New Year Music and Musicians Thread

New I hear you over the Grade 8 sax. I bought all of DS1s Grade 8 tuba books for less than the cost of one of DSs pieces. What is she playing?

I can't find the one I was thinking of, but another DC also played a version that I'm pretty certain was from an old syllabus, possibly around Grade 3, so definitely worth looking out for Fleur .

Does it matter if the teacher isnt on board? My DC always wanted their own fun pieces as well as the lesson stuff.

Pique once DD attempts to play it and finished it (probably in a few months from now) I'll record you and ask what you great musical people think of it.

NewLife I will have a look in charity shops as they sometimes have old syllabus exam books, good idea.

Fleur

have you considered the past syllabus pieces. We have lots of piano music that people have practically given us as they obviously can't be used for exams anymore. If they were grade x a few years ago they are still that level now.

"apparently you need to be grade 4 to 6 standard to make a good job"

Sounds right to me. DD first learnt it shortly after her G4 and performed it at one of those little primary school talent contests. She picked it up again for that scarier performance above with defter fingers a the same month as her G5 exam.

Although the piece is a cliche, it certainly motivated DD to make a lot of effort to get to grips with some then significantly challenging technique/timing etc.

I don't think it is strange, Dd's teacher is not moving from exam to exam either but rather has a plan of how to get to the next exam and which grade would be next. So now for example she said she won't put DD in for grade 4 (well she can always change her mind) but to get to grade 4 and then 5 she needs to play certain pieces.

Once she would have played all the pieces from her list she'll start preparing for the exam, so no graded books for the time being as there is no point. The syllabus for piano is changing for next year so we'll get the grades pieces when she'll be ready.

Saying that all the pieces in the list are different books, individual composers editions such as Urtex so more expensive. I am not complaining though as I quite enjoy getting them and looking for the pieces on YouTube to listen to them

When exams come DD insists to listen to ALL the pieces including the alternatives and each time she liked at least one of those (additional cost).

I tell dd to borrow off friends and we can just photo copy for practice, but obviously we have to buy if used for comp, concert or exam.

She is covering 3 grades atm as there is no plan for any exam on the horizon, so she's just doing some from each and then when teacher wants an exam she'll do whichever they feel is the right level.
I know, strange way of doing it, but they don't teach to the exam.
Exams are rather an afterthought.

NewLife I don't even want to add up the cost of the music bought for DD in the last year or so. Since she's off the method books and every exam she wanted to play alternatives aside the ones published by abrsm it is getting more expensive by the day. I have just ordered a few from the list given by the teacher so hopefully these will last her a while.

Why oh why is sheet music so expensive?
i know the reason really but dd costing me a fortune at the moment.
The music for grade 8 sax is awful though, classical sax is not really nice.
Have found a couple of pieces she likes from 7 and one from 8 but can you buy them all in one book? No, that would be too bloody simple.

No sooner have I finished one order and she's asking for another, now it's music for singing. At least you can get books for grades 6-8 that have a good range

So today wondering how I'm going to afford it all and if I can find any out of copyright, but not too hopeful of this as all quite modern classical really.

I think once you've reached a certain minimum level of technical competence, it's possible to attempt really quite difficult pieces given enough persistence and patience. Whether this is the best use of limited practice time is another question, it depends what the student's motivation and goal is. DD jumped pretty much straight into grade 5+ material when she started piano. The difference, 18 months in, is that she now finds learning pieces of that standard much easier - this time last year, it took her ages to learn Schumann's Traumerei (only one page of music!) to a decent standard, whereas now it takes about 4 weeks to get a much longer Chopin nocturne mostly wired. You have to really, really want something to spend as much time as she did on Traumerei.

I downloaded the original version last night and showed it to DD hoping she'll change her mind she declared that it looks ok and she will give it a try.

I've googled it and apparently you need to be grade 4 to 6 standard to make a good job of it so I'll see what her teacher says, it may be one of the pieces she'll work on as a long project to bridge the gap between grade 3 and 5.

