November Music Thread

Oh waffle. I can empathise. Sport and Music don't always play nicely. Hope a good ice bucket helps it and she hasn't killed a nail...

Prada you may be a bit tired of Indian Pony Race after hearing it several times although if played fast enough it doesn't last long. Definitely a good plan for your DD to do Cruella instead of the Moody Prawns and stand out from the crowd! I've still got memories of a primary school Christmas concert where just about every pianist seemed to be playing Tarantella. OK, slight exaggeration but you know what I mean!
That jumper made me laugh out loud but unfortunately I was in a cafe waiting for a friend when I saw it!

Ooh well done loose! More music festivals later today and tomorrow - piano this time and she is doing an any age g4&5 category and at least 4 of them are doing the Indian pony race so I'll be able to hear it. Miniprada is doing 60's swing. Then she is doing the cruella de vil for the any age jazz piano class tomorrow (where everyone else is doing moody prawn blues or 60's swing so here's hoping the judge will appreciate a different tune!) she has pulled out of the other two classes as she hasn't had time to re rehearse the G5 Bach and Glier as she is concentrating on the G6 pieces that she may or may not do for the exam December..... Or wait until Feb/March (most likely).

On a lighter note, I have just bought her this xmas jumper for the charity xmas jumper day at school. It made me laugh...

I'm so impressed with the grownups taking exams, and also quite glad the kids are not in an exam based system - dd2 is not keen on being told what to do and I expect an exam syllabus would send her over the edge and dd1 thinks 'scales' is a swear word (although she'll happily learn key signatures and chords etc. she just objects to the word 'scales' )

Fleur That's it, isn't it? They think we haven't seen (or actually performed) these tricks before. Very innocent.

Drivingmadness I do feel like they think they've invented the world and we are complete idiots who can't figure out when they "trick" us.

Loose besides admiring you for taking lessons I think it is even more amazing you taking exams!

Fleurdelise,ha, that sound familiar about ds...we are supposed to have a 2 hour limit on screen time. Ds has solved this by putting his schoolbooks on the table whilest playing on his PS4...so, no, he hasn't really played 2 hours yet, he has been doing his homeowrk.....

Ah, pleased to report some progress with Indian Pony Race. The transitions at speed are going better and some small but significant progress on the two bars I keep knotting my fingers over!! Have to repeat the whole process tomorrow, taking an hour out of the day again but I think it's worth it. Scales plus slow piece first session, then maybe sight reading followed by fast one, focusing on tricky bars!
The caffeine definitely had some effect! The good thing is that all the pieces should be about ready by the end of term with some extra practice at Christmas and then some polishing up at the beginning of next term. I don't honestly expect to get a great mark in March; what I'm working on is having the confidence to just go into the exam and play without nerves.
I think the end effect of all this practice will be to make me grateful for the torture that awaits at grade 5

Never nothing special, just G4 pieces! The slow one is Polish 'I Know of a Pleasant Meadow' and my teacher is very pleased because it is both modern and tuneful! The fast one is Indian Pony Race. I honestly thought I was playing it fast but it turns out I had underestimated!

Loose What are you playing? >

Hello Madcats - such a relief when exams are over!
Fleur thanks! Well, played the slow,piece through without too many fingering errors so quite happy with that but still gearing myself up for fast one! Quick cuppa and then I will have a go! (Hoping caffeine helps...)
Re gaming - I wouldn't mind but he's got very good at ignoring me while playing! The really positive side is that music at least focuses some of his leisure time on something else, but I worry that he just uses so much available time on whatever game it is. I don't envy you having year 11 to deal with especially given all the uncertainty over the new maths and English grades. and

Thanks Madcats!

Loose good to see I am not the only one feeling like chucking the console out the window. I now get the "I have revised while you weren't home therefore you couldn't see it so it is ok for me to play on the console all evening" from DS.

Good luck with your challenge Loose!

Welcome Madcats!

Late coming to this thread...DD has just done her grade 1 flute so I am celebrating not having to listen to those set pieces ever again!

NeverEverAnythingEver we asked our flute teacher for suggestions re getting a flute (and she recommended the people that service hers).

We ended up with a secondhand Yamaha 211sii for £300 that they had just refurbed (exc condition). It sounds soooo much nicer than the one we'd been borrowing that was forever getting keys stuck.

I'm not sure if it will help you, but when I was doing my extensive googling I stumbled across the "Take it Away" (loan) and "Assisted Instrument Purchase" (VAT free) scheme for LEA schools

Fleur that last T shirt slogan would be very pertinent to DS1!! The list of things that have to be done before he's allowed to play a game is getting longer and longer.
I'm a big fan of the music-themed T shirt as Christmas stocking filler! In fact I had to replace a Mr Bassist T shirt with an extra birthday one as it was too small!
Mending just caught up - that all sounds awful. I hope they reconsider.
Today's musical challenge is playing my third piano piece hands together slowly and accurately and my second piece very fast and accurately. I feel a certain sense of impending failure but will persevere!
Never I like your plan with the drumkit!

I can't keep up!!!

Congrats and well done to your DS Raspberry!

Mending I hope you find a solution without moving house.

Love the t-shirt, tempted to buy one for DCs as a Christmas present, found one with education is important but playing computer games is importerer for DS.

neverever good plan

the only adult I know having lessons gets them at the district music service. we seriously live in the back of beyond, and because there is basically no demand for private (because of the district schools...) its not exactly a flourishing market.....

Moving has been suggested as one way to solve the problem

Mending - no private teachers? Where do adults have lessons then?

But we really have no space.

drummers The plan is that he will play the drum kit at secondary school and drive them mad there. He's Yr6.

Thank you everyone, it is quite lovely to hear about all the positive stuff going on in the world of musical kids, and also cool T-shirts

I'm beginning to get a clearer picture of our situation, and well, its not pretty...

Perhaps I could set the kids up busking in front of the council offices to raise funds to cover the cost of their lessons

neverever if space and noise are an issue then electronic kit is a good option till a certain level although it's good to have the lessons on acoustic. Is that possible ? How old is he again sorry this thread is like the extended family you can't keep up with!

raspberry very happy for your DS2. It was us who applied to the London day. Haven't heard yet.
shaky my thoughts with all of you.
mending