January Music Thread

Thanks for that everyone about the theory I'm sure it will be beneficial to do it I just wondered if I had to make him do it or if he could do it when he was ready we've still got plenty of time

We're really lucky as we have two great woodwind dealers/fixers within a mile of our house, and also a good shop (Prozone) within a few miles.

Your daughter's teacher will probably be able to recommend some people/shops local to you.

Thank you TheSecond that is our plan also, the clarinet is fine but I think she'd benefit for a better mouthpiece. Don't know where to go in our area, I could go to Howarths in London or I wonder if they do trial by post.

DS2 is still playing his beginner clarinet but upgraded the mouthpiece about a year ago. I don't know which one he has; we just went to our woodwind dealer/fixer to ask what he had in. He listened to DS2 play and then chose one for him, for which we paid £75. I think it's a good compromise if you don't feel ready to upgrade the whole instrument.

Quick question for clarinettists: I am thinking of changing the Buffet mouthpiece to a better one as I was reading online it improves the playing and it makes it a bit easier. Before I ask the teacher if she has any preference I'd like to narrow it down to a couple, do you guys have any recommendations?

Icouldbe is right, no need for ABRSM, we know someone with Trinity Grade 8 just gone to Conservatoire who did the research.

Grade 5 theory or not is a different matter. My older DC, with Trinity Grade 8s haven't, though they've both studied it a bit. DS2 did a couple of years ago.

Interestingly, ABRSM don't insist on theory for their new Diploma.

Has anybody heard from Waffle? She's been missing for a while, I hope all is well!

Trumpetboysmum DS took G5 theory two years after his G8 instrument. It really was worth doing, he needed it to take his diploma and to sneak onto the music technology course as an extra A level. When we were looking at sixth forms some of them asked for G5 theory as an entry requirement for A level music (although at least one of them that said it was necessary didn't actually require it)

Oh thanks for that Icould it's such a long way off I haven't really looked into it it's just what others have said so it's good to know as I wonder if he will ever get around to sitting grade 5 theory

Trumpetboysmum with DS being nearly 17 I'm starting to think about university (I wish he was). The admission documents I've seen that ask for G8 are asking for ABRSM or equivalent, the one course that wanted entry at diploma level was again ABRSM or equivalent. In the same way that it shouldn't matter what exam board gives then their English GCSE, it shouldn't matter what board gives them your music grade exam/diploma. There are places that I haven't looked at because I started with what they offer before looking at what they want and if they had nothing to offer a non-orchestral instrument they were out of the running from the start. I'm sure DS will do a more thorough job of research in time (no, no, I'm not)

He went instrument shopping with his father yesterday and we now have The One against which others will be compared. If he could have done he would have brought it home but the grumpy parents have insisted that he play all the alternatives before making a decision. We'll probably be done by half term.

Hello to the new joiners - I don't log on often enough to keep up so when I do come by I get overwhelmed with pages and pages to catch up with.

I think for trinity you do different ( and certainly in the higher grades less) scales it's just a different approach . I think ds may do trinity grade 7 as we haven't got round to the theory yet 😬and his teacher thinks it would be good to try something different. His opinion is that the trinity exams are better for brass although looking forward he will probably do Abrsm grade 8 as some universities specify that board ( though this is a long way off).

Organ lesson was a huge success. I think we may have to stop the school clarinet lessons, as lessons on five instruments is A) ridiculous, B) unaffordable and C) not enough practice time. Oh yes and D) just plain stupid!

I was however told today about a small bursary available for organ lessons which he should get, it will pay for about five hours worth.

Until this term his singing lessons were free as part of his Choristership, plus a sum towards an instrument lesson, so we needed to absorb extra costs anyway.

It feels slightly wrong stopping lessons on an instrument he enjoys though!

