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Extra-curricular activities

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May Music Thread

784 replies

Wafflenose · 01/05/2017 15:59

Hello, and welcome to the May thread. It's a public holiday in the UK, but my school is open and I had to work today, which is why I've only just got round to it! This is a place for parents of musicians of ALL levels, and adult learners, to chat about lessons, practice, scales, concerts, exams, and whatever else they'd like to! We have lots of regulars, some occasional posters, and sometimes people who just pop in to ask a question. It's a friendly place.

I have two daughters. Goo is 11 and in her last term at primary school. She's working towards her Grade 8 Flute (some time next year) and playing from the Grade 4 Piano book (currently refusing to take any exams, and putting off the first proper performance!). Rara is 8, may or may not be doing Grade 3 Cello this term, and is approaching Grade 2 Clarinet.

Both of them played the recorder for years, starting as preschoolers. They reached Grades 7 and 3 respectively, but sadly neither has really played since the music festival a few months ago. They are obsessed with their Flute and Clarinet, and really enjoy Piano and Cello. There won't be many opportunities to play the recorder at the secondary school they will attend, so much as I love it, it's probably a good time to quietly drop it. Recorder has given them both lots of opportunities, confidence, reading skills... and festival prizes!

Goo does NCO and South West Music School. Rara isn't that level at all when it comes to music, but is gifted with her hands. Instead of practising the cello and doing her school spellings today, she completed a lovely sewing kit without bothering to look at the instructions, and also made a lovely crafty construction from card and coloured paper. Both girls are keen on drawing and playing computer games. Rara swims and Goo plays sodding netball and dodgeball, which have both been responsible for multiple injuries over the past few months!

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Fleurdelise · 30/05/2017 09:05

Welcome back disorganised! Dd is doing the exams but from experience and what I see around me there is no reason whatsoever to believe that not doing the exams will hold your DS back. On the contrary, I think that the time sometimes put into preparing for an exam can be used better to progress. There's no reason to take the exams or play from the graded books, he would already play pieces that would be in those books as he progresses, such as Bach's inventions for example.

We do the exams as it is a nice way for dd to measure herself and she loves the certificates. It is also helpful in the way that she learns to polish a piece to perfection (albeit this time perfection is a long way away). Other than that I can't see any other reason for which you need the exams.

The exams are there to measure progress not as a teaching material.

disorganisedmummy · 30/05/2017 08:50

Hi all,it's been a long time since I've posted for various reasons. Many congrats to all your fab children for all their achievements so far this year. If you recall my ds who is 11 in a few weeks was going to audition for Junior Guildhall. He had an assessment there before Christmas and was told he is definitely gifted and could be exceptional but needs to be practicing for an hour a day. We were told to come back and audition in the Spring,so now and they were pretty certain they would offer him a place.
Fast forward 5 months and ds has decided not to audition this year. He may donit next year or year after. He was massively struggling to do the hour a day plus (due to his Aspergers) was getting quite bogged down with SATS practice and other stuff. We felt that he wasn't ready emotionally. He is very passionate about music but his really passion in playing in orchestras/ensembles. He has just been offered a place at a big county Orchestra without audition based on his "cv" which he's quite chuffed about. They do 3 residential courses a year which will suit ds f me as he can still be involved with the other 2 orchestras and string ensemble that he loves so much. He also attends our local music school on a Saturday morning.

Anyway,hope you're all still with me. I'm told by his teacher that he is now a grade 6 standard (practical). He won't do Grade exams and almost through the grade 3 theory book (he has 1-1 lessons). He has flat out refused to play from Grade books but he wants to play concertos/sonatas/studies and that type of thing either duets or solo. His teacher says he can still progress very well. He is starting on grade 7 scales. It might be worth me saying that he is especially gifted aurally and has perfect pitch.
My question is (if you're still awake) is do any of you have children who have progressed well without using the grade books? His dream is to go to music college but he is only in year 6 so a long way to go yet but he has a lot of orchestral experience.
Thanks so much for reading.

Fleurdelise · 30/05/2017 07:47

Thanks ladies! That's what I had in mind also but then a friend raise the question if she wouldn't be too tired for the exams after so many hours playing in the band so I started doubting myself.

One of dd's piano pieces still sounds shapeless and the tempo is not right I really hope she'll peak at the right time in two weeks, I did have a conversation with her telling her not to expect a distinction/merit as the time of preparation is so much shorter than previously expected and she also has form of messing up in the exam.

Minimusiciansmama · 30/05/2017 01:53

fleur I agree I would still send her for band day- I don't think it would make her too tired. It's something she'll enjoy doing & will have her well warmed up & not at home fretting about the exam. My monkeys next exam is 2pm on a school day and she has to go to school beforehand. Bands better prep for the exam than that Wink I'd let her go back to band after the exam if there's an end of day performance but otherwise I wouldn't bother
Xx

raspberryrippleicecream · 29/05/2017 19:40

Definitely go to band. I had to take DD out of Junior Instrumental week for a violin exam 2 years running, and it was fine.

Fleurdelise · 29/05/2017 18:54

Thanks for the advice. The teacher has the option to move the exams around, not the day but the entrants as she has a few, I have asked if she can do it 4pm, I am waiting for her reply. She could also move it in the morning but I wonder if that's worse as dd would miss the first bits in the morning of the band activities.

