September Music Thread

Oh dear Se22! If I could share the bad enough news then my new violin teacher just quit. I had to revise this poem for now.

2 weeks before violin exam and we have a dead bow . Dd spent 1@ minutes doing the same mistake (she doesn't usually make) I grabbed the bow in frustration at the wrong angle and it snapped

I love fleece tops! I like to practise in pyjamas. DS1 favours shorts and T shirt as being the most comfortable for drums.

We had never been aware of this zip issue until last week when DS had his first lesson at JD - he turned up in his fleece top which had a zip on the front.. Before starting JD, DS's lessons happened at school so he was always in his school uniform and never in his own clothes.

His staple uniform for home practice is bathrobe. He is almost always wearing his bathrobe when he plays piano/violin...

I dont think the subject of zips has ever come up - but to be fair dd1 usually strips down to a t shirt to play

herts and cat, thank you for your thoughts/advice.

As long as I can remember, DS has never played in any top with zips for concerts simply because he usually smartens up a bit for the occasion or just wears school uniform. But the teacher meant not only for performance but daily practice as well as in her lessons. That would limit his clothing choice as I mentioned he has quite a large selection of zipped clothes! But I can accept that and save the tops with zips for other activities. And next time I do any clothes shopping, I can keep this info in my mind. But a pain is the JD hoodie. I should have chosen the one without zips... DS was going to use it as his JD uniform every Saturday. But it seems it's going to be his bedroom top!! Wish I knew before I made the order.... The person who was taking an order knew DS was a violinist but recommended to go for the one with a zip for the convenience which I agreed. He was a parent, and his child may have not been a violinist so didn't think of it. Or, may have, but I, the parent of a violinist, didn't know that so can't blame on him...

The shoes and being careful not to scratch the instrument with a zip are a good point!

Kutik, I do that, though no-one ever told me to. I worry about scratching my lovely instruments when holding them more than anything when I'm actually playing. Then I pretty much always play in a t-shirt, at most mid length top, so it just means I take off my jumper to play. So glad I'm not male, I would hate playing in a DJ!

Not sure I would worry for lessons and practice but yes for concerts very careful about things like this (although my daughters play violin but don't think we have any tops with zips!) Shoes are another one as some shoes are very noisy on wooden floors if performing standing up and moving about a little.

It's so quiet here these days. I fear I may not get any response but anyway...

DS's violin teacher told me DS should avoid any top with a zipper when he plays violin because of the rattling sounds it can create. I just took the words and didn't think too much about it until, well when I realised most of tops DS owns has a zipper (hoodie, fleece and even woollen jumpers). If it's warm, he can just wear T-shirt, but for instance last week DS was wearing a fleece with a zipper because he felt a bit chilly (hence the advice from the teacher).

My question is, have you ever thought about it? Or has your teacher ever mention this to you before? How important is it? Should I go to get new winter tops for DS...? He's got a few tops without a zipper so he can survive with them for a while. But annoyingly I have ordered the JD hoodie with a zipper (it's optional and could order one without)....

Thank you Loose and Prada!

DS has a science aptitude test, NCO audition and MAT at the school of his 2nd choice next week. We also have an open day to attend. So..., another busy week is awaiting for us...

But before then, DS is getting big treats this weekend. Jd on Saturday is a treat, especially it'll be his first day of spending all day there. And also we have a family outing at New Scientist Live on Sunday! Both are all day thing so not sure when DS can do homework (I can see a big pile on his desk...). But, I think he deserves to have fun!

Well done minikutik!

Good luck to your DS Kutik! That sounds like a good position to be in - glad he's feeling better, too!

Glad to hear that Loose's mini has been recovered well enough for the rehearsal. Mine was recovered also and this morning he had an audition for a music place at a secondary school. It's his 3rd choice. Every time we visited we had a good feeling about the school. But we also always quickly forgot the feeling therefore it's never been his first choice. But again, we quite liked the school, so very happy if he manages to get a place.

It's been a quieter music week in this house compared to normal. DS1 should be ok for jazz band rehearsal on Sunday - the young lady organising it has also been ill but she's got everything sorted!
DS2 is reasonably on top of practice and his guitar teacher told him not to bother with exams until grade 3. I told him he doesn't have to take any exams in his fun instrument but he appears to be quite keen, strange boy!

Thanks Waffle - he's starting on the sop as his grandparents saw me playing descant to DS, decided to give a recorder to grandson, went and bought one the "right" size for him, not realizing it was in f...

I'll chat to them about whether a descant would make more sense, as his birthday isn't for a couple of weeks so there's time to exchange it.

The treble/sop beginner teaching material would be very very welcome here though! I'll PM you.

That concert sounds great Prada. Main news here is that after a whole 4 piano lessons dd1 has been asked to perform in a concert. She'll be playing largo from the New world symphony apparently 🤥😁at least the concert is not until november...

earling, I have a strong feeling of your DD fighting against global warming and keep surprising us again and again (and again).

Prada, your DD's school sounds fab. So nice to hear such happy news.

Strong - I forgot to add, good luck to ministring at her concert too!

Happy birthday miniealing!

Well the concert was amazing... standard was exceptional (unsurprising given that you had to be G6 on your first study to even be considered as a music scholar but then some) - fantastic to see girls playing French horn, double bass, harp - not just violin /flute/piano and the vocalists were outstanding. It would appear that the school encourages them to attend the JD next door so we'll wait and see...One young lady has an amazing future as a soprano such a wonderful talent!

Miniprada played well although for some unknown reason brought out the music with her and then didn't use it so we were obscured from view. Still, never mind! In other news they were all encouraged to audition for a film part today and she is through to the next round. So lovely to see her blossom and I feel like the child she is at home is the one at school. At her prep school the naysayers squashed her enthusiasm for this kind of thing.

Best of luck to everyone doing 11+ entry, keep calm and carry on!

Thanks for the good wishes for DD's b'day folks.

swan in a lake?

haha Kutik; you are funny. More like sinking iceberg these days

Update on Singet Dem Herrn:

I found a pdf of the sheet music and tried to sing along to a recording, but it turns out that I can't read music at that speed. I was getting all disheartened until I realised they have it on cyberbass where you can slow it down. I can mostly sing it now, and will attempt to practise it at full speed tomorrow, so hopefully won't embarrass myself too much on Saturday.

Should say that most recorder practice will be done chez grandparents, who can read music, sing, get rhythms right, but are not likely to make it much fun or to get out a treble and play along. Mum is v musical but v frazzled with 2 other kids & job.

Another recorder question: can anyone recommend a young-child friendly book for a 5 year old starting to read music and starting on a sopranino recorder? So a beginner treble book really.

We have the Gifford ones for descant/tenor, which we like - Kodaly tunes & nursery rhymes, little pieces like Tallis' canon & bits of Bach, rhythm and sightreading games, and nearly every piece is playable with a second part or as a round.

But this is a present for another child, not DS, so (as parent sitting there transposing stuff seems unnecessarily hard work) we need something similar to Gifford for recorders in f!

Too busy to write but happy birthday miniealing!!! And happy for all the good news all around. Your kids rock.