Summer Term Music and Music Exams Thread

our girls piano lessons continue through the summer hols - 2 weeks off, one where we are going away, one where the teacher is... he winds it down a bit so they just play fun stuff through the summer (with some scales every other week)- Harry Potter, Tangled, Frozen this year.....

I will be lucky if any of my students do any practice over the summer. Was tempted to give them all theory homework but I don't want to make them do it with no help, so...

Morning all!
Just to thank you once again for your advice earlier this month and to let you know that DS passed with a merit :) (we don't have the full scores yet, just a text from his teacher)
School finishes tomorrow and I we aim for half an hour a day on each instrument- how successful we are at that remains to be seen :o

Herc DD1 interested in going, which means I'd be dragged along too as would be overnighting. Not sure about entering anything though.

Not been before, is it usually necessary to book this early?
Entry closing dates are September .

Has everyone registered for the Birmingham Recorder Festival?

We usually do daily practice but I have enforced a fortnight off for ds after his exams. In the holidays ds will do about half an hour a day on recorder just messing about with stuff he wants to play. He'll be doing violin for a week at camp and I doubt if he wants to do any theory but I may try to tempt him.

Same here. DS2 knows he is doing daily theory but hasn't realised about the piano, clarinet and trombone! I reckon an hour a day isn't too much to ask. DD has ASKED me to help her keep do regular practice as she wants to give Grade 8 her best shot for spring. Similarly DS1 has a lot of work to on his lip for his trombone Grade 8 and really wants to do it this year for his personal statement.

Wafflenose I'm not musical enough to know your DD had done that but it sounds amazing.

Lovely Waffle - thank you. My usual question when my husband is recounting a tale of so and so missing a bar out/ coming in late (whatever) is always "did you finish together?" If the answer is yes then the chance is that the audience didn't spot it but a raggy ending is always a dead giveaway.

Tortoiseturtle - We are a teen slacker household, left to his own devices he'd spend every waking minute online with his mates. I did experiment one weekend and left him to see whether he'd emerge for food - nope. Practice comes under the same heading as homework - later, tomorrow, after dinner - and he seems to put just enough work in to get by and no more (again, very like homework). Fortunately he gets a lot of ensemble playing and I tell myself that makes up for the lack of practice. The only time I've seen him push himself is when someone else could play something he couldn't but he doesn't get enough exposure to really good players of a similar age to make that happen regularly.

The school holiday rules will be coming into force soon - daily practice because why not?

DD is doing some music courses this summer too, and will have a great time and hopefully improve a fair bit. That's the side of music she's most keen on, plus the performing side. But let's face it, good musicians do tend to do a fair bit of practice on their own...

The cinematography was unique so don't tell him off Waffle :) Lovely lovely performance.

schilike - such a shame your DS2 does not like playing solo - he really does impose tough high standards on himself!

We have been really lucky as DD's school really does excel in music and instilling confidence in the girls from day 1. Yes, it's independent which we bit the bullet on from reception year and make the sacrifices accordingly, but she absolutely loves school.

Re motivation Tortoise - probably being a single child with no siblings for her to benchmark herself against, she is relatively self motivated, though practice times do not always equal quality. I make it clear that all her extra curricula choices are hers, and that she does them to the 'best of her ability'. This is not the same as 'to be the best'. At times, the clash between violin, piano, county club swimming and ballet and of course, school work is immense, but SHE has to make the choice of what to cull, not hide behind me. This may appear harsh, I provide support, but not to the point of micro management. I also do not want to hear when she is grown up, I only did these things because you wanted me to...

She is a good all-rounder who loves what she does, but has zero time management skills :) We've been fortunate so far that her academic work has not suffered but this may all change when she enters senior school.

I am sending her to residential music school tomorrow and will be interested to see when she comes back how her motivation is, having been amongst talented young musicians for 6 days. Being a deeply competitive girl, I think she will come back inspired!!

That's lovely Wafflenose and she looks absolutely gorgeous. Im very wistful remembering my DD in blue gingham and ankle socks.

Tortoise, no practice is not always their first choice, or even their second or third! Sometimes it is, especially if there is a performance, exam looming (or a lesson next day!). But they love playing in bands, DS2 also especially enjoys performing.

I'm sure they could have made faster, quicker progress, but they are enjoying their journey, the older 2 definitely won't be career musicians but will always have something they can enjoy.

Lovely waffle. Well done to you dd. Children performing always brings a tear to my eye! She looks so confident. Love the camera work

Unfortunately ds2 will not play solo, as he thinks he's not good enough. He has refused for school concerts, which is such a shame. He enjoys playing in groups. The girls have played in school assemblies and I'm amazed they're brave enough to stand up. I remember sobbing through a recorder piece, as I was placed on the edge of a semi circle and people could see me

Wow, that's amazing at her age. And that level of practice at 5 I find pretty extraordinary.
If only there were some like that at our primary. Their annual "concert" is a form of torture. In fact this year I am boycotting it and DC2 can manage without my support.

DD is a quick learner and loves playing music with others, but would progress a lot faster if she put in more practice! Are your DCs just naturally self-motivated? Would they rather practise their instruments than play on their skateboards with friends, or watch TV, or whatever? Or were you able to encourage them in that direction?

That's amazing progress ealingwestmum. I am amazed at young children who have got so far. Ds2 started playing the violin when he was 9 and having just turned 14 he has done grade 7. So 5 years to get to grade 7. He is very hard on himself in all aspects of life - particularly in music and academic work. Dh(musician) has tried to slow him down and get him to just enjoy playing, but it has been difficult!

We bought him an electric violin for his birthday and he is loving it. It has become the instrument to pick up and have fun with.

I know - it's our kids' expectations that are difficult to manage...hope he gets it schilke!

The result gave us a chance to reflect on why she does music, and hopefully she may put behind her the trophy collecting and focus on the enjoying the journey more, and that improvement does not stop at the 'exam'.

Quick learners do not make always best musicians, and to hear her now play in relaxed mode is great as she has really taken the feedback on board and ready to go back to some technique basics. I've told her she's still only 10...3 years into playing, what a great start to something (if she wants to) play for the rest of her life!

Exams completed yesterday, one grade three is worried, apparently he went to pieces in the exam but hopefully my other entries did OK. Lovely comments for my little one who did her prep test. I did have a sixteen year old come out in tears though, she is a real perfectionist and has had so much on, grade 5 balle and modern plus GCSEs, I think grade 1 piano may have been a little much. She was a distinction level candidate though, so I'm sure she will have passed.

Ealingwestmum - glad you added that! I was a bit , as I read it as if you were disappointed. I know all about setting that bar high. We're waiting for ds2's gr7 result. He'll not be happy unless he gets a distinction.

DD(13) got 108 in her G4 piano...

she was pleased, I was pleased - especially since one piece totally unravelled the week before the exam... she is learning for pleasure, not exam results, I should not think it will matter one jot in 10 years time that she "just" got a pass at G4 piano....

just to add....I was not disappointed, she was! I could not get anywhere near these marks when I was younger, maybe why I gave up at G2 in 1979!