October Music and Musicians Thread

Only I take the piano teacher's praise serious as she has been with her for three years, she proves she means what she says by the efforts outside DD's lessons (various texts mid week to remind her to do some stuff, texts to ask me what do I think of a certain plan such as a festival or an exam timeline, calling randomly to tell us of a new repertoire idea, having a development plan for her, you can see she spends a lot of time thinking of the next steps for DD) and also the way she talks to her, she'd say stuff like "I expect this and that from you because you really have a talent for music". She can be really strict and also fun, she really knows how to handle DD.

I take DD's clarinet teacher's praise with a pinch of salt at this point in time, I feel she is the type of teacher that over praises (nothing wrong with it, just her teaching style) so she would say stuff like "wow that is great, you're doing fantastic" but I believe that is just a way to encourage her students.

Disorganisedmummy- miniprada has just done the first movement of vivaldi's concerto in g major. Main points to concentrate on with Vivaldi are the short bows and rhythm.

Only- miniprada's violin teacher is Russian and gives out praise only when due. Dishes out rollickings as often. Piano teacher very soft. Guess which one she is able to manipulate with tears or 'I'm so very tired sobs'...

Hi everyone again... I am giving up to keep up with this thread but will try hard to keep up with the next one :)
Anyway, one more of my silly questions....
How do you feel about music teachers praising your dc? Do you take it as a fair view of dc's abilities or take it with a pinch of salt?

Stringchild-ds has barely put his violin down all day!! He is definitely a lot more engaged with practising although I've said he must play some fun/favourite pieces and not just for us on audition pieces especially as we don't have a date yet.
He's planning on doing Vivaldi's violin concerto in A minor and the theme from Ladies in Lavender though for some reason that is sounding very screechy at the mo. Anyone have any experience of these pieces.
We look round Guildhall next Saturday 5th. I am both terrified and excited for him. Terrified in case they say that he's not good enough (which is entirely possible) but not sure he will take that very well. I'm going to have to prepare him for that.

Oh and gumtree has a free area I can see quite a few good pianos there

www.gumtree.com/freebies/uk/piano

Waffle have you tried freecycle? There are some very good pianos coming up for free on there from time to time. You can also post a "wanted" add there and when somebody has one available they can contact you.

Loose thank you, I'll keep updating here hopefully DD will engage with this level of detail. Good luck with the March exam, I'm sure you'll do very well!

Stringchild I was very grateful for the advice! Saved no end of hassle! At some point we're resigned to having to go cello shopping as DS2 is pretty keen but I have made very good use of the music service's hire cupboard with a series of cellos!
Waffle thank you! But I am shocked that someone would be rude to you just for wanting to try the piano - their loss, though, I suppose and I hope you find a good one soon.

Waffle

How rude are some people!? I bought a fab white baby grand challen on eBay and it was fab. Chap let us try it though

Disorganisedmommy - we love that shop when we stay with friends in Woodbridge, even though we are not a violin :) Hope he enjoys it - we found upgrading the instrument was a massive catalyst for a playing/improvement spurt. We are on the upsize plan with Stringers - it works brilliantly and means they have an interest in keeping the instrument working well; they couriered us a string recently when one snapped the day before a festival, at no charge :)

Loose - dare i say i told you so re the 3/4 cello being a very temporary interlude :)

Fleur that does sound tough - MiniFleur is amazing to be doing this so young, well done to her and for you!
Loved hearing about the violin trip Disorganisedmummy and despite not being able to play violin I am very envious! It sounds like your DS had a lovely time in a really wonderful shop.
I managed a catch-up piano lesson this morning and had to play my contrary scales over three octaves as my teacher believes this is good in the long run. We also did some sight reading and worked on my third piece, which is now hands together up to the middle, trickiest bit, so I should have the whole thing sorted out soon. I'll have a stab at the exam in March, I think, and press on regardless of the result!

Hi all, got behind on the thread again but great to read about everyone's adventures. We have tried to have a music catch up half term but tbh ds didn't do nearly as much as he could have. He did two hours of ensembles this morning though so that helped a lot and is definitely getting better at the ensemble playing thing. Interesting reading about the mds scholarships - I didn't know they were available for JDs etc.

I hope your DS enjoys his new violin disorganisedmummy! I am jealous, DD doesn't play violin but I would love an antique type instrument in the house. I don't believe it works the same with pianos, well I am sure you can refurbish a very old one, but not sure it would make sense.

DD practised the way her teacher asked her yesterday with me reminding her of course and I have to say it is bloody hard work. She has to literally take it note by note, first one louder, then softer, then matching the level of the first one then a crescendo and so on, I feel for her as it is hard, she can already play the piece and put a lot of dynamics and phrasing in but as she'll perform it in the festival her teacher wants it perfect. They even discuss how it feels, what would the composer like it to be interpreted as, gosh I feel it is all beyond me.

So glad disorganisedmummy you found the experience great. Russell is just ace. No pressure at all. We also ended up with a 3/4 French mid 19thc violin. It has made an amazing difference to miniprada's enjoyment and performance of the violin. Did you give Russell your budget before you started? I found that actually by not knowing the price it meant we chose the one that sounded the best. He was clear with miniprada though that all 7 we had to choose from were all 'within mummy's budget' so that took any pressure off her. Then we went to the tummy tea shop opposite for a lovely lunch after she'd had a tour of his wonderful shop (which I agree looks like part of diagon alley). He will also post out bows to try on approval if you need to change. Wonderful to see a shop that works on trust.

