn’t tick the boxes though of course!
When we looked at Durham dd (going for a stem subject) was thrilled to learn she could take one module from any other department (timetabling permitting) so she was hopeful for a music performance module, mfl or classics all of which were on offer. Maybe an option?

@Compsearch I'm sure I am silly - it's a stressful time (even third time round) trying to get them to find a uni and course that will suit them. The financial outlay attached to getting it wrong nowadays makes it even worse. A gap year is a good idea.

But I really mean that she wouldn't have handled both NYO (even auditioning, no matter getting in) and her A Level year at the same time, but these teens obviously can! They must be so organised and resilient. She would have just been overstressed and worried.

Durham has a bit more flex @QueenMabby - I agree that it looks good and it is high on the list for DD. I did joint honours myself because I couldn't make up my mind so I understand the desire to do lots of different things. Especially for your DD with so many interests.

DD informs me there's no way she'll look at a US uni in the current climate. Interesting that others are though.

@DitheringMusicParent has he done short residentials that aren't musical? DDs used to do PGL - so I could use my childcare vouchers. At least that way he'd see if he enjoyed staying away from home with no pressure.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarestmine is summer born too and we also have a level history in the mix. It’s really hard work isn’t it? He came from
a low gcse (was allowed to take history as did well in English lit) and mocks still have room for improvement but slowly ticking up. The nea is a lot of work so this will be the focus over next few months. Royal Holloway has a lot of joint courses with music and choral/orchestra scholarships - it’s not oxbridge but a strong music department nonetheless, I don’t know if they do joint with english though. And of course a lot of pro musicians don’t study music at undergraduate level and just do conservatoire masters!