Music Scholarship Whitgift
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T.i.p.s.y
Hi Kirsty,
I don't know if you have the time but there are two very prestigious choirs in your area: Libera (my son was in it for a brief spell but it was logistically too difficult for us to get too) http://www.libera.org.uk/ and Croydon Parish Church http://www.croydon-parish-church.org.uk This would give him valuable chorister training and help with his music scholarship. Grade 3 is good for his age, but as it is piano it is not exceptional and unfortunately the competition for music scholarships are very high. It is not impossible as they can do musical aptitude tests which do not look at current achievement. There is always an instrument that gels with a child. DS picked up the clarinet and within a couple of weeks he was ready to sit Grade 2. He had been learning the piano for 1 year and was pretty awful and hated it.
I don't know if you have the time but there are two very prestigious choirs in your area: Libera (my son was in it for a brief spell but it was logistically too difficult for us to get too) http://www.libera.org.uk/ and Croydon Parish Church http://www.croydon-parish-church.org.uk This would give him valuable chorister training and help with his music scholarship. Grade 3 is good for his age, but as it is piano it is not exceptional and unfortunately the competition for music scholarships are very high. It is not impossible as they can do musical aptitude tests which do not look at current achievement. There is always an instrument that gels with a child. DS picked up the clarinet and within a couple of weeks he was ready to sit Grade 2. He had been learning the piano for 1 year and was pretty awful and hated it.
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kirsty&boys
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Thu Apr 30, 2009 11:15 pm
Hi Tipsy, thanks for the info and the links which I will check out. I am only recently active in this forum so still fairly new though must admit have found this site very useful and supportive. Is your DS already in Whitgift?
Clarinet sounds quite fine after reading what you have to say and doing a bit of research on it. If DS takes up clarinet this year, does he not need to be at least grade 3 before he go for the music scholarship? I am just worried because that would be very new to him (although he might look like the kind who enjoys clarinet!). What is the required time to practise clarinet, is it a case of 15 mins a day...? I have no idea!
Clarinet sounds quite fine after reading what you have to say and doing a bit of research on it. If DS takes up clarinet this year, does he not need to be at least grade 3 before he go for the music scholarship? I am just worried because that would be very new to him (although he might look like the kind who enjoys clarinet!). What is the required time to practise clarinet, is it a case of 15 mins a day...? I have no idea!
Hi Kirsty
I have to say I do not agree that Grade 3 piano in year 4 and 8 years old is nothing to write home about. I think it is really good and your son is to be commended
. The piano is not an easy instrument to play as it is on 2 staves and your hands are doing different things etc. Most piano players grades are at least 1 or 2 grades behind single stave insturment players.
I do not think the grade he is on on his second instrument matters that much; more how well he has progressed on it since he started learning it. The music teachers assesing him will all know this of course. All the talks that I have been to have emphasized that they are looking for potential -so the fact that your son has progressed on his piano grades so quickly is great
Perhaps you could consider is how to make it more interesting for him- has he got a particulr genre he enjoys? Is his teacher good with kids particularly? Does she make lessons fun
? Has she introduced him to the joys of performing? Can you introduce some low level bribery 
to encourage more or change the quality/commitment to practice? Could practice be a bit more structured so he knows how long he needs to spend doing a particular task and what the practice goal is?eg get a particular phrase just right or play a scale correctly etc.
I think the suggestion of choral training is excellent and maybe he ought to try it out regardless. I am certain that Trinity considers voice an instrument, but am unsure of Whitgift. There is also a great voice coach in south croydon called Alan Mayall who you can probably find on the internet or phone book. I had a year of tutoring and can commend him. I am not sure if he is still going, but ring him and ask what he thinks. I can pm you a bit more about him and what to expect later.
As your son will just have done his grade 4 piano by the time of the interview it might be well if his teacher plans some in between grades pieces for your son to prepare for the examination. I do not think he will be ready to perform his grade 5 pieces on piano in 4- 5 months....
With regards a second instrument like clarinet- why not? He may just love it. As Tipsy says not all instruments are for all children and you never know until you try.
Not sure you should worry too much about him doing too much. I do feel that an able child really ought to be able to cope with extra curriculars as well , otherwise how are they to cope when they do get into the school and have to do ot all anyway, particularly if they are scholars?
Will pm you soon. Sorry the entry is so long!
