October Music and Musicians Thread

Green - we tried to do 1 each of a maths/English /VR/nvr paper per week in year 5. We had a tutor for 1 hr pw to work through any issues. I guess I would say we did most of that on a Sunday as miniprada had usually 1 hr homework per night. If I had my time again, i don't think I would bother with the super super selective as the music dept is not great ( it couldn't be given that they use a CEM style test) and I also don't think miniprada was familiar enough with the style of test or the difficulty level of nvr and I have to take responsibility for that. I think if we'd not had the family upset at the same time she may have got a better result (which is out next week) but I am a great believer in everything happening for a reason, so we'll see! Main thing is, you have plenty of time so no need to rush.

We have, DD,10, grade 3 flute, DS, 7, grade 3 violin and DD, also just turned 10 yrs is doing grade 4 cello this term. Pieces well on the way, scales all learnt but aural.... struggling with listening to a piece of music and talking about the character of the piece. Can anyone help with this? Any good websites? I think I need to teach her a list of phrases/good vocab to use. She's good at listening but not so good at using descriptive language!

It is moving fast!

Woolley: you are so organised!

Please can I have a question for everyone who had done and/or are doing 11+: how do you find time to study and when? if we do 30 mins violin and 30mins piano then our day has already been too much. We nearly forgot school homework and rushed to do it last night

Wow, page 5 already!

I have dd, year 5, age 10 who plays clarinet.

I spoke to her teacher today to ask if we should put off grade 3 til next term and she was practically horrified at the suggestion! Am I just expecting too much? I think we pretty much had it together at this point with grades 1 and 2. This term we still have scales that are causing problems (chromatic and d minor), and one piece was only played for the first time today!

Apparently, grade 3 this term, grade 4 in the summer, and grade 5 in the summer of year 6 is the grand plan. Also theory lessons start next week!

I think this will be heading towards possibly applying for music scholarships which I hadn't previously thought of, though school has a very good track record of getting them.

I know, I don't think I could hack it, I'd go mental, but obviously won't stop her if it's what she wants.
She has no fear though and already acts and believes she has left home.
I have never known anyone so determined her siblings are so different and just normal, with normal jobs
She tells everyone that she lives in Manchester now and it really hurts me, I get so upset. I know she loves us and we have a good relationship but I'm under no illusion she'll be off to see the world at the first opportunity. I haven't let her know this though and never will.

Maybe she'll go down the vocal route and want to stay in England, London doesn't seem so far away compared to USA.

gilly I don't know about this specific global jazz program, but Berklee is the number 1 place to go for jazz studies right now. And they offer scholarships. The only thing is, she would be across the pond!!

NeverEver thank you for Erlkonig. That was beautiful. And gilly that Chopin Nocturne may be many people's favourite but there's a reason for it! It's so moving.

DS favourite piece of piano is this:
We actually saw Kissin perform it live a few years ago. It was his encore. DS loves it so much that when he talks about how far he'd like to go with his piano, he says : "my ambition is to be able to play the Chopin's Scherzo n2". It is way beyond g8 so he's got a while to go!

gilly I've gone off Chopin . Mostly, anyway. Apart from the fantasie impromptu and .

ealing I look forward to it, but understand it takes time.

Tiger

I did forget to say that some of the conservatoires look more at the audition than the academic quals.
This is obviously only one of them but take a look at this.
I know she is a while of yet, but looking now will help her choose the right subjects and gain whatever experience they look for.

www.rcm.ac.uk/apply/entryrequirements/undergrad/

Mine has a long way to go yet, but a friend at school last year was told by all the visiting colleges to her school that they couldn't offer him anything.
He has gone here and dd has decided she wants to as well. I have 7 years to change her mind
www.berklee.edu/focused/global-jazz

You're on gilly. may be a while, but I will send you one when she's happy with it

ealing

Oh how lovely, I would love a pm sometime if she fancies an audience
I understand if not, but would love to hear her
I think it's the simplicity of the music that appeals to me, it's just so basic, earthy and uncomplicated to hear. As I said though probably hard to accomplish.
I heard the Arthur Rubinstein version many years ago and love it.

Tigerblue It doesn't matter whether she takes Trinity or ABRSM for G8 because they are equivalent. If her teacher is more familiar with Trinity then that's a good reason to stick with that even after she has her G5 theory. She will find the theory useful at A level, DS has started it this year and he had to have a theory refresher night early on (as he appeared to have forgotten everything he ever knew)

DS is 16 so I'm not far enough ahead of you to be able to offer any advice, we have it all yet to come.

Hello Tiger I'm certainly no expert but can give you a few pointers.

It sounds like your dd would like to take the classical approach and maybe go to music college?
I know there are different types of courses depending on what area your dd would like to work. e.g there are Uni's that offer joint Degrees in Music and Music education which take a more theoretical approach mixed with some performance units.
There are others that are solely performance related and whilst cover theory and academic music are predominantly performance based.
A friend of ours has a DIploma in Bandmanship, has never taught and makes her living as a Trumpet player in West End Shows.
Some Colleges/ uni's only seem to favour ABRSM exams usually Grade 8 and A level Music will be sufficient, with the obvious experience of ensemble playing.

I would google the ones you think she maybe interested in and see their entry requirements.
Please don't think your dd has come to music late, I personally know at least a dozen who are working in the industry who didn't start until late teens, so your dd is ahead of them

I would definitely push for the Theory as she will need this for an ABRSM grade 8. As you probably know you need this or an equivalent to progress from grade 5 practical.