I was thinking about scales, DS2 jumped from Grade 1 to 4 and certainly didn't do all the scales. He played masses of repertoire. His teachers has a huge selection of books and lends them quite happily. He also did Trinity Grade 4, he was the teachers first pupil for that board as she wasa ABRSM devotee. He just missed out on Distinction

He has done every grade since so they are a regular item now.

Also his trombone lessons don't seem to involve many scales either. Again lots of repertoire and technical studies. No exams, totally trust his teacher, (has 2 children playing in national orchestras).

It's a long time since we've had a new teacher and instrument, interested to see his approach.

Only - I've read that book about Dorothy Delay- great book.
I wasn't reading it for an insight into the music world though, but for an insight into Delay's teaching of the violin.
Very interesting though...

Get well soon minigreens! 😷 For mummy!

Prada: it is the deadline this weekend I think, welldone for regustering before. Good luck with all the results. I bought a couple of Armagnac bottles during my holiday and I am having a taste. The last 2 weeks were very tough with work piled up, tube strike, both the girls were having cold with temperature and the coughing seems never stop in this household. They are now both in bed and it was a productive day(French lesson, some maths, some violin, some piano and the whole "in the night garden" and 1 hour in the playground near us. Tomorrow is only Orchestra rehearsal and that is the highlight of our weekend so we dont mind.

Loose - no I'm a million miles away from doing Dry January Currently sinking the best part of a bottle of Rioja reserva as we speak....Hic!

We are at the end of the first round exams. Hurrah! One call back so far to the super selective London indie. Another interview with a boarding option and waiting on answers to two more. My liver will need rescuing at the end of this!!

Entered miniprada in to G6 piano and also G7 violin for this term. Clearly I need multiple stress channels in my life!!!

Fleurdelise - I like your teacher's sensible approach! DS was fine with G5 scales to begin with, but a problem started to appear when he realised he was not playing them at the required speed (he'd been doing like G3 speed). He sweated a lot to play them accurately and precisely at the required speed! If he studies G4 scales beforehand, he didn't need to work that hard perhaps!

I bought our white grand piano on eBay Only... Many a bargain to be had

Oh nice! Hope it will bring much joy!

We just got 3/4 violin....
Looks like our new Gliga is going to be made from scratch which takes ages... Therefore we decided to buy a spare one on ebay, I spotted one today and we already collected it :)))

only I think when you marry a musician you need to accept it may come down to travelling and so on. Regardless if they become concert pianists for example or sitting in a pit as a theatre orchestra player.

I think each teacher has their own thinking behind scales, DD's teacher wanted the grade 5 scales to appear easy to DD by just adding the new requirements on top of the previous grades rather than learning them from scratch, I am sure there isn't a right or wrong answer.

Raspberry: my teacher also plays organ, he learnt it himself after finished his time with RSM. I dont have any belief although anytime we visit a cathedral, we love to be able to hear organ playing, its the most powerful instrument in my opinion.

As with skipping grade (piano), my DS took G1, 3 and 5 only by skipping G2 and 4. He studied all the scales for G2 and some exam pieces, but didn't do anything for G4. The teacher said it's repetitive so all G4 scales would be covered in G5 so no need to go through specifically for G4. Obviously he did play lots of G3-5 standard pieces before taking G5 but not particularly exam pieces (Burgmuller, Sonatina Album, Czerny, some Mozart pieces...).

I was just thinking a sports career of any kind can be cut off very quickly due to injury. My dcs won't be doing music as a career unless the rock band superstardom fantasy comes true but I do believe their enthusiasm for music has brought benefits in all kinds of ways - social skills, concentration, not going off the rails! My BiL got grade 8 distinction in violin years ago but had no interest in going further. However, he played for years in an excellent amateur orchestra and still plays in a string quartet. He opted for the high-powered city career but kept his music going as well.

Well done Second.

Good for your DD Woolley, I'm sure she's up for the challenge.

Sitting in the Cathedral while DS2 has his first proper organ Lesson. It's a very public place to be learning!