A Term to Remember — and an Exciting Autumn Ahead
As we reach the end of another busy term here at Solihull Music School, we wanted to take a moment to look back on everything our students and teachers have achieved, share some big news from our drum department, and let you know what's coming when we return in September.
It's been a term full of hard work, growth and heart — and, as ever, a lot of music. Thank you for being part of it.
Congratulations to our exam students!
We are so proud of every student who sat a Yamaha graded exam this summer. Across June and July, 30 students stepped up to be examined — and the results were wonderful:
● 6 Distinctions
● 19 Merits
● 3 Passes
Those grades were spread right across the school — on keyboard and piano, in our vocals classes, and a fantastic showing from our drummers. Sitting an exam takes nerve as well as skill, and every single one of these students should feel enormously proud of the work they put in. A huge well done to all of them, and a big thank you to the parents and families who supported them through their preparation.
A new chapter for our drum department
We have some exciting news to share. Our brilliant drum teacher Romarna has been signed to a record label and will be touring extensively across Europe and Germany over the coming months. This is a wonderful achievement and a thoroughly deserved one — it wasn't something any of us saw coming when she first joined us, and we couldn't be prouder of her or more supportive of where her talent is taking her.
Rather than simply saying goodbye, we've worked with Romarna to grow something special: a proper drum department. Together we've hand-picked a superb team of teachers from the Birmingham Conservatoire to take our drumming forward, and we're delighted to welcome Isla, Chi and Owen to the school. All three are well-rounded, highly capable teachers who bring brilliant energy to their lessons, and we know our drummers are going to love learning with them.
Romarna isn't disappearing, either. She'll be staying on as part of our drum department, covering lessons for us when she can — and we'd love to have her teaching regularly again once her touring is complete. We'll be cheering her on every step of the way.
Studio Upgrades!
Last term we ran into a quality issue with our streaming system and how videos were being loaded onto the student portal. The sound and video quality often did not meet our expectations and often, particularity with drums, there was little to no sound at all. Thankfully, through some trial and error, research and help from Yamaha, we are now able to have higher quality lesson recordings loaded onto the portal for review and homework.
Previously our lessons were live streamed, the new system will mean that the videos are recorded and then placed into a folder on our portal for students and parents to access. Each class will have their own dedicated folder link to be able to review and playback their lesson recordings. From the time the lesson ends the video is rendered and uploaded and should show up in the dedicated class folder within 24 hours. We are looking forward to having the portal back online and we ask, respectfully that the students are encouraged to A. respect the new equipment in the room, and B. be on their best behaviour in class as the noise that is captured will affect the quality of the recording.
Speaking of new equipment, we are in the process of upgrading the guitar studio and one of the keyboard studios! Yamaha have released a new student keyboard, and we are waiting for them to arrive, our first set is due in over the summer break, and the next lot of keyboards will come later in the next school year. This means that all our studios will be state of the art and all our students will benefit from the latest equipment Yamaha has to offer.
If you are interested in purchasing one of the keyboards or guitars that we are replacing, then please let Brendan know – brendan@solihullmusicschool.co.uk.
New classes and the return of Sundays
September brings a fuller timetable than ever. We're expanding our drum, keyboard and guitar lessons, with more spaces opening up across the week — and on guitar we're pleased to welcome Utkarsh to our teaching team, who joins us to grow our guitar tuition.
We're also thrilled to be bringing back Sunday drumming, and adding something brand new alongside it — Sunday vocal lessons. Whether your child is picking up an instrument for the very first time or ready to take the next step, there's never been a better time to get involved.
If you'd like to book a taster lesson or add another instrument, do speak to our reception team — spaces in the most popular slots tend to fill quickly.
Kate's ultramarathon — 53km of heart
Finally, a story very close to home. In early July, our Principal Kate completed her first (and, in her words, possibly last!) ultramarathon — an incredible 53km — raising over £1100 for Marie Curie.
Kate began training for this challenge before her mum passed away in April, and carrying on through everything that followed took a kind of strength that's hard to put into words. The determination she showed over those 53 kilometres was a true testament to the strength her own mum showed in her final months.
It wasn't without its hurdles. A blister appeared after just a few kilometres — almost unheard of for Kate — which turned the marathon distance that followed into a real test of grit. But as so often happens on these journeys, she wasn't alone: along the way she met two soldiers taking on 100km non-stop to raise awareness for mental health, and it was their encouragement that carried her through the hardest moments. A fitting bit of kindness, from people who understood exactly what it means to keep going.
We are immensely proud of Kate — as a Principal, as a colleague, and as a person..
Kate crossing the 25km mark in the Ultramarathon
Term dates
A quick reminder of our term dates so you can plan ahead. As always, we do not close for half term — we only close on Bank Holidays.
Term Dates
● Autumn: 1 September – 20 December 2025
● Spring: 5 January – 29 March 2026
● Summer: 13 April – 1 August 2026
Holiday Dates
● Christmas: 21 December 2025 – 4 January 2026
● Easter: 30 March – 12 April 2026
● Summer: 3 August – 2 September 2026
See you in September
Thank you, as always, for being part of the Solihull Music School family. We hope you have a wonderful, restful summer break, and we can't wait to welcome everyone back for an exciting new term.
The Solihull Music School Team