I think the most important thing if possible is for your dd to understand the different routes and decide which she would like to take. I know it's no easy task if they just want to be involved in Music with no specific goal, but it does save making expensive mistakes.

That piece is on the go currently in our household gillybeanz, alongside DD learning Clair de Lune (Debussy). A nice slow contrast to the Tarantella speed...long way off to perfecting but lovely to hear the 'classics' now the standard of her play is improving!

Neverever: never say never...

I'm an upper strings teacher & orchestral player, DH has a desk job but is also a cellist orchestral player & DD (14) has just passed grade 7 oboe & started harp about a year ago (working towards grade 2) she is also a keen singer & on a music scholarship so does most of her music at school. Our biggest problem is balancing her music making & school stuff with ours & we very often pick her up straight from school on a Saturday lunchtime to get to our afternoon rehearsal on time for poor DD to then have to amuse herself for the afternoon then watch the concert. With around 30 concerts per season that's most weekends but we do remind her that we have to sit through her concerts too. She has just applied to CBSO youth & plays for various local holiday youth orchestras.
It's a mad busy life, but I don't know what we would do without our orchestral playing - it's like pressing a reset button on a Saturday evening to give us the energy to get through the next working week!
Anyone hear of a good 2nd hand grade 8+/pro oboe please let me know! Lack of 3rd octave key becoming an issue.

Advice please for my DD who wants a music career.

DD is 15, taking GCSEs this year. She took Violin ABRSM Grade 2 in 2013 and three years later has just got her Trinity Grade 7 with distinction. Her teacher is sure she'll can pass Trinity Grade 8 with distinction next summer. She's also working towards ABRSM music theory Grade 5. She has been self teaching piano for a year and has just started lessons - apparently she's around Grade 3. Her teacher has suggested she do a violin diploma alongside A levels. She belongs to a small orchestra who meet monthly, but when I have transport in the evenings next year to try and get her into one that meets more regularly and will give her more experience.

In the ideal world DD would like to perform, if not, use her knowledge to teach others either on violin/piano or secondary school. She has found a passion for music a lot later than some other children, so I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice. I wonder if she would do ABRSM Grade 8 violin for instance.

She'll take A levels in music and geography (as she likes this, it's her strongest other subject, achieved A* in mock mock and all her coursework is marked at this level). She'd probably choose her other two from English Lit, photography, ethics, photography or biology.

I'm not a huge fan of piano music, yet strangely enough my most favourite music ever is a chopin piano piece. strange but true.
Although listened to the Erlkonig last night and it is lovely.

My all time favourite is....... pretty obvious really.

I've been told it's quite hard to play because of the emotion required. Have no idea though as don't know any classical Pianists.

only

When I was young I picked up the guitar just so I can play Asturias and Memories of the Alhambra. I wasn't going to learn all the basics, oh no. After all I could read all the notation. I did actually manage to learn at least the beginning.

drummersmum
Your little voice is quite loud actually!

Great news only. It's lovely to still have young DC who can venture into new things.
The other day we were listening to some Albeniz and DS suddenly said: Spanish guitar is an instrument I'd love to play.
A little voice inside me said WHEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!

Ah, forgot our major news! Dd started recorder at school and very enthusiastic about it - comes home and practices it by herself I wish she would be as keen on violin :)
Told her - if she does not practice violin I will make her to go to recorder lessons instead. She does not seem to mind

I can see some discussion of practicing is going on (though cannot see where it started). I practice with both of mine. The only reason is - I want quality practice. They would probably be ok to practice on their own, but will make and repeat silly mistakes, like play minim as semibreve and vice versa (had to check in a book the right names ). Not because they don't know but because both are pretty careless. It is like - with me they will polish the piece up to 90% in one go, without me - they will need up to 3 lessons to do it (practice-teacher points mistakes, practice-etc)

Hi all! Don't know what is wrong with me these days but I am so behind in everything that don't even have time to read MN!
Anyway, in order to receive subscription will make a comment too :)
Dd8 is doing grade 3 theory in November. Her instruments are violin and piano.
Ds5 is learning violin.
Talking about children who are 'behind' - totally agree-there is no such thing as being behind in music, just some start earlier than the others, and it is definitely worth carrying on.

Fleur, saw the video of your dd playing piano in old thread-aaah, she is just fab!
Green good luck to your mini with NCO audition, will follow with interest your journey to the big orchestra :)

Never thank you so much for putting the Erlkonig up - I've listened to it several times this morning already and love it. I'll show it to ds2 later as I think he would enjoy the animation as well as the piano. I know for sure I can't play that, by the way!
Music lesson last night was a mixed bag - definitely improvements but teacher is hounding me on details and technique and given me horrid finger exercises to try. However, aural practice went well!
DS2 has already learned Bow Chicka Wow Wow - he's basically taught himself and the teacher went over the tricky bits in the lesson.he 's going to try another one from the group C list but don't know which one yet.
As for practice - he seems finally to have taken on board the pitfalls of the mini-concert. It does cost him a few marks in exams as he reverts to niggling little mistakes under exam pressure. But he is exactly the sort of person who has to come to a realisation himself - he won't do something just because someone else tells him. It's a strength in some ways and a frustration in others! What I do like is the fact that he is at the piano and enjoying playing every day.