Spring/ Summer Music and Musicians Thread

I think trumpet is fine at that age, as long as their front teeth have grown in. But cornet is great as they can join a brass band. Brass bands are amazing - they can play real music in lots of proper concerts almost as soon as they start learning, and it's either free or costs next to nothing. Schools are also fine with having cornets in school orchestra, and it's great for jazz band.

Hi all just found this thread, so cool to read about what everyone's doing - lots of talented dc out there!!

I am v. keen for DC to be musical and love music but that is in conflict the knowledge that if I am a bit pushy I will put them off - DD is on the list to be assessed for ASD and while she loves music I want to be careful she doesn't start equating it with stressful things! She has been doing piano since Sept and does do a bit of practice everyday as well as playing around with chords, black notes, sounds etc. She also does keyboard and recorder at school and plays the recorder in a wind/brass band at our local Music Centre on Saturdays. That is a bit of a weird one - I first took her along as a bit of a experiment and was a bit freaked out seeing her with her £10 recorder (I've since got her a better one!!) amongst all the really experienced flutes etc but surprisingly she really enjoyed it. She is the only recorder, bar the teacher who plays with her sometimes - I'm not sure what parts they put in for her but I imagine quite filler-y ones. Anyway I am glad she is kind of getting the orchestra experience which is all new to me.

Recently we went to a Noisy Kids thingy and she had an opportunity to play some of the instruments afterwards - was surprisingly good at the trumpet IMHO (in that it made the right sound and she played a few notes by twiddling (??) the valves. I was perhaps a bit over enthusiastic so now she wants to play the cornet. She is little for her age (just turned 8) so I'm assuming cornet is best? Again I don't want to put her off - she would probably stay on recorder quite happily to be honest.

Also have DS who is four and half and all about the willie bum bums right now so NO idea what to do with him :)

lemanitoba I didn't know that, thank you! Something to consider

Don't forget that you can use grade 5 jazz or practical musicianship to allow you to move on to grade 6 practical. My dd did practical musicianship and found it miles easier than theory.

Greenleave do we share the same daughter???
Mine does the same and yet, I have a strange feeling (which may be only my feeling and nothing to do with reality) that something is changing....But the main thing you aware of it and everything is under control :)

Fleurdelise, I don't know why but I am very pro Abrsm, and don't want to cheat on them with Trinity board :) I know a child though who recently moved to Trinity for this reason, don't know what our teachers will decide, but I personally would rather miss few practical grades....

Don't forget that a young male teacher may not be used to lively little girls - they are a force to be reckoned with, and quite right too! My boys have three little girl cousins and they know resistance is futile!
I hope the stickers suggestion wasn't a cliche but I remember how pleased I was to get 2 last year for sight reading!
Theory is catching up with me now. My teacher has told me to get the grade 4 practice papers. She is going to set homework. Gibber!

Thank you Fleurdelise! Wow - as much as three years? In that case I will wait and see what happens next year.

I am being a pushy mum then .

Seriously though - that's really good to know. I can go and speak to the music teacher more generally about how he is doing etc, rather than focussing on grading and theory. Yay!

Only music, that could be true regarding to female teacher as she plays with boys mostly. She still carries her male friends and around the play ground, she is hanging upside down on the climbing frame whenever she could and she plays all boys games. She is very good at chess also and so far hasnt lost a game in her club. I have 2 girls and none of them are girly(sigh!!). If it was about the sexual awareness then I dont think she has it yet. It could be soon, however for now I dont think so( we went for a holiday recently and she was naked running around and chasing her sister, forget that other people might see her, she has no concept of being shy yet)

Welcome AaoograhaHoa! My DD does piano 1-2-1 privately so I don't know how piano lessons at school progress but just to say that from what I have read piano is the longest instrument to get to grade 1. It can take as long as 3 years (or even longer) if the DC is young when starting. It depends a lot if the lessons are group lessons or 1-2-1, how much practice it is done at home, parent support. So I'd say 18 months is ok still not to talk about grades just yet but you can check with the teacher regarding future plans. DD did theory from the beginning as part of her lessons but slowly, sticker books mainly to introduce her to theory.

have no idea as I cant even read a note neither my husband, we are absolutely dumb in music. She hasnt had her exam yet,it will this Jun so I cant tell until I have the result. Its only on the past papers and we havent done the G5 past papers yet. We only started having 30mins for theory by mid/end March, many of it washed away as she wasnt focused on her violin then the whole lesson is gone without theory is even touched( last Monday as an example). I dont present during the lessons so I dont know what the teacher explain). I had to say that G1-3 was super easy for her( she has done piano grade 3 practical only with a Merit), she said she find G4 and G5 practise book very hard. She has never said she finds anything hard before academically, she loves being challenged so she is even more motivated for it. I read here many kids go to a course and nail it after couple of weeks/months. I cant find any course where I live and/nor we want/can to send her to. If you need it done quickly then might be look into finding these courses. I read some kids are even as young as 6 years old has done it. So my 8 and a half should be ok...only if she doesnt roll on the floor and giggling too much.

