April Music Thread

Kutik73, now I know which JD your DS auditioned. The different from ours.

Great news drummers. Ds's teacher has pretty much said the same thing to me as ds is academically able why would he want to pursue a music career - he's young yet and will probably change his mind, but I think in this uncertain world they should do what makes them happy -and just because you decide to do something at 16 or 18 doesn't mean you have to do it forever!!

to minidrummers! Our DSs may end up going to the same JD , though our audition process last till June so not sure of the outcome until then!

Fingers crossed to [Beyond].

Oh well....

Exam this morning a bit of a car crash.... Scales - "I'll be lucky to even get zero, I played those like I never saw music - or a piano before in my life" was the quote of the morning. The worrying thing is she is not prone to over exaggerating...

2 good pieces, one hmmmmmmmmm - as usual (A piece) fell to bits, but she ploughed on through, didn't restart.

Aural ok, sight reading ok-ish.

Fingers crossed.

Loose, best of luck on the exam this week!xx I hope mine can start paying me back too, may be one day when I dont have to nag her with her practice any more(she then might nag me with my practice---if I ever pick up piano/violin at all).

All day dreaming about planning here hahaha Foundout, usually it never happens. (I'd call it possitive thinking)

Hi everyone, I've been reading you while juggling work, DS music stuff and family drama coming in instalments over the phone from my country - I better not get into it as it's just too aahhhjjjjj.

Catch up! DS had three of his auditions, the JDs immediately made offers which is exciting and the jazz summer course we will hear in May. So that's where we are! Happy :)

Holidays: off to his orchestral residential this week, RFH concert on Monday, then practice for g8 exam and revise school stuff, because he's going to the Hay Festival with friends during summer half-term which is supposed to be revision time for finals, so he has to start studying now!

Three professional musicians friends of ours have commented on DS desire to pursue a music career with the same comment: "What a waste of a brain". I try not to listen but it makes me sad, fed up and upset. But that's a discussion for another day...

Kutik, kids can start bassoon young now due to the use of mini bassoons and tenoroons, which are scaled down versions (although they are in different keys). They can sort out the complicated fingering (10 or 11 keys for one thumb alone!) on a smaller instrument and move onto a full size bassoon when they grow tall enough. Otherwise, many people don't start until 11 or so, and often by that time they have taken up a different instrument instead.

Double, your DDs are fantastically doing well. I don't know many bassoonists who are so advanced at such a young age! And I assume oboe is also usually for slightly older children, both of your DDs have a great advantage already and for sure will be very popular among school/orchestra! My DS happens to have picked up the most common instruments so I'm a bit envious with you!

DD1 started oboe in year 4 just before she turned 9. Had a shared lesson until 2 years ago with a girl who didn't really practice, so I think that held dd back as the teacher got them to do each grade every two terms or so. Only two terms between G5 and G6 though, so I think she's doing OK now. She took up sax when she started in Y7, took G4 after a year and did G5 last Dec after another year. Advantage with similar fingering I suppose.

DD2 started bassoon at 8 and took G4 after 16 months. I'm balking a little at the teacher wanting her to do G7 next term as that's just one year on. Not sure she is emotionally mature enough to hack the pressure. If things don't go right in practice she just thinks she can't play it.

Hi all! My little monkey (7) is doing g3 clarinet at the start of next term and g2 piano at the end. We're in the middle of festival week at the moment, piano day yesterday, woodwind on Tuesday.
Love reading all about your kids' adventures! It's nice not being alone in the craziness of their musical lives.

Loose and string your dcs sound like they are good examiners. My dd would probably fail me every time.

I agree to the expense, if anything I found that the expense increases massively once they go to secondary. Not only activities but just the uniform is outrageously expensive. Besides school trips and so on. Primary was a breeze compare to secondary in terms of expenses.

As far as age of starting age goes. Struggled to find teacher for dc3; had to wait for dc2 to start secondary school where she had lessons at school (well, took 6 months before she could actually start...), before dc3 could take up her slot.
dc1 had lessons from 4 different teachers before he started secondary school with one (good) teacher

Yes foundout while I'm not paying for ds's schooling everything else seems to cost ( lots !!)

Ha ha to Greenleave just have a simple wish that she could be self sufficient in secondary and less expensive in term of activities as I plan to pay for her academic education.
I'll ask you about that when your 2 are at secondary school...

Loose - dd did a mock for Mr String - she is tough but fair....and very rigorous....think I might hire her out!!

Just wanted to praise DS1 here as he was a massive help with my piano practice yesterday and very supportive. I'm going to make him be my mock examiner tonight!
In fact, after all the talk of sitting in on dcs practice I think it's time to reverse the roles now!

Salty self motivation is the most important thing I think I've always said to myself that if I ever need to persuade ds to practice or go to rehearsals then it might be time to scale things back I am not getting into battles with him about it ( though I would also make it clear that he would have to find something else to do instead and that music couldn't be swapped for extra computer time ) btw I think your ds is doing great ds's music teachers were impressed that he got to grade 3 ( trumpet) in under 2 years to get to grade 3 in a year is fantastic!

Green, I just remember one thing about wrist vibrato! The teacher was saying you do it as if you are knocking a door. Hope it helps.

Thanks all who answered my post.

DS loves the sax and is 100% self motivated which I think is the most important thing.

If he retains that who knows where he'll go.....

Thank you. We have been struggling with violin teacher since June last year so there hasnt been anyone showing us. We have to pick it up now. Will speak to our teacher about it next lesson.

you have to start early, maybe as a parent be a musician yourself and know the right people

I can 'un-tick' all of them!

You must tell us when your DS opens a jazz cafe. That sounds so cool!

Kutik I have no idea why it is so important to start that early not that it's a bad thing if they want to take up an instrument when they are young -my 2 have always done things out of school like cubs, swimming gym etc just not music. ds just discovered that he liked the trumpet when he was offered school lessons ( it was just one of the many things he was enjoying trying out). Maybe it is a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy, and sometimes it all ( as a non music parent) seems a bit like the magic circle !! and hard to break into- you have to start early, maybe as a parent be a muscician yourself and know the right people, so I've just decided ( with the help of things like this mumsnet page) to make sure that I'm well informed and can support ds as best I can ( not that he aspires to be a soloist either he wants to play in orchestras and open a jazz cafe ) Oh if only life were that simple !!