Icouldbeknitting · 29/05/2017 18:37

I'd do band in the morning and take her out at lunchtime for the exam. They will know how little control you have over the timing of exams, these things happen. I can't see that she'll be too tired for the exam as she would have been playing for even longer had she stayed for the whole day. If they exam is at 2 and band finishes at 3 I wouldn't go back after the exam, there's not enough time to make it worthwhile. I'd be off out for the after-exam treat of choice instead.

Trumpetboysmum · 29/05/2017 18:03

Go to band until lunch as long as you don't think it will tire her out.

Fleurdelise · 29/05/2017 13:12

Hahaha double not sure if I'd be as happy as you sound.

I am trying to think about the logistics of the exam day, do I take dd to band day all day and then pick her up at lunch time to take her to exam? Do I take her to exams first and then, providing the band is happy with this, take her to the band day after? Do I cancel the wind band day for dd on the basis that she'll be to tired for the exams after? What would you do?

So band day is 9,30 till 3 pm, exam at 2 pm. How would you do it?

Doubleup · 29/05/2017 08:08

Don't mind being woken up early on a Bank Holiday Monday when it is by DD2 going full throttle on her bassoon! 7.30am completely unprompted! Oh, that it was like that every day Smile

Doubleup · 28/05/2017 20:16

Not sure my DC would be winning any awards for practice, so well done to your DS Alexandra!

Spent the best part of the day taking DD2 to NCO Regional practice today. Left home at 8.15am and got home at 3.45pm. More of the same next week - although I'm not taking her. Got a lift share which seems to work well, with the added bonus that she is having a sleepover the night before, so we don't even have to do the early morning wake up! Result!

LooseAtTheSeams · 28/05/2017 18:35

Alexandra well done to your Boy! StarCake

Fleurdelise · 28/05/2017 17:11

Our weekend feels like it was all about music, Dd had her piano and clarinet lesson yesterday and today we've just returned from an hour lesson with the piano teacher on clarinet if that makes sense, just to play with accompaniment and give her a lot of input as there's only lesson left with the clarinet teacher till the exam.

Fleurdelise · 28/05/2017 14:33

Alexandra well done to the Boy! Star

raspberryrippleicecream · 28/05/2017 13:05

Sounds lovely Alexandra. Well done to the Boy.

We had to retrieve DS2 early from NYO Inspire ensemble in February, he had flu. Three hour drive. He's off to Germany with school tomorrow, so won't be retrievable as easily!

drummersmum · 28/05/2017 12:36

ealing 😆

drummersmum · 28/05/2017 12:35

alexandra well done to him!Star

ealingwestmum · 28/05/2017 09:52

Sounds like it was a wonderful concert Alexandra, I love the ones where the ability and genres are mixed.

I am a little nervous of breaks further afield running parallel with DD being away now. Her first year of solo PGL (non school, she was 9), we thought 7 nights she's away, we can manage a sneaky weekend to Berlin. On bus into the City post flight, noticed lots of missed calls from the Centre. My heart just sank. Frantically tried to get hold of them.

It transpires DD had been trying to contact me from their office phone. To wish me happy birthday Grin.

Icouldbeknitting · 28/05/2017 09:00

I've been filling in all the paperwork for DS to go on a band trip in August and I was thinking how nice it would be for the husband and I to have a few days away at the same time. It is more likely to be somewhere like York rather than Marrakech but to be honest anywhere would do as long as I don't have to cook.

I don't like surprises, being a perfectionist I feel that things would have been better if they had been properly planned and that means planned by me.

This is a rare and special thing - a weekend with no rehearsals. Both bands have cancelled and there's no music centre running. It was the perfect time to have two instruments in for repair.

AlexandraLeaving · 28/05/2017 08:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Pradaqueen · 28/05/2017 07:58

Have a great holiday waffle! I've just got back from a 4 day break to Marrakech (just me and DH) as miniprada was on her y6 French trip. It was bliss just worrying about myself and no kids in the morning (I am stepmum to miniprada's older brother and 2 sisters so weekends and family hols are vv busy!). And no 'can you download this app?' Or 'watch this dive'. I would, however not be great with not knowing where I was going... Good luck Kutik!

No music exams this term! Yay! Miniprada has 3 weeks off now as we have our family holiday this week after her ballet exam. We have a 2 week half term at this time of year. I shall miss it at the new school 😢 As it gives a chance of a cheap week in the second week. Poorly timed holiday for us just after Marrakech but that's because we are getting a dog and therefore after he arrives we won't be going anywhere exotic ever again I expect 😂

Good luck to everyone who has exams this term.

Minimusiciansmama · 28/05/2017 07:07

I like carefully thought out surprises - like friends turning up unannounced with a pj party at my house when madam was a baby- but I would hate a big surprise 40th party type thing. I think I am too much of a control freak to handle surprise holidays!

We live in a wee building of two flats, so we have a "no practice before 7am" rule (when the people above us have got up). They have moved out. She's exploiting it and has been practicing since just gone 6!

PetraDelphiki · 28/05/2017 00:04

I am lucky that I have friends who know that I don't do surprises so would tell me even if they'd promised dh they wouldn't!

LooseAtTheSeams · 27/05/2017 19:36

drummers if we manage to get round to booking a holiday this year it's going to be a surprise! Quite often our default holiday is camping in Dorset - which if the weather holds is always a big success! If the weather doesn't behave it turns into speculation about how soon we can go home!Smile

Fleurdelise · 27/05/2017 19:23

I would love a surprise holiday too. But the surprise should last about 10 min and then I should clearly know where we're going Grin