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Extra-curricular activities

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

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!

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Original poster
Wafflenose · 12/04/2016 13:58

I will be back later to answer the rest of your questions, but your DD sounds lovely. I have never actually met a child who isn't musical - often the parents think they're not, but it isn't true. I think anyone with sufficient interest can be taught to play the right instrument for them, with correct and appropriate teaching. Havin said that, a few children are exceptional. For now, I'd get her into a parent and child singing/ music making class, and carry on singing to her and making instruments available. I don't take formal pupils before 5/6, and prefer pianists to be 7/8 but that is personal preference - within a few months of a child starting at this age, they will have caught up with most of those who started at 5. I recommend recorder, xylophone or ukulele as a good starting point.

Suzuki do other instruments, such as cello, piano, flute, and I'm not sure what else. I'm no expert, but other people with experience will come along soon. I teach them to read music from the start (so from age 5) and they all can!

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DougalTheCheshireCat · 12/04/2016 13:04

hello all. Think this thread is a bit early for me, but would like to ask for advice / ideas on the early years.

DD is nearly three. She's showing plenty of signs of being musical and interested in music, we sing lots (though increasingly she tells me to stop so she can do it on her own), she could sing whole songs correctly very young (18 months) her nursery were staggered.

We've got xylophone etc knocking around, I noticed she very carefully picked out a scale on one recently (so yes just playing each bar in turn, but with a spontaneous concentration, and intent to follow the pattern of the sound).

We've got a piano (which I still play, though would like some refresher lessons myself after a 15 year gap), and she sometime does that on there too, although she also just likes bashing around.

I loved music as a child, started piano lessons at five and loved it, had private piano lessons until 18, did violin for bit later (though I didn't love it as much as piano). Also singing, though as I grew up I lost my confidence and only performed as part of choirs, I had a horror or auditions and solo performances.

I'd like to nurture DD's obvious musicality without overdoing it (the joy is the point, for me). At the same time, looking back, I really appreciate that I started formal learning so young, it meant I got the basics down early and already at 7 or 8 could play quite accomplished pieces which was very satisfying, and gave me something to build on. At the same time, being singled out for my music skill at school, combined with bullying issues and a couple of private teachers who made bad calls (one entered me in an exam under prepared, the next epistomised the 'don't fail and damage my reputation' critical attitude) destroyed my confidence and joy in performing, and playing and singing have become private things for me. I regret that.

Questions:

  • what sort of age would you start formal lessons?
  • what approach would you take to finding a good teacher? things to look for, questions to ask?
  • what would you do before then? games / exercises /group recommendations?
  • I looked at a Suzuki group that runs nearby, I like the philosophy but it does seem very all-encompassing - is it violin only?
Scaredofthepianoexaminer · 12/04/2016 12:46

Musicmom you are not the only one still waiting! DD has at least another month to wait for a diploma result. It is a tortuous process - well, for me anyway, a week of NCO has taken her mind off it completely I think. I am hoping now the actual exam and the NCO excitement is over she will get on with some work on her other instruments!!

AlexandraLeaving · 12/04/2016 08:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

woolleybear · 11/04/2016 22:20

Well done on all the great results!

se22mother · 11/04/2016 21:36

We were expecting a smaller instrument (more accustomed to scaled string instruments) but the teacher was confident she would manage a bb. She has reached section 11 of Paul Harris only skipping a couple of pieces. She also enjoys treble recorder and again can reach most notes.

LooseAtTheSeams · 11/04/2016 21:08

Musicmom1 thanks - he will be delighted about being louder!

LooseAtTheSeams · 11/04/2016 21:06

Howabout My piano teacher still tells me to get my nails cut! DS2 bites his so no nagging there!

Original poster
Wafflenose · 11/04/2016 20:56

Thanks Musicmom, it's on Wednesday. I will enjoy this one, because the next one ends in a zero!! I will be working, so we had a day trip to the lovely donkey sanctuary last week, and I treated the girls and myself to a trip to Bristol to see the Main NCO on Saturday.

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Musicmom1 · 11/04/2016 20:41

Loose - hope ds enjoys the up-size! it really does make a huge difference in sound quality and loudness.....

Musicmom1 · 11/04/2016 20:40

Great results (guess we really are last now) !

