Autumn / Winter music thread - 2026/2027

[northerngoldilocks]

Time for a new thread for the new school year!

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.

NCO was end of Oct in recent years and last year was a little earlier. It’s just this year they’ve changed the wording slightly but perhaps just to give flexibility

Ah that’s interesting @northerngoldilocks - suspect will mean results are later. DS has thankfully completely forgotten about it and it’s just the weekends for him so time commitment is limited, so doesn’t really matter to us, but I can see must be logistically difficult with other courses and holidays etc for the residentials.

I’m hoping it’s just that loads of people contacted them to ask where results were in Oct last year so being more vague avoids this! However, the lack of a late auditions announcement yet makes me think I’m clutching at straws though. Guess will find out in the next month or so!

Yeah, my eldest has done his NYO recall. Said he made some mistakes so isn’t massively confident. And he’s pretty sure the others are diploma etc. But he came home really happy, with a massive smile on his face. He absolutely loved the day so am chalking that up as a win. They really did that day well.

(Also waiting on NCO for the youngest. 😬)

My ds is in Y13 and undecided about studying music or some kind of engineering. He knows the RNCM pretty well and can’t see himself studying there, however we have just visited Leeds Conservatoire and he’s really excited by their Classical Music course. He’s never going to be a soloist, but for a portfolio musical career, does it matter which conservatoire is attended? I have no idea about these things!

The closing date for most conservatoire courses is 1st October, with auditions coming any time after that- more likely November. Would he be ready for that or would a gap year help? Mine got told only do it if you can't see yourself doing anything else as it's tough going at times. But also a privilege to spend lots of time doing what you enjoy. I guess there are lots of people still undecided at this point though, so it's hard. Often kids good at music are hard working and disciplined so could do a few different things. Each audition costs money as well so it's not a neutral decision to say just apply to a few and see how you feel. You can hold offers from unis and conservatoires though so can put the decision off further.

Might be worth seeing if he could have a consultation lesson with someone at Leeds to discuss his chances and the course? DD had lessons with profs at RCM and RBC before applying which helped nail her thinking down a bit (and meant she had to record her pieces separately for each as the profs wanted different things - she was not popular at school!!!)

Consultation lesson is a good idea - do we just email the relevant person and ask?

He is going to speak to his instrument and music A level teachers this week and see what they think. He was debating taking a year out to decide what to do, but the person giving the talk on Classical music at Leeds was encouraging people to apply even if they couldn’t get their applications in before Oct 1st, and also stressed that they would be happy to hear G7 level pieces played at audition (which is free at Leeds). So this has suddenly opened up a choice which wasn’t there before.

@Fishlegs what does your DS play and what does he have in mind by “portfolio career”? It’s a tough old world out there and increasingly difficult to get work, even for those coming from top conservatoires. I’d really press Leeds on their leavers destinations and see if that lines up with what your DS might be interested in doing. Such low audition requirements would probably concern rather than reassure me.

I’d also say that it’s always possible to apply to conservatoire for postgrad even if you haven’t gone for undergrad, so it’s not now or never, as long as he can keep up his practice alongside engineering (which might be tricky!), or a gap year could be a good idea.

I sympathise a lot as struggled to decide myself and ended up applying for a real hotch potch of things and then going to both in the end.

Happy new term all! DD2 is firmly back in school - Ucas statement(s) both nearly done, up to her ears in coursework. But seems to also have the first lunchtime concert of the term so she's got to prepare for that as well. She is apparently now also running the school's academic music seminars, so was frantically preparing a powerpoint on how to write programme notes along with her own programme notes this weekend.

Trip to Cambridge colleges open day on Friday was illuminating, where she met musicians like her who are struggling to choose between music and other subjects. AND she changed her mind on which college to apply to. Which is fine except that she sang for the DoM of the other one and hasn't for this one. She'll just have to take her chance. We definitely prefer the new choice but she knows it's a lottery either way.

Good luck to all whatever stage you're at - musical careers do sound terrifying but also amazing. Having spoken to lots of just graduated cambridge students on Friday I'm not convinced that even a sparkling degree from a top uni is making things easy right now. They are all struggling, no matter the subject. Who knows what the answer is for our young people.

We were at the open day on Friday too! Are even more confused now... But having looked round more colleges it seems they are all totally amazing, and if he were to be pooled it would all work out fine.

The question is does he go for Kings or St John's, which have amazing world-class choirs, CDs, tours etc and would set him up for life but he would have no time for anything else, including drama which he loves, or something like Clare or Jesus which has good choirs but 'only' three or four services a week.

