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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

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Original poster

Spring/ Summer Music and Musicians Thread

981 replies

Wafflenose · 10/04/2016 11:25

My children go back to school tomorrow, and it's my birthday this week, so it must be properly spring in the UK now, and time for a new thread! Please jump right in by telling us about your DCs' learning (or your own), or by asking any music/ music exam related questions you like. We have lots of experienced music parents and teachers on here, as well as lots of new ones.

I am a music teacher, and mum to Goo (10) and Rara (7). Goo started the recorder and flute when she was tiny (age 3 and 6 respectively), has recently added piccolo, but not very well yet, and is starting piano lessons in a couple of weeks. She has no exams this term, but will probably do Grade 6 Flute in the Autumn and Grade 8 Recorder next Spring. She plays in her school orchestra and recorder groups, South West Music School and NCO, and has her first concert with County Wind Band tonight, after a trial course. She hasn't auditioned to become a member yet, and might not for a few years yet, due to age and time factors.

Rara isn't so musically inclined - she prefers to read and draw, and is also very physically active. However, she is due to take her Grade 2 Cello exam this term, and Grade 3 Recorder in the Autumn - she's currently getting to grips with the treble and loving it!

OP posts:

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Musicmom1 · 26/04/2016 21:13

Hi Waffle - from a distance sounds like a lot of reasons for doing it if she wants too and then taking a bit longer yo g7. I doubt we will get the nco pieces until July (think it was then last year) and of course you are well ahead for the autumn auditions (if she doesn't want new pieces for those......). I think ever child finds the step up from one grade to another different - some really are not so big a leap and others are huge. Our cello teacher skips g6 quite often but g7 is a really big step incl on the aural.

Btw DD went straight to metal graces on top, and will gag bottom ones in few weeks if loose teeth ever drop out!

Original poster

Wafflenose · 26/04/2016 21:11

I imagine she could miss it, but I would then hope to have a gap of at least a year before embarking on Grade 7 - she's nowhere near. It seems crazy to me, to take the next grade before the certificate has arrived for the last one (Trinity, so they take ages). It would be great if she felt able to decide, but if she can't, then I will have to say no. I don't want to be the one to put her under any sort of pressure - real or perceived. DH thinks she might as well go for it, as the consequences of not getting a very good mark are almost non-existent.

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Fleurdelise · 26/04/2016 21:05

I see what you mean. DD is similar, she doesn't like exams but somehow looks forward to them if you see what I mean. She now keeps asking for the next one and while her teacher said she could do grade 4 by Christmas she wants to skip it so it will be grade 5 March or July next year. If you ask DD she doesn't like exams but she wants to do them.

So if Goo doesn't have any preference I'd go with your experience. Luckily you know what you are talking about so you can put your foot down. Can she not skip grade 6 if she doesn't want to wait till December and go straight into grade 7 December or March?

Original poster

Wafflenose · 26/04/2016 20:59

I'm trying not to make her piggy in the middle here, but... She just says she doesn't like exams. She certainly likes passing them though! She said she'd rather do it in June than wait until December, but I am concerned that she should be spending her lesson time working on difficult orchestral stuff (not that we have been sent the music yet though) and her spare time learning chorus words. So no, she doesn't really, really want to do it. I guess we'll wait and see how the lesson goes later in the week, and ask her teacher some more questions about it all, but it's frustrating, because if Goo felt strongly one way or the other, I'd advocate for whatever she wanted.

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Fleurdelise · 26/04/2016 20:54

Waffle what does Goo want? Does she really really really want to do it or is she a bit "whatever" about it? I think it should be her decision as she will put in the work. But she needs to be clear what work is expected of her.

Original poster

Wafflenose · 26/04/2016 20:04

Aargh, I keep going back and forth on the exam issue - Goo's, that is. We have decided not to put Rara through it this term - she was keen and had learnt everything, but other things need to take priority. I can't go into detail on here, but her teacher was getting stressed, so she was getting upset. If I'm honest, I wanted her to do it, because it would have given her a boost, but needs must.

Anyway, Goo. I really appreciated all your responses the other night, but am still no closer to deciding what's best. So I thought that writing it all down here might help to make it clearer in my mind.

Points against doing Grade 6 Flute this term:
I promised her she could have a year off exams, after doing 3 in 3 months. Not that she seems to mind.
She says she doesn't really like doing them, and is ALWAYS disappointed with her performance.
Grade 5 to Grade 6 in a term is crazy... isn't it?
She is performing in the chorus of the school production of Joseph, and needs to devote time to rehearsals and learning words. But this will come easily.
I'm not sure how much time she will need to spend on learning NCO music for the summer, but it would be good to spend some lesson time doing that.

Points for:
She is playing two pieces and just over half of the scales well. She has done the aural before, and similar sight reading (Grade 6 recorder a few months ago). The choices of third piece (teacher has given her a few alternatives) look fine.
Her teacher thinks she can do it.
Goo is goal-driven, and can be very focused.
She is willing to accept that she probably won't get a distinction, and says she will be OK with a pass.
It might help with her confidence - I think the other flutes in NCO this year are all around or above Grade 8, so in her mind, this might be a step closer to the others, IYSWIM.
She can then use her exam pieces for various re-auditions later this term.

Hmm. I'm still none the wiser.