Fleur - DD could reach all she needed to from the start (from memory I don't think they play all the notes straight off...?) btw even if you are having private lessons, the teacher may have loan instruments (dd's did)

Waffle - happy birthday for this week!

Pradaqueen · 11/04/2016 20:16

Congratulations on the fab results coming in! Working on making miniprada understand she can't ignore the aural completely and just play the prices really well......!

Fleurdelise · 11/04/2016 20:04

waffle I was asking everybody with the knowledge, thank you for your answer. It does sound like she should be fine.

Paulweller11 · 11/04/2016 19:58

Two DDs here.
Dd1, aged 8- violinist- done gr5, now catching up with theory- booked in for gr1 (maybe gr2) on summer exams. She may also do gr3 singing sometime this year.
Also gr2 piano exam in summer.

Dd2, just 7 yrs old, drums gr1 in summer, and piano gr1 - probably in December. She has also just started violin.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 11/04/2016 19:48

Sorry, typo! se22.

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Original poster
Wafflenose · 11/04/2016 19:48

I know you were really asking se11mother... but I actually think she sounds more than big enough to reach them all. She'll have grown by then anyway. And usually it's just a matter of a few weeks or couple of months, if there's any doubt about reaching comfortably from the start. If you're really worried - just let her start on a C clarinet for 6-12 months. They are small, light and comfortable! I would gladly measure her up and let her try both, but we established that the distance is prohibitive!

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Fleurdelise · 11/04/2016 19:43

Congrats to all the DCs for the fantastic results! Time to celebrate now! WineCake

As I decided to keep to private lessons on clarinet I have turned to Dd's piano teacher and hurrrrrayyy she does know two clarinet teachers and will recommend us to them to start this September. Yaaaay! I know it is a long time till then but hopefully we can meet them (well, one of them) and get some instrument advice so once September comes we are all set.

se22mother you give me hope. I don't know anything about the instrument but I intend to become an expert Grin how much music can they play without reaching certain notes? What happens if they do need to play those notes?

Original poster
Wafflenose · 11/04/2016 19:40

Congratulations on all the amazing results!

Rara (nearly 8) and her friend (8) are both around 125cm. Rara doesn't have particularly big or small hands, but can reach all of the notes. I only use recorders with Baroque fingering, as that's the system I learnt with, and it's expected for exams. I'll try and make a video of her soon, if she'll let me. Her friend is managing a Bb clarinet, which wasn't my choice, but she's doing OK. For what it's worth, I was far smaller and a little younger when I started, and I did well. I got hurt because my teacher wasn't aware of that small possibility, but turned out to have an underlying connective tissue disorder anyway. 130cm will be completely fine, and MiniFleur has another few months of growing to do if she's starting in September.

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Icouldbeknitting · 11/04/2016 19:32

Congratulations on all the exam results, tea and celebratory cake all round.

howabout · 11/04/2016 19:08

Congratulations on all the exam passes Smile
Loose where would any self-respecting string player be without the odd left hand position to sort? At least he is not negotiating with his teacher about which nails he can grow as I always did Blush

LooseAtTheSeams · 11/04/2016 18:44

Well done on the exam results - I bet you're all glad the waiting is over! Great results all round! hope mini sunny is feeling much better.
Also good news here as the music centre has got a 3/4 size cello for ds2 so he now has no excuses for not getting his left hand position right! He has a lesson tomorrow on the old one and then we'll do a switch on Saturday when the music groups start up again.

Eustace2016 · 11/04/2016 18:39

Well done to all those passing.

sunnydayinmay · 11/04/2016 18:34

Heard that ds1 (aged 12) passed grade 3 piano (116), despite coming out in floods of tears over the sight reading and aural.

He had a stinking cold, hates sight reading, and is in the midst of puberty with a breaking voice, so was convinced he'd failed. Haven't seen the result yet, but apparently he did mess up the aural, so must've done okay on the pieces.

MrsStarwars · 11/04/2016 18:20

Had news today that mini starwars passed his grade 2 piano with merit!
So pleased as he worked really hard.
Well done to all the children who've taken recent exams.

raspberryrippleicecream · 11/04/2016 18:15

Well done to your DD 2ndSoprano

Where else would you share?