May Music Thread

Woolley we bought this. Yes of Amazon

Just read a lot of reviews and it said it is great for universal use, you can of course narrow it to the style of music (classical or jazz) and have different mouthpieces for each but for dd's level a universal one sounds right.

Vandoren B45 Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece - CM308 www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0002CZXO4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_COGezb2PYYB6B?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Rapidly you can also buy second hand instruments as long as you buy it from one of the participating stores. It doesn't have to be brand new.

www.takeitaway.org.uk/what-is-take-it-away/what-can-i-buy

Thank you Waffle I thought so. I didn't ask the teacher yet, I'll ask her when we get there or wait till she's stronger/older (dd, not the teacher).

Any recommendations for mouthpieces of about that cost? Would be a good possible Christmas present.

Dd is very reluctant to even discuss that she will one day play a clarinet other than Colin 😊

DS2 (a small 14 year old) is still using his beginner clarinet and will be taking Grade 6 on it in July.

We bought him a new mouth piece (for about £75) last year and that has improved the sound quality.

Fleur, we have been recommended to get a new mouthpiece before or around grade 5 but that our basic clarinet will keep us going with that for a while after. Would also be interested to hear others opinions on this.

We have had a bit of bad news on the bassoon front in that dd's teacher will only be teaching in schools next year, as dd is not at a state school this won't be possible.

Oh no Kutik, no piano lesson until 6, my teacher meant that why dont they play some nursery pieces together for fun, the baby can start stomping and having fun with some keys. We dont even have that simple luxury yet as 3 yrs old still goes to bed around 7(and usually exhausted after nursery). We have Sunday for music however my 9 yrs old hasnt even been able to complete the tasks she is given so hardly any time left(we have been doing Sunday morning swim as a family so the Sunday morning music is now very short to 45 mins, afternoon is for the Orchestra).

Green, interesting you said no time for both yet. DS's piano teacher has two sons, 10 yo and 6 yo. The elder one plays piano and violin and got G8 violin last year and G8 piano last term. The piano teacher has finally started teaching the younger one piano and also he is starting cello very soon. She said she deliberately put on hold for the younger one so that their lessons wouldn't overlap!

We paid £85 last time for tuning. The tuner was recommended by the yamaha shop we bought ours near Bond street last year(before we had a second hand hybrids/electric so never had to pay for tuning). We paid £3.5k for a full size violin we liked last Xmas then it was too big, we are now on a much much cheaper 3/4(and a large credit note to spend once we move to full). So we are sorted for now in terms of instruments( touch wood). I have never had our violin rehair, restringed, could be because we use them less so it was never needed

When I met my piano teacher yesterday he said why dont you let the baby (just 3 yrs old last month) to have fun with the piano, she doesnt need a lesson but could have fun with her elder sister on few keys. I said no, we havent got time for both yet. In my head I was thinking, if that day comes, it should come naturally.

A friend of mine recommended take it away scheme which allows you to buy on monthly instalments without any interest any instrument up to the value of £5k.

We didn't use it but I'll consider it when dd will move to the wooden clarinet in a few years' time to enable us to get a very decent one.

On that note when would she have to move to a wooden one? The info I read is after grade 5 but if she keeps it like that with her progress she'll probably be only 10.

Rapidly I really sympathize about the 3/4 size cello stress! In the end I carried on hiring from the borough until DS2 grew enough for the full-size. Just as well because the 3/4 didn't last long - I would have had the expense and hassle of buying and then replacing between start of year 6 and middle year 7! The cello teacher originally thought it would last until Y8!
Now he has a lovely cello and a decent case, and I worry every time it leaves the house!

hopefully they don't find ds too annoying
I was thinking more on this! Luckily there are a few boys who don't mind running around with DS!

woolley, it sounds like she gets both worlds (social and challenging).

kutik, she doesn't mind too much the youngest, I think though this is because she still has the social element at the junior band first where she plays bassoon.

She is a year 5 at school and the only non-secondary age one, with the majority being 15-20 so there is quite a gap.

Waffle, your paragraph on Rara sounds familiar, dd will play anything on her clarinet, she has a pop songs book that is a current favourite.
She is totally in love with her choice of A piece for Grade 4 and therefore wont look at scales or other pieces which is fine for now. She is currently working on a "concert" version of it and seems finally to have got the hang of taking it apart to work on the bits she needs to without too much input. She is also getting annoyed at the lack of practice time due to homework!

Loose sounds so good. Yes, a good rest is well deserved!

Rapidly, she wouldn't need to be too stressed about knocking it - they are all insured. I mean, it doesn't mean you can be careless, but there shouldn't be a huge difference between borrowed or yours in the sense? If you choose to go for buying then you can either get something reasonable as it's only for a short time and also there are no many decent ones for fractured instruments, or you can put fairly serious money even though you know it won't last long but trading for a full size in mind?

Great to hear it all went well loose; playing at the RAH...what a fantastic memory created!

We had a lovely evening at RAH - great experience for both dcs. DS1 is in bed with a headache, though, this morning - too much nervous excitement!
It was great to see the enthusiastic response to the percussionists - they put so much work into it!

Ds is often the youngest in bands it's great when he gets to play with his mates but he really doesn't mind hanging out with the 6 th formers ( hopefully they don't find ds too annoying 😆)

I was told it would be around £50 from someone else but it seemed £70-75 is the norm (maybe in London?).

Prada, I didn't you have to have the piano tuned more for advanced players...

woolley, does DD enjoy the band regardless of the age gap? I think some don't like it but some don't mind or actually love it. Mine is the youngest but not 'by far' so there are a few boys who still enjoy playing 'it' or 'hide and seek' with DS during the break!

Kutik - £50 I think from memory. It was at Xmas. he suggested now she is beyond G6 we need to start tuning twice a year. Makes sense I guess!