BBC Young Musician Competition Options

[notmusimum]

Of course, I am well aware that the problem is not that the BBC has shown any prejudice in favour of or against any particular ethnic group, but that musical achievement in this country is heavily biased towards white and east Asian ethnicities. In fact, a similar pattern is replicated even in the breakdown of concert audiences. Here in London, a city with a population that is nearly one-quarter black and south Asian, I am able to go to sell-out performances at the Royal Opera House and at all of the main concert halls and count the number of black and south Asian people in single figures, if any. Does this trend strike anybody else as worrying? As a white Londoner I feel a considerable unease when I am able to count as remarkable the fact that I once sat behind two black people at the London Coliseum.

I apologise for taking this off topic.


My daughter has had the great priviledge to work with the South Asian Youth Music Orchestra and there has been efforts to bring together two very different styles of music. There has been joint concerts with SAMYO, NYJC and NYBB several times in the last year. It's something that people are aware of and in a small way there is an effort to bring different cultures together.

there has to be more of these colaberations in the future to help everyone involved understand the differences and to increase interest in the music of other cultures.

Back on topic....... Can't wait to see the woodwind final next week, this is going to be very interesting. I just hope the winner goes on to win the whole thing (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[SaxLad]

What struck me about the strings final yesterday was two things:

A. All went to private/independent/private music specialist school

B. Id like to have the money to fly to Germany for saxophone lessons.

However the playing was superb and really can't fault the choices of the judges. I really am looking forward to next weeks category woodwind final (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Looks like a real craker.

No they didn't Cello girl goes to a comprehensive!

Really? Im sure it was an independent or academy school?

[balu114]

What struck me about the strings final yesterday was two things:

A. All went to private/independent/private music specialist school

B. Id like to have the money to fly to Germany for saxophone lessons.

However the playing was superb and really can't fault the choices of the judges. I really am looking forward to next weeks category woodwind final (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Looks like a real craker.

No they didn't Cello girl goes to a comprehensive!

Really? Im sure it was an independent or academy school?

Nope. She goes to a state school!

[Ayshah]

What struck me about the strings final yesterday was two things:

A. All went to private/independent/private music specialist school

B. Id like to have the money to fly to Germany for saxophone lessons.

However the playing was superb and really can't fault the choices of the judges. I really am looking forward to next weeks category woodwind final (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Looks like a real craker.

No they didn't Cello girl goes to a comprehensive!

Really? Im sure it was an independent or academy school?

Nope. She goes to a state school!

Ah but who is her teacher?

[Village Flute]

I think you will often find that the string players are more likely to be at specialist music schools or at private schools. It would need to be a cooperative state school to allow them to fit in enough practice in the GCSE years, these players were talking about 4 hours a day minimum and that is hard to achieve with a normal school day and homework. There is also the issue of sports, the cellist mentioned that he fences because it doesn't run the risk of damaging his hands - would a state school allow a pupil before 6th form to opt out of football, rugby, hockey etc? I'm sure a way can befound if the school is willing but a number of posters on here have not found schools willing to make non-standard arrangements for musicians.

[sunil]

Not much different from home-schooling or Flexischooling, as she mentioned she gets as much time off she wants for music lessons / practice. Even in music schools they get only 2 hours of specialist training (rest 1 hour is split between alexander technique and other bits)

But she has incredible ability to connect with audience and amazing confidence.

No they didn't Cello girl goes to a comprehensive!

[Ayshah]

... It would need to be a cooperative state school to allow them to fit in enough practice in the GCSE years, these players were talking about 4 hours a day minimum and that is hard to achieve with a normal school day and homework. There is also the issue of sports, the cellist mentioned that he fences because it doesn't run the risk of damaging his hands - would a state school allow a pupil before 6th form to opt out of football, rugby, hockey etc? I'm sure a way can befound if the school is willing but a number of posters on here have not found schools willing to make non-standard arrangements for musicians.

Just got to say this my daughter - bog standard London comp - was allowed to miss school to attend a couple of auditions in Europe, literally leaving school at lunch to catch the Euro star train and back in time for an afternoon registration two days later. Again allowed to take the last two weeks off summer term to attend a Music course in the States. As the Head teacher said it was all "Educational". Indeed to get the student visa from the US Embassy the Headteacher's written permission was mandatory. The Head was totally cooperative at all times, with all outside music activities. As to sports my daughter never opted out of any, she didnt want to. All in the GCSE & A level years. It was me having the breakdown as I looked at her schedule.

