Level for a kid's audition

[maphil]

Hi, I'm writing you from Costa Rica in Central America (so, please excuse me if my english isn't as good a as I wish).
My 12 year old kid began to play the flute for a local orchestra a year and a half ago. The orchestra has 152 musicians with ages ranging from 9 to 23 years and his teacher has a college degree in flute. His teacher tells me that my son's playing level has improved a lot and, so much I had to buy him a semi-pro flute a couple of months ago, and now he wants my kid to audition for the National Music Institute, the best in the country.

Yesterday I entered the Institute's website and found that the candidates from seven to twelve years only have to take a couple of simple tests to approve their audition and don't need to have any prior musical kwnowledge, while my kid, only because he's already playing for this local orchestra has to play a lot of scales, a very complex study by Joachinm Andersen and Telemann's Fantasia in E minor, the regular audition for 17 and 18 year old boys (not fair!!!). Anyway, a week ago he started practicing and now he has maybe a 70 to 80 percent advance (he still has three more weeks to go)

I'm not so sure about this.
Are we going to fast?
Do you you think that is the apropiate level for a 12 year old kid?
Maybe we can wait a couple of years more for this audition

I'm really confused, mostly because I don't have any clue about what is the normal playing level for a kid that age.

I'll really appreciate your advise.

Blessings

Marco

[pied_piper]

Hi Marco. Welcome to Fluteland! Your English is fine - far exceeding the few Spanish words that I know.

Every flutist will progress at different rates. That's why private instruction is so important. It allows each student to progress at their own pace.

If your son is excited about playing and auditioning, then I'd say it is appropriate for him to pursue the audition. If he is reluctant or is feeling pressured, then it might be best to wait until he gains more confidence at that level. As long as your son is enjoying the challenge of learning to play the flute, I would not worry about him progressing too fast.

[maphil]

well, maybe you're right, he's totally exited about this and working really hard. He's already playing Telemann's Fantasy pretty well and improving on the Andersen's estudy.

Let's see what happens.


Thanks.