October Music and Musicians Thread

I share your 11+ pain TRL!

I have to say I went against all advice to scale back on extra curricular activities like music and Spanish as it was always my feeling that these pursuits would maybe give her the edge over other more 'scholarly candidates' so we'll see. Most importantly my child is happy and not stressed out. It is much better to take a long leisurely run up than a mad dash at the end.

Great news Prada - mini has done very well, hasn't she?

DD has been offered a place in NYHO so she's very happy. NCO next week - she's seriously chilled about that after her cheery experience last year. Then back to the 11+ work-grindstone thereafter ....

Waffle so glad to hear Goo is feeling better - and I like your evil plan!

Congratulations Prada, it's good to have a real choice, even better to have a solid Plan B.

Waffle I'm glad that she's feeling better.

Thank you all. Choice theoretically possible but as an out of catchment application it is now a game of numbers. A child in catchment can score less (by quite a distance) and get a place ahead of her. So we'll see what comes out in the wash...

She's away at a netball tournament weekend this weekend so just waiting for the inevitable broken finger call before the NCO auditions...😱😱😱😱

Well done miniprada! Great results!

Busy times in our household, struggling to fit everything in, music, academics and so on. Considered a tutor for a bit but realised that we will not gain more time so the restrains will be the same.

Well done again, MiniPrada!
Woolley your DD sounds like she's really taken to bassoon! I wouldn't worry about going too far ahead of the group - possibly the others are doing the same as they have committed to it. If not, I am sure the teacher will work something out. Ukelele sounds fun, too - hope the neighbours appreciate it!

Many congratulations Prada, miniPrada has done so well! I will need your advice soon.

Well done MiniPrada! Does that bring big decisions? Nice to have the choice I guess.

Breaking news.... Miniprada also surprised us all by passing the super selective with a comparatively better score than the 11+ result earlier this week. Very proud and now we have 3/3 for schools applied for

Just finished our first bassoon practice since the lesson on Tuesday. Dd has been instructed to practice 4 notes, and to work on the first two pieces in her book. All fine, but dd wanted to do more, and she worked her way through the book to some simple tunes, Merrily we roll along etc.

This has never been a problem with clarinet lessons, her teacher has always been thrilled if she has worked on other stuff but I'm a bit concerned about how this will work with bassoon with it being a group lesson. It is nearly three weeks til the next lesson so lots of practice time to forge ahead, do I just hope everyone else does the same.

Was a bit weird going straight from that to Carol from Five Bagatelles but dd found it ok practicing one after the other which is good.

My poor neighbours, she is teaching herself ukulele from the internet so they have had nearly two hours of noise...

Never ever, we do the same! We also listen to the pieces by professionals a lot, that way they know the accompaniment really well.

Been away for a few days - doing practise of course, just for a change of scenery. Both kids are thoroughly fed up of playing their scales and pieces.

All I tell them is it will be worth it.

Re: practice, when I was young I used to do the mind-practice thing - you just play your pieces in your head, being very clear about which fingers are supposed to do what. It worked a treat, and you are never bored even when you are sitting in the dullest lesson in school ... I heard a radio programme about this years later, that this is actually more effective than sitting at the piano practising. And it makes your neighbours happier.

Rasberry that's lovely to hear. When my husband went on his work placement from uni he took his cornet with him, found the local band and had a ready made social circle from day 1 If you have a shared interest then you have something to talk about.

Loose that's brilliant advice.

Thanks everyone. I am so happy for him, (and relieved the 18th birthday present trombone isn't wasted!). He went to brass band tonight and is now playing in two separate concerts on Sunday. And I don't have to worry about the logistics!

I would def change Irvine, using this opportunity to look for a private one or someone you can have a 1-2-1 lesson with.

Loose: that is great advice, we didnt follow it and jumped straight to the jar and it turns out she didnt get them right at all(I dont even know if she gets it at all so I am no help). We save time with our teacher that she doesnt neec him to show her on scale at all, only to check

Thank you for advice, Loose and drummersmum.
We'll see how it goes, but also start looking for piano teacher as well.

Oh, and I hate to quote the mindset thing but scales are totally mindset. I changed mine after grade 3 nightmare and went into a lesson with the attitude 'I will conquer the scales. They will not conquer me. I have decided to be good at scales.'
Rather embarrassingly, this actually works! Particularly with scales!

Well, just reporting back that ds1 enjoyed session with new drum teacher who says they will do a bit more grade 5 technique (heel on bass drum) but his sight reading is very good and ds1 is happy to do drums straight after bass. Result!
Green if the person doing the scales isn't stressed that is a good thing with piano scales! Just keep going and don't let her switch scales until she's played one correctly three times! It's actually better to focus on one per day but really do it well than try to run through them and keep playing wrong.
Says she who knows nothing. My scales are only grade 4 I am just quoting my teacher!

Raspberry: echoing what stringchild said, that is all I am aiming for with our music. Hopefully we will be there one day( more likely another 10 yrs which feels like ...longgg)

Did I say we didnt get 1 scale correct in our last lesson check, scale is now our nightmare(and we skipped this week lesson because there was some misarrangment). I am actually worried about the piano exam the first time. The good thing is the person who actually taking the exam doesnt show any sign of anxiety at all, which in a sense is good. I have been following my schedule and its very helpful, I am even being ambitious and thinking I could stretch it a little bit more(some academic stuffs)

green I just saw the book review. Very good writing! I'm glad you enjoyed Mindset. I am enjoying Bounce and in fact DS has taken it from me after he heard me mentioning aloud: "I wish I had read this when I was young". He's currently at home reading it, with a high fever, worrying he won't make Friday's concert. He will insist on going even if it involves lots of paracetamol.

Good luck loose to your son in the upcoming concert!

Raspberry, that sounds like a fab start to uni!

Green - I think you might be worried over nothing re:11+ if your daughter already has that level of vocabulary! Lovely book review!

Waffle - will be thinking of Goo over the next couple of weeks!