Conservatoires and Saturday orchestra experience

[Frumpylab]

Can anyone advise. We are London. Son wants to apply for percussion at a conservatoire. Currently year 11. He does loads of music extra curricula at school and goes to CYM on Saturday mornings. Is CYM (affiliated with guildhall) 'enough' , or do people think he will be disadvantaged when applying in year 13. I guess I am wondering whether we should pull out all the stops and do one of the royal academy type orchestra places for year 12, or is school orchestras / ensembles and CYM ensemble enough?

I don’t think he will be disadvantaged.
He is involved with lots of things as you say.

(I’m a professional orchestral player not a teacher but have many colleagues who’ve been through this with their kids).

I know of quite a few CYM kids who go to conservatoire. Maybe ask them for input.

if you are thinking of JRAM OR Junior Academy though they usually want 2 years minimum so it’s the time to do it

Sorry - by ‘them’ I meant speak to the tutor or head of dept at CYM

The young people I know who are/were at conservatoires have all been made offers on the basis of their auditions, not the music provision they access. I know some who are at conservatoires having attended junior departments since they were quite young, some who have joined at sixth form and a number who have only ever had instrumental lessons at school and have taken part in extra curricular music.

If your son feels as though he needs a wider range of percussion experience, London is a great place to be a young musician. Depending on the ensembles he already plays with, he could look at organisations such as NYJO and Tomorrow's Warriors but also community brass bands.

He'll be fine. My DC plays in an orchestra alongside several people holding conservatoire offers for September who don't go to a junior department.

I would say though that trying junior conservatoire in Y12 does give a really good insight into what's it's like to study there - including juggling all the academic music stuff alongside solo and ensemble work. Lots of people join in Y12 for that reason to see if they think they want to apply to conservatoire proper.
Conservatoire JDs are covered by the MDS funding scheme, and have additional scholarships if you don't fall under that - we got a chunky discount via scholarships when we had two there at once.

Thanks so much all - really helpful insight. Its a whole new world for us!

I don't think he will be disadvantaged if his teacher is up to speed on what is required. You wouldn't really 'get the benefit' in regards to application for the final year of the JD though as auditions are so early in the year ( November usually). It's quite common at ours to do a gap year and stay on, giving time to work, more practice and prepare for auditions to get in best position for starting. Mine have loved it but it sounds like CYM is providing lots that you would get at a JD anyway. There's lots of experienced parents on the extra curricular music thread if you want further insight.