A new thread for December! Musicians and parents of musicians of ALL ages and standards are very welcome! I do try to keep up with the threads, but am struggling to remember who plays what sometimes. Might it be helpful to have a different thread where we could list them all (for people that want to?)
I am Waffle, teacher of woodwind, and mum to Goo (11) - flute, recorder and piano, and Rara (8) cello, recorder and clarinet. Rara has her Grade 3 Recorder exam on Monday, and I have quite a few other pupils entered, but no other exams for us this term. Goo has had a crap time recently, with a wrist injury, mangled fingers and now new braces, so I've pretty much written off any musical progress this term. We have the music festival at the end of January, so maybe she'll be all healed and ready to move forwards in time for that!
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Extra-curricular activities
December Music Thread
Wafflenose · 01/12/2016 10:00
Thank you for the new thread Waffle! Great idea I am not sure if we can create a word document with the DC's details, age, instrument and level and upload it on the first post? Has the forum got this capability? Or asking MNHQ for a thread to be pinned with the DCs details?
I have got DS 15 unmusical and not interested in music playing. DD 9 is playing piano working towards grade 5 and started clarinet a few months ago and has taken grade 1 last weekend. Waiting for the results now, dd already bought a frame for her certificate. 
Hi, I resolve to keep up with this thread this month - I had a few days off mumsnet last month and lost track of all our musical DC!!!
This is the first exam season since my DC started playing 4 years ago that they haven't had exams.... DD9 is preparing for G7 violin next term and G4 piano at some point, and DS11 is settling into grammar school and meandering towards G7 cello (trinity) and G5 theory. But they are both waiting for NCO audition results - they've both been in for the last two years but as DS is going for U12s it is getting more competitive.
Whilst my DC haven't had exams this session, I thought I'd set myself my own challenge... I passed G8 violin 23 years ago and still play occasionally, but 3 weeks ago I took delivery of a viola and was entered for G5 which I am taking on 12th December... 
Good luck musicdoc!
I have DD15 who is a singer, pianist and guitarist (and occasionally saxophonist). She will complete the French equivalent of G8 this year in piano - audition/assessment in June. In the mean time she is working towards a national piano competition in which she has no chance whatsoever of getting beyond the initial regional elimination round .
She doesn't do exams in guitar, just jazz classes. And sings and writes her own songs.
Next big musical event here is 14th December, when she is supporting an apparently quite well-known singer at one local date.
Musicdoc: fingers crossed, similar to Loose, you are another one doing it and taking exams, hat off!
Icould: really like the "Not My Problem" anymore
Fleur: my husband framed all the exam results too, will take pics tonight. It embarrassed me great deal.( If you ask him what grades mh daughter is doing for either violin or piano he wont know)
Just turned 9 yrs old daughter here who plays (a little) violin and some piano. Violin has been slow/on hold as this term is for piano. We cant do in parallel both instruments, we just juggle along mostly. Piano exam this weekend and I tried to post her playing in you tube last night to share here but failed. It doesnt allow me to share anything. I will have to try again tonight. This Dec will be a complete rest. I am writting to both of piano and violin teacher now that we are taking the whole month off. Next term, might be a "festival", violin exam. We audited for NCO at the very very last minutes and we knew that we were barbarians so not really looking forward to the "letter". We however will try again next year.
musicdoc wow, respect.
waffle did you ever imagine this would become monthly?!
I have only one DS (15) whose musical adventures are drum kit (just passed g8), tuned and orchestral percussion (g8 next spring or summer), piano (g8 next summer), jazz piano (teacher not doing grades) and composition. Exams will depend on progress as academic expectations are v high this year.
Coming up fro him before Christmas break is playing drums in the school musical (5 performances, about 20 songs each time ), and a composer's concert where he will play the marimba part of a piano&marimba duet he has composed. And he told me yesterday he has just created a rap Christmas mix on garage band for his class kareoke, in his spare time.
Why am I part of this forum? DS has turned my life upside down by bringing so much music into it. It feels like a tornado sometimes. I just enjoy exchanging and sharing stories and wisdom with people who are going through the same in whatever degree. Besides, everyone here is incredibly generous and non-judgemental and makes the journey a little less lonely.
waffle another fan of the thread here! Thanks so much for the new one.
Wow Musicdoc!! I am seriously impressed! Also very impressed with Mistigri's amazingly talented Dd!
Much happiness here - DS1 just found out he got 82% in his G6 bass guitar exam! He's also working on grade 6 tuned percussion and plays drums. He is in a marching band as well.
DS2 plays piano and cello. He's probably going to do his grade 4 exams in Summer and Autumn term next year.
I am planning to do grade 4 piano in March - just to try and keep ahead of DS2! I am also plodding through grade 4 theory and wondering how small children are so good at this stuff!
Oh, new thread! Thank you Waffle for keeping us together!
I try my best to follow musical threads but never manage. Perhaps I should make a New Year resolution?
Anyway, I have dd8 (still 8...next thread she will be 9, I promise :)) who is violinist (grade 5 is next, not sure when though) and plays piano (we are stuck at grade 4). We are waiting fro grade 3 theory results but it looks like whatever the outcome grade 5 theory is on an agenda for March. Her teacher's view is that she would pass it tomorrow and who cares about distinction (I don't necessarily share it )
And I have ds5 who started violin this year.
Loose well done for the great result!
We're so behind on theory that we'll have to do a crash course. She has weeks when she does a lot and then theory is forgotten for a long time. I think once grade 5 piano is out of the way I'll focus on the theory at home with her so she can pass it before the next grade.
disorganised and green (and everybody else) I'd love to hear your DCs playing so if not posting here please feel free to PM me the links.
DD spent the week on Christmas carols on clarinet and 1 grade 5 piano piece plus 3 pieces for the festival. They are coming along nicely, still lots of work to do though.
Same here for videos!
drummersmum I think he's sticking to bass for GCSE! As he did well on his bass pieces and now finally accepts they sound good to other people, he would be mad not to use them!
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DS2 was the one who came out of the two-hour theory exam after 50 minutes, insisting that he had checked his answers thoroughly, so he will have some explaining to do if he hasn't passed. 
Green forgot to say DD has two frames in her room, one for piano where she puts the certificate on top of each other with the most recent first and one empty waiting for the clarinet certificate now. She had various other certificates for dancing and other sports but I made a folder for those.
TheSecond how old is your DS? Good luck with the results.
Green good luck tomorrow with the exam, I am sure mini will smash it!
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