Nissi
I have to say I do not agree that Grade 3 piano in year 4 and 8 years old is nothing to write home about. I think it is really good and your son is to be commended
. The piano is not an easy instrument to play as it is on 2 staves and your hands are doing different things etc. Most piano players grades are at least 1 or 2 grades behind single stave insturment players.I do not think the grade he is on on his second instrument matters that much; more how well he has progressed on it since he started learning it. The music teachers assesing him will all know this of course. All the talks that I have been to have emphasized that they are looking for potential -so the fact that your son has progressed on his piano grades so quickly is great
Perhaps you could consider is how to make it more interesting for him- has he got a particulr genre he enjoys? Is his teacher good with kids particularly? Does she make lessons fun
? Has she introduced him to the joys of performing? Can you introduce some low level bribery to encourage more or change the quality/commitment to practice? Could practice be a bit more structured so he knows how long he needs to spend doing a particular task and what the practice goal is?eg get a particular phrase just right or play a scale correctly etc.I think the suggestion of choral training is excellent and maybe he ought to try it out regardless. I am certain that Trinity considers voice an instrument, but am unsure of Whitgift. There is also a great voice coach in south croydon called Alan Mayall who you can probably find on the internet or phone book. I had a year of tutoring and can commend him. I am not sure if he is still going, but ring him and ask what he thinks. I can pm you a bit more about him and what to expect later.
As your son will just have done his grade 4 piano by the time of the interview it might be well if his teacher plans some in between grades pieces for your son to prepare for the examination. I do not think he will be ready to perform his grade 5 pieces on piano in 4- 5 months....
With regards a second instrument like clarinet- why not? He may just love it. As Tipsy says not all instruments are for all children and you never know until you try.
Not sure you should worry too much about him doing too much. I do feel that an able child really ought to be able to cope with extra curriculars as well , otherwise how are they to cope when they do get into the school and have to do ot all anyway, particularly if they are scholars?
Will pm you soon. Sorry the entry is so long!
Nissi
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T.i.p.s.y
The clarinet may not be his instrument, I was just using it as an example but DS did play the recorder previously so found the fingering on the clarinet quite easy. I would suspect at age 10 entry they would want Grade 4 on one instrument and close to Grade 2 on another however if he was getting exposure to sight singing by singing in one of the choirs then he may not need be so strong on a second instrument. 15 mins a day should be fine initially, but the beauty of the clarinet is that he can pick it up for five minutes a couple of times a day instead of having to make time to sit down and play the piano. DS used to walk about the house or watch TV on the sofa whilst blowing away! 
My son isn't at Whitgift but I know there is a lot of competiton for Music scholarships at the school. My son is currently a music scholar but was lucky enough to gain his based on aptitude at age 7 so he did not even play an instrument at that point. It all depends on the school you're going for and the competition.
My son isn't at Whitgift but I know there is a lot of competiton for Music scholarships at the school. My son is currently a music scholar but was lucky enough to gain his based on aptitude at age 7 so he did not even play an instrument at that point. It all depends on the school you're going for and the competition.
Hi Tipsy,
Am I correct in assuming your DS1 goes to a ceertain very prestigious school near Victoria ? Just interested to know because I sort of discounted it for my DS based on the distance from home and the issue of his being able to have friends home etc. How have you coped or are you close enough that it doesn't really matter?
Nissi
Am I correct in assuming your DS1 goes to a ceertain very prestigious school near Victoria
? Just interested to know because I sort of discounted it for my DS based on the distance from home and the issue of his being able to have friends home etc. How have you coped or are you close enough that it doesn't really matter?Nissi
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T.i.p.s.y
Just need to clarify that I do think Grade 4 is very good but when it comes to music scholarships they do not view the piano as a sought after instrument. If he was Grade 4 in an orchestral insturment then they would snap him up, which is unfair. It is also not impossible for Kirsty's son to get the scholarship but if she can do a few extras then it will strengthen her case.
Nissi,
What school in Victoria - I'm intrigued?
He was a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral but we took him out. He is now going to be a chorister at Tewkesbury Abbey so if anyone needs any choir info....
Nissi,
What school in Victoria - I'm intrigued?
He was a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral but we took him out. He is now going to be a chorister at Tewkesbury Abbey so if anyone needs any choir info....
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T.i.p.s.y
The Abbey School or Under School? I think kids come from all over for the Under School as it's very sought after. DS couldn't go th Abbey at St P's because there is an etiquette amongst local choir schools not to accept choristers from other schools. I wish I'd looked at it before he went to St P's because it is a lovely school. 
Mind you at Tewkesbury they don't sing at the weekends or on Christmas Day so it is a better family balance.
Mind you at Tewkesbury they don't sing at the weekends or on Christmas Day so it is a better family balance. -
Loopyloulou
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- Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:20 pm
