Music School Central Cambridge

[TwoCrazyBoys]

I'd like my 7 year old son to start music lessons - he's sports mad and most afternoons are spent at rugby,football and swimming. I loved learning to play piano as a child and I think he'd like it too - as well as the other benefits.
I'm not set on an instrument but would prefer he not have private lessons with an old nun in a darkened sitting room as I did!
Is there any music school/ orchestra type setting in the city that caters for this age group? All I can find are preschool music groups and young adult orchestras for prodigies!
Thanks

Millers Music have lists of private music teachers that you could contact for yourself and check they are not ancient nuns! :) I found a lovely and very much not-a-nun clarinet teacher that way.

Once he's learnt a bit, then

www.holidayorchestra.co.uk/index.php

is apparently very good!

This might be the kind of thing you are looking for - www.stephenperse.com/community/step-in-in-house-courses/masterclasses-for-children/community-music-school

Hmm, or maybe it's not for beginners. I'm not sure from looking at the info. In any case if you contact them for more information they may be able to suggest somewhere else if they don't take beginners.

People I know like this:

www.stringmoves.org/

Not Central Cambridge but Duxford Saturday Workshop caters for your DS's age group. Held Saturday mornings.

Stringmoves is indeed fantastic, but massively oversubscribed. Its also a big commitment as it's a whole Saturday morning. But I presume people do drop out for the same reason, so if it might be of interest its definitely worth getting on the waiting list.

Would second Duxford Saturday Workshop, but he would have to start on recorder at his age, or do musical theatre workshop there. It's a rather splendid 50p a week once you've paid the annual £20 subs.

Holiday Orchestra is a (massive!) holiday event, as the name suggests. It isn't geared for regular teaching, but it's very good indeed. It does attract a handful of 12-year-old prodigies but also a lot of normal middling young players.

Is there anything HE likes the sound of? Is he a lively, bouncy, confident type/a ham-fisted breaker of expensive equipment/good dancer/tuneful singer?

I was going to suggest Suzuki Piano School but I've just seen on their website that they only accept children aged 2-4, so too late in your case.

There is also Yamm in CB4
website.lineone.net/~dr.bass/yammprospectus.html

Is there a music teacher in his school who could advise on the choice of instrument? Ideally he should try a few before embarking in lessons. The opportunity to play in a school orchestra is also a big encouragement.

The school only do recorder for beginners... They do have an orchestra but only for a Grade 2 and above...
Thanks for the tips. String moves sounds great but we're too late for this term.