The second part (well the part in the middle) is amazing so not sure how she'll cope with that. We'll just have to see when she gets there.

Not sure which Martha Mier book fur Elise is in but if it's Classical jazz book 5 that might be a bit much! However, music room.com has a Boogie Beethoven from grade 3 that is a series of jazz variations on Fur Elise so that could be fun! In fact I am tempted to get it myself now...

Hi Green, yes it was Woodbridge violins. Worth a trip if you need an upgrade or maintenance. Lovely cafe opposite for a nice lunch

I have memories of DS playing the jazz version, will see if I can find it!

I could . We have a variety of woodwind and brass here and brass are definitely better behaved. I will threaten our woodwind with a stay at your house to bring them into line!

Dd loves it too
I am interested in the Jazz arrangement though... Sounds good

Oh all the best children don't listen to a single word you say and stubbornly insist on playing Fur Elise

Despite her limelight shunning nature, DD dragged herself from a (mild flu) sickbed to perform it one evening in front of a large school hall full of parents. I don't enjoy watching her perform, but the fun thing about that piece is that most people only know the first section but not the rest. Lots of jaws really did drop when she hit the 'manic middle'.

Haha to the bassoon in the airing cupboard! I think it's met its match!
Fleur if this is any help at all, there is a jazz arrangement of Fur Elise by Martha Miers that is rather nice. Just in case by any chance the piano teacher is a little weary of teaching the original!
dS1 learned a simplified version in music class in year 7 - just the first bit, over and over and over...

Icouldbe

Oh dear, DD decided she wants to learn Fur Elise which has been done to death and I am sure her teacher will not be happy. I made a mistake of telling her the story behind this piece and she declared that it is "so sad and beautiful, I love it, I don't care how hard it is, I want to play it".

So I'll let you know if her teacher will run around in circles screaming when she hears Dd's request.

Ealing - I think you have hit the mark; I have no problem with stripping down and taking a long break from exams. Think I will raise the subject again when we get the exam result. Thank you all or your thoughts

Prada - we have been there just to mooch; so lovely!

icould.....so funny!

Haha icouldbe

Prada, thank you for sharing, it sounds really nice. Can I please ask if the shop is Woodbridge violins? I tried to Google with Reeds but nothing cam up, we won't need a new size yet however it would be lovely to visit.

Regarding to the relationship with teacher: I have to admire our teacher patience every time I was in the lesson. My only thread to my daughter if she doesn't practise that it will make our teacher unhappy and leave!

Icouldbe. It could be worse, we have an oboe with an equally temperamental owner. She also develops unhealthy attachments to reeds just before they are about ready to retire - I am told this is a common affliction. Cork grease is indeed your friend.

Dear bassoon,
I know that you're only visiting but you need to know that we have certain expectations of our instruments. We're accustomed to hardworking brass instruments rather than prima donnas with cork joints. Being pretty and covered in intricate metal work does not excuse you from doing what you are told. When I called your owner and told her that you defied my son and refused to be disassembled after practise she told me that you were a frequent offender and should be put somewhere to cool off. The night in the garage did nothing to make you release your bell but Google and basic physics came to my rescue. I've got the measure of you now and if you do it again you will be straight in the airing cupboard for a couple of hours of desiccation.

I hope this is going to be a fruitful relationship and I'm sorry we got off on a bad footing. I'll buy you a new reed and some proper cork grease if it helps you settle in (even though your owner says Vaseline will do) but bear in mind that there's now a bassoon shaped gap in the airing cupboard if you ever need another time out.

No love,
Me

Prada what a lovely experience you had! It sounds like miniprada is happy, enjoying the new instrument!

Pique I totally agree, the teacher/student/parent relationship is vital when learning an instrument and I hope Dd's teacher will happily enjoy teaching DD for a long long time and they'll always have the great relationship they have now.