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Mistigri · 26/04/2016 16:42

My DS is just 13 and he's already had 18 months of orthodontics - adult teeth in place for ages and wisdom teeth moving into position now! Unfortunately he doesn't play any instruments!

DD is enjoying her "exam" piece mainly because it's so easy and she is lazy lol. She started it on Sunday and I'm already having to shout downstairs for her to set the metronome and play it slower. It's supposed to be played at 140-145 bpm, at this rate it'll be about 300 before her next lesson!

NeverEverAnythingEver · 26/04/2016 16:12

DS has been given exam pieces to learn. But I don't especially want them to learn exam pieces! I guess they could do exam pieces + other pieces...

ealingwestmum · 26/04/2016 14:53

Wow, lots going on for all so early into this term!

We're struggling a little with the sports vs music/life in general scenarios as some others up thread, and I have not enjoyed the last few days watching in the wings pavilion where there is one for cricket or rounders matches to finish in this bizarre weather. This is on top of her 15 hours weekly swimming pre/after school. We could never consider junior music schools for this reason, but hope that she continues to strike the right balance between music and sport, prioritising correctly when stuff comes up.

The good news was her music exam result came in this week after 6 days of chasing her to get from music office...a good distinction for G4 singing. Miss the days of personal contact with a music teacher who texted/rang you if the result came during the holidays...now we get the 'oh, did you not know what you got'.....weeks after the results have come out! I'm sure some senior schools out there are a little more proactive

Fleurdelise · 25/04/2016 22:26

Thank you Rue sounds like she'll be fine. She's getting excited, a bit worried as she likes her routine, but asking questions about the instrument and so on.

Fleurdelise · 25/04/2016 22:17

Ds can't have "train tracks" yet as apparently you need your adult teeth to be in place. Taking him to the orthodontics again in a few months as they said if the last two are not out by then they'll extract them

DD is doing quite a good job of her pieces, more so Bethoveen being a favourite, I love when there is no exam discussion. She does ask (bless her) "is the my exam piece?" Every time there is a new piece introduced which is quite amusing as we need to keep repeating "no, these are just to learn and keep in your repertoire."

RueDeWakening · 25/04/2016 21:01

DD had gaps either side of her front top teeth when she started clarinet - in fact the teeth have only started coming through in the past few months and she's been playing since February last year. Her teacher never mentioned it, and it didn't occur to me that it might be an issue!

Original poster

Wafflenose · 25/04/2016 20:40

Musicmom what type does she have? Goo has massive blocks (two in each side of her moth) to bring the bottom jaw forward, and also a contraption that we have to turn a key in once a week to expand the top jaw outwards. Seems almost barbaric, but we've had not so much as a whimper from Goo. When this phase is done, it's on to normal braces (train tracks) for 2 years or so.

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Musicmom1 · 25/04/2016 20:04

Actually I think I meant what Waffke said! Good news is that braces don't seem to have made an impact to clarinet playing, teacher now decided we can move on from G5

Desperately trying yo think of two musical celebs staring with 'A'....??

Fleurdelise · 25/04/2016 17:16

We should then be fine. The teacher hasn't mentioned it and also I would assume that by September the lateral two will make an appearance also.

Original poster

Wafflenose · 25/04/2016 17:02

I have just started someone who was on the waiting list for 2 years. I wanted top two front teeth. Bottom ones are irrelevant, and come in earlier anyway. He was 9 by the time the top two came in... and Goo had a full adult set at 9!

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Fleurdelise · 25/04/2016 16:59

Oh and raspberry my DS soon to be 15 still has some baby teeth at the back.

Fleurdelise · 25/04/2016 16:58

Thank you all! You are honestly a treasure! No doubt that by September I'll keep coming back with more questions.

for all before you chuck me out of this group for being too annoying with my endless questions.

se22mother · 25/04/2016 16:48

Fleur: dd only had the 4 "central" teeth not 8 when she started playing

raspberryrippleicecream · 25/04/2016 16:31

Fleur I'm pretty certain DS2 didn't have 8 when he started at nearly 8. He still has a lot of baby teeth at 13.5.

raspberryrippleicecream · 25/04/2016 16:29

fairyqueen that's the one! Are you going? Am really sad that logistically only one of us could go, and we are over 300 miles away so can't nip down for the evening.

Musicmom1 · 25/04/2016 15:57

Dad's teacher wanted them all in (think it is a risk to the teeth rather than playing issue)?

Fleurdelise · 25/04/2016 15:21

The 2 central ones at the top and the 4 bottom ones are there fully grown. It is just these two lateral top ones that seem to take ages to grow, she had gaps for a while.

Forgot to ask the teacher also...

troutsprout · 25/04/2016 15:14

I understood it to mean that the top central incisors needed to be in. I'm pretty sure Dd had all 8 when she started but I don't think she necessarily needed all 8
I've never really thought about it.. She covers up her bottom teeth angling her lip inwards but puts her top ones on the mouthpiece and then covers them iykwim. So maybe just the central teeth are definitely needed?
Sorry.. Not much help!

Fleurdelise · 25/04/2016 14:59

Another clarinet question (sorry!): I found an info on google a while ago stating that the front adult theeth should be all in before starting. Are we talking about all 4 at the top and all 4 bottom teeth? DD has the 2 lateral incisors gaps, so the teeth fell and we are still waiting for them to grow back.

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