Im feeling a bit frustrated at the lack of support and progression for adults who have reached a very high standard of performance and want to maintain and progress further but who have other life commitments too.

I know you had an adult concert or two recently but why don't we take this further?

I want to continue to develop a very high standard of performing skills and feel there is a huge gap for this- The abrsm does workshops for teaching and I know it has performance diplomas but I think it would be a great idea if we could have workshops for singers which support your development as an artist for your Diploma exams.

Get some really great summer schools or workshops going for adults and even a choir or project of some kind.

It would be really appreciated if we could have one week or day workshops linked with the colleges or Top teachers or artists to help improve our performance skills in a relaxed and friendly and supportive environment. It would also give us a platform. Piano has courses and other instruments- why not singing?

I feel , as a young adult , that I am finding music increasingly lonely and aimless.
Does anyone know if ABRSM are planning any workshops to support diploma work?

Sorry to waffle- just thought I'd get it off my chest

Linnetbird, we, the organisers, are taking Adult Learner events as far as we can. (We are NOT, I hasten to add, part of the ABRSM - we do this at our own risk and bear the costs ourselves.) Organising events is labour-intensive, and I'm not sure I want to give much more time to it on a voluntary basis.

Two of us have organised four concerts so far, and are keen to see more people step up and get involved in organising Adult Learner events throughout the country. Our main limitation is the likelihood of people coming - we see the same faces at most of the events, very few new additions - and we run the risk of saturating the market for the few who DO make the effort.

We ask teachers on these boards to encourage their new adult learners to participate, and adult learners here to tell their teachers to drum up support - but it seems to be to no avail. I think in total we've only had about thirty individuals taking part in all the events we've run. And most of those are second (or later) instrument learners or diploma holders.

The ABRSM does not run any sort of performance workshops for any instrument, let alone voice, but a little time spent researching with Google, or indeed looking through these forums, will enable you to come up with details of a number of Summer schools for singers as for any other instrument - one clue: the singers' stuff tends to be on the Viva Voice boards.

As for choirs, British Choirs on the Net has thousands of choirs all over the country, at all sorts of standards from community sing-alongs to semi-professional auditioned choruses. They also have a page with all sorts of events and courses on it.

I'm afraid as one's music-making progresses, it becomes up to the musician, rather than their teachers or other institutions, to find or make their own performance opportunities. And part of that is keeping alert to the opportunities around you and jumping at them even if they don't exactly fit your particular needs/wants.

Cheers

Katyjay

This looks a little like a Forgotten Thread!!
Having just taken time to read both postings I think both viewpoints are very valid.

As you achieve more you feel you want more opportunities to use what you have learnt. You wonder why there aren't more and more openings/concerts etc for you and in your area.

I am sure Katyjay would agree - up to the point where you do have to take some responsibility yourself and MAKE your own opportunities.
I have been to one 'playalong' (is that the right term?) and one Forum concert and these things - fortunately - just seem to happen!! That's great.

But it is easy to overlook the time and effort that just a few people put in to make it happen. Perhaps each part is not huge in itself but the CUMULATIVE EFFECT is time-consuming: booking, checking, re-checking, making sure everyone knows what is going on and when and where - and how is can we make sure people get there, if you are coming by car "can you pick up X on the way?" - collecting from the stations....

I think it is admirable what gets organised and I congratulate anyone who has worked on the concerts etc.

Remember: everyone is willing. Just a few are willing to 'do', the rest are willing to let them!!


Linnetbird - don't take any of that wrongly, I am not having a go not in the least - I just think you are both right - and again a big cheer to the organisers!!