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Original poster

September Music Thread

665 replies

Wafflenose · 01/09/2017 01:01

Hello, and welcome to a new thread for September. This is a lovely, calm and supportive corner of Mumsnet where we can talk about everything to do with music lessons, exams, practice, auditions, and whatever else you like. Contributors of ALL standards and ages welcome. There are lots of experienced music parents on here, but we also have a steady stream of beginners, and the collective knowledge on here is impressive.

I'm Waffle, teacher of woodwind - mainly clarinet and recorder these days. My DH plays the guitar for fun. We have two DDs - sensitive, highly strung and accident-prone Goo (11) who plays the flute and piano, and starts secondary school next week, and laid back, funny Rara (9) who plays the cello and clarinet, and is also a reading machine.

There's not too much going on for us musically this term, apart from auditioning for NCO in October. My main priority will be getting Goo settled in a much bigger school, with a longer day, and she's getting there under her own steam, eek! Luckily for us, we don't have any music exams or secondary school entrance stuff going on, but I know that lots of you do. I am anticipating Grade 8 Flute and Grade 3 Clarinet next term, and Grade 5 Piano in the summer term. I've no idea if Rara will do any more cello exams after the drama of the last one! At the moment, she says she's sticking to the odd numbers. Nutcase.

OP posts:
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LooseAtTheSeams · 10/09/2017 14:49

Way to go MiniFleur! Star
Waffle I'd put this down to being absolutely exhausted at the beginning of Y7. It's a very full-on time. Is the teacher good at talking to her about these things and reassuring her? And is there a good orchestra at school if needed to fill a gap? It's good she can vent at home but I think the risk is that she puts a lot of stress on you without realising. DS1 does this to me with art. He is really good at drawing but a perfectionist and destroys anything he perceives as not good enough, ignoring the fact that he does actually need to hand things in for GCSE!
I hope the squeaks soon sort out for Rara - DS2 had to completely readjust when he got a new cello, especially as we let him play it and then changed to a new brand of strings! He got there, it just took a few weeks. Sounds very mellow now! Mostly...
DS1 is getting a bit frustrated with xylophone and I've given him a get-out clause in terms of dropping it after Christmas and maybe picking up again in Y12 if he wants to. Or focusing on snare drum, which he loves, and doing an exam with Trinity instead of the ABRSM tuned percussion. Drum kit and bass are still very much in favour, though. He's planning to enter a band competition with some friends and doing some broader musicianship things with his bass teacher.

Greenleave · 10/09/2017 14:24

Fleur: fingers crossed for the best result. Minifleur is cheeky :))!

Waffle: Goo has always been the same and then came out with the best possible outcome, you know her game:), she just has alot happening at the moment.

Niggle: its for G7 piano, we definitely dont find 3 scales a day is easy. Regarding to parking, we were in Saint Tropez for 2 weeks and I refused any driving, parking is terrible there that everyone was cramming for a parallel impossible plot( and we had a big car) it was the most stressful bit during our holiday, we eventually decided to walk down to the beach, it was nearly 1km each way with loads of buckets and toys to carry but it was still better. Violin, we hope a miracle to come so we know what to do next with our violin progress. The worst case is to plot along until secondary where schools lessons (hopefully) of better quality. Our problem is we are not flexible during week days this has been a problem regarding finding a good teacher. I have been busy yesterday and today with uniform/shoes/bits shopping for both the girls(the 3 yrs old goes to preschool) and mountainous labour works (laundries, gardening, cleaning the fish tanks etc. I realised that there hasnt been practice without me sitting next to her(in the same room doesnt count). Only 30 mins a day, why its so hard!!??
Reading Kutik post on lesson cost, you are so lucky Kutik. I was told to pay £45/hr even if I pick and drop from a teacher.
We found a tutor, there will be an ability test then if she passes she will be starting 1hr group lesson from beginning of November. Both of our English are terrible, a professional help in English is a must especially we dont have much time with her during week days. I start to wean her off from her crazy science books so she comes back to classic novels(it hasnt been easy). We have list of possible schools, there are 12 of them we could travel to with less than 45 mins each way, I will get some advice around March next year to narrow down on the best possibility, we might go for 4 schools eventually). We rely on her state school with her writing( she loves writing and could write straight 500 words in 1 go within couple of hours(however terrible hand writing). We need help mostly on VR, NVR and comprehension which we are pretty Zero. We could start working on maths, something simple over the weekend. I feel like I could breath (right now).

Original poster
Wafflenose · 10/09/2017 11:14

Niggle I would absolutely say that. It will focus the mind.

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Nigglenotes · 10/09/2017 10:16

Green, are you back with a teacher yet? Which exam are you prepping for (the scales)?

Nigglenotes · 10/09/2017 10:15

Trumpet thanks so much for your response (several pages back now!) about AYM. I'm so sorry, but back in term time and I spend a lot of time in the car. Have just downloaded the MN app so I can use the phone easier. I spend a lot of time parked outside schools (3)!

Maybe DD could audition as an apprentice, she is the right age group. If the tester days are in the Spring, that is after the applications go in around February. So maybe they are just for those who have applied?

Just bought some new strings for violin. We rent a lovely antique violin from DD's teacher, but have decided to go for the best strings so paid for that ourselves. Looking forward to see how it sounds, particularly with Romance of the Gadfly, which is a lovely piece (might use this for NCO if we get it to a good level.

Have just started the last of the g5 theory - composition. Doing two hours this morning, before an Alice in Wonderland birthday party. Am I mean enough to say she can't go if the theory isn't done (DD currently watching TV) - hell, yes!

