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Extra-curricular activities

March Music Thread

999 replies

Wafflenose · 01/03/2017 07:36

Here you are - a new thread for March! I can't believe we are now up to 700+ posts each month. Thank you all.

I am Waffle, Mum to two girls. I have Goo (11), short for Kajagoogoo, which is 'short' for Kaj, which means... well, that would be telling! Her younger sister is Rara (8) - Rara is what she used to call herself when she was learning to speak. Goo plays the flute, recorder and piano. Rara plays the cello, recorder and clarinet. We have Grade 7 Flute and Grade 1 Clarinet booked for the end of this month. I think we might have Grade 3 Cello and Grade 4 Piano coming up next term. Goo is off to secondary in a few months, and I really don't know if she will ever manage to fit in her last couple of recorder exams. I'm all for saving money though.

I will try my best to read everything and follow this month. Last month's thread moved so fast!!

OP posts:
Wafflenose · 01/03/2017 07:44

I have literally just got an email... Goo has been offered a place at the best state secondary school in the world! (Well, I think it is, anyway - we moved house 13 years ago partly because we fell in love with our cottage, and partly so that any children we might have could go there.) It's no great surprise, because almost everyone in the village goes there, but it's great to have it in writing.

OP posts:
se22mother · 01/03/2017 08:09

Congratulations waffle

LooseAtTheSeams · 01/03/2017 08:15

Wow! Waffle congratulations - and I'm impressed you got the email so quickly!
Many thanks for the new thread.
DS1 (15) is working on grade 8 electric bass and grade 6 percussion. I think exams might be next term. He also plays drums. He loves marching band and concert band and hates me talking about revision!
DS2 (12) Plays cello (G5) and piano (G4) and is in a concert orchestra.
I try to play piano but he's catching me up!

Fleurdelise · 01/03/2017 08:29

Congrats Waffle! Can you believe how quick the time went by, I think Goo was about 8 when I joined these threads.

I have dd 9 who is playing piano taking grade 5 next exam session and clarinet grade 3 probably next session also. She started clarinet last June and piano 3 and a half years ago so we are very proud of her progress in both her instruments.

Icouldbeknitting · 01/03/2017 08:50

Congratulations Waffle I know that you were expecting it but it's still a relief to know for certain.

No exams for us (unless DH takes himself off and does G3 jazz piano) but we are on the brink of a new instrument purchase. This is absolutely the last one, DS is nearly 17 now and if he ever feels the need for another he can buy his own. It will be coming with a lifetime guarantee and a free annual service which is a plus but as it's a custom build he gets to choose his own spec and finishes. Would sir like his valve slides gold plating? Sir probably would.

Weekends this month are pretty full, it's t'Area this weekend (the Yorkshire Area Brass Band Championships), a Music For Youth event and a residential weekend. DS has his 17th birthday too so he can start driving the musical taxi this month. I'm looking at replacing the car with something that is small enough to insure without needing a second mortgage so we went looking at cars with what we carry on a Saturday morning. Two instruments, a stand and a mute did not fit in all the cars that were on the list so they aren't on the list any more.

Doubleup · 01/03/2017 09:19

Well done to Miniprada and good to here that Miniwaffle1 is sorted for school too!

Very organised with the car hunting Knitting. Must have had a few strange looks 😀

Doubleup · 01/03/2017 09:21

'Hear' obviously!

Drivingmadness · 01/03/2017 09:23

Greenleave, there must be a strong genetic element in bad eyesight. From all my siblings/nieces/nehews etc only my dc1 has escaped glasses. Youngest dc 10 y has -2 !!
Reads a lot and would not be able to restrict her to reading 4/wk. However it seems spending a lot of time outside is the only thing that has been shown to possibly make a difference.
None of my dc are at the level of the rest of children on this thread, so won't embarras myself with too many details (and my paranoia is also playing a big role)

ealingwestmum · 01/03/2017 09:53

To all with great school news Star!

green, it's tough for young people to have deteriorating vision, mine has -4.25/-3.50 that gets worse even before the six month check ups. Neither me or hubby had bad eyes when young, but it is in the family elsewhere via siblings/GPs. She manages alternating contacts and glasses to help her through activities like sports/music and we will consider laser treatment for her when 18+. At least there are solutions that are more accessible now.

stringchild · 01/03/2017 09:53

well done to Waffle - such a relief to get the email even if you 'know'!

Kutik73 · 01/03/2017 10:26

Congratulations Waffle.

My ds (9) who plays piano and violin and now wants to learn viola also is more likely to go to a local states secondary where its emphasis is sports and almost zero music... It was no problem until one day he announced music was his thing (he was a sport mad previously). Since then I have been trying to find more opportunities for him to satisfy his musical interest.

He went to a 3-day orchestra workshop in Feb and loved it very much. So he is auditioning to be a regular member there, and also auditioning JDs in March/April. He will probably try NCO again this year as he is loving the regional rehearsal very much. I am going to look for a holiday camp too, maybe in summer. I suppose this will be enough to keep ds busy with his music for now!

Kutik73 · 01/03/2017 10:30

I have had leaser treatments done about 8 years ago. It's one of the best things I did (and money well spent)!

Wafflenose · 01/03/2017 12:00

My eyesight is useless, so I would love to have that done!