Hello All

Any advice regarding when/how to get started on music theory and grading? My DS is 7rs old. He started Piano in Yr1 (about 18mths ago) and Recorder this year (so only about 6mths in). The lessons are through school - but they haven't mentioned anything about grading etc and I think it would be good to get him going. Or an I being a pushy music parent!

Its been soooo long since I did music (from 6yrs to 15yrs), and I had fab teachers who just sorted everything on my behalf - that I don't remember a thing about how that side all works!

Also - I did Clarinet and would like him to take it up in a year or so, am I doing the right thing using recorder as a stepping stone to get him started?

Thank you muchly for an wise words.

onlymusic

We are at the end of the grade 1 theory book, I am just repeating to myself that she has at least another 2 years until she'll be stuck or switch to Trinity after grade 5 practical. DD seems to understand it and enjoy it but I personally find it boring.

NeverEver you lost me with the Eb. That shows how much theory I understand.

We are doing theory slowly at home.

I'm trying to convince DC that even though that is also an E flat it simply won't do to use that E flat rather than the other E flat in the key signature. What fun. I have very disobedient questioning children.

Oh, btw, I am also very impressed by your dd's theory success Greenleave! We just finished grade 2 book and I feel we have to take it a bit more seriously otherwise we will be stuck with practical exams very soon.

Fleurdelise always blame your friend for silly ides, just like I did .

Green your DD is doing so well with her theory, I am truly impressed!

I wanted to suggest this also onlymusic but didn't know how to phrase it. My DD has a male teacher at school and when I have seen how giggling and silly the girls can be in front of him I realised they were trying to gain his attention in a different way that they would have done with a female teacher.

Can I make another suggestion, but please don't get cross with me. Can it be a reaction to a male tutor? (you have male tutor, don't you?). The girls are growing and it seems like their attitude towards opposite sex is changing gradually....A friend of mine warned me about it recently (female student-male teacher relationships), as mine has a male tutor too and she recently started to demonstrate some funny behavior....They may not do it deliberately just...growing!

Sorry about typing too fast and typo mistake(and blame mumsnet where you cant edit it). I meant "sticker policy) earlier.(also my English where I am tolerated at work where I work with Quant people who hardly talks nor writes hahaha)

I had a chance to attend Menuhin competition few weeks ago, what an inspiration it was! (came home and immediately made my dd to practice )
Pity there were not British kids in junior category this year :(
The orchestra from Menuhin School was amazing! These kids are so talented...

Loose: fantastic advice, just remind me that she is very excited about earning points and stickers. Yesterday she told me how she did well in writting and earned one sticker. I will build the sticker system atraight away with our teacher(its so easy and...cheap :) hahaha.

Onlymusic: thanks god, my child isnt the only one. She was ok when I presented in the couple of lessons(cant stand still, legs twisting, fiddling with the bow, however not rolling nor running). How does she do, I dont know, I dont think she is "brilliant", however she isnt doing too badly and most of all she wants to do it(especially now with the Orchestra where there are other violinist only a tear or two older than her are already grade 5 or higher, she is much inspired and motivated). We are sitting the exam this term and started with G3 pieces in March(we were told she has been progressing really well from our tutor point of view, I dont know how come after all this she still coming out as such). I have to stress that she isnt having any issue with her behaviour at school, not a naughty one(well the toddler one is now) and is doing really well(only just so active and giggling and just laugh at almost anything..which hasnt been an issue until now.

I will write to our tutor tonight to reduce it into 1 hour for the next 4 weeks, 30mins violin then 30mins theory. She has a good chance in theory where she scored 80-86% on G4 past papers and finished the G5 practise book. We will only focus on her weak areas in the next few weeks where our teacher will explain more, give more examples. We save grade 5 past papers till the mid term break as she hasnt got time for it now.

Last night as much of my plan then I felt asleep on the couch while she was reading. I plan to speak to her when I put her to bed however I had a long day so I didnt know how did I felt asleep. Then my husband said he went home while I wasl asleep and she was reading next to me and he put her to bed. So she has a lucky escape:). After agreeing with our teacher about the speaker policy then I will speak to her. Hopefully she agrees and try better

I sit in lessons because DD seems to have selective memory of what is expected of her practice. More so when the teacher asks to play a certain bar on repeat or count out loud. I don't interfere otherwise as I have been asked not to.

Oh yes, the fidgeting when DD plays with her hair, or looks outside the window and the teacher keeps talking. She has the patience of a saint not telling her off. It does sink in though, same experience here, she does seem to learn even if she doesn't seem to listen.

No experience with music GCSEs DS only doing the academic subjects but reading your experiences as maybe one day DD will sit music for hers.

Yes, majority of teachers seem to welcome parents on their lessons, but my only role is to restrict dd, so I decided I let them to get on with each other and have a bit of me time instead :)

Trout - my dd is also starting a one year gcse music course in September. I gather it's hard work, especially as they only get one lesson a week (think it's a long lesson though).