Fleurdelise · 10/09/2017 10:01

I can't imagine Goo without music, only the mention of her makes me think of music. I think she'll just take a bit of time to find her new routine now that she's in secondary school, settle her friendship, find her priorities but music will be on the cards I'm sure.

Dd woke up so happy this morning that her 11+ is done. She was grinning. Back to music lessons from Friday.

Trumpetboysmum · 09/09/2017 22:49

That was suposed to say good news Blush

Trumpetboysmum · 09/09/2017 22:48

Wise words Icould they definitely have to find their own way - even if we think they might regret it later . Goo is a really talented muscician so I'm sure that even if she feels that she needs a break now because of all of the charges at present she will pick it up again with ease when she's ready
hope you sort some teachers out soon catkind butbgr ais news about the sight reading Smile

catkind · 09/09/2017 22:40

Aw hope Goo will stick with it. Sounds like she sets herself very high standards. Even the odd 10 minutes makes the difference between keeping it ticking over and going backwards. Could picking one flute piece to focus on for now help? 5 sounds ambitious even with lots of practice!

I'm currently being blanked by DD's violin teacher, and by my likely viola teacher (she said she could, but cancelled the only lesson we've managed to arrange so far, so maybe she's too busy now). And haven't found DS a horn teacher within a feasible distance yet. And haven't had a response from DS's piano teacher about whether or not she can fit DD in despite her saying she was finalising timetable weeks ago. So not much success on the lessons front for any of us.

The last I'm least fussed with as DD is making great progress through a beginner piano book at home, and I'd almost rather leave her to get on with it now anyway. Sight reading is happening. I'm really chuffed!

Icouldbeknitting · 09/09/2017 20:49

Waffle you know that transition times provide a natural break where interests get dropped, be it music, sport or whatever. The trigger could be anything from change of teacher/coach, change of school, crossing an age band, change of ensemble/team. If you can survive until half term then the school transition should shake down and just leave you with everything else. If she doesn't want to audition for NCO it wouldn't be the end of the world would it?

I know children who stopped playing at 11 because it was seen as uncool in the new school and they were so desperate to conform that they would not be seen with an instrument.

She's got a lot on her plate at the moment which means you do too. It will get better in that this difficult time will pass and be replaced with another difficult thing, you just have to ride it out and chose your battles.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 09/09/2017 20:25

Well done MiniFleur.

It's squeak city here... since Rara moved beyond grade 2, she hasn't been squeaky at all, until about a week ago. We've tried different reeds, bluetak in one of the holes (thanks Mini), sling, no sling, and now the new clarinet and new thumb rest. She seems to be going backwards, so I'm a bit panicky at the moment. I've put her on to an easy stage of the next tutor boo, and we'll just have to go through a pain barrier with her new set-up for a while. I hope she improves soon!

I'm trying hard to keep Goo's practice going. So far, she has managed piano every day but one this week, which is brilliant under the circumstances. Since returning from NCO a month ago, she hasn't played the flute for more than 15 minutes straight, so is VERY out of practice. She had five Grade 8 pieces on the go, has picked up three of them again, and they're obviously not as good as they once were. She's now concluded that she's useless at the flute, won't have anything ready for her NCO audition, hates auditions anyway, and there's no point "because I won't be with my friends any more". She is seriously considering withdrawing, and I am secretly fearful that she will end up giving it all up. I wouldn't want her to do that just because of the shock of a new school though, so we'll jolly her along for a term or two and see what happens...

OP posts:
Minimusiciansmama · 09/09/2017 19:43

Anyone watching LNOP? TheGirl is in stitches at a flautist with the best moustache she's ever seen and absolutely loves the guy rocking the Union Jack turban and bow tie!

Minimusiciansmama · 09/09/2017 18:13

Well done minifleur. Whatever the outcome, good job her for tackling it when she got so stressed.

Waffle rara's clarinet is lovely, I bet she is delighted xx

drummersmum · 09/09/2017 18:02

YAY Star

Fleurdelise · 09/09/2017 16:32

All gone amazingly well, she came out and said she found it easy. That's not always a good sign but for her confidence is fantastic news no matter the result.

Music on Tuesday now.

Thanks all for the good vibes, got them Smile

AlexandraLeaving · 09/09/2017 16:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LooseAtTheSeams · 09/09/2017 11:55

Good luck to MiniFleur!Cake

stringchild · 09/09/2017 11:27

Good luck minifleur

drummersmum · 09/09/2017 10:54

Ah, the blasted 11plus, poor minifleur, sending lots of courage.
waffle that IS a beautiful instrument. Does it have a name? Who was here giving names to instruments?

Fleurdelise · 09/09/2017 10:25

Morning ladies! Yes she does know where she goes already but for some reason she is still finding it stressful. I think I said this before dd is a perfectionist and reacts really bad under any sort of pressure even if you tell her it doesn't matter.

Grade 5 piano exam showed us this and now even worse even if I reassured her that if she does really bad only I'll find out and she is still going to her brother's school.

I am now thinking that I can't shelter her forever so we're using this exam and the music ones as preparation for the really important ones so she gets more exposure and hopefully she'll get used to it.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 09/09/2017 09:57

Good luck, MiniFleur. It will all be fine - she has a potential school place already, doesn't she?

OP posts:
se22mother · 09/09/2017 09:04

Good luck to mini fleur

Kutik73 · 09/09/2017 08:29

Good luck to miniFleur. Sending lots of good vibes!

Xennialish · 09/09/2017 07:31

Good luck, didn't realise it as so soon!

Trumpetboysmum · 09/09/2017 07:25

Good luck to mini fleur today I'm sure she'll be fine Smile