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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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Fleurdelise · 29/07/2017 17:32

Waffle I'm 5'2 so no chance of her to be so tall. She's slightly heavier than Rara at 25,5 kg and around 135cm tall.

Prada dd jumped on the scales herself last weekend, that's how I found out otherwise there are months on end without any knowledge.

Pradaqueen · 29/07/2017 17:18

34kgs... Now I don't feel like a crap mother!

Original poster
Wafflenose · 29/07/2017 17:13

Wow, Fleur I thought she looked a fair bit bigger than Rara, in relation to the clarinet.

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Original poster
Wafflenose · 29/07/2017 17:13

No idea what Goo weighs. Rara was 3 stone 10 pounds on her birthday, which is 23.5 kg, apparently!

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Pradaqueen · 29/07/2017 17:03

An I the only mother who doesn't know what their child weighs?! I'm off to weigh her in now 😂

Fleurdelise · 29/07/2017 16:31

Nice to see you here also Prada and just to confirm the puppy also weighs as much as dd who's turning 10 next month but is petite and skinny.

I am cleaning the house at the speed of light, it is DS's 16th birthday tomorrow and we're celebrating with family and friends, I cannot actually believe he's 16. Shock

Fleurdelise · 29/07/2017 15:53

Thank you Waffle good to know I can "save" some money, I am used to the piano where it is every 6 months.

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Wafflenose · 29/07/2017 15:21

Nice to see you, Prada. Your dog weighs nearly as much as Rara, who is 9 and skinny. I love the sound of that school uniform system! We had to buy all ours for the school, except they were all out of Goo's (perfectly ordinary) waist size in the skirts, so we have to collect it on August 31st, and sew all the labels in ourselves!

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Pradaqueen · 29/07/2017 15:16

Hello everyone! Didn't manage to post on july's thread (bloody puppy!) but did read all of your news! Well done to all the brilliant results!

For those who don't know me, miniprada is 11, just finished Y6 and off to big school in September. She is now working towards G8 violin and G7 piano. She is also a member of two orchestras locally and will be off as a music scholar at her new school. We are undecided about trying for NCO this year given that a new school with a commute is probably enough but we'll see...

The puppy has more than doubled his body weight in 6 weeks and is 21.5kgs. He is likely to reach 80kgs 😱 Maybe more...

In other news, new school uses schoolblazer.com which is a revolution in school uniform supply! All online, it has an 'intelligent sizing' system so after you enter measurements it works out what your child needs. And the best bit? It arrives with all of the labels sewn in!

drummersmum · 29/07/2017 14:50

loose Grin
waffle big feet!!

LooseAtTheSeams · 29/07/2017 14:37

Helen loved your DS's singing as well, that was beautiful!
Drummers I may have a posh shed but the house is a tip at the moment! I've just started excavating the clutter in the hall and I think it'll take all weekend!

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Wafflenose · 29/07/2017 14:31

Oh yes, most people buy As eventually... I am not most people, and tend to branch out into all the other instrument families, as well as weird and wonderful ones.

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NeverEverAnythingEver · 29/07/2017 13:48

Thanks for the flute recommendations Waffle!

stringchild · 29/07/2017 13:40

Waffle - the bass is on loan - we are not that crazy :) the A we did buy as dd uses it a lot. We aren't part of the music service and our school (and new school) and JD don't loan 'common' instruments so we don't have a lot of choice; renting through a shop was v expensive when we did it last year. Also i have no doubt dd will be playing her b flat and A for many many years in ensembles and orchestras:)

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Wafflenose · 29/07/2017 13:20

Yes, we got her some sandals from the outdoor shop in a ladies' size 6, and her usual little concert shoes (which tend to come up small) in a size 7. faints At least the sandals (which weren't cheap) will last me for years after she grows out of them. I don't mind them being a tiny bit big.

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drummersmum · 29/07/2017 13:17

waffle did you find shoes?

