January Music Thread

Ag, AlexandraLeaving. dd has the same problem but on treble recorder. I will talk to dd about not "think "aaarrrggghhhhh!!!!!" and clamp her jaw".
She is supposed to do her grade 2 exam in a few weeks but I feel she isn't ready, especially struggling with high A and C#.

Congratulations to MiniBebeside and MiniACME - fantastic merits!
Totally sympathise on C minor - that was the one that let me down in my grade three piano exam - had a total brain freeze going up but got it right coming back down! Normally it's the other way round- but the whole experience did make me determined to get to grips with scales properly!

Well done on the recorder exam. We finally got clarinet G4 result - a good merit! Just let down by scales but we were expecting that as she had a mind blank on the day with c minor. Hopefully this will make her practise scales more, something has to!

Thank you all. This is a whole other world for me and I would be completely lost without you guys!

raspberry I hope the church is convenient! Not quite the same as having it set up in the bedroom I guess Was mini-ripple 'head hunted' for the organ or has he had a hankering?

Well done mini BeBeside. Fingers crossed for the Choristership. My DS is valedicted on Sunday, and has loved it.

Think we've sorted a church and organ for DS to practice in, which is great.

He is entered for 5 individual classes and a piano duet in the Festival, and around 5 ensemble classes with school.

I'm usually the one looking ahead, but DH has just pointed out he could enter the organ class next year!

Woolley We tend to listen to them on YouTube, but that can be difficult as you can't find all the pieces and the quality can be a bit variable. I just go with what DD2's teacher tells her to do and buy the music accordingly. The teacher does seem to pick pieces to suit each pupil's style as they rarely seem to play the same pieces even if they are at the same grade. Same issue with oboe as there is no book with the pieces in one place. Can get quite expensive buying all this music - let alone the reeds.....

wolley - dd asleep so can't ask re the D, but on hearing pieces - go to the ABSRM site shop, and input which instrument/grade and you can download all the pieces for each grade/instrument; and you can just chose the ones you want and pay for just those.

Well done Bebeside!

Anyone who can assist with some clarinet advice? Dd having panics over her high D, if she plays it in a scale, or in continuous play she is fine, but she cannot securely play it in one of her pieces that has a rest before it?

And also a bassoon query though it may also apply to other lesser played instruments. With grades, you cannot buy the cd/book for the grade, is there anywhere other than searching YouTube to hear all the available pieces?

Thanks

Fleur someone at Abrsm really loves Summertime - it's on the grade 5 cello syllabus as well!
To be fair, if that turns out to be DS2's third piece I will be delighted. However, as you say, give it six months and I could feel differently!

I am now obsessed with the Kabalevsky and have played it about 100 times already ...

NeverEver DD was choosing between Kabalevsky and Summertime but Summertime won. DD is doing Waltz by Weber, Slow Air, Summertime. Slow Air is quite challenging, so is Summertime but hopefully because she loves it she will push through.

BeBeside that is a great result. Merit/distinctions are so much depending on the day that I wouldn't worry. I always thought it would be great for DD to get a merit or distinction and that is what her teacher is preparing her for just in case she has a bad day and she can get at least a pass. You never know what happens on the day.

Yes, I love Summertime, ask me again in 6 months time though.

BeBesideTheSea great news on the grade 1 result

DS1 and I looked through the grade 5 piano list. Did anyone choose the Kabalevsky novelette (list C)? Such a masterpiece!

Thanks all. Still no news on choristership, but he got a Merit in his G1 recorder. I assume that is better than a pass but not as good as a distinction? His recorder teacher was v happy anyway.

Fleur - if you are going to obsess over a peice, summertime is a pretty good one

green don't know if you're still hwre but I wish you the best in the next six months and very good of you to disconnect

Loose the ensemble sounds good, I am coming slowly to the conclusion that the wind ensemble DD goes to was the best move I made in her music development. Her friend joined also and I believe they can now see how much fun you can have by playing with other likeminded children.

Waiting for them to come out now.

They were lovely. Let them know you are coming, they had a selection out for DS to try (Inc second hand) in a little room, brought us coffee and left us to get on with it

Thanks for the music store recommendations. I rang the Edinburgh one and they were really helpful. We could get there on the train... might be an excuse for a day out!

Waffle ds also goes to the local secondary school luckily it is good for music and I was impressed by the breadth of music played at the school as well as the standard at the recent Christmas concert. Ds is also really self motivated and so has got really involved we are lucky that they do so much music but I also think it's about making the most of any opportunities that you do have

Just saw your post Fleur - love the idea of the examiner hearing Summertime twice! It is perfectly fine to be obsessed. The school workshop sounds pretty cool, too!
DS1 has found an ensemble where he can play his bass guitar (borough music service still) but it clashes with his drum lesson so I will have try try and reschedule that now! Aargh! Still, he's happy.

Thanks Alexandra and Green - and Green you had better come back soon!!!
I'm wondering about taking the dcs to a taster day for Stoneleigh - it's just a bus ride from us but I'll leave it up to them.
'Uhh...yeah...fine' is DS1's standard response to any question about school or music!

Waffle - not offended in the least, but DD1 was offered 3 music scholarships out of the 4 she did three years ago ( and Highly Commended in the other). She hadn't yet taken her G3 on oboe and only played one instrument at the time, so for the school where she had to play two, she played recorder which she had only learnt in recorder club at school. Her oboe lessons were a shared 20min lesson at the time, but she had had distinction in her first 2 exams. The comments were all about her potential and musicality rather than the actual level she had achieved.

Good luck Loose, BeBeside and Hapsburg!

Green have fun reading and see you soon!

Nothing much new on the music front here, DD is joining the choir/music workshop at school this term, working hard on the festival pieces for piano and doing some Disney clarinet pieces she loves.

Grade 5 piano and 3 clarinet planned for the summer term if all goes to plan but the grade 5 pieces have been put aside for a bit while grade 3 not even chosen. It will be quite amusing for the examiner if the exam is the same day as she plans to play Summertime for both grade 5 piano and grade 3 clarinet. He/she will think she has an obsession.