As study leave continues, Assistant Head of Ensembles, Sara Wilson, offers practical advice for parents regarding musical commitments…

As study leave and exam season continues, it’s natural for parents to want to support their child’s academic success. You may be wondering if your child should ease off or even pause their musical commitments – rehearsals, lessons, or even practice time – to focus more on revision.

You might even have had your child’s school advise you to stop all extra-curricular activities. And you want to be sure you are making the best decisions for your own young person.

As a parent myself, I faced these same dilemmas. My daughters are dancers and have always had to balance rehearsal time with academic studies. After my eldest completed her A levels (she is now studying Law at Bristol University), I could reflect and see how much it had benefitted her to continue dance lessons throughout her examination period.

I hope that by sharing some of the positives, you will begin to recognise that continuing creative activities during this period can support rather than hinder academic performance. Continuing music through study leave isn’t just okay – it’s a great idea!

A Welcome Break from Studying

Studying for long hours without regular breaks can lead to burnout, fatigue, and diminishing returns in focus. Research consistently shows that frequent, purposeful breaks help improve memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills. Music provides a structured break that encourages your child to step away from the books, reset, and return to revision more refreshed and focused. Once students are on study leave, there is plenty of time to fit in several hours of study before enjoying an evening off to do something they love.

Seeing Friends and Peers

Music ensembles are about more than notes and rhythms – they’re about community. Study leave can be isolating, especially for teenagers who thrive on peer interaction. Rehearsals are a chance to see friends, laugh, share the stress of exam season, and support one another through it. For some, it can just be an escape; for others, it is a chance to bring along study resources and use the break times to get friends to test them on revision they have completed during the day. This sense of social connection is vital during what can otherwise be a lonely and stressful time.

Mental Wellbeing and Emotional Regulation

Music is well-known for its positive impact on mental health. Playing an instrument or singing helps release tension, regulate emotions, and even lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone). During exam season, students often face heightened anxiety – and musical engagement offers a powerful tool for maintaining mental equilibrium.

Interaction Beyond the Academic Bubble

Study leave narrows a young person’s focus to just a few subjects, often sitting alone with books or screens. Music provides much-needed diversity of experience – engaging the body, mind, and creativity in ways that schoolwork can’t. Group music-making offers collaboration, communication, and collective achievement – a much healthier balance of activity.

Structure Supports Productivity

Paradoxically, removing all non-academic activities can reduce productivity. When a young person knows they have band rehearsal at 6pm, they’re more likely to structure their revision around that fixed point. With an entirely open schedule, it’s easier to procrastinate or lose time. Music gives an additional bit of structure to the day, which feels reassuring and familiar- after all, these are young people who have been used to the rigid structure of a school day for most of their lives!

Building the Bigger Picture

Remember: exams are important, but they are one part of a young person’s journey. Music teaches perseverance, teamwork, time management, discipline, and creativity — all of which are invaluable beyond the classroom. Continuing with music during exam season reinforces the message that success is multifaceted, and that their identity is more than just a set of grades.

What Can You Do as a Parent?

• Encourage balance, not total sacrifice – suggest shorter but regular practice sessions, or limited rehearsal time if needed, rather than total withdrawal.
• Celebrate musical achievements just as you would academic ones – music is a long-term investment in your child’s confidence and personal growth.
• Check in with your child about how they’re managing – sometimes, they just need our ‘permission’ to take time out.
• Communicate with ensemble leaders – they understand the pressures of exam season and are on hand to help.

Final Note

Music during exam season is not a distraction – it’s a lifeline. It keeps young people connected, motivated, and mentally balanced. Instead of seeing rehearsals or lessons as time away from revision, view them as essential fuel for the hard work they’re putting in.

Let’s encourage our children to strive for balance, not burnout. As adults, we are very aware of the work/life balance conundrum, and how a heavy workload can impact our own mental wellbeing and productivity. We know that for ourselves, a break to go to the gym/for a coffee with friends/for a night out has hugely beneficial effects. The same applies to our young people. If music has been their passion for years, let it continue.

Let them relax and enjoy the company of friends whilst engaging in a worthwhile and beneficial activity- keep the music playing!

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Every year as part of our work, we bring together nearly 4,000 young musicians from across Birmingham, to form 113 free ensembles that are specifically designed to cater for all genres and abilities. Being part of one of our Ensembles is free for our young musicians, removing the cost barrier for many of them, but it costs us between £150 – £350 a year for each Ensemble placement.

By donating to our Ensembles, you will help us continue to offer opportunities for free, meaning no-one is excluded from the valuable opportunity they offer.

 About the Author

Sara Wilson - Assistant Head of Ensembles, Services For Education

Sara graduated from the Birmingham Conservatoire in 1994 and was appointed as flute teacher at Edgbaston High School for Girls and Stratford-upon-Avon Music Centre. Shortly after, she began working at RNIB New College in Worcester, teaching blind and partially sighted students.

In all of these posts, Sara established ensembles including flute choirs, recorder groups and full wind-bands.

In 2000, when Birmingham Music Service established their Flute Choir to provide more ensemble opportunities for the city's flautists, Sara was appointed as tutor and worked alongside various conductors. Since then, she has tutored with Birmingham Schools' Training Wind Orchestra and Birmingham Schools' Symphony Orchestra, as well as teaching woodwind in the city.

Sara's passion for ensemble playing has led her to her current post as Assistant Head of Ensembles for Services for Education. She believes that her background in state, grammar and private schools gives her a unique insight into the range of pupils who engage with the SFE ensembles system.