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Original poster

Private violin lessons

23 replies

maggiethecat · 09/02/2011 23:59

Thought I had posted but message disappeared.

Dd1 currently at grade 3 violin. Will be in P4 in August when we move to E/burgh. Primaries start instrument lessons in P4 so she will not fit into groups even if she were to go to highest ability group for schools we are considering.

Not sure that we want to consider specialist music school for her yet so would really need to find private teacher for her in August.

Have googled to find out if there is a music service but did not come up with anything.

As always, all info gladly received.

OP posts:

austenreader · 10/02/2011 01:10

Not sure what age P4 is but as you're in Edinburgh you might look at the Junior Music Academy at RSAMD when she gets to around grade 5. www.rsamd.ac.uk/academyworks/jr/

I'm sure it's as wonderful as the equivalent junior school at the Royal Northern in Manchester.

You could always give the Director a ring and ask him/her to recommend a violin teacher. I'll bet some of the RSAMD teachers take on private pupils.

Original poster

maggiethecat · 10/02/2011 09:57

Will do that, thank you.

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austenreader · 10/02/2011 11:31

If she's too young yet for the Saturday school you could consider it later if she looks like heading towards music in a big way.

When you add up the costs of perhaps two instrumental teachers, a theory teacher, orchestra fees and accompanists for exams (plus your time and fuel to get her to the lessons several evenings a week) it makes sense to pay one fee and get it all under one roof.

Original poster

maggiethecat · 10/02/2011 21:31

This sounds a bit like Guildhall saturday music classes which is highly regarded.

It's something that I would think of for future but not sure how it would work since it's in Glasgow.

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austenreader · 11/02/2011 00:56

Sorry. Sheer ignorance on my part. I thought it was in Edinburgh. But yes, it is much the same sort of thing as Guildhall, RCM, RNCM and others offer.

When DD was 15-18 she used to hop on a train to Junior RNCM in Manchester. Many travelled much further than her - from Cumbria, Leicestershire, North Wales and so on. She absolutely revelled in the whole experience and I, as a non-musician, could rest easy that she was getting the best possible teaching and guidance.
Many start much younger than that though. DD was a late developer!

You could also try the ABRSM parents' forum and ask if anyone can recommend a violin teacher in Edinburgh.
www.abrsm.org/forum/index.php?showforum=4

austenreader · 11/02/2011 01:04

And she used to get out of bed happily at 6.30 every Saturday morning to catch that train. Getting up for the 8.15 bus to school Monday to Friday was a different matter entirely!

BaroqueAroundTheClock · 11/02/2011 01:35

Might be worth giving the music school in Edinburgh a ring and asking if they could recommend someone. Most of their instrumental teachers are part time, and (used to when I was there) take on private pupils as well - although you pay a premium for them

Original poster

maggiethecat · 11/02/2011 10:47

Baroque, do you mean city of Edinburgh music school? The director has suggested that dd audition in order that she might get a place and be based at Flora's.

Trouble is, dh does not agree that she should be going to special music school so soon (P4 in August). My view is that, from what I gather, it is not very intense at primary level. I think that if she has opportunity to be taught by excellent teachers, not just violin, but also musicianship including aural training, group playing etc then this must be a good thing for her. And considering that Flora's is said to be a good school, we would not be making the decision to the detriment of academics.

We're not eye to eye on it though.

Austen, I love that enthusiasm!

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BaroqueAroundTheClock · 11/02/2011 10:58

No - I meant St Mary's, she'd be too young to start there now anyhow, but may well be able to advise on teachers.

Original poster

maggiethecat · 11/02/2011 11:06

Checked out St Mary's and they start from P5 - again the issue of whether we want specialist school so soon.

Heard they have a Saturday outreach programme where she could probably do violin and group lesson - out would go our Saturdays!

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BaroqueAroundTheClock · 11/02/2011 11:18

Yes they start from P5 (though that generally only used to be Choristers, most instrumentalists they didn't take until a year or two later) - they may be able to advise on a teacher in the meantime though - as the violin is really beginners violin (or used to be when I was there).

I'm sure they must have youngsters getting past the "beginners" stage, not ready/old/committed enough for specialist and needing teachers.

AMumInScotland · 11/02/2011 11:59

I'd second a call to St Mary's - they have loads of visiting violin teachers who can deal with any stage. They cover everything from absolute beginners in their Saturday morning classes right up through the school to Grade 8 and beyond.

