January Music Thread

Fleurdelise - DS is Year 5, summer born. He is the taller end in his class but not the tallest.

Oh and I need DD to take grade 3 clarinet this year as summertime is on the list and the syllabus will change from next year. DD insists she'll do the same piece for both exams.

Why embarrassed? You should be proud!

YOU have two years on this Syllabus for piano so plenty of time.

Fleurdelise, I feel totally embarrassed now, I completely forgot that I sent that video

Oh, just remembered.... One of the girls in dd's class (year 4) is the same height as ds5.... and he is not even tall comparing to other children of the same age!

Summertime is one of my favorite pieces!
New challenge then, to sit grade 5 piano whilst current syllabus is still in force :)

Thank you so much for your kind words. I am so glad to join here!

By the way, I am not that worried about life at JD. I would be over the moon if he gets in as I know how badly he wants to go. And as some say, if it becomes unsuitable to him, he can always stop or re-consider the situation.

I am more worried about the audition process. He seems to believe in himself so much, if he couldn't get in, his confidence may be crashed... So thinking if I should encourage him or gently guide him not to do it!

only your DD did look about the same size as DD in the video.

I know what you mean DD still didn't chose one of the pieces for grade 5 piano, they feel too... new, but listening to them helps and they grow on you. She loves her summertime choice even though she only learnt 3 rows of the music, and the B piece, it is the A that makes us struggle.

She'll do it after the festival though, until February we concentrate on the three festival pieces. (And scales. And sight reading, studies . Oh and clarinet)

Fleurdelise mine is 135 and she turned 9 less then 2 weeks ago

Thanks for your thoughts Fleurdelise. Deep in my heart I think it would be better to leave everything till summer, but this current syllabus.... Oh, it just drives me mad, don't like a single piece from there....

Oh and we have one of the known music schools on our door step but I am still not convinced DD is 1) ready for it 2) mature enough to make such a decision at such an early age.

I am not sure I am ready to give up on academics (more or less, I know the also study academic subjects), I'll go through the state secondary schools admission and she can decide later.

Greenleave it just occurred to me, thanks to you.... We are waiting for our 3/4 to arrive, but my worry is that having it for 1.5 months max before the exam will not make any good.... How about yours? What does your teacher say, if anything :)? I just raised this question with the teacher he reckons it is not a good idea to change violins so short before the exam, but once I started to think about it I cannot stop :)

Kutik - I think you are worrying a bit too much. Going to a JD doesn't mean he can't still enjoy a lot of other things and it is not putting him down a musical path to the exclusion of everything else. Different if you were thinking about a specialist music school such as Purcell or Chethams where sport is minimal and almost everybody follows a music route from 18.

Kutik I think we always tend to be more critical and minimise our dcs achievements compared to others. But we need to be careful not to voice it out to them. When DD was 7 taking grade 1 piano I thought grade 3 is an amazing achievement. When DD was 8 and took grade 3 piano, while I was proud of her, the goal moved and I thought grade 5 is amazing. Now taking grade 5 at 9, starting another instrument and doing grade 1 after only 12 lessons (she counted them) it starting to become serious. However I do wonder if after grade 5 I will look towards the next achievement with higher admiration.

Is your DS Year 4 or 5 Kutik? I am amazed how tall your kids are, mine is only around 133-135cm at the age of 9.

Kutik73, to encourage you a bit, I seriously consider JD (ha-ha, yes, I, as no democracy in our household :)), but after some consideration I decided she is not doing it before 11yo which is in 2019 because of 1) maturity issues 2) current teaching arrangements are so good that it would be insane to change them. Otherwise she could try now as she satisfies entry requirements for primary department in RAM. Friend of mine also wants to send her dc to one of the colleges (btw, it is London we are talking about, right?) and I constantly hear these stories about super talented children... Perhaps I am over confident but they don't bother me at all . I don't really believe in someone being "better" or "worse", I believe there are some requirements and musical qualities they are looking for and that examiners are experienced enough to see those qualities in children if children posses them. And if not - then it is not the right place to be :). Apart from playing there is also aural part and I know dozens of children who are excellent players but who don't have that natural aural ability for example :)
It is just a matter of "go and see" :)

Kutik, if that was what my child wants I would support her with all my heart, for music, its mostly gains especially they are not serious with academic yet(may be until secondary). He can always drop it later is he chooses to do so. I will leave room to all experienced and knowledgable people here to answer your questions on info about JD. Good luck with all and glad you joined us.