If he even gets an offer, that is...

Best of luck @herbaceous and @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest!

I think everyone ends up loving their own college - I don’t think you can go wrong. @herbaceous you prob know this but eg Trinity and Clare choirs also have tours, CD recordings etc (I’m less familiar with Jesus) and a very full schedule for the choir - obviously they have women rather than boys so for female singers I think they are (or at least were) among the top choices and extremely well regarded.

Maybe the feel of the college itself could help swing the choir choice as they’re all quite different? My friend is DoM at one of the ones you mentioned so if you have any specific qs feel free to DM me!

@Incertus would your friend know anything about the need for Grade 8 theory? We spoke to the admissions director at one college who was adamant that almost all students have it as WELL as A Level music and that the other colleges only didn't mention it because they 'weren't being transparent'. Then the others told us that practically nobody has it and they're teaching harmony virtually from scratch in some cases.

DD does not have grade 8 theory. Nor is she likely to get it in time. But she is learning to harmonise and would at least have a stab at a chorale.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest I will ask him about applicants to his college specifically. I know it’s not true that everyone has it though because a different friend teaches a harmony course over the summer for Music offer holders, which aims to get everyone up to speed with the harmony standards required - this would definitely not be necessary if they all had grade 8 - he was telling me that there is a massive range, which is more consistent with what the second person told you.

However - and this is pure supposition on my part - I wouldn’t be surprised if applicants at specialist and/or private schools were perhaps held to a higher standard than those at state schools with poor music offerings (Music has v low nos of state school applicants as it is) - and it might also vary a lot between colleges (which is why I will ask my friend about his - one of the most competitive for Music, though they always pool loads so it doesn’t harm overall chances).

Thank you so much - that's useful to know - and yes, I think holding them to higher standard is fair - it is night and day what is offered, though she's only been there since year 10. This admissions officer certainly hadn't asked what type of school DD went to when he answered me though.

There isn't a grade 6 plus theory class at DD's school - very much all about the playing - but there is a harmony class, which she does attend (often on her own!). All intel very very gratefully received.

I’ve texted my friend so will report back! It is bonkers what some people say - I didn’t apply for Music in the end back in the day because one of the Directors of Music told me I needed to have grade 8 piano, which was also not true.

I think you can only go by the published requirements - would seem ridiculously unfair if they had some secret extra hurdle they didn’t tell you about, as well as being inherently unlikely given how few people actually do grade 8 theory.

There’s no magic to graded theory exams vs the harmony lessons your DD is having though - the fact that that is available to her is an incredible advantage, and better yet if no one else shows up so she’s getting it 1-1!

@Incertus thanks so much that’s so useful! I’ve tried to get my head round what music theory actually is but it makes my head spin- i didn’t even understand when she did grade 5. What a shame someone told you the wrong thing- though it sounds like it all worked out in the end.

I thought grade 8 theory was an acceptable alternative to A level music for admissions. Not an addition!

Me too @herbaceous - but I was clear it was as well (she is doing the A Level). Prob just misinformation. I was cheered by the fact the music student she clicked with most had taught herself piano to the requisite grade 5 (like DD) and didn't have grade 8 theory either.

Anyhow, as I tell her, it is just one choice of five and she'd love Durham/Manchester etc too. It's just lovely seeing them excited about the next stage isn't it.

Though in all cases she needs to knuckle down and get the grades!

Dd also applying to Cambridge albeit not for music. She’s picked her college based on many things but a significant factor was a choir that sang no more than three times a week to give her some breathing space!
Assuming she gets an offer of course. It’s been tricky finding unis that are good for her STEM subject that also have good co-curricular music and we’ve been focusing on unis that also offer music or music adjacent degrees as they have better and wider societies.

St Andrews doesn't offer music degrees but has a good music department. At one point they had a bassoon octet!

Hello, I’m new to the classical music world and am looking for a community to support us through the next few years. 💖

my son is in Yr12 and has recently expressed an interest in pursuing music as a career (his primary instrument is tuba but he also plays drums, piano, baritone horn and sings). We spoke to his school who recommended applying to junior academies and he starts at RCMJD next week.

hopefully I’m in the right place 🤞
I look forward to chatting

My son did. Tbh he was shocked and over the moon to get to recall stage so anything more will be a bonus 🥰 Which instrument does your DC play?

@NervesAreShot Welcome! I've learnt so much from this group of people. Congratulations to your so on getting into the JD. What does he fancy doing with music, there are lots of options?
Glad he enjoyed the NYO audition, my youngest was just delighted to get one step further than last time and really enjoyed the day.