January to March 2019 music thread (Title edited by MNHQ)

[CruCru]

Hi all

Here is the new music thread for January - I hope no one minds me starting it.

I am mum to a son (7) who is learning the piano and trumpet and a daughter (5) who is learning the piano and violin. I am having piano lessons and played the trumpet as a child.

Some of the people on these threads (and their children) are fantastic musicians. Some are more like me. All are welcome.

Thank you to Wafflenose for all the time she has spent managing these threads.

[Mendingfences]

Here here to waffle and to you cru for admitting its actually january.....

[catkind]

Yay, thanks crucru! And of course to waffle for starting such a lovely supportive space.

I have DD (6), violin and piano - currently preferring piano. She's enjoying playing in a little string orchestra though so hopefully that'll be enough to keep violin interest going. And DS who is 9 playing piano and horn. Currently having a good phase for practising and letting me help a bit, which probably means we're due a tantrum soon... And I'm an enthusiastic amateur string player, so am more help to DD than DS.

[CruCru]

Well I had a piano lesson today and my teacher was pleased with my progress. So that’s something - I’ve moved onto a new book.

It’s a bit awkward because I recommended him to another mum at school who was looking for someone. They had an extremely friendly exchange of messages, her child was due to have his first lesson and then the mum completely vanished. I don’t think it is anything I need to get involved in (and, although she seems nice, I don’t actually know her all that well).

[minisnowballs]

Thanks crucru for starting this.

I love these threads - they answer lots of my stupid questions.

I have DD1, 11, who plays violin and piano, to nothing like the standards of many of the children on this thread. She is preparing for her Grade 4 violin. However, she's really getting into music and is now in a local chamber orchestra, folk group and the school orchestra too. I'm proud of her, as it's not been a particularly easy journey so far and she has stuck with it. She's currently trying to learn 'the shaky hand thing' that everyone else does in her chamber orchestra - and will be so proud of herself when she gets it.

DD2, 9, plays flute and cello - just passed her grade 3 flute and takes grade 2 cello this term. She plays in a string ensemble at school and learns flute with CYM in London. That's been a learning curve for us all - and I feel a bit hopeless among all of the musician parents. Dd takes it all in her stride though and seems to really enjoy the whole thing. It's certainly a huge step up from school lessons.

I am grateful for all the help with my questions about practising, notation (I'm a ropey pianist with no theory knowledge) and many other musical things. Without you guys, I often have to resort to YouTube - as I did over Christmas when dd2 was given all three G2 cello pieces to learn in 2 weeks!

[horseymum]

Thanks for new thread, I might try to keep up this year! I have Ds1 who plays piano, dd2 oboe, recorders and piano, and dd3, piano and recorder and ukulele! She is also desperately waiting to start bassoon! Lessons are only just getting going again, and oboe has had rather a long break, but DD quite self motivated so not so bad. She is definitely missing her teacher though. The run up to Christmas was busy but I think this term will just have one music festival class and that's it so far. I suspect the summer term might be busier. I also run a school recorder group and play in an orchestra. Love this thread, about the only area of MN that I bother with.

[Wafflenose]

I am still reading, but busy with other stuff at the moment. Anyway, I have Goo (13) flute and piano, and Rara (10) clarinet and cello. Both are lapsed recorder players. We have Grade 5 clarinet coming up this term for Rara, and a few classes in the local festival. Goo doesn't want to know! We might have some Grade 4s happening this year too (possibly cello, recorder and piano - Goo was playing Chopin, Solfeggietto etc and highly motivated with the old teacher, and the new one has her plodding through ABRSM Grade 4 stuff very unmotivated-ly) but then again, maybe not! Both girls do NCO and SWMS, but Goo is leaving SWMS next term. We're looking for new flute and piano teachers for September, when she will be in Year 9.

[horseymum]

I hope we don't have to look for a new teacher after the summer, the oboe teacher is actually a professional bassoonist and says she will need an oboe specific teacher by then . ( She is about grade 5/6 just now but not done any exams). I'm hoping he will agree to continue as we both like how he teaches. Maybe he will forget he said it!

[NeleusTheStatue]

Thanks for starting the new thread, CruCru.

I have a mini-violinist who is currently teacher-less. We can't even look for a new teacher. Trying to see the bright side of it but it doesn't seem to be promising. I feel some ups and downs are approaching!!

Hey-ho...

[LooseAtTheSeams]

Thanks for new the thread CruCru and to Waffle as always!
I have DS1 (17) who plays bass guitar, guitar and drums. He is busy with music at school but A levels are taking up a lot of his time! DS2 (13) plays cello, piano and guitar. Piano grade 5 looms this term, theory in summer and grade 7 cello once he has the theory. So it's up to him!
My news is that I have decided not to take the grade 5 piano exam. The thought of doing it was too stressful and killing my enjoyment of piano, However, I am going to be working on some great pieces so will keep you posted!

[bostik]

Hi Everyone, I love this thread and I'll try to keep up this time but I'm hopeless really! I have two DC. One is not musical - his primary love is Warhammer - but DD (10) plays violin, piano, sings and is currently struggling with THEORY. Hoping to take the exam in the summer...
Thank you cru and waffle for these threads.

