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(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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Pradaqueen · 03/08/2017 15:48

Drummers. I'd have to tidy up first Grin what I will say is that my ex-husband said to a mutual friend after the divorce was 'that it was like living with a f*ing millepedeGrin funniest thing was, if he'd been that witty when we were together, I wouldn't have left him...!

Glad he enjoyed the teaching!

drummersmum · 03/08/2017 15:43

Have a great holiday, Fleur and Waffle! I'll be working next week, DS will be gone to his jazz residential. The house will be so quiet.

Prada at some point, when it feels right...a picture of your shoe cabinet, the one who would make Imelda Marcos jealous? Grin

DS gave his first 1-2-1 lesson as a teacher yesterday to a g3 level young drummer. Loved it Smile

Wafflenose · 03/08/2017 15:09

I am away for 3 days next week, so suspect things might slow down with me and Fleur gone. I am VERY busy with my inbox at the moment, and loving it!

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Minimusiciansmama · 03/08/2017 14:46

Mine got super excited when she got her pretty pull through and polishing cloth Grin (they are fab though...!)

Fleurdelise · 03/08/2017 13:45

Very quiet here. I am doing my quota of posts all now for the August thread as I am away for two weeks as of next week. Grin

drummers its good to hear your boy gets excited about music bags. Mine gets excited about music books and sheet music bags, it is worrying me a bit Grin

drummersmum · 03/08/2017 11:19

Mind you once he has four cymbals in there plus the hi-hat the weight will fold DS in half.

drummersmum · 03/08/2017 11:17

Cymbal bag arrived this morning, huge, for up to 22' cymbals which is the size of his ride. A very happy boy.

(Mostly) August Music Thread
Fleurdelise · 02/08/2017 22:16

*her piano teacher

Fleurdelise · 02/08/2017 22:16

To be fair we're off on holiday for two weeks so no need to worry about it now.

Even though I know she can audition without accopaniament I may try to convince her piano to let me pay her to accompany her. Not because of the actual accompaniment but because dd performs better when she's there from a confidence point of view, at least that is what happens in exams.

Did I say she got the highest mark in her clarinet exam for the study piece? Very proud of her as that is without the piano accompaniment which means there's no support to fall back on.

Fleurdelise · 02/08/2017 22:12

Thanks Waffle I'll make sure she'll continue with Ghoulish and then one of the ones in Guest Spot, they are quite nice arrangements and long some quite difficult.

Wafflenose · 02/08/2017 21:54

Fleur you can play what you like, but I would advise one out of the book we discussed yesterday. No CD backing tracks, but 50% of children audition unaccompanied, and this is fine. Don't worry about the standard of the pieces - it really doesn't matter. She can play something from the grade 1 book for all they care, as long as it is technically assured, expressive and shows commitment.

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Greenleave · 02/08/2017 21:30

Forgot the picture!

(Mostly) August Music Thread
Greenleave · 02/08/2017 21:26

Just measured her now, its 142cm!

She has been long since birth however I have low hope as we are both short!

We chose A1, B1 and C2. The next week will be sight reading( and of course scales) I am googling practise room while we away however 99% that we wont need it. I was told that someone also played violin for 20mins today. A sticker was well earned.

Fleurdelise · 02/08/2017 21:16

Dd will definitely not be 145cm by end of year 6 (next summer). She won't grow 10 cm by then and she is a year older at school than minigreen! Smile

We just received Guest Spot Waffle and dd chose to play Moon River (as she knows I love it). She is adamant that if she is to audition she'll play that or Unchained Melody. Are they contrasting enough with Paul Harris' Ghoulish? Are they the right standard?

I'm sure she'll change her mind a few more times as she discovers the other book also which has some nice movie themes.

Can she play two modern pieces, let's say Moon River and a movie theme as long as they are contrasting?

And can you use cds rather than accompaniment during the audition (I assume not)?

Pradaqueen · 02/08/2017 20:42

Gosh miniprada is only 145cm too!

Wafflenose · 02/08/2017 19:50

2nd no idea, but Rara favours the cello rhythm!

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Wafflenose · 02/08/2017 19:48

se22 Rara is shorter than that! But she is also a hobbit with bigger hands and feet - size 1 or 1.5 shoes, which I don't think is tiny. I am 159cm with size 5.5 feet (my mum and her sisters are a similar height and all wear size 3) so she takes after me. Goo is like her dad physically - tall, slim and dark haired, and size 6 feet already.

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2ndSopranos · 02/08/2017 19:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Minimusiciansmama · 02/08/2017 19:05

Happy little lady... got her 3 octaves on her clarinet and did her first proper pedalling on piano (her wee legs only recently got long enough). Change of mind for one of her NCO pieces too.

fleur until very recently, literally a matter of weeks, I sat in on every lesson. Now, she decided she wanted them on her own. I am in hearing distance of the lesson still so have some awareness of what's gone on but need a bit more in the notebook now. Til then, like you I was "lesson scribe"!

se22mother · 02/08/2017 18:54

Wow green your daughter is tall! Dd is same academic year and 13 cm shorter

Trumpetboysmum · 02/08/2017 18:51

Drummers that's exactly the look I mean Smile

Greenleave · 02/08/2017 18:04

Thanks for reminding me about shoes, I have a hobbit here, only 1.45cm or something and shoes size 4(I am size 4 too). We need new school shoes too as hers has a hole. I might just do it online tonight.

drummersmum · 02/08/2017 17:58

icould I actually visualized the whole thing Grin

Icouldbeknitting · 02/08/2017 17:58

I also quite like the "bow tie at 30 degrees to the horizontal" look.

drummersmum · 02/08/2017 17:57

trumpet you mean the " shirt hanging out and collar turned in" look?