(Mostly) August Music Thread

Prada that does sound like a lovely shopping trip - lucky Miniprada!
Don't feel bad about the oven - I once managed to put a plastic board on a lit gas ring (saucepan was on unlit one) leading to interesting reaction after the initial question 'Where is that smell of burning plastic coming from?!' Luckily I realised in time!
Drummers
Kutik glad you're on the mend!
Piano lessons start on Monday and I'm massively behind on practice. DS1 and DS2 back to school on Tuesday and bass and drum lessons Tuesday evening. DS1 has not finished his holiday homework, needless to say, but as I'm a dash to the deadline kind of person I am probably not setting a good example.
I have just realised I'm teaching English from level 1 to level 3 this year. Which means three totally different schemes of work, three different awarding bodies and a lot of set texts to choose! I'm glad it's a bit of a staggered start!
Good luck with MAT tests to the minis but I really believe they will all sail through!

Hello all! Kutik - wish you better! Drummers- love the joke 😂 Ealing - sorry I didn't get round to watching the video as I agreed to host all of miniprada's new classmates (and families) at our house for a garden picnic so have been furiously tidying the garden etc..Stupidly set both my ovens to pyrolytic mode yesterday but forgot to remove an oven tray I had cooked with which included a cinnamon stick and star anise. Set all the fire alarms off and My house now smells like it's been in a fire...😱

Anyway, exciting day yesterday as we went Violin shopping for the full size! Lovely afternoon with Russell at Woodbridge Violins, came away with a beautiful early 1800's (c.1840) German one with a Rosewood chin rest set centrally. Lovely tone but obviously now need to decide whether to go for NCO as DD needs to get used to the new size (we p/ex'd the old one). She is very happy though!

Re: MAT tests, I did fine a free one online last year from memory I think it was a choral school. Miniprada scored 98% on it so I thought that'll do. She said the actual test was not very hard as state school MAT I don't think are allowed to be tricky but favours those with a 'natural ear' rather than grade achievements. Good luck to minifleur and minikutik though!

Ooooh, I got the joke now! It actually could apply any musician/artist/writer....

I think that might apply to any muscician drummers. Dd often jokes that she will need to share her wages with him when they are older.

drummer, so is your DS homeless???

Thank you ladies for the kind words on my silly accident. Unfortunately I don't own EHIC card, and I didn't know A&E is free in France (but good to know for future).... Anyway, it's treated and done and I'm feeling high and up today!

Out of all exiting things we've done this week, the activity DS loved most was swimming (both in a lake and pool). We had been fortunate with the blissful weather but today it's raining and a bit chilly. But rain and low temperature don't seem to bother him! We are taking him to swim this evening, and probably tomorrow also.

A joke for you all:
What do you call a drummer without a girlfriend/boyfriend? Homeless!

Yes they are very lucky all of their courses are held in the Britten studio building and they regularly get to perform there quite inspiring I think. Good luck with the back to school ( I'm dreading it mainly because I need to do some more planning first )

trumpet the AYM sound fabulous. We were up there this summer! Saw a concert at the Britten studio...
We're back to school tomorrow and I have 35 people comin to my house on Saturday

Hi all I've finally caught up on the thread! Crazy summer here and back to school and work next week which I am really not at all ready for !! Ds has now gone away on his first AYM course which sounds really exciting hopefully I will get to hear about it when he gets back I never hear much from him when he's away

kutik an A&E at a hospital in France treats you for free... that is, while we're still in the EU. I hope it wasn't too painful!

In all haste to KUTIK, can you not claim it back with your EHIC card?
We did that couple of times with dc

Thank you for sharing the information. I'll PM you shortly.

Kutik I bought them, one set recommended by the teacher and then I found some more on a website. You can subscribe to it and have access to all their materials or buy a few sets. I chose the later as you can't really memorise the tests.

I have quite a few and if you PM me your email address I don't mind sending them through. Do you want to PM me the format to check it is the same one?

Do I think you can prepare them... no, I don't actually, I think you either get it or you don't but what the tests definitely do is preparing them for the format and getting them ready to concentrate. To give you an example dd couldn't hear the 1/4 tone difference between two notes the first time we've done one (neither could I), now after highlighting there are 1/4 notes differences and playing one for her she can hear all of them and Mark them correctly (you're meant to tick if the two sounds are the same or if different if the second note is the lower or higher than the first one), needless to say I still cannot hear a difference and I hear the 1/4 note difference as the same sound.

So I couldn't be trained to hear it but if you do have the ability the test did get dd used to what to listen for.

Fleur, how come you have so many MAT materials? Have you bought them? And if so how many sets have you bought? Do you think practice makes any difference? I haven't seen this particular school yet (open day is in Sep), but if we like the school DS may have to go through something similar to MAT (in Oct). Would you mind advise me how to prepare (if necessary), and where to get the material?

amouse I am Herts too, if you PM me your exact location I can recommend you the local music school and give you some ideas related to your DS's age.

Everything is MAT related activities here, dd did another couple of tests and got 49 and 53 so fingers crossed she'll get through to auditions. Piece ready more or less, I am not rushing as I don't want to tempt faith, I am pretending it is all happening naturally.

I've sent you a private message to save boring the rest of the group.

Misti, we are in Morzine - mountain bike heaven and that how I got myself in a trouble! The treatment cost me 125 euro!!

Hi All,

Thanks for the advice, very helpful.

He is pretty little physically so I think I'll hold off for a bit.

However @hertsandessex, we are Herts based. I'm taking a punt at your user name and hoping that you may know of a group or a school we can look at for more generalised musical activities?

mamakoukla guitar shopping is the best sort of shopping. I don't know anything about classical guitars - are they very expensive? I was shocked to discover what it costs to buy a good acoustic guitar.

Kutik ouch! hope you heal quickly. Where in France are you?

Ouch Kutic

DS2s cast came off today. He has been told not to pick up anything heavy, and the Consultant said he should avoid trombone for another 2 weeks, though agreed his pbone may be ok. No risky/ contact sports for 8 weeks, so that's a letter to PE dept. Normally I write those sorts of letters before piano exams!

Apparently piano practice is the best kind of physio though!

kutik ouch! That's not good! Feel better soon.

Welcome ladies! mama well done in your first exam. I am an adult piano beginner and learnt quicker than my little one to start with, she's caught me up now and will zoom past me. I'm not sitting actual exams, at least not til later on. Largely finance based! a part of me would rather love G8 in the bag one day.

We talked about risky sports and sport injuries a while ago - can anyone remember? I mentioned DS's impulsive nature and fearless attitude.

We are currently enjoying action packed holiday in France. While we have been trying lots stuff as a family, I discovered that DS was not that stupid. I mean, he is still very much fearless but within his capability. He was/is very sensible until he grasp 'it'. So glad to see the side of him (I don't see it very often).

Actually, I am the one who is foolishly fearless in the family. I ended up having 3 stitches at a private medical center in today... Ouch.

Ha ha Misti! I am planning on a new guitar.... In good time though. I guess part of me is scared of missing out on something if I go too fast or skip grades. And yes I think age and experience do bring something different to it. I never understood what a compulsion to have to practise felt like or imagined I'd feel that way. My family tease me about filling any spare ten minutes with practise

mama I assume you can skip grades if you like? At three grades a year it is going to be an expensive hobby .

I am starting piano lessons again this year - if I were in the UK I might consider working towards grades 6 then possibly 8 in the fullness of time (I did 3 and 5 as a teenager many moons ago). Compared to a child student, and even to my DD16 who also plays guitar and piano, my practise time is more structured and I think more efficient, and I am better at acknowledging and working on my weak points ;)