Yep, very pleased for Goo. All her friends are likely to go to the same school, as there really isn't much choice. We might have to reconsider at 14 if she really thinks music is going to be her thing, but there are enough new groups there to satisfy her for a bit, e.g. Junior Choir, Junior Steel Band, and she is allowed to bypass Junior Woodwinds and go straight into the Jazz Band. It's a fab school, and Rara is now guaranteed a place (catchment + sibling = top of the pile).

OP posts:
Greenleave · 01/03/2017 12:05

Waffle: many congrats on the great news!
My husband has -3.5 vs -5 while I am only -1.5vs-2. I dont wear glasses all the time though. I will need to bring her for check up this week or early next week. I try to tell myself that almost everyone around me is wearing glasses and there is laser treatment and cool/pretty glasses...she needs to read, to study, I just cant stop them all and even if we did(we did stop, restrict her) then if it def helps while she doesnt have the oportunity to read and learn which is very wrong anyway. (We did impose a strict 8.30pm light out time worrying she didnt get enough sleep, she is never allowed to read in her room however she wakes up at 7.45 and doesnt seem not to have enough sleep). She can still read books without glasses, read music and at school she sits at the back of the class room and still be able to see everything. (Sorry for the irrelevant music rant).

drummersmum · 01/03/2017 12:39

Waffle thanks for new thread and so great you have had that confirmed. Go Goo!
green even though outdoor time is important, as is looking into the far distance every now and then, your DD is going through a lovely face of wanting to know more and more about the things that interest her and thus devouring books. It is now when she has the time to do so, before school pressure and homework dictate what she can read. Relax about it, relax about everything - you're doing great Wine
Icould that must've been a funny scene at the car dealers!

We have a packed rest of term: 3 concerts (1 jazz, 1 orchestral, 1 choral), four auditions (RAM, RCM, RAM Jazz, NYJC), Grade 8 exam and four days residential with RFH concert to finish it off. To top it off, DS just signed up for an international composition project involving collaborating with students in two other countries. And he's volunteered to perform at a charity event to raise funds to offer a Syrian family a home - although that's after Easter.

raspberryrippleicecream · 01/03/2017 13:06

Waffle great news.

Icouldbe we did exactly the same last year. Bemused look from salesman!

Green I am -8 and my husband has no problems.
My two bookworm DC have perfect eyesight, DS2 who has to be encouraged to read, is -4, at 14, so my own feeling is not to worry too much about the reading.

raspberryrippleicecream · 01/03/2017 13:12

I have 3 DC, one off at uni but still very music orientated, DD on Sax, clarinet and piano, DS2 piano, organ, trombone, clarinet and voice.

We've just handed notice in on clarinet lessons, which I'm a bit wistful about, but 5 lots of lessons is a bit ridiculous.

We have our Festival in a couple of weeks, DS2 has an NYO Inspire day and there are lots of concerts at the end of term. No exams in the near future.

Mistigri · 01/03/2017 13:30

I'm still reading but not posting much due to not much musical going in here!

DD15 plays piano, guitar, bass and sometimes sax. Music has taken a big hit this term though due to mock baccalaureat exams (finished) and science project (due in tomorrow). She is supposed to be preparing for a piano competition but not much evidence of that ~roll~

Not complaining about her taking school seriously, but I think she puts in more effort than is warranted (she and a friend have made a huge website on the Manhattan project, so they will get a good mark - that will ultimately have zero relevance for DD's post-school ambitions). Still, it's better than the other way round!

Green both my kids were/ are readers, but of more relevance is the fact that DH has terrible sight. I am mildly short sighted (getting less so with age) and the kids are somewhere in between. For both of them, their prescription changed rapidly between ages 9-11, then stabilised.

stringchild · 01/03/2017 13:41

wow Drummers! that is some schedule; do you have dates? we had to miss our early audition at RCM, so waiting for new date - will pm you when we have it in case we co-incide

Pradaqueen · 01/03/2017 14:23

Hello everyone! I am going to keep up this month on this thread!

Well done Goo! Yay! We got allocated a grammar this morning but sticking with our choice of London indie.

DD(10) is currently learning violin and piano. G7 violin likely just after Easter and g6 piano before. As most of you know, we've just come out of the 11+ Secondary educational arms race tunnel so this term we are devoting to music and fun stuff. Open morning yesterday at the new school and the music teachers were so welcoming it was lovely! She obviously made a big impression on them (or maybe it's the very distinctive uniform Wink). We were also informed that there is a music scholars concert for September so going to get ready for that in advance for once....

I do wish luck to those with auditions coming up and for those waiting for the secondary allocations to arrive.

drummersmum · 01/03/2017 14:34

string I will pm you when I know

drummersmum · 01/03/2017 14:34

Same to kutik

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stringchild · 01/03/2017 14:46

ah Kutik are you doing RCM too? will pm you when i hear

stringchild · 01/03/2017 14:49

Disorganised - if you are around, let us know how your DS got on or if you rescheduled his audition?

Pradaqueen · 01/03/2017 16:17

Ladies - any suggestions for a lovely musical piece (not technical) gr7 ish for the scholars concert? Thinking a lovely movement from a concerto that perhaps the audience will 'know'?

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