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Original poster

(Mostly) August Music Thread

842 replies

Wafflenose · 28/07/2017 14:29

Here's a new thread for August, but we're starting it a few days early, because you lot have managed to be super chatty this month! I wonder if things will slow down in August due to people going away... maybe or maybe not?

I'm Waffle, a teacher of woodwind - mostly recorders and clarinet, but I have a couple of flutes currently, and teach saxophone, piano and theory when required. I am determined that the music threads should be open to ALL, including complete beginners and adult learners. It's a good place to discuss lessons, practice, concerts, exams and our generally hectic lives!

I have a DH who plays the guitar for pleasure (no lessons) and two girls. Goo is 11 and has her Grade 7 Flute (March 2017) and Grade 6 Recorder (December 2015 and now pretty much stopped Sad ). She has been learning the piano for 15 months, is refusing to perform in any way, shape or form, but will probably take Grade 5 next year. Rara is 9 and has Grade 3 Cello (July 2017), Grade 3 Recorder (December 2016 and also ceased) and is working towards her Grade 3 Clarinet... probably next spring. Goo is off to NCO Under 12s on Sunday, and we need to pop out to get her some shoes and general supplies in a bit.

I have just realised that we will probably have Grade 8 Flute and Grade 3 Clarinet going on in the same session, Spring 2018. Oh dear! If Rara bothers with Grade 4 Cello, we'll probably have that at the same time as Grade 5 Piano, next summer. Double oh dear!

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Minimusiciansmama · 08/08/2017 18:04

Hi acme !

trout my DD has been given a summer scales project too and is rather pleased with it! She's always liked scales but the additional joy a tick chart can bring is hilarious.

Happy little girly today - we got an email inviting her to perform in the celebration concert from her last festival. She's really chuffed

Trumpetboysmum · 08/08/2017 12:13

Good luck minitrout. Glad the scales are going well Smile

troutsprout · 08/08/2017 12:04

Hi everyone
Hope everyone's summer is going well. Lovely to hear about concerts.. so many talented minis!
Dd's 'summer of cracking scales'
is progressing surprisingly well. Once she knuckled under she realised she was in a much better place than she originally thought
She's a perfectionist so its painful for everyone in her vicinity if she doesn't get them right
Gcse music result in a few weeks (she's yr 9 so just did one ).. she's already obsessing about result.

Trumpetboysmum · 08/08/2017 09:39

Went to see NYJO last night at Snape an absolute treat and one very happy ds Smile

Icouldbeknitting · 07/08/2017 19:31

We've had three instruments through the local authority, they've been stellar from the start.

ACMEinc · 07/08/2017 19:26

We were lucky enough to get some grants from EMI music foundation, music matters and the community foundation towards the cost. We also bought through the local authority to save on VAT - it was a bit complicated and took ages but worth it in the end!

TheSecondOfHerName · 07/08/2017 18:07

We are thinking of getting DS2 a second hand E13.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 07/08/2017 16:52

Welcome ACME. I have an R13 and love it, although I didn't get mine until I was 19. I'd say little and often with practice for now - maybe with the old mouthpiece if you still have it?

Goo has come back down to earth with a bang. We've given her a chill-out day and are all trying to be nice to her, but she is crying in her room about not seeing some of her NCO friends again. She thinks they will forget about her. Of course we don't even know if she will get back in again, but if she does she will still have some of her friends and will make others easily. She takes everything so intensely.

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Trumpetboysmum · 07/08/2017 15:06

Hi ACME me and dh grew up in Northumberland always makes me smile when anyone mentions it !!

Kutik73 · 07/08/2017 14:38

I like Moon Shadow also and it still works on me calming down. Grin

AlexandraLeaving · 07/08/2017 13:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ACMEinc · 07/08/2017 12:08

Hello all completely missed out on the last couple of months (!) of this thread through end-of-term-madness and a hideous chest infection. And then it moves on so fast! But I've really enjoyed catching up with August so I wanted to say hello.
I'm in north Northumberland - so a long way from London. DD goes to Sage Gateshead and has just passed G5 clarinet and G5 theory.

She is spending the Summer getting to know her new R13 clarinet and new mouthpiece. Any advice would be helpful! Or does she just need to keep playing? It was the right one for her when we tested them in the shop but think she's a bit bewildered by it being so different all at once.

When she was little, music was one thing that found stop her crying - so I sang a lot. Her favourite was edelweiss from Sound of Music😂

We used to listen to as big a variety of music as possible which seemed to really help her.
She would never have sat still enough for music lessons early on so I started her age 3 at Kinder Ballet. It was fab for rhythm and posture and self control and listening skills and all sorts like that. She still dances now age 13 and little brother went too. He's naturally musical as well and I think the dancing helped him too. (He's not so big on music as his big sister but he has a lovely singing voice.)