Mmmm... I remember when the boy we know got in JD, I thought, wow, how could he know that's what he wants at such a young age - he must be very mature. At the time, my DS looked and behaved like a monkey (primitive, should I say?).

However, suddenly all changed last year. When DS decided to take Grade 5 piano, I thought, no way he could answer the musical features questions (too deep and advanced for my simple headed boy). When he decided to take Grade 5 theory, I thought, no way he could compose or write music neatly (still hadn't got a pen licence at school!). But he did all fine. And now, he talks like the boy who I once thought was a very different kind from mine. I didn't expect this.

However, DS's playing standard is nowhere near to the boy I mentioned above. I mean, I admire DS's achievements of course, but JD seems a totally different league. Isn't it for very gifted children??

So I am a bit torn whether I should embrace his enthusiasm and encourage him to go for it, or guide him to more normal (?), safe direction (keep being an all-rounder and just enjoy music for fun). My DS is so confident for the reason I don't know. I fear his confidence may be shuttered if I let him throw in the situation where he is driving himself in.

Hahaha, and I have a 141cm girl too, still debating what to do with this shocked news. I might still keep it.

Ealing: wrote a very long note on what you said(basically agree with you) and now reread it and it wasnt posted, not too sure why.
Kutik: mine isnt a musical component(yet), she doesnt have her heart to it as much or more she doesnt have a heart for anything(yet). We are only doing music for fun and so much appreciated the fun/upside music has given us. Saturday school is def not an option (Neither music scholarship in the future). This can change in the future, by then hopefully I dont have to remind(or rather shout) her to get some practising done.

Greenleave, by the way, my DS is not a small boy (nearly 140cm), and his violin is 3/4. We got it before summer and was told he would be fine with it next couple of years.

ealingwestmum - my husband is having a hard time to accept DS's new interest in music...

onlymusic - I think most JDs are open to a child as young as 8 years old. I may be wrong. My DS knows a boy who is in one and I suspect the idea of trying for JD came from the influence of the boy...

Fleurdelise - I would like to follow his lead but I am uncertain how much he really understand what he is talking about....

Greenleave - your DD sounds like sort of similar to my DS (instruments and playing standard). Have you thought about JD for her? I just cannot see my DS as a JD material, but I may be just comparing to those who are unbelievably talented (the boy we know got in a JD with both piano and violin as his st study and he is extremely gifted). Can you see yours as a good candidate? I don't know why my DS suddenly started believing JD is the way to go.

Kutik73: wellcome to the thread. Similar to Only(and Fleur), I also have a 9 yrs old(although a girl). Love to hear his commitment. I also have a very strong headed (however rather stubborn) child too who could do well if she puts work(who couldnt). She also plays piano and violin. Piano is more asvanced(just had grade 5 however low merit done last term) than violin at the moment mainly because she started piano earlier(around at 4.5 for piano and 7 for violin). We started piano only because I needed to have childcare covered so 1.5hrs singing, playing for fun with 2 other girls(our next door) a week for a year. We started violin because half of the class wanted to do it when the school introduced music lessons and because it started feeling lonely with piano by herself. Our new violin teacher said today 2 shocked news: violin grade 5 exam this term and her new violin is too big for her(4/4).

And the practise commitment is getting me, I dont know what I am doing(or not doing).

Welcome Kutik your DS sounds like a talented little boy who knows what he wants so I would follow his lead. No experience with JD but I don't think they want exams but a certain level of playing.

Only it is achievable (the practical) but I wouldn't rush it, is she ready for theory without a stretch? I would do the exam that she is prepared for most this term and take a bit longer with the other one to have more time to be 100% prepared. But that is what I'd do, I don't think there is a right or wrong answer.

stringchild no instrument purchase for a while but I'll keep it in mind.

Kutik73, is he thinking about junior department (am I right in thinking that it starts at 11yo?) or smth like primary department in RAM?
I guess we all think at times if it is serious or not, why to spend so much time on music if it is never going to be their profession, etc.
But basically what is it that scares you the most if he gets in? I think it is a wonderful thing to do and twice as wonderful as it comes from him and not from you

Thank you for your lovely notes, only and ealing. Yes, I AM worried about the commitments at JDs and am aware of the changeable mind of 9 years old... He has his very favourite activity on Saturdays - he has been doing it since he was 3! But he is saying he will give it up if he managed to get in a JD... I am not sure how much to believe what he is saying really. Well, he like to make his violin as his 1st study yet he hasn't done any exam. So I am not sure if he has any chance to get in though.