[busyspinning]

Hi
Thank you for the new thread !! I’ve name changed but have been around for a while !!
I have 2 dc ds who plays trumpet and piano and dd who sings and plays piano and cornet . Lots of changes ( and stress) last term but lots to look forward to this term with brass band, NCO plus the usual busy schedule of concerts and shows at the end of term . Oh and a grade 8 ( not sure that I’m looking forward to that one - but all is good I think )

[busyspinning]

Bostick - the warhammer comment made me smile - sounds like our house

[CruCru]

In my house it’s Minecraft.

[littleladsdad]

Hi everyone - great that we are underway again! Thank you CruCru & Waffle.

DS is at specialist school & plays trumpet & piano. He attends JD in London and will be doing NCO Main Orch and NCBBGB this year. It's going to be a busy one!

[Lotsofmilkonesugar]

Hello everybody, happy new year, glad the thread is back! We’re slowly getting back into the swing of term time again. We’ve been looking for a new teacher for DD 13 (flute) for a while and I’m hopeful we may have found the right person.. fingers crossed. She’s doing grade 8 this term so she has a lot to think about. Other DCs are pottering along nicely, DS1 doing piano grade 2 and DS2 doing clarinet grade 1 this time. Lots of chewed reeds but otherwise preparation going ok 🙂

[PaddingtonPaddington]

Thank you for the new thread. I’m also another name changer for 2019 but have been around a while.
DD plays violin and piano. As well as playing in the school orchestra she has just started at a new string group last Sunday and loved it. She’s the only one under 18 but said they were all very welcoming (and old!). She’s also had a change of violin teacher as 30 mins during school time just wasn’t working as she was missing work and tests and then had to catch up at lunchtime which then interfered with orchestra and choir. It was a hard decision as she’d had the same fantastic teacher for 7 years but we found a new one who lives less than a mile from our door (and we live in the absolute middle of nowhere). DDs now having an hour lesson and gets on really well with the new teacher.

[KittyOSullivanKrauss]

Hello, thanks for the new thread. I have a DS (9) who plays piano and added cello last term. He's just starting on ABRSM Grade 3 material with a view to doing the exam in the summer. He's getting on well with the cello. I have a younger DD who occasionally plonks on the piano but nothing formal yet. I can muddle through basic things on the piano and do simple duets. There are lots of knowledgable people on this thread which I find helpful as I'm learning as we go along.

[Trufflethewuffle]

Hi everyone. Things are slightly less busy on the music front for me these days as they've got older.

DS1 enjoyed his first term at RAM studying organ. Christmas was a bit weird for us as he was whizzing around everywhere playing services so didn't jointhe family till Christmas afternoon. We had a late meal but it just didn't feel quite right so next year we are going to try having our Christmas Day on Boxing Day.

DS2 also started university in the autumn and is playing sax in the big band which he is enjoying. DS3 no longer takes lessons but potters on the piano when the feeling gets him.

DD is now in year 12, hoping to go to music college after A levels so is in the midst of open days etc. Planning on ARSM in the summer. She has an awful virus at the moment but hopefully after the worst.

I'm enjoying hearing about what they are doing without having to do the organising for them!

[woolleybear]

Hello all, I have dd 12 who is preparing for grade 5 clarinet this term, and apparently grade 3 bassoon next term, I think she is just going by my rule of only one exam a term and just trying to put off grade 5 theory...

First practice of the clarinet quartet her teacher is putting together outside of school and she is beside herself that she is clarinet 3 rather than 4 despite being the youngest by a way.

Other than that just ticking along for a couple of months before exam time and concert season begin!

[NeleusTheStatue]

I've just been informed DS would have two concerts next week. After having a worrying start this term, it's such a relief to see things are happening somehow (not sure how but anyway!). It's so so nice to see him on stage. I don't get that nervous about it. I actually enjoy seeing him performing.

But really, his school loves last minute decisions. Hopefully I can re-arrange my work schedule next week without much fuss...

[CruCru]

That’s good news Neleus. I hope that you get to go. Will he be ready in time or does he already know the pieces he is to play?

Last night my son and I had sort of a falling out over practise. It doesn’t help that both children have both their music lessons today so Wednesday is the last day before the lesson. Plus I was a bit tired and ratty (and my son had had to do his prep beforehand as well). Hey ho, today is a new day. I don’t get them to practise on lesson days so it’ll just be spellings and reading tonight.

[catkind]

That sounds really positive neleus, enjoy the concerts! (If you get to go?)

Crucru, falling out with DS over practice is a regular occurrence here. On the plus side he usually does excellent practice for a few days after before dropping back to normal - here's hoping you replicate that bit too! I'm rather lacking in sympathy this term, DS decided to take exams on both instruments, he was warned this means hard work.

[CruCru]

Ah, glad to hear it isn't just me catkind. I have said to the kids that the point isn't that they do everything perfectly - the point of the lesson is to work on stuff that they aren't doing so well - but it must be obvious to the teacher that they have put some effort into practise (it's rude otherwise).

Today my son said that his trumpet teacher had said that it was the best lesson yet and he's moved onto a new book in piano. So that is positive.