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.

Is Keighly Harmony still a thing (I remember doing that)

Music festival all done, three studies (one voice) all done in one week, not sure I want to repeat that but the cello was a good dry run for grade 5 tmw. Not sure I would want two post grade 5 exams in the same exam session to be honest. We have done lower grades and that was ok but not again I think. Got to get one child through grade 5 theory before September but he is brilliant at it. Assuming tmw goes as planned then the other needs to get a move on because she has only just started grade 4 theory as she finds it very challenging. Think of us tmw, school play with a singing solo in the morning and then cello at the end of the day. In theory she should get a distinction but who knows…..she will be very disappointed if she doesn’t (and I know that some JD’s seem to require it). Mind you especially given the brexit chat I am not sure how sensible encouraging a music career is these days….but she is 9 thankfully so at the moment I can just say ‘follow your dreams’.

@678socksthat sounds like a tough week and good luck for tomorrow! I can feel the hesitancy with regards to a music career. I’ve frankly given up trying to persuade DS to consider other things as a career. He’s so stubborn! So I’m with you on the “follow your dream” thing. I just naively hope things will work it out by themselves and maybe worry about it when he’s much older…

Thank you, yes two concerts this weekend too and then all done. I think that is a good plan, we have a very long way to go so a lot could change. But at the same time I don’t feel ok about really discouraging something where there is a huge love and clearly an abundance of talent (I am a piano teacher so not just making assumptions). But there are many many talented children out there and I don’t have a ‘Sheku’ in my house I know that.

Tough week for DD2 who took two exams on consecutive days -an ARSM diploma and a grade 8. Neither on her first study so she only has half an hour lessons on each.

Merit on the flute diploma (44) which she's mildly irritated about, and a 116 pass on grade 8 singing.

Don't think she's completely delighted, but I am just so pleased they're done. A lot of work to do two in a session - especially given all her ensemble work is on a completely different instrument.

Onwards and upwards.

Either of those results would be impressive @achangeofnameisasgoodasarestbut on second and third studies on consecutive days they’re phenomenal!

Huge congratulations @achangeofnameisasgoodasareston the impressive results - they’re not even her first study! She must be all round so talented!

Well done to her. Hope she can get over her disappointment and realise that it is a really great achievment.

Congratulations @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - seriously impressive!

And well done/good luck to yours @678socks. I really need to get DS doing some theory! He’s done nothing formal so far so really need to get a move on.

@678socks, as a non musician I know so
little about a musician’s life that it feels scary. But I agree with you there’s no point discouraging someone’s love and talent. We’ll just follow them and see what happens.

It's only one day a week but ds has accepted a job working as an accompanist on one of the degree courses (with extra ad hoc hours when they do performances & assessments.)

@Comefromaway excellent news - building up quite the portfolio career!

I'm sure she'll get over it. It was a decision to take both of these this term so they are out of the way so she can take the 'important' ARSM (bassoon) next term without distraction. So it's done the job.

One mark below a distinction is gutting, but someone has to get that and she only has half an hour a week lessons on each.

Congrats @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest ! It's good to get the exams out of the way.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest wow, just wow, that is an enormous achievement!! As a parent I just quail at the idea of getting a child through that lot.
Accompanist work is fabulous, such good training.
Thanks everyone, the solo was great this morning so just fingers crossed for later on!

DS passed his grade 5 theory with distinction - 71 marks out of 75 - so he can take his grade 6 piano as planned in June. What a relief, those online exams are a PITA, I think I would rather sit in an exam room for two hours like the old days.

@StuntNun brilliant news! Well done to him and a fab score

congrats to your DS @StuntNunexcellent news!

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest- that’s an amazing result. Well done your dd. To do that on two consecutive days for second and third study is an incredible achievement.

@StuntNun - great result for your ds too. Well done!

Why is Bach either amazingly brilliant or absolutely awful? Dd is having a “bad Bach” day today - lots of crashing down on the piano keys!

@StuntNun fabulous news! Totally agree, much preferred the old way. DD came out of her exam feeling very despondent so I don’t have a good feeling. Should hear tonight though. Hope she and I are wrong as she is going to be bitterly disappointed otherwise. Worked her socks off and was easily capable of high marks in all areas.

She did it, very nice distinction! Lovely reward for a lot of hard work.

Well done on the exam results. Seriously impressive.

Congratulations to your DD @678socks- is that Trinity where you get results the same day? Nice not to have to wait - even though ABRSM are so much quicker now it’s still torture!

@678socks Well done to your DD on her exam result. What a week she has had!

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest that’s a fantastic result on the diploma but I can see that it’s frustrating to miss the distinction by one mark. It’s so easy to get bogged down in the mindset of always expecting a distinction for everything and forget that a good pass at grade 8 is still a fantastic result.

My DS is celebrating his theory result by trying to forget all the theory he learned as he won’t need it again. My suggestion that he and I could take grade 6 together was not well received!

really good news @678socks - sounds like she really worked for it! And thanks @StuntNun - she'll be fine with it - she wasn't actually even expecting to get a merit, so it's just the closeness that's annoyed her. We have made the appropriate fuss (from afar) and sent her a card with the ARSM letters after her name (which is what it's all about when you're a teen, right?)

achangeofnameisasgoodasarest merit on a diploma is bloody brilliant in my book. Let alone on a second instrument on half an hour a week - congratulations!
And 678socks DD congrats too.

Just one grade 8 exam for DD this term. Which is more than enough for us. The aural tests :o I don't remember them being that hard when I did mine, maybe my brain has gone downhill since my teens.