September Music Thread

Best of luck to miniFleur on her exam tomorrow!

And love Rara new video, she has grown up compare to the previous one just couple of months ago.

And happy instrument shopping everyone!

11+ exam tomorrow had a tearfully girlie but hopefully I did put her mind at rest.

So excited to unpack a new instrument . We've decided to lease or borrow a 3/4 cello while we see how she grows but will certainly be in the market for a very sturdy case as a result!

Lovely, shiny new clarinet Waffle! Bet Rara is pleased! She is very cute on the video!
Nearly sorted out with music lessons -DS1 will have percussion lesson after marching band, which means later finish but much easier to drop him off. Guitars and drums as usual, think piano is same slot as before, so that just leaves cello at school to work out now we have school timetable! Teacher is really good at cooperating with school so DS2 doesn't miss crucial lessons.

Have had a couple of recommendations for Dawkes from music teaching friends, easier to get to than Just Flutes from round here.

I like the fact that Howarths does the "take it away" scheme, I always thought I'd go there when it is time to upgrade dd's clarinet but Hanson does sound really good.

Alex we are south London so Croydon is accessible

Thanks everyone. I will start research

What a beauty Waffle! Lucky girl!

se22 have a look at Howarths.

It looks beautiful waffle, lucky Rara. I don't dare show the photos to dd as she is chasing a new clarinet but due to cash flow will have to wait three weeks for a new one. Can any London based clarinetist please recommend a good shop for wind instruments in the London area where we can pick one ?

Hello all, and sorry to do this on your thread waffle, but needed to post this as the post I had removed didn't give details apart from I asked for deletion.

I have been extremely foolish and posted something without having the full facts which ended up with me in trouble. That's as much as I can say except to apologise to any parents who were upset by my post.
I know the people upset weren't regular posters, so not blaming anyone here, there are lots of lurkers
Please be careful what you post on here and even if you don't mention your childs school, make sure your facts are true first.
Hands severley rapped and apologies.
As you were folks.

Thanks drummers!

Since the cuts it is sixth form that suffers the most in most schools, at least that's what I've been told, we received an email a few months back stating that the facilities of sixth formers will have to be cut back due to the lack of (enough) government funding.

They do have books in schools but a limited amount of them and they asked the kids to buy them if their parents can afford them. As I have no other reason not to buy them other than being shocked at the price of them even if I can afford them I will buy them while wishing Mr Gove "all the best" (not really).

fleur and waffle loved the vids. Determined minifleur (she will kill them dead) and cheeky rara ☺
fleur do you have to pay for the books? Is this normal? I'm a bit

Fleur academic text books are horrifically expensive but that does sound eye-watering!

Looking on with a little envy at discussions of JDs vs music teachers, and searching for good schools.
We have an ok-ish primary close to us but secondary options for boys range from feeble-but-pretentious to frankly dire.
There is a JD for the NZSM but at about $500 per return flight it would be financially impossible, even though it could be done easily logistically and the JD itself is only $600 per year for as many classes as you can fit in. Saturday music school here is $100 for all you can fit in but it essentially only caters to early grades and primary age.

Pondering how we can return to Cambridge... or go to Wellington... where we are is utterly lovely but I wouldn't recommend any of the educational options here (understatement) and there's nothing within a few hundred kms worth commuting to.

xennialish sight reading superpowers come with the territory for Choristers, I think. It's served DS well.

Thank you Green.

Fleur I'm shocked. I am on my second sixth former, DD just starting Y 13 and I haven't had to buy expensive books.

Lots of printing ink/paper for many past papers, especially Maths. DD is doing English Lit and I've bought lots of reading material and 2 study guides for History.

Wait til you find out how expensive trekking round uni open days is!

Fleurdelise. I was also surprised that I had to buy books, paying enough for school fees as it is ...and that with dc not even sure about his choice of subjects.....I did buy some gcse revision books before but they were mainly cheap secondhand ones..
Other dc don't start music lessons till later this month

Oh dear Fleur, seriously...? I feel like I am talking about money a lot today (due to the time to pay for lots stuff). Oh dear, but, oh dear. A level...

Green, do I sound calm? So glad we are not communicating on Skype otherwise you could see all my chaotic state... Ha...

You pay a lot for piano lesson Green. Or, is it a normal rate in London? I pay at around £25/45mins for piano and £15/45mins for violin! Both increased last year as DS's lesson got longer, but before then I only paid at around £15 for piano/30mins and £12/30mins for violin. Well, DS learnt violin at school and very often more like a group rather than private. But still, what's a bargain. I just realised now.

Green thank you for your kind words and good luck with the scales!

Oh my God, why didn't anybody tell me how expensive the A levels books are? DS just asked for a book that is £30. Just one! By the results on amazon I can see some stretch to £50 even. Tomorrow apparently I get a full list, it looks like I am saying goodbye to a few hundreds of £.

What an angel voice raspberry, my jaw dropped!

And I love dummers son every performance, I wish I have a son.

And I love watching minifleur playing too, so determined and focus. Fleur, Kutik, I am biting my nails reading your posts and could only say I wish I will be half as calm next year. You are doing great and I hope to copy you.

And to year 7 starter and home work, yekkk! My neighbor complained the same thing couple of years ago when her children started secondary, it was a massive shock for her state primary school children to start at super selective independent secondary. They are both doing well now.

We are currently paying £50/hr for piano and I was told today that my colleague pays £60/hr for his daughter violin lesson(he lives in Chelsea though), I was "what?!". They are hoping to start lessons at Saturday music school as they get better value(their local one does 4 hr/week and its £400/term or something). I was googling Wandsworth music centre which is nearest to us and thinking of that option.

I sat down with my daughter today and tried to figure out our plan for exam scales this term. There are in total "only" 108. If we take our exam by end of November we have 11 weeks and it might be do able. I told her, only 3 scales or something a day, it doesnt sound as bad. Anyway, we will learn our scales, whatever they are and how long will it take, that what we agreed together.