October Music and Musicians Thread

wooley what an exciting news! Well done to your DD and good luck!

Waffle good luck to Goo with grade 7. Shakyisles good luck to your DD's also with their grade 8. What instruments are they playing?

We visited DS's school last night for open evening so DD can get a better flavour of it. She love it and it is now her number one choice which make me want to throw all the 11+ material out the window as she should get in on sibling rule no problem. However knowing her she may change her mind by next year and also knowing DS he may suddenly decide he wants to join a different sixth form. So we will continue preparing but not as rigorously as I thought we should. We'll switch to once a week tests rather than do something everyday.

Music department is good at DS's school, I have seen a better one at another school but this was close to it. They have school orchestra and school bands, plus all the musical children participate in the yearly show production to perform something.

Even better, once you decide to do music GCSE and A level you get all your music lessons (one to one) paid by the school. I don't know if all the schools offer this?

Thanks

It will be called Betty apparently (but only if it suits it when we get it!), I will remember the cork grease, we have some at home for the clarinet (Colin) but only use it occasionally now.

For a "free" instrument, its cost a lot already, new reeds and a book, £20 for the instrument plus the petrol and the time off to pick it up, hopefully all will arrive before Tuesday's first lesson and I can track down the sling we bought but never used for the clarinet!

Anyone know the latest date we can decide this term to enter exams, again, I'm sure we had put in for them by now.

MIss 9 just manages to sail through without stress normally, but this time she has had tears and tantrums. And miss 12 just wants a decent result and NOT to go to pieces with nerves.
Not particularly competitive with each other as such. But I do wish they weren't sitting in the same session.

Arggg.... mere weeks to go until both children do their grade 8 exams. It's so stressful! And the tears! And miss 12 desperately wants a higher mark than her little sister.
Arrrggghhhh.

Woolleybear ooh, how exciting for your DD - do keep us posted! It's an amazing-looking and sounding instrument,
I think I will have to make a cello purchase before too long. I heeded the advice on a previous thread about growing boys, 3/4 cellos and lugging the thing to school and asked the local music service if a I could just swap the 1/2 size to 3/4 size. I got a nice stentor II for ds2. This has turned out to be a very wise move. Over the summer, DS2 grew like crazy.
Since starting Y7 he has reported that the teacher agrees with him the cello might be "a bit small" now. I have told him to manage for the time being until "bit small" becomes a definite "too small". It was meant to get him to the end of Y7 not just Christmas!

Woolley if the bassoon doesn't come with cork grease please make it the first thing that you buy because having stuck joints is no fun at all. Our bassoon of teenager rebellion has gone back now, he didn't get it out of its case over the summer holidays and was fine with the suggestion that we return it. I thought it was the most beautiful thing to look at and it was quite exciting when he got to discover another key - it's a far cry from a four valve instrument.

Wonderful drummer!

Yay to Woolley's new bassoon. What will you call it?

In other news, miniprada's NCO audition has been moved to later in the month as her accompanist was already at the other venue so it made sense and saved a couple of £ for us. Shame we are not at the RAH but it did mean missing school plus my work this week is mad busy (I renovate houses for a living and I have three ready this week for sale which I have to dress one of which has 15 viewings booked already) and there are just not enough hours in the day this week....arghhh!!

Drummer - wow!

drummermom !! so awesome , I feel anybody would fall for it after listening/watching to this video. I am non-musical and felt liking learning this immediately.

Ha, will show dd this tomorrow, wonder what she will say. Imagine having this in your own home...

Drummer that is incredible

Wow, I darent show that to dd, she would love it.

We have good news in the house tonight, dd has been awarded a year of free lessons on the bassoon and I have said she can do it, I'm going to pick the monster up on Monday!

No band tonight as she will be up early for a school trip and we needed this evening to pack. To celebrate, dd has done all 8 scales in her practice tonight, weird child, and they sound a lot better from where I was in the garden where she thinks I can't hear than they do when I ask to hear them.

That was lovely drummers, I really enjoyed it.

Oh my god, its amazing Drummers, thanks for sharing. First time I have seen a marimba piece play, wonderful!

Wow drummers I am truly impressed and so is DD! We watched it together, she asked what instrument is that and I replied telling her she can't get any ideas. He is so good!

Just mentioned the marimba piece to ds1 who looked v impressed. However he had his earphones in and it transpired - after he started playing me something very loud on spotify - that he thought I had a clip of the heavy metal band Angel Bivaldi! I put him right on it being proper Vivaldi on the marimba and I am pleased to say he is even more impressed! However my brief moment of street cred was over! Never mind, we both love the marimba performance!

drummersmum that's wonderful - the speed and the dynamics ... brilliant! Thanks for sharing.

Thank you drummersmum, that was lovely. I'd listen to him any day.

Another dad has spotted his bass skills for his son's trio
What a cool plan, Loose. It's great when they can meet friends and play.

Damn it! The sound doesn't work on my computer. Will try on laptop ...

Lovely, Drummersmum! Thanks so much for sharing it - the marimba sounds gorgeous. Will show this to DS1 to inspire him!
DS1 had year 10 music concert at school followed by prize-giving last night and I had to miss it all! Never mind, his dad said all went well, although he was more stunned by the school's star pianist, a lovely, modest lad who announced he was 'just starting to learn a Rachmaninov piece but thought he might as well have a go' before wowing the audience with his performance! I love the way teenage boys can do that!
The music teacher is going to give them all some performance feedback to help them plan for their GCSE performance pieces, so it was a useful exercise although I think DS1 is planning to try a different piece then - this was one he knew really well and could help the friend playing drums with. Another dad has spotted his bass skills for his son's trio, so who knows they could have quite an interesting ensemble as well!

Sounds amazing for 3 yrs!
I will not be showing my dd, she'll want one- not sure we have any room left for instruments now!

Oh people you're the nicest
Paul He's been learning 3 years. At the time of this video he could only practice at school but now thankfully he can at home. It is indeed less sharp and its true character comes out when you use four mallets and go vibrato crazy.