DD didn't really settle on a instrument until she started clarinet age 9 but she'd tried class violin and cornet at school and basic piano.

There- I've written enough for the whole month all in one go 😜

Trumpetboysmum · 07/08/2017 10:04

That is so true niggle especially if my dd Smile

Nigglenotes · 07/08/2017 09:46

It's lovely that some of you managed to meet up! I'm glad the concerts were fab.

Waffle, that's always the way isn't it. The times when you want DC's to show a little of their magic and loveliness, they become mute automatons. Even if they were talking non stop 10 minutes before.

But when they just need to quiet while, for example, the plumber is explaining the large wet patch on the ceiling, they decide that is the moment they are auditioning for a West End musical and determine to show your poor guest how fabulous they are!

Trumpetboysmum · 07/08/2017 07:47

Smile string because of loads of "issues " in the run up to the purchase it all ended up happening very quickly ( I basically said we had to move last week because we have other plans this summer and I didn't want to ruin the dcs entire holiday with packing) so in the end I persuaded dh that it was a good idea to pay for packing - not cheap but the only way that moving could have happened last week. The new house has presented us with some unexpected surprises Shock that will need sorting asap but fingers crossed we can take our time with the rest of the renovations !!
Good luck with your move Smile

stringchild · 07/08/2017 07:33

Trumpet you are doing much better than us; 3 weeks to move and we have fallen off any plan we had.....now to get the sand out of every bit of clothing.....

Trumpetboysmum · 07/08/2017 07:06

Waffle it's great, needs quite a lot of work - but I keep telling myself it's nothing we haven't done before !! Just need to settle in first and enjoy the new town it's been a crazy 2 weeks

drummersmum · 06/08/2017 23:44

Oh that sounds fabulous and you all met each other! !!
I just watched the whole NYO prom on bbc catch up. They're so good.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 06/08/2017 23:13

I can't believe you had to move house while all that was going on! I hope you love the new house.

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Trumpetboysmum · 06/08/2017 23:11

Waffle great to meet you today ! Back in our new home now ( think that's gone ok with the dc they have gone to bed anyway!) concert was fab and ds says he is definitely trying out again for under 13s next year Smile

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Wafflenose · 06/08/2017 22:39

Oh yes please! Nobody has played them yet, even me. I can't remember at all how they go. If none are suitable, I'll think again.

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stringchild · 06/08/2017 22:27

Lovely to see you again Waffle; I too was amazed how far they have come since April. We are still buzzing here! Really was a treat to be there today. Now dd Is v excited to look at your bass pieces tomorrow! Maybe we will record them for you if she anywhere near masters them 😀

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Wafflenose · 06/08/2017 22:02

They're in bed. Finally.

I upgraded to version 4.0 a few months ago, and haven't encountered any glitches so far. It seems to be working out OK.

It was nice to catch up with friends new and old, and particularly nice to finally find Trumpet, although she actually found me in the end! Sorry Rara was uncommunicative. That's her default setting, but she might have waved if I hadn't upset her half an hour earlier. She was in a foul mood, but is OK now.

The pieces were brilliant, the venue was fab and made a huge difference. The conductor was energetic, enthusiastic and really pushed them all along - there was no nonsense, everything was played up to speed and so tightly. I thought the children were way better than even back in April - they have matured and improved so much! My favourite piece was the Conga!

It's nice to have my loud, emotional, sarcastic, sociable, sensitive Goo back. She had fun socially (although some kids decided to talk about her behind her back and then ditch her - nobody on here or close to anyone on here, I don't think. Gah! Girls!!) and loved playing the flute lots. She intends to try out three more times, and is hoping for Under 12s again next year, but interestingly she is saying she no longer wants to be a professional orchestral flautist. I think it has dawned on her that that is what the rest of her life would be like. I can imagine her doing law. She is quick, precise and has an argument and references for absolutely everything. We'll see!

The girls spent the journey home arguing, squealing, trying to out-sarcastic and out-pedantic each other. It was very wearing!

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Original poster
Wafflenose · 06/08/2017 21:37

I met the lively Trumpet and also a few randoms - but I didn't start any more embarrassing conversations! More news when my two monkeys have gone to bed.

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Minimusiciansmama · 06/08/2017 21:34

Hope you ladies managed to find each other and the minis had an amazing time. The u12 photos look fab on FB, sounds like they did a great job! We will go watch the u13 concert in a couple of weeks as she's getting rather excited by the whole idea of "going on a holiday to do Orchestra for a WHOLE WEEK!!!"