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.

@678socks of course! It did take place in the Guildhall school so I guess there would be that familiarity with the premises, but there was no overlap in terms of teaching staff and the standard was obviously lower than anyone attending a JD. It was perfect for what I wanted which was something easily accessible and fun and very easy for us to get to, as I think DS is still too young for a residential, which opens up a lot more options.

When looking at opportunities they weren't sure about, our take was, well you'll 100% not be able to go if you don't explore it and maybe apply for an audition. You may not get in, you may get a place and decide not to take it up, that's fine (although just check you actually can pull out with no cost, as I think with NYO at least if you get a live audition and pull out without a doctor's note you gave to pay).
Lots of music courses clash, and often mean missing school. I'm fairly relaxed if I think it's something worthwhile I just write to the school. They either approve it as educational or don't but as we don't have fines here it doesn't matter! Mine is missing four days in the first three weeks of school for an orchestra thing and an audition.

@678socks It's tricky with deciding what level of course they benefit from, usually I think one where the majority of players are more experienced but also can be a confidence boost to be one of the better ones. You learn best when stretched but not overwhelmed. Or it can be frustrating if you are streets ahead of the others ( although this teaches other skills like patience and leadership)
@amr78 I m sorry to hear about the various pressures you have. Music will always be there for our children throughout their lives I think, in whatever form. I hope you find a way through to the next step. Building their confidence and resilience is so important, whatever that looks like for them at each stage.

Can't believe we are getting ready to go back to school here ( Scotland!). A busy start to the term for everyone, so hitting the ground running. Concerts to attend, and play in and auditions to prep for. Am determined to actually practice more myself as well.
If you have younger kids trying to decide on an instrument, have a watch of some of the proms on TV, great for seeing the action. We loved the Respighi one and will also watch the NYO one when we can all watch together ( if we get an evening!)

Hi
My DD has got through to second round audition for NYO does anyone have any experiences of what the day is like from their DC?
I don’t think she will get any further but wants to enjoy the day and meet new people.

Mine found it a really positive day. Even if you don't get through, it's a good experience I think. For wind players anyway they had their individual audition where they played their pieces and excerpts. They will ask questions about the excerpts, so need to know what is happening in the rest of the orchestra. Do this by listening with the score. Then there is a chamber playing time, mine already has the music for this. Then I think there was some group discussion and some improvisation.

Thank you ☺️ that’s really helpful. She doesn’t like improvisation but I will get her to practice having ago beforehand.

I'm not sure there's anything you can prepare for the improvisation, just be prepared to go with the flow!

@horseymum also loved the Respighi! Lots of my friends were in it - a brilliant concert! I also watched the NYO prom
with DH and thought it was fantastic. Loved the Ades which I’d never heard - seemed a great choice for such a big and young orchestra! Haven’t shown it to the kids yet as it was on after their bedtime, but think they will love it too.

Such a shame that more aren’t on tv. I cannot believe they didn’t televise the Aurora Mahler which I was gutted to miss out on.

Hope the back to school goes well. We haven’t had our summer holiday yet!

We went to the NYO prom. The Ades was incredible!

I'm gutted about the Mahler too, love seeing the Aurora orchestra. We saw them live in the Edinburgh International festival last year. This year we saw NYO USA, who were fab.

@herbaceous I see that Liverpool is in clearing at BCC for Music. I'm sure you know this but it's definitely useful to look at clearing this year to get a feel for how and if grades drop, and for how long courses remain open. Obviously it could be different another year, but this year looks a lot like last at the moment. We (almost) "knew" for example that Bangor and Royal Holloway would have places and that they would be well below tariff, because this was a pattern over several years.

I mention RH and Bangor as they are good quality courses, not because they were odd in that they were in clearing. Almost everyone is in clearing nowadays, for almost all courses. But there may be only one or two places, or they may be tens and tens. And some places are only up for hours - some never go away, they stay open until students turn up in September. There are 'bargains' to be had all over the place. Courses are only a 'bargain' if they suit the student of course - but they and/or you may find it reassuring to see just how much is available.

Can I add to that - if grades aren't what was expected and or a DC wishes they'd applied to conservatoire - some offer a "last minute" round of auditions. I know someone in DC's year at school who got into RAM after missing their uni offers. Conservatoire places are often a back up for Oxbridge candidates who then drop them if they get the grades meaning that there might be space for a suitable candidate.

Exciting new in the Sirius house. The kid has got an audition for a professional orchestra job. He’s seeing it as purely good audition experience rather than actually standing a chance. It would be a great job except it’s part time and based in London and he’s currently midlands based but trying to move back up north! But he’s done well to get to try.

That’s amazing news @Siriusmuggle. Best of luck to him.

Amazing, well done! So hard to even get an audition. I know some orchestras really drag it out as well. I hope the experience goes well and you never know.

Getting to audition is a great achievement @Siriusmuggle. Hope it’s a good experience for him.

Wow, huge congratulations! @Siriusmuggle

@horseymum Thank you so much for mentioning the NYO portal last month; it saved my sanity as DD had been messaging all day for news updates from her residential!! We haven’t received any chamber music here yet. Was it sent by email? Wondering whether we need to request… Also does anyone know what the acceptance rate is from the final round assessments day - to manage expectations! Thank you!

Getting the music through was new for us, when older child did it, they didn't get any so it might depend on the section. This time it's a well known chorale for her instrument, but I guess it could be anything. They are looking for you to give it a good try though so if they have chosen not to send it for their section, it will be the same for everyone. I have no idea on percentages, they don't publish anything like that. Very tentative guess on there maybe being three days and how many were at her day, maybe a third to a quarter but I wouldn't want to be quoted on that at all. I also think it would be different numbers for each section. I don't think they would find 20 tubas to audition so higher chance there! Probably those who go into it relaxed with an eye to learning something will do best. They also do other things during the year and invite some people as residency guests so some things come up during the year. Often at short notice and impossible to plan for so you may even get some other opportunities.

Good luck to young Sirius.

It's a quiet time for ds at the moment. He played at a wedding last weekend. The happy couple must love theatre as they had a small orchestra and choir. It sounded fabulous from the videos.

He is waiting to do some demo rcording for a new theatre show (all hinges on availability of the guest singers. Then he has a couple of low grass roots pop gigs with a singer he sometimes works plus I thin there is an amdram show he is playing for soon. The it will be onto panto in November.

We haven’t had any ensemble music either. Mine’s on harp. They said something about them playing the extracts all together?

Good luck to those with audition days. Dd is on day 4 of 4 for helping at her little orchestra. She fixed four cello bridges and did one re-string in the first two days - the little ones treat their instruments like furniture sometimes!
She has orchestra residential next week. Some tricky pieces (I think everyone hates Bartok!) so she’ll have to do some last minute practicing this weekend.

She’s still waiting for the results of her g7 singing performance exam that she sent in last month. Nothing on the abrsm website as of this morning. Seems a long wait!

Congrats and best of luck to your DS @Siriusmuggle !

@CurlyParsley thanks for the tip! He's actually gone off Liverpool as an insurance option, and would rather use those places with Birmingham or Glasgow, as they are 'better', in his mind.

But good to have options in case even those don't work out! Main draw of Liverool, apart from grooviness of city, is the excellent choral scholar deal.

Just dared to look at the NCO YouTube link thingy without actually watching it. It has been watched 3 times I presume by them
(we checked it once). So would guess that everyone who needs to has seen it and now we just wait. Good luck to everyone dealing with uni decisions etc