New Year Music and Musicians Thread

Big congrats Woolly!
SE22 My piano teacher says a lot of young pupils refuse to believe they are doing it wrong! Ds2 used to be like that - I had to record him in the end - when he heard the mistake he didn't actually admit it but he did correct it.
He skipped grade 2 cello - did the scales and pieces but not the exam and moved on to grade 3 after playing some other repertoire as well. It's been more beneficial to his playing, in my view and I am to have skipped an exam!

woolley as long as she is covering the requirements at that grade I don't see what difference does it make if you DD takes the exam or not? DD did grade 1 last year, skipped grade 2 and went into grade 3 this year but she did learn grade 2 scales and did pieces around grade 2 level on the way. Now she'll start grade 4 scales but not take the exam, she'll do grade 5 probably in 18 months- 2 years I would assume depending on her progress.

In my opinion exams slow you down, while I appreciate the benefit of the exams (including learning how to polish a piece to performance standard) I do think DCs progress faster without them or doing just a few. Luckily Dd's teacher saw something in her and feels pretty much the same, she wants to have time to introduce DD to wider repertoire and following all the exams to the letter wouldn't allow her to do this. Also progress stops, at least in our case, when exams are coming up, the last 3 months are spent on the three pieces, sight reading, aural.

My children have skipped grades and done lots of technicals in their place in a short time. Scales are great (if you can get your children to learn them early) as they are key to great playing.

Both my chidlren started their scales early for grades as to get full marks, they have to be properly known, at speed, even, fluent,etc. Why not get ahead, if your child is willing?

Yes, or listen to someone else play it on YouTube?

Just a q about skipping grades. Dd has done grade 2 only two terms after grade 1. Although she may slow down a bit I am wondering about skipping grade 3? She has had one lesson since her exam and already starting on one of the new scales needed for grade 3. As she is a weird one who likes her scales, would it be sensible to learn the scales but play a wider range of music before then heading to grade 4 in 18 months or so?

Our main focus for the holidays is still one of her exam pieces as she has a concert performance of it on the 26th April but we have sent off for a new book as well so we can look for some new stuff.

se22 how about recording with your phone and seeing if she can hear the error? Do you have a recording of the piece played correctly?

Se22, with my daughter, 9 but has special needs, we do "competitions" so one day we might have a scales competition, she pretends to be a lot of different people, I am the judge. Somehow it is ok for me to comment on those "other people"! In the last little while she has got a lot better at recognising her own mistakes and appreciating what the teacher is asking her to achieve.

Fingers crossed Fleur!

Congrats Woolleybear - a very well done to your DD!

Sorry SE22mother and ShakeyIsles, not able to help on either score.

Going back a number of pages (I haven't been able to browse as usual since work went a bit bonkers), a belated thanks to Icouldbe - looks like DS is heading down the Trinity route for G3 trumpet. Also, MusicMom1, yes, DS was at W. Leamington Spa is a bit too far for us unfortunately but he is also entered at Cheltenham so will see how that goes.

Helping not belong

Does anyone have tips, especially coming up to the Easter holidays, for belong a youngish (7) dc correct the mistakes that ther teacher has advised they need to work on. Dd will dig in her heels and maintain (loudly enough to disturb our neighbours) that her practice points are correct ....

Have just heard in a quick e mail that dd got a Merit in her exam, we are both very pleased!

Sugar? Where did that come from? I'm not feeling well!

Hi everyone. Has anyone got any recomendations for books to help with grade 8 theory. I only took to grade 5 and though I taught up to 'A' level, the requirements are slightly different.

Miss 11 is still trying to decide whether to go in for the local area competitions or not. Her violin eacher wants her to view it as prep for her gr8 exam at the end of the year. She is firmly undecided (aka 'no').

Miss 9 is still recovering from a virus. So practise time is way down. We are still hammering away at aurals. Man - those grade 8 sugar aurals are tough. Any advice - other than practise?

in the fridge ready for later and DD is at a sleepover so full relaxation mode today. Thank you Loose!

