New Year Music and Musicians Thread

Waffle a triumph for Goo! So great to hear that result after so much hard work. Many congratulations to you both! And lovely to hear about the adult clarinet player, too!
andantecantabile - well done to your student, a great result!

Waffle nose- my student's theory result literally just came online! I logged on and checked, not expecting anything and it was there. Then a split second later, the email came!

My lovely student got 85, her and her mum will be delighted. I'm sure your daughter will have done brilliantly!

Aww raspberry my friend that must be sore for you and the ripplettes. Much hugs.

Musical - well done!

Drummers - that's fab !

Helen I share here too for the same reason. It's 8 years today since my Mum died, and I still miss sharing things. My Dad died before my DC were born.

Musical well done you!

Green everything is a balance, she will get loads from orchestra, and there are other playtimes.

Drummersmum what an amazing opportunity.

Helen please keep sharing, it's lovely to hear!

Drummer: wonderful, is it happening in London, please let us know if we could go and watch!

And everyone else, if there are good concert in uk which you could recommend please shout, we are trying to educate our ears(they are still very much dumb!)

Right, thank you everone, will brave myself and write to the school tomorrow!!! Fingerscrossed!

Loose: thats smth made me being reluctant to it to be honest, she is insisting in it now however her playing might be as equally exciting and important. At year 3, personally I prefer her going out their and does her usual climbing/chasing, lets see, she could always switch back if it isnt enjoyable.

I told our teacher about the new piano today and he grasped with horror that we bought a piano online, to be honest I thought its new so it doesnt matter however now I think I was naive. There is 28 days if smth goes wrong with it then we could retur/swap, hope not

drummersmum - very well done to DS, that's so exciting for him and for you! I love the music selection as well. That is going to be a wonderful concert.

Awww Helen, I have poorly parents at the moment and I am very aware that once they have gone, there are very few people who will want to hear of DD's achievements. Please keep sharing all of your DC's successes as collectively it is was inspires/d newbies like me to join in this thread x

musical RESPECT
helen thank you for sharing.
News here is that DS passed an audition to play percussion in a performance of Mahler's 5th and Prokoviev's piano concerto at the Royal Festival Hall next year and he's truly looking forward to it. But not as much as his mother

Helen what lovely pics! You must be very proud :)

Green I don't think it is ever too early to start to play in group situations. For a start, it hugely improves rhythmic awareness and the ability to listen and play at the same time. Go for it!

musical Respect! I also got up to grade 6 as a teen. I'm 51 now and I think I can appreciate more than most what an extraordinary achievement yours is. I don't play piano seriously now but I do play guitar and I'm very aware of how much harder it is to make progress in your 50s.

DD has had a very musical Easter weekend. Wrote (or at least finished) two new songs on Saturday and spent yesterday recording a cover version - which turned out a bit more ambitious than usual as it has eight tracks including guitar, three different keyboard parts and two vocal tracks, plus percussion. As usual she arrange, played and recorded it all herself using very basic equipment. I think it's probably getting to the point where we might need to invest in some more kit. Does anyone on here have a child who enjoys recording and want to share any tips?

Helen it was lovely of you to share the photos with us. I feel the same about being able to post here. (I also used to discuss The Archers with my mum, but that's another thread!)
Green I think I can put your mind at rest about school orchestra and whether your DD would fit in. Ours has a rough entry level of grade 1. Not all the children are quite there. DS2 and the other cellist are working on grade 3 and are among the most experienced players!
Unfortunately, I don't know if I can persuade him to do the final term as it's in a lunch hour and he resents losing valuable playtime.

Helen: I am sorry to hear, please do share here, your stories(and pics inspired us--newbies).

Speaking of practice, we still have usual lesson tomorrow and I am dreadful to meet her teacher(usually she is with the nanny and teacher exchanges emails with us) especially there hasnt been that much practising. I had her D string fine tuner replaced and a new bow and tonight the violin practise session sounds awfully out of tune!!!

Green get her in that orchestra! Honestly you can't beat playing with others to help most kids " get" why you do it and its regular practice of sorts.

Thanks for your kind words about the kids. Since mum died last year and dad had really bad dementia I kind of have no one ( except my lovely internet friends ) to share the news with. I thought maybe I've hung out here for ages and new forum parents might like to see what might result from the endless paying for lessons and nagging re practice !

And especially if it helps with sight reading as she is still worst at it. Our aim is now improving on sight reading, scale and aural otherwise we will never be able to have any distinction and I am aiming for it(blaming on you all who are talented or are having talented kids )

Waffle: thank you, if so I will brave myself to ask, she was begging me to ask and see if she could join, I was worried she might be not good enough yet and will be rejected and/or wasting the whole orchestra's time. I am a foreigner(however both kids were born here) so have no idea about orchestra at schools here. Will need to google now. Thank you

Newlife: I vote for Latin too:)

Prada: best of luck!

Musical: wow, a distinction!!! I am planning to learn piano too maybe once the baby starts learning, in few years time, you inspired me!

Helen: beautiful pics, she did look effortlessly, they both look very smart and grown up. I would be in tears too!

Slightly off compare to all talents here, I was thinking of putting my daughter to the school orchestra which I believe only play 30 mins a week, do you think its worth to try and any benefit. The downside is she is loosing playing time which to me its very important too(yr 3, just had a piano g3, learning violin g2). I personally think she isnt good enough yet and it might be wasting her and everyone else's time. What do you think?

HelennowseeingthelightwithRob that is a lovely photo. Your daughter looks as if it's all so easy, I suppose that's the skill - making it look effortless.

I'd agree completely. DS never knows what's going on. I chaperone frequently, its astounding how hard they work. If there's a spare 10 mins the Master of the Music will slip in a look at a piece that's coming up. It's full on in the Song Room!

Sometimes when DS mentions he's been working on a solo on his singing lesson, but doesnt know what for, I check the published music list to try and go.

I'd also agree with Helen about relying on excellent sight reading skills outside Choir!

Ha! They never know what's on the schedule - even when they are 16 as dd2 is- that won't change. She has done much of the repertoire before though now ( she started at 9)

Looseattheseams dd2 does a lot of flying by the seat of her pants ! If she actually worked hard and often she'd be really good.... But we don't push her. A cathedral chorister works very hard and knows how to sight read excellently- they have to and it's skill for life to just get on a do something with small amounts of preparation!

Rapidly it's just a huge mad coincidence they both ended up in Nottingham. The choir has been so good for them both. Not only a bit of money, lots of amazing Music etc but a " choir family" that looks after them. And they see each other2x week! They aren't music students though, it's still all " extra curricular " :)

However, I cannot emphasise enough how much they get out of it. I'm sure music will always be a big part of their lives.