Although they can take instrumentalists from P5, they are a great rarity, and the primary class usually only has perhaps 2 or 3 instrumentalists and up to 15 choristers (P5,6,and 7 all share one class).

But they certainly know lots of violin teachers, and may well be able to give you details, or more likely get back to you after they ask around to see who has slots.

And/or you could pop into Stringers on Queen Street and see if they have any contacts - they're the big string instrument shop so tend to know a lot of the teachers.

austenreader · 11/02/2011 12:03

As I said, my DD was a comparatively late developer musically. Woodwind players tend to begin later because of the size of the instruments and she didn't take up a string instrument as a second study until she was 11. It wasn't until she did grade 6 aged 14 that the examiner's comments indicated there was any special talent so we never considered a full-time specialist music school.

She then started the Saturday school and it was certainly right for her at that stage but she met several who had been to specialist school full-time and had withdrawn suffering from RSI. There seemed to be a common pool of teachers who taught in both places though so they got continuity despite switching.

DD got an enjoyable Saturday and we got to do our own thing though we went along to performance days and let our jaws drop to the floor. It also freed up weekday evenings.

Given that your DD is still so young, I suggest you first find a good teacher and then network a bit locally to find out more about what's available for later on.

One more bit of info that might help - DD failed the audition first time round. Even she would tell you that that was the best thing that ever happened to her because she realised that she would only get what she wanted if she worked hard. It might have been disastrous at any other age though and she was grief stricken for a while. However, she was good enough to be offered private lessons with one of their teachers to prepare for audition a year later.

I had been paying £20 for 30 mins with a very good local teacher but then it became £30 for an hour with a teacher of international repute. It was worth every penny.

BaroqueAroundTheClock · 11/02/2011 12:14

Agree they are a rarity in P5 - there was one girl there in P5 when I started there (in S2) but she was the youngest by far and a quite exceptional talent . I know it's grown since I was there - so who knows.

Though most of the staff are still the same

AMumInScotland · 11/02/2011 12:23

DS was there as a chorister up till a few years ago, but primary instrumentalists were still very rare, and usually quite outstandingly talented! I mean, everyone there was very talented, but these were even beyond that.

BaroqueAroundTheClock · 11/02/2011 12:34

I bet all the staff are really old now aren't they (or were they really rather young when I was there but just looked really old because I was so much younger}

I know what you mean about being beyond talented - this girl was- just amazing. She boarded with the headteacher of the time as she was too young for boarding when she started there.

Original poster

maggiethecat · 11/02/2011 20:26

Austen, dd auditioned for National Children's Orchestra (first ever audition) and missed out but got place on reserve list. Think she was too young to really understand as she read the letter and went back to watching tele .

It will work out in the end. It's just the uncertainty about everything - where we'll live, which schools, violin lessons etc that makes me want to go back to bed in the mornings.

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cuckooclock · 12/02/2011 00:20

Maggie, I feel your pain! To be honest in a year's time you will wonder what all the stress was about.
You mention maybe sending dds to ME on another thread, if they go there the school have music teachers coming in for individual lessons, have you asked them?

Original poster

maggiethecat · 12/02/2011 00:37

I have Cuckoo, I was referring originally to state primaries but ME does have music teachers coming in and orchestras if we do choose them.
Question is more relevant if we go state.

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austenreader · 12/02/2011 00:38

Maggie, it sounds as though she has a wonderful talent. Best of luck with the move.There does seem to be plenty of choice available in Edinburgh but maybe that makes it all the harder!

Original poster

maggiethecat · 12/02/2011 00:40

Thank you. The mantra these days is 'it will all work out in the end'......

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Pacific · 12/02/2011 11:29

Maggie the cat, My DH is an instrumental teacher for Edinburgh City. I can probably help with this. Please PM me.

MichaelA79 · 06/11/2013 14:49

Hello, sorry to ask I tried to read all again and again but couldn't get it right which school should be the best and which you visited. I am moving to Edinburgh also this November and looking for good violin teacher too for my son. He is 6 and has grate 2 at the moment. He has private lesson with our teacher in Devon but dont know what can be the best for him over there. Where is Saturdays music school did you mean St. Mary`s.
Thank you lots

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