May/ June Music and Musicians Thread

Cote How exciting to start Le Rappel des Oiseaux!! Does your teacher have a specific programme for you or do you pick what you want to play? I'm going to have to talk to my teacher about the ornaments in Les Sauvages. I don't remember too much about how baroque ornaments ought to go. These days I play them however I like but there seems to be too many in this piece to hazard it ...

DD recently passed her Cycle 1 exam, for which judges came from the outside. Yes, they do all of formation musicale, chant chorale, ensemble/orchestre. We much prefer our local conservatory to private lessons, and not just because it is free. Concerts, opera, orchestra, just the musical atmosphere is so extraordinary.

Cote there aren't any "official" national levels/exams in France as you probably know, assessments are internal to the music school/conservatoire although they may sometimes have external assessors in the jury. This means that standards can vary and it's hard to equate with ABRSM grades.

There are three "cycles" - the first two cycles are four years each (but can be reduced or extended by a year or sometimes more) and the third cycle lasts three years. Often there is a preliminary year, before starting formal instrument lessons in cycle 1, during which young children start to learn some theory - note reading, rhythmic exercises - and get to try different instruments.

Roughly the end of cycle 1 corresponds to around ABRSM grade 4 - they do fewer scales and less sight reading, but more theory/aural because almost all music schools will require instrument students to do compulsory theory, orchestra and/or choir classes. The fourth year of Cycle 2 corresponds roughly to grade 8 judged by the typical repertoire (DD's audition piece has been set for ABRSM grade 8), and cycle 3 presumably to diploma level. It sounds like quite a rigid system and it is, but there are ways round it for able older students - DD will complete the first two cycles in two years.

Obviously there are private teachers too, but not that many of them, and they tend to teach non-orchestral instruments - it would be easy to find a private guitar teacher (dd and I have guitar lessons with an association of jazz-trained teachers) but round here you'd struggle to find a private violin or woodwind teacher, it may be different on your side of france where there are probably more wealthy expats.

NeverEver - Following my lesson today, I'm officially done with Bach's prelude BWV 934 and... starting Le Rappel des Oiseaux! So excited - if our piano had a "silent" option, I'd be on it right now.

"Her teacher wants her to do her "cycle 2" (roughly equivalent to grade 8) exam"

Thanks for that - I was wondering what those grades mean. Any idea which grade Cycle 1 is equivalent to?

Misti when DD started two years ago her teacher was teaching on a digital as she had no space at the time and it was a Kawai. It sounded amazing (to my ears but I am not a professional) and the teacher's opinion was that Kawai and Yamahas are the best digital pianos.

I believe I read somewhere that Kawai was chosen by Steinway to produce one of their cheaper models and the quality reflects in the digitals also, not just acoustics.

She then bought a Kawai upright when she managed to find the space.

Actually compared to guitars, pianos look quite reasonable to me . If we go for the ES-8 we'd have a decent "student" digital for not much more than I paid for DD's acoustic guitar .

I'd want it to be something she'll play for years though (the guitar is a "forever guitar"). So I need to get some opinions from people who've played the more upmarket digitals and I'd want to be sure that DD will continue.

She does seem keen at the moment. Her teacher wants her to do her "cycle 2" (roughly equivalent to grade 8) exam next year, leaving her a year to prepare for auditions to study as an amateur adult student (in France there are different post grade 8 curriculums depending on whether you are aiming to play professionally or as an amateur).

Misti

I too echo what other people have said, she sounds great and clearly enjoys music. she needs a new piano, bless her.
I know they are expensive, we have to decide whether to have ours fixed or if it's cheaper to buy another one.
Anyway, the most important thing is she sounds really good

I've had another look at mid-price digital pianos and the one that caught my eye is the Kawai ES-8 which supposedly has a very realistic action and sound. The "cabinet" version with 3 pedals is very minimalist and looks portable. Has anyone here played a digital Kawai?

Ours is a silent piano - normal acoustic piano but if you press the middle pedal it makes the hammers hit some sensors instead of the strings. Apparently you can do all kinds of instrument sounds too. DC know about that but I just want my acoustic part. The silent part is a concession to our poor long-suffering neighbours ...

Mistigri: ours used to be a semi digital, if you choose a grand piano function then it works like a piano( it has pedals). The sounds are not the same though however it is definitely so much better than a keyboard. Is the audition tomorrow? Best of luck!!!

Misti I think a top of the range digital Yamaha, Kawai or Roland should do the job. Have fun piano shopping

Mistigri we have a very good digital Roland, but it costs more than the cheapest acoustic . But sound wise, I like it more than teacher's grand piano (Yamaha I think)

Aw thank you all :)

Only it's fine to look at the other videos, they're all set to public anyway. She's trying to organise some studio time for this autumn, she has a grant application in progress with the local council (who have been amazing).

Re the piano cost is a minor issue, it's the practicalities that are a problem, due to layout of our house - the living room is upstairs and the stairs are narrow and have a full 180 degree turn. Moving a piano in/out would likely require a hoist of some sort! I'd consider it, but we will be moving in less than a year ahead of DS's sixth form college (lycee) application.

The other issue is that DD will be moving out in 2 years and ideally I'd like to buy something that she could take into student accommodation.

Is there such a thing as a digital piano that comes close to an acoustic? Some of the more upmarket ones get very good reviews.

Agree about the piano. Whenever anyone says money can't buy happiness I give the piano as a counterexample.

Mistigri - What a great musician you have there She is pretty good and more importantly, the pleasure she takes from the music shines through the video.

Definitely get a piano! I would recommend getting a good one 2nd hand (guaranteed, from a music shop) and with credit. Interest rates are very low and your monthly payments will be reasonable.

IIRC you are in France like us? The deal we did was that we could give the piano back after two years if we wanted to, and then it would be as if we rented it. Or we could keep up the payments for 5 years and then we would own it.

I bet you will decide to keep it, though. A piano is a constant source of music and joy in a home, for generations

Revenue may be high, but why musicians fees are so ?

There was an an article on the Evening Standard this evening about PJ Harvey and £1bln music revenue each year in London. I am so not surprised about music revenue as we do go to a concert/chamber once a month not mentioning a theatre trip every three months

Totally agree with Only, such a very beautiful girl with most sweet voice-I would go with everyone regarding a piano-get her a piano Misti-even for 1 month!

Mistigri I was very naughty and looked at some other videos at your account .Your dd sings beautifully and her covers are better than original versions! She could easily make a recording, I am personally not a big guitar fan, but can imagine myself listening to her CD in a car :)

Fleurdelise I wonder that too

Mistigri - what a beautiful piece. Thanks for sharing. Back from hols and now getting back into the practice regime here. Bit worried we've left it too late for a good pass (or any pass ) on the G5 piano but she's keen to have a go anyway. G5 theory next stop.....!

That's DD's room - four guitars, a synth, a piano, a percussion thingy whose name I don't recall (South American box drum thing), three amps, pedals, mike stand ...

But guitars are portable and pianos aren't; to get an upright in the living room we would probably need to bring it in via the balcony. I might consider that if we were going to be here long term but we're not.

Drummersmum one thing I have learned is that guitarists will always find room for another guitar!
A friend's husband is a percussionist and something very similar has happened in her house - she says sometimes she has to hide upstairs because the whole of the ground floor has been taken over by various instruments!