January Music Thread

Onlymusic I would agree with you about junior RCM and RAM vs NCO. Not so sure sure about Guildhall although probably right there as well. (More generally I think a lot of teachers and professionals rank RCM and RAM above Guidlhall and definitely above Trinity for post 18 studies.) NCO doesn't seem super hard (well in the context of musical children) - I know in theory it is national with a lot of people to choose from but I think a lot of good players (well players' parents!) are put off by the travel and commitment and with all the age groups and regional orchestras they seem to have a lot of people. Different story with NYO once kids are older.

Very nice to see you to those who I haven't greeted yet.

Trumpetboysmum - Congratulation to your DS. It's also the first year for my DS too though he is on the reserve list so not practically in yet! So do you think your DS has a better chance to get in JD as he is capable to win a place in NCO? Or, the competition of JD is much higher than NCO?

Re, scales: I was quite shocked how many scales and arpeggios to learn in G5 (piano) but then it may be because DS jumped from G3 to G5 so even more I may have felt so. He certainly did worked hardest ever. When his piano teacher started teaching him G7 scales, I felt for DS as I couldn't imagine how he could work even harder, as I expected it would be much more demanding than G5 which DS sweated a lot. But actually he is finding G7 scales somehow easier. He said he already learnt many of them from G5 so they were not that overwhelming. So my point is, G5 scales may look scary, but once you master them the rest wouldn't be so scary even though obviously higher grades demand more input. This milestone could be differ from people to people. G5 seems to be the one for my DS, but it could be G1, G3 or G6, and so on for others. Those who are finding their current scales quite overwhelming, it may be because your DCs are facing to their milestone and once they are over it the sky looks clearer and bluer.

I may be talking a total rubbish, as those words are from my very limited experience.

Ps my friend mainly talks to piano and violin parents, may be different for other instruments I suppose

Don't get places from first attempt that is

I may be wrong and don't have experience in any but I would assume JD would be more hard to get, because there are only a few places? And yet it depends on school too, RAM would certainly be the more difficult to get in than Guildhall.
I mentioned before, I have a friend who provides me with the stories about JDs from other parents. So far the conclusion was that quite a few children don't get children from first attempt. But then again, emphasis is on RAM and RCM. And yes, there are children who got into NCO and Guildhall but did not get into RAM. I don't personally hold this view but quite a few parents rank RAM and RCM higher thanany other musical colleges.
Again, not my views, just repeat rumours I have heard

Fleur, there may be 24 scales and arpeggios in total but they should be played both/right/left hands and therefore it is still A LOT. If we take violin that would make 54 s and a - separate notes and slurred :(

Kutik - think it will vary by year/instrument etc but DD would say NCO was harder for her (there are a lot at JD not successful for nco/not each year and may be just a matter of how many places there are in each?). They are also quite different audition processes and some dc will favour one approach over the other and respond better.

Just to say I do know my maths, 48 in total as in 24 scales and 24 arpeggios, it sounds like I said 12+12=48.

Don't think she's ever meant to take a break from scales...

Wow, Fleur, that's lots of scales! Dd is looking forward to a scales learning free term she says on her clarinet!

One of her friends at school has got into NCO this year on French Horn so she is a bit more interested now!

I think they are definitely compatible and offer different things though any sort of orchestral playing opportunity is great for young players and they learn loads . we are new to nco this year ( and if I'm honest I really didn't expect ds to get in) there's a grades list on the website which will give you a guide as to whether your child is ready or not it's different for different instruments. Ds doesn't go to music school or a jd but I am expecting that lots on his nco courses this year will do ( which will lead to him pestering me to let him go no doubt )😆

I have never joined any forum before - this is a very new experience for me. I have already received lots of wise advice to my JD and scales questions - all different, and all helpful. Could I ask one more question? Sorry it may sound very ignorant, but I am quite ignorant of the music world so please forgive me....

Which one do you think harder to get a place - NCO or JD? The competition is pretty the same? Or they are totally different fields hen incomparable (one is orchestra so more for attainment and one is school so more for potential, for instance)?

Congrats thesecond that is a really good score!

woolley that must feel serious but I am sure she will raise to the challenge.

DD has homework this week on piano: to identify if there are any scales or arpeggios she doesn't know out of the book. We're talking 12 majors, 12 minors, 48 in in total. Plus contrary motion... I don't know how such a little "thing" can learn and memorise them.

olymusic - Oh I see, OK I'm on the track. Thanks.

TheSecondOfHerName - Nice to meet you and many congratulation to you DS2.

Kutik,violin ;)

theSecond many congrats to DS2!

onlymusic, sorry I lost the track. Are you talking about piano or violin?

Well done The Second, I'm starting to feel like that about the grade 3 pieces at the moment!

So, having agreed that dd could do alternate weeks at junior band on bassoon and clarinet, she took her bassoon yesterday, and they said they want her to try the senior band with her clarinet. I think partly they just liked having the bassoon there!

She's a bit nervous at the prospect but as much a bout the age of the other kids there as the music!

I keep thinking-what is about arpeggios?? There plenty of them too! But no one seems to worry about those except me ;))
We are playing about 28 scales and arpeggios for gr5 right now

Congratulations Thesecond!

Lol thesecond.... We've all had that feeling. What a great score! Congrats to your DS

DS2 found out today that he got merit (127) in his grade 5 clarinet. I'm quite relieved, as I don't think I could have listened to those three pieces for another term.

Thanks Kutik for your advice, we were advised to carry on with this 1/2 then switch to the 4/4 once we can. I wont have to do anything now which suits me just fine. Regarding to violin scales, we do find it (much) easier compare to piano( we did struggle with piano scales) so your teacher might be right, they are all similar and could be learnt quickly.

There is noting wrong to practise just one scale. Finger pattern are all the same (of course, major minor are different). As long as you master one, all the rest are there already. I like the way this teacher is doing.

DS2 also did the varying of rhythm thing. I do it myself for learning runs of notes on the piano too.

But he did do more than one scale ... It's probably quite odd to do only one scale, especially on instruments where different scales can vary quite a lot. Perhaps the teacher was just concentrating on certain techniques first.