Morning all. So we went to Woodbridge Violins in Suffolk yesterday which is about a 2 hour drive from us. It is like Ollivander's wand shop from Harry Potter!! Ds1 was beside himself with excitement! Even ds2 was bowled over by the place. The chap (Russell) was lovely and gave ds 5 Violins of all different prices to try in a quiet room away from the main shop. He didn't tell us the price of any of them. Ds took his audition pieces and played then on each one. He narrowed it down to 2 and from there he chose the one that sounded the best. It has a beautiful rich tone. It was clearly an old violin. Even dh,ds2 and I could hear the difference. Ds1 was absolutely clear he wanted that one.
Than came the clanger,it was the most expensive!! A good few hundred pounds over budget!!
To be honest though it was a no brainer. The sound he gets from it is amazing. It's a French violin dating back to 1860!! So we have a very,very happy ds and very poor parents now!!
He hasn't put it down since! The great thing is that it's a 3/4 as he's only 10 but when he's ready for a full size we can exchange it in full and only pay the difference (if any). We have this in writing. Very happy with the service.

One problem we have is that miss 12 doesn't want to do anything with her music for a career. She wants to go into medecine. So I always wonder how much time she should use for her music, when her real passion is maths and science. She does want to get at least one diploma - bu not for a while.

Miss 10 wants a career in music so it is almost easier to help her. She is concentrating on saxophone but plays piano, guitar and sings for pleasure. She is working hard on improv but I've got that joy to take her through more formally. I've got two thick tomes on jazz improv and so that will be my holiday reading over Christmas. Unless anyone here can help and tell me which one is better? Jazzology?or 'how to improvise'?

I am classically trained and never had any real improv training. I'm taking her through her grade 7 theory too and helping her with composition. I do admit to being a little out of my depth with jazz scales and modes. She isn't old enough to be allowed to join the local jazz bands.

Gilly - that is a really good point about MDS for JD; i think they are all CAT centres but have found the MDS are not well advertised, so anyone interested should ask. There are also odd pots of scholarship money that pop up from time to time, not necessarily at any obvious time. So again make sure they know you would be interested!

We are definitely going to have to invest in a bassoon stand I think, might have to be a Christmas present. Having it put together has made a huge difference to the levels of practice this week though dd is starting to get a little frustrated with only knowing four notes!

Clarinet practice going quite well also, I really can't see dd playing these pieces til potentially March though, I guess we will see!

ealingwest Some obedience now and then would be quite nice, don't you think?

Hi everyone. Hope you are all well and enjoying the hols. I'm interested in your diploma conversation shakyisles. I like both the ABRSM and Trinity diplomas the associated board have just brought a new diploma out called the ARSM performance diploma which bridges a gap between the grade 8 and DipABRSM, it is on similar lines to the Trinity diplomas. All teachers are different with my older kids 16 up I give them the option of working for either for younger ones i go with the trinity. Your teacher will have a preference but I like either. Hope that helps Nicky

Well, she has had a go on dh flute last night and today, there has been more air through than notes but she has managed to get something sounding like a note today.

Please don't anyone be too impressed with the list, as I said upthread, the same effort can't be applied to them all.
I haven't had it confirmed yet, but I believe the Clarinet and flute will be a ten minute part of her 90 min lesson for first study, so there will be no coming on in leaps and bounds, taking exams etc, until later grades.
Piano and Singing are 30 min lessons per week each, the former she does the bare minimum which they are happy with, perhaps 20/30 mins a day at most, so grades are slow here, due for grade 3 in the spring.

Disorganised
Good luck to your ds, I know why you are excited too, it's hard not to be.
It may be wishful thinking but maybe not as expensive as you believe.

Just wanted to add, as Disorganised prompted my memory.
I think all the JD's attract the funding from the MDS for anyone with a low (ish) income, hoping for their dc to audition.
If anyone knows anybody who would benefit, if they would kindly inform them. I'm really passionate about provision of musical education.

Same problem here Green I think it is the lack of maturity to be fair. As they are approaching higher levels in their music it is not about playing the notes and a few dynamics, there is so much more in every piece, the phrasing, the abundance of dynamics, so much to consider that I suspect a youngish child just doesn't have the patience for it.

DD started one of her grade 5 pieces (Slow Air) and her teacher asked her to only play 4 bars in her left hand, explained her this is not about learning the notes but ensure the music is properly interpreted.

On top of that her festival piece is well known but it is now literally taken to pieces to make it perfect. So back to hands separate, slow practice, bring the dynamics in properly. Gosh I hope DD will not get too frustrated.

Weegie: we learned over the rainbow last term too and I have a 2 years old singing the whole song while her sister was playing it, it is so classic and beautiful.

Never: We always have the problem of learning the pieces too fast. For example this week we are only allowed to practise on 2 phrases. And on top of it we are only allowed to put 2 hands together in the very end of the practice(Well I am not supervising it so I dont know if the instruction is followed). The playing too fast worked well with the etudes we learned earlier though

Neverever that sounds like me talking to dd2 about her practice! She's always slower than her teacher, but yesterday it sounded like a wee string quartet was playing in our lounge (teacher playing the piano part).

I find making her practice hard, though once she's doing it she loves it. Her violin is a 1900 Scottish maker ( my great-great uncle was a violin maker) and when she does it right it sounds really awesome. But she fights it. Though once she's doing it, it sounds awesome - her current piece is "over the rainbow" and it is brilliant.

Prelim rehearsals are next week, so we'll see how it goes (actual prelims are the week they go back to school in Jan) then the practical exams at the end of April. She's already up to speed on the practical side.