New Year Music and Musicians Thread

MusicMom1 and teacherwith2kids thanks for that. DS plays trumpet and cello but I think would only be sufficiently confident with the former. One of the attractions of Worcester is definitely that the brass classes take place on a Saturday when DS doesn't have school so no need of consent for absenting himself to participate. His school does participate in the Cheltenham festival for choir and recorder but nothing else to my knowledge, and I imagine there will be reluctance to allow him to participate during the school day, particularly since he is still in the lower grades. However, it's comforting to hear the positive experience of Cheltenham and I will pursue things with the music head at school to see what can be agreed. Teacher, faced with a bevy of tutus I suspect many 9 year old boys would be quite bewildered!

The thing that makes the Chelt festival manic - or at least for the classes held in the Town hall - seems to me to be the fact that music, dance and drama are all going on at the same time. I've attended for dance for years, and feel rather sorry for the odd musician who gets swept aside by a large bevy of girls in tutus sprinting down from a quick change in a group class. I know that some classes for non-dance are held in other venues, and I expect those are much more controlled.

Suspended. - DD has done both a few years ago, and I am just finishing the Worcs form tonight as she wants to do it this year. Yes Cheltenham is probably bigger but depends what instrument really. Chelt is v spread out and a lot is on weekdays which our school is less keen on DD doing. Worcster is over two sats. I would say both are lovely and just depends on which day you prefer. Or do bothsince one is March and one May.....😉

Substitute "bit" for "big".

Oh - and I don't believe any exams for DS this term - hurrah!

Hello hello! Didn't realise you'd got the new thread going Waffle - thanks again for keeping it all moving forward.

Have posted on the autumn thread, DS got 128 / merit for G2 trumpet - very pleased for him.

I asked there as well: has anyone here any experience of the Worcester Festival? Think DS will be dipping his toes in the water but don't want him to be overawed by a big busy festival. Cheltenham is closer for us but I get the sense it's a big manic?

A-Mx

Fleur: will mirror and follow your steps too. Thanks so much for mentioning about it yeaterday

Waffle: thanks so much for your info and your sharings, I had no idea about theory exam before so I am very glad its not too late to find out now. I will have to do my own research more maybe starting with grade 1 theory book then move upward. She now has only plan for March g3 so we are still very far from needing it as much. Couple of years sound more likely. We are not very musical family. I learnt violin for few years but my music theory is near Zero and I could hardly play violin without some practise now. So for my daughter it might even take longer. Thank you

Thank you Waffle!

I have found the past papers on Amazon and I'll order grade 1 to see how she's doing. She does do theory a bit in lessons and mostly as homework, so explain the notion in lesson and then she uses the Lina Ng books. I have no idea though how would she do if she would take a theory exam tomorrow.

So I'll start with grade 1 past papers and go from there.

Teacher: I wish anyone in our family can dance, we all move like monkeys, everytime I see people dance then my jaw drop!

Deo, Rasp: will research it and think about it and speak to her tonight to see if she is ok with it. I think she is though, she loves quizzes, tests, games and doesnt mind to learn anything new, its nice to have some hard to challenge her

Yes you can do any of grades 1 - 8 music theory without doing any practical exams as raspberry says. We know one boy however who had some learning difficulties at school but loved music and he despite a good few attempts could not pass grade 5 theory so could not do grades 6 - 8 (which by the way count for UCAS entrance points which are used for university entrance and some employers as are speech and drama higher eams) ABRSM exams so he moved to Trinity board for his higher practical grades. I am certainly not saying everyone has to do music theory exams. And plenty of children learn instruments without doing exams although I do feel for some children like mine it acts as an incentive.

Green yes. The only link is for Grade 6 practical ABRSM exams onwards, where you need Grade 5 theory, jazz or practical musicianship.

And my older two studied some theory but didn't want to do exams, and as they have stayed with Trinity so havent needed Grade 5 theory. DD especially hates ABRSMs aural (she did Grade 1 and 2 violin).

(Sorry, I know dance is derailing the thread! However, this prompted me to look up the minimum age limit for DD's next exams. She is literally only days over the minimum age limit at the moment, so I think we've got AAAAAAGGGEEES! Wheeee!)

Deo: thank you, regarding to grade 5 theory, can I do it before I have any grade 5 practise test passed?

(I do know we have no dance exams this term... the full round of three Intermediate levels - vocational exams, equivalent to Grade 7sih - are the next set and I think [fingers crossed] we may have at least a year before they happen)

DS has a shiny new saxophone in a nice rucksack carry case (rather than music service one in a bulky heavy suitcase) and he is HAPPY!! Just wanders round the house with it, playing little 'toot, toot's and improvised riffs of happiness.. Also recording his GCSE pieces at the moment - getting it all out of the way in Y10 seems to be the plan if he does well enough.

DD has ignored her cello all holiday and is looking forward to some new pieces... but as always it has to fit around dance.

We don't really do exams much. Think grade 6 clarinet might be the next one. Or Grade 7. Or Grade 6 saxophone. Or maybe just keep playing and enjoying. I'm sure he and his teacher will tell me when I need to do something

You can buy the theory books on the ABRSM website shop.abrsm.org/shop/dept/Music-Theory/100016

I did grades 1 - 8 theory about one a year from age 7 or 8 or so. It's up to parents and teachers what they prefer. There are certainly lots who only do grade 5 theory - you need grade 5 theory and higher to do ABRSM grade exams in other instruments of grade 6 and higher. I found doing grade 1 theory when I did grade 1 piano etc did help with general understanding and I quite liked it was it was like doing maths papers.

As for how hard is grade 5 - you need to learn quite a bit so if you do grades 1 - 4 first you have less to learn when you do 5 or you can do all of it at one go. LIke anything worth doing in life it involves a lot of practice which is why children who do music tend also to do better at their academic work too.

Fleur, thank you. Then I will sit tight until grade 5 as I feel like too much to ask her to do it now. We work full time long day so evenings and weekends I am always longing for the lazy cuddles, hopefully next year then it might be possible.

How hard is g5 theory everyone? How long does a child normally have to learn it?

Thank you musicmom!

Green there is an exam for each grade in theory but only grade 5 is required to continue with exams higher than grade 5.

Waffle: I dont know how can you do it, I have only one on music now and it already feels handful.

Newlife: nice to see you again

Loose: will look up at PH's books tonight, thank you.

Music: we are learning scales that way too, left then right hand, slow then medium.

Fleur: my daughter memorise everything too, her memory is amazing, I am on opposite I have a memory of a gold fish so that may be a temp thing for my daughter for now

All: regarding theory, I thought we only do g5 theory and its a must if we want to carry one doing grades? I dont know there is a theory g3 or 4. Do they have to sit for it seperately? What good could it help with their progress?

Fleur. - Amazon have them; am sure other places too.

Waffle - I am sure theory will be fine; Goo sounds much more prepared and natural at it than DD was.

Teacher just to,d us we need to be thinking about a full size cello - less than a year after the last purchase! Was not planning for that and can't believe how quickly DD is growing!

Dd has a "problem" she memorises everything first time therefore her sight reading is lacking. She is practising sight reading every lesson but her teacher doesn't want her to have the book at home as she would work it out first and memorise it.

After the exam the plan is to tackle yet again this area. Scales she finds easy and she did get full mark for them last time.

Waffle can I please ask where to get previous theory papers from? Dd's teacher would like to enter her for grade 3 theory first as a practice but I have no idea where to get the practice papers from and we haven't started practicing yet.