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Wafflenose · 29/07/2017 13:11

Fleur it shouldn't need servicing yet. Every few years is fine (my clarinet hasn't been in for 10 years, but both saxophones went in this year, and flute is booked in for next month) so I'm getting there! Here, you have to book a service 3 months in advance, and it takes most of a day.

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Wafflenose · 29/07/2017 13:04

Aargh, the piccolo! I forgot about the piccolo! Goo has one, and that's not insured either - whoops.

Yes, I use Allianz... costs me over £200 per year.

Xaphoon = pocket sax. I got a Bb one, except it's not, it's in B, which makes it pretty useless when trying to play with other musicians.

I am a clarinet teacher, and only ever played the bass at school and clarinet choir as a teenager. Most people don't ever own bass or alto clarinets - they tend to belong to music services. I hadn't played an A clarinet until last year, when my little pupil got into NCO, snapped her fingers and got her parents to buy one (she could have borrowed one from school!), only to give up four months later.

Any vibrato in Grade 5 violin will be welcome. Plenty don't manage it too well by then.

Post Grade 5 flute... 'Let's Dance' by Richard Kershaw, 'Six Pastiches' by Cecilia MacDowell, Rutter's 'Suite Antique' (a couple of these of these are very hard, but most are grades 5-6), 'A Faure Flute Album' and 'Music Through Time - Book 4'.

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drummersmum · 29/07/2017 12:59

Blame the phone.

drummersmum · 29/07/2017 12:58

DS got not hot Blush

drummersmum · 29/07/2017 12:57

DS is dedicating the day to composing. He's working on his first choral piece!
helen loved the video. Do all your children really sing like this? What did you feed them please?
paulweller yes indeed! A 3 oct is over 3K and a 4 oct over 5k. DS hot an awardnto buy the marimba so i may look for similar help. However even if he was lucky enough to get one, where the hell do I fit it?!!! I NEED LOOSE 'S POSH SHED AND A GARDEN BIG ENOUGH TO FIT IT.

Fleurdelise · 29/07/2017 12:33

Niggle I love the story about your dds Grin

Just realised that if there is a good time to service a clarinet during the summer holidays would be it. Does anybody know how often should a clarinet (buffet B12) be serviced and what prices should I roughly expect?

catshavestaff · 29/07/2017 12:11

NeverAnythingEver Faure Scilienne is my standby piece for any sudden requests to play a solo piece. I've a book "solos for flute 36 repertoire pieces" which has it in along with Debussy Reverie, dance of the blessed spirits by Gluck and a lot of them would be OK for grade 6 level. Depending what type of thing he likes could also use some of the play along with CD books as rock and pop rhythms can be surprisingly hard and keeping time with the CD is good training.

I don't teach flute just play it along with sax so there will be more knowledgeable people along soon I am sure.

Nigglenotes · 29/07/2017 12:01

New thread! I can do my first intro!

DD (9) did G4 violin this month and G1 piano in December. She has a busy term ahead as we have planned G5 violin, G5 theory and G2 piano for this December. I think I might have overestimated the time needed for G2 piano as its all done already and now we will have to practice the same pieces for another 5 months... might skip to grade 4 next year.

Currently DD is spending 10 minutes a day supporting her violin on a wall to practice vibrato. The wall is definitely making it easier. Romance of the Gadfly is one of her g5 pieces, do you think they will expect much vibrato? It is a slow piece so there is more opportunity to use it, so now I'm worried it won't be strong enough. She is loving Intermezzo (C3).

DD (7 last week) chose the cello - had one lesson and quit. She was disappointed, I think, that it didn't sound like a violin, and she only wanted it because it was bigger instrument than her sister's. They are very close but very competitive.

About once a week they ask me who do I love the most. What can I say? Their brother (15). Particularly as he doesn't, as they did, get a large pack of outside pavement chalk, and use scissors to chop them into tiny bits all over the kitchen floor/bench, etc. Chalk marks on the fridge, inside the freezer...

I am trying to start younger DD on violin as well.

Love the singing!

rogueantimatter · 29/07/2017 11:55

Pocket cornet!

Yes - to faffing about with sheets of music.

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