[sunil]

You must be lucky to to have a school like that! On 11+ open day in Haberdashers ASKES school I check with head of music what they can offer with respect to time-off / flexible arrangements, he just simply refused to do any favour. They offered a music place for her but we rejected!

my daughter - bog standard London comp - was allowed to miss school to attend a couple of auditions in Europe, literally leaving school at lunch to catch the Euro star train and back in time for an afternoon registration two days later. Again allowed to take the last two weeks off summer term to attend a Music course in the States. As the Head teacher said it was all "Educational".

[FullofWind]

What struck me about the strings final yesterday was two things:

A. All went to private/independent/private music specialist school

This is not really surprising as most of these talented children will be at these schools on major scholarships or with a substantial amount of government funding. It does not mean that they are necessarily financially privileged.

[tonedeafmum]

What struck me about the strings final yesterday was two things:

A. All went to private/independent/private music specialist school

This is not really surprising as most of these talented children will be at these schools on major scholarships or with a substantial amount of government funding. It does not mean that they are necessarily financially privileged.

Not necessarily - but probably - but then we probably don't need to open another debate on the subject of how difficult it is for children from less financially privileged homes to reach the standard required to access major scholarships or substantial government funding. At last count there were 3 such threads knocking around the forum recently.

[FullofWind]

What struck me about the strings final yesterday was two things:

A. All went to private/independent/private music specialist school

This is not really surprising as most of these talented children will be at these schools on major scholarships or with a substantial amount of government funding. It does not mean that they are necessarily financially privileged.

Not necessarily - but probably - but then we probably don't need to open another debate on the subject of how difficult it is for children from less financially privileged homes to reach the standard required to access major scholarships or substantial government funding. At last count there were 3 such threads knocking around the forum recently.

In my limited experience most musicians at specialist schools have at least one parent who is a musician.mthey are not well off financially but have been brought up with the right musical input, whatever that is.

[Arundodonuts]

I'm afraid I much preferred Juliette's playing in the end, but it was not to be today. I was very put off by the Laura's constant looking round at the accompanist. I'm all for communication in the 'ensemble', but I felt this was just a bit OTT. I think that in the end, the judges may have been swayed by the age v musicality thing.

I agree. I ended up pretty irritated by the end of the performance and I certainly wasn't "engaged". Mind you, I wasn't in the hall either. I'm sure Juliette will do well though.

[notmusimum]

In my limited experience most musicians at specialist schools have at least one parent who is a musician.mthey are not well off financially but have been brought up with the right musical input, whatever that is.

I know parents who have opted for specialist music school who do not have musical backgrounds. I would imagine that in such schools there is a mix of situations as well as abilities and reasons for the child being there.

Someone mentioned teaching above and I think we often ignore the fact that this is where the importance lies. If you have a good teacher that works for you then educational obsticals can be overcome, given the child has enough interest. I think children with parents who are musicians are better able to judge the right teaching. They have the experience to know what their child needs at any point. If they are a professional musician that will open doors for the child which may not be there for the rest of us.

In my experience children who come from musical families that manage to do well all have one important factor. A parent or parents who are prepared to be involved, who will make sacrifices for the child to enable them to persue their dreams. you can't sit on the sidelines with your fingers crossed and hope there has to be some proactivity. They are generally children who have found their own passion, with parents who feed it, rather than ones who have been forced into situations by pushy parents.

This is not really surprising as most of these talented children will be at these schools on major scholarships or with a substantial amount of government funding. It does not mean that they are necessarily financially privileged.

I agree but their parents will be spending almost every penny of any spare cash they have on them and will have been involved in their music making from the start.

[barncottagecat]

Back to the competition - we went to the string final, and it was great fun. The atmosphere in the hall when Cello Girl came onto the stage was palpable. She exuded a special quality before she'd even picked up her instrument - it was quite bizarre actually. We were there supporting one of the other competitors, but all agreed that there had been one outstanding performance - if not technically outstanding, certainly musically. I suppose this goes to show that part of the joy of music is actually seeing it performed in real life as opposed to on a recording, be it TV or mp3.

[BerkshireMum]

Back to the competition - we went to the string final, and it was great fun. The atmosphere in the hall when Cello Girl came onto the stage was palpable. She exuded a special quality before she'd even picked up her instrument - it was quite bizarre actually. We were there supporting one of the other competitors, but all agreed that there had been one outstanding performance - if not technically outstanding, certainly musically. I suppose this goes to show that part of the joy of music is actually seeing it performed in real life as opposed to on a recording, be it TV or mp3.

It's this quality which makes a great soloist. Some of the players were so introspective that one felt they were playing just for themselves; it takes something different to make each member of an audience feel that you are playing just for them, and I think Laura has that something.

All of the candidates are probably going to end up in orchestras (if that is what they choose), because they are fantastic players, but only a few (like Nicola Benedetti and Natalie Clein) will make it as soloists, and they are the ones which BBC YMOTY highlights.