The Glasshouse

Useful information for current and prospective CAT students to help make the most of your learning experience.

Absence Reporting

Students are accepted into the Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) on the understanding that they attend regularly. Repeated absence can be detrimental to a student’s musical progress and is very disruptive to ensemble work.

If there are unavoidable clashes and there is a valid reason for not attending, it is essential that students inform the team by emailing youngmusicians@theglasshouseicm.org as far in advance as possible.

Fees and Financial Support

The majority of our students receive full or partial funding through the Department for Education’s Music and Dance Scheme (MDS); applications for grants are made after a place has been offered following a successful audition. The amount of grant available depends on the household income. Learn more about bursaries and fees.

Auditions

For the 26/27 school year we will be doing auditions via video.  You will be sent all the information you need when you are offered an audition.  

For your audition you may be asked to demonstrate the below elements.  Please be assured that the audition panel will be assessing your overall potential, and an offer of a place doesn’t necessarily require an established skill level in all of the below areas.

• Playing or sing two contrasting pieces of your own choice
• your knowledge of scales and arpeggios (instrumentalists)
• your ability to improvise (popular and contemporary only)

You will also be asked to submit a short personal statement outlining your experience and what interests you about our programme.

Applications open around February/March and the application link will be available on this page.

Correspondence

All our correspondence is via email and so it is essential for the smooth running of the programme that students and parents check emails regularly and deal with it promptly. If students do not have computer access we can use other means of contact.

Student Safety and Welfare

The CAT day runs from 9am to 5pm. Each student has their own timetable and so students will start later and / or finish earlier depending on the scheduling of their sessions; for students living a long way from Gateshead a later start may be possible.

Students are required to sign in on arrival. At all other times students must sign in and out at the Foyle Music Centre (FMC) Reception; at the end of the day all students aged 11 years old and under must be collected from the FMC by their parents/guardians.

It is important that you sign in and out of the building at the FMC Reception every Sunday.  Under 11s should be accompanied in the building by a parent or carer, under 16s should not leave the building at lunchtime.  If over 16s leave the building, they must sign out at the desk first.

If you are a parent/guardian and you choose to stay in the FMC, you will be required to wear a red visitor lanyard at all times and must return this when you sign out.

The Glasshouse is a public building, and all students are responsible for their own belongings, including instruments.

Students should remember to bring a packed lunch, drinks and snacks with them if necessary. Alternatively, our cafe is open most weekends.

The MMYP team have some simple rules that help everyone to work together; it’s called MMYP Fair & Square. Please take some time to look at this.

Study Leader Team

Our students are supported by a Study Leader Team who are responsible for monitoring progress and providing advice and guidance on any aspect of a student’s studies at CAT.

• Keyboard and Strings: James Craig
• Music Language and Composition: Alix Shepherd
• Percussion: Roger Hempsall
• Popular & Contemporary: James Birkett
• Vocal: Victoria Barbé
• Wind and Brass: Marion Craig

The Study Leader team work across the whole of the Make Music: Young People programmes and are able to help students link up with other areas of our programme such as ensembles.

Individual Training Plans

All students must complete an Individual Training Plan in which they set achievable targets for the year. Tutors use this plan as a guide throughout the year and refer to it when completing reports.

Concerts

There are many performance opportunities throughout the year, including regular lunchtime concerts, external concerts and our Winter Wonders and Summer Celebration weekends where all of MMYP get involved. Tutors and Study Leaders discuss which students should perform.

We ask that students discuss any external performances, competitions or auditions with their tutor before agreeing to them as it is important that students are properly prepared and that the experience fits into the planning for that year.

Piano Accompanists

Students should discuss piano accompanist rehearsal needs with their tutor and book rehearsal time with an accompanist through the FMC reception on a Sunday. Students are encouraged to plan ahead and are responsible for getting their piano part to their accompanist at least one week in advance of their rehearsal.

Music

It is important that students look after any music they are given. We may charge for music that is lost or damaged.

Weekly Timetable

All students have their own timetable and so it is important that they check notice boards for any timing or room changes.

Practice Rooms

Practice rooms can be booked during the week. Booking requests should be emailed to youngmusicians@theglasshouseicm.org up to two weeks in advance, and no less than three working days before the date required. Please note that demand on FMC rooms is very high and we can only offer free use to students after The Glasshouse’s complete programme has been fully accommodated. There may be occasions when, even after you have been offered a room, it will be needed for another activity. In these circumstances students will be informed by The Glasshouse

It is strictly against The Glasshouse policy for tutors and students to use MEC rooms for private teaching.

Activity Days

We have our Activity Day in January where programme specific activities and workshops with visiting artists are planned by the Study Leader team.

Missed Lessons

• All of our tutors are professional and active musicians and could occasionally have rehearsals/performances on a CAT day. In this event (or if a tutor is ill) we will rearrange any lessons or find a substitute tutor.
• If a student misses a lesson because of illness or with permission of absence we cannot guarantee that these lessons will be made up.
• If a student misses a lesson without permission we will not make the lesson up. If they miss more than two lessons without reason we will have to discuss their commitment to CAT with them and their parents/guardians.

Withdrawing from the Centre for Advanced Training

If a student considers withdrawing from CAT during the year we would like parents/guardians and the student to arrange a meeting with us to discuss the options. A fee for the current term would still have to be paid. If notice is given less than six weeks before the start of a new term, then the new term fee will also have to be paid in full.

Please note, we currently only accept withdrawals from the programme during the Autumn Term. Withdrawal during the Spring Term will result in the full amount being due for both Spring and Summer Terms. However, we understand that there are occasionally exceptional circumstances, and these will be considered.

These notes and conditions are subject to change from time to time. Parents will be notified in writing in advance of any changes.