Well done to Minifleur! It sounds like it went well. I bet she will enjoy playing for fun over the next couple of weeks! Definitely think the teacher is on the right track with skipping the exam for grade 4 and broadening the repertoire, otherwise it is a treadmill. Most importantly of all, Fleur, I hope you are going to treat yourself to a large and a this evening!

Misti your DD is fantastic! Music is obviously in her blood!

DD was messing up one of her pieces big time in the practice room, she was put off by how light the grand Yamaha piano was and I admit I was worried. She came out happy saying the grand in the exam was heavier, similar to hers at home and she didn't do the same mistake, she did have a couple of little ones in her Haydn piece but she wasn't put off by them so didn't re-start the piece, she played it through. The other two pieces all ok, aural she found easy and sight reading apparently went well (her weak element) unless she put her hands in the wrong place . She is after a distinction again but I spent my time on the way back to explain it doesn't matter and I am proud of her no matter the result and she should be also.

She never shows competitiveness in real life but deep down she does care. Two weeks of relaxing now and just mess around on the piano playing what she likes.

Then her teacher wants to drill sight reading exercises, start some scales for grade 4 and do a lot of repertoire, she'll skip grade 4, will cover the syllabus without the exam but next exam will be grade 5, not in a year's time but whenever she's ready. I am happy with that, she'll be spared the 3 months or so of doing only 3 pieces.

Fleur quietly confident? (I've sent you a PM).

Done, now the waiting game begins.

Miranda - well done to DD!

Fleur - good luck and enjoy :)

Misti - I love your dd's attitude (and obvious talent); music to entertain, explore and enjoy.

Newlife - enjoy the concert

Good luck to everyone else for end of term music and results

Miranda: many congrats on the great result, to me grade 1 is the most special one as we overcame the giving up barrier and enter into music world(just in my opinion). I remembered sitting with my daughter almost every other night when she practised violin after 11-12 hours stressful at work and sometimes my brain hurt so much with the violin screeching "noise" and we both didnt say however wanted to give up. We didnt, she had a merit, she is now progressing very fast and the violin sound gets better(still very screeching loads of time) and we are so glad we didnt give up. Grade 2 is coming this summer term however our teacher said she could progresses to grade 3 this summer.

Misti: I wish my daughter could be like yours one day(might be not singing part, our whole household has terrible voice including the baby hahaha)

Fleur: thinking about you and your daughter today, best of luck!

Misti yes please, pop music is great, i don't think Mozart lives in this house either, DD is only torturing his music from time to time

Fleur she has a FB music page and a channel on YouTube, I can PM you a link if you like. (It's just pop music ... Defo no Mozart in this house ).

Thank you NewLife, she was "composing" last night just for fun, I can't say I discovered Mozart but it was nice.

I know what you mean by being proud of a "talent", I feel the same when somebody says my DD is talented. However I know how much work she puts in so I always praise her hard work rather than her "talent" (not sure I believe in talent as such, more an natural inclination).

We actually talked about it tonight, I did remind her that it doesn't matter the result, what matters is how she made an effort, worked hard, practised, which is more important than a piece o paper.

Fleur

Good luck for tomorrow, and maybe not everybody's advice but I'd recommend doing no reading but playing by ear.
Let her choose a song she likes and work it out for herself.
Does wonder for aural practice and is such fun.
You could request something she knows.

I am pleased about the concert, I'm funny about proud It seems wrong sometimes to be proud of a talent. I always tell her well done, if it was well done. I don't tell her it was bad or anything, like I know some do.

I know this parent who has put the fear of something into their dd. If she makes a mistake she looks straight at him and cries, she's 14 now. I feel so sorry for her and try to intercept him when I can, but he is horrible. Not a parent at dd school btw, they are lovely.

Thank you Mistigri, it is indeed tomorrow, had a mock exam today and Dd's teacher was happy with how it went.

Is there a way to hear your DD playing guitar/singing Misti? Sorry if I am too intruding but I am so fascinated by self taught people that have a natural interest and talent.

DD practises her singing in the back of my car most of the time, no lessons but she loves pretending to be a professional singer.

NewLife that sounds good, you must feel so proud!