September Music Thread

Mmm, true Drummers. I should have known better that your DS is never going to take the easy route .

Your start of year sounds as manic as the end of last...hope you are starting to feel a little better

Re parents teaching, DH took DS all the way to a Distinction in G5 for piano. I give credit for it working to DH but mostly to DS because it's not always the case that a child will allow it. It was beautiful when they started playing duets together. He then had a proper teacher from then on...

green There are scales for Trinity too....

ealing thanks for link. However, they're all rockers!!! Any jazz drummer in the millionaires list please? DS says rock is far too simple. He has stopped listening to it and now spends hours listening to old jazz and funk tracks nobody listens to anymore...

I have been unwell, my reason for thread absence. Year 11 has started. JD starting in two weeks. DS playing in Regent's Park this Sunday! (Klezmer festival) It's free and they're expecting thousands!

Good luck everyone with all the things going on!!

Thanks so much everyone for sharing your experiences, your thoughts, love this thread for what it is on music and also everything else such as your sharings and understandings. Yes, I purposely am trying to delay the preparation as I was thinking she couldnt last 1 year preparation however at the same time worrying that I might be wrong and underestimate the tests the consequence could be hard to reverse. I will follow your advise and stay being (pretending) calm.

Kutik, you read my mind, battling now the thoughts of spending the precious 1 hour daily with her in the evening on what. If it is for music then I have the feeling that just another year of me trying to motivate (I use that word because supervising her practice to me is really only for motivating her and making sure she does it) then she could be on her own later, taking it slowly or fast, all will be up to her decision. If it is for academic then music could be very forgotten and I dont want that either. Prioritising would be key this year for me.

I asked her to sit down for few scales for both violin and piano and they are both rusty/forgotten. I am so tempting to switch to Trinity awggg!!!

Green, was about to PM you but really, Fleur and Kutik have said it all, only better. It is SO easy to get sucked into the London frenzy, but really, only you deep down know your DD's capabilities, and it's easy to overlook what she is so very strong at already due to panic...science, loves reading, maths, music (naturally so, even if she doesn't practise as much as us parents would like)! The challenge is staying firm, and not getting into the spiral, as the reality is she's already got the skills, just needs to format into the structure required for the entrance exams, working to the given times. And maintain her sense of self, for when it comes to the interviews.

We did not start any tutor work (home or the 1 x hour a week with a tutor) until after Easter Y5, tutor's rules. Built up past papers work over time from easy to hard (to build confidence), main bulk in summer of Y5 (e.g 1 to 2 papers every few days, no more than 2 hours work) . Then gave her Autumn off to go on a big holiday, and small amount of final prep over xmas before the exams start. I must add that this was right for us, others will have worked differently, but I did not want DD feeling exhausted before a heavy January (build time for exams, interviews etc), and that she was in full control without last minute cramming. And was reassured that there were alternative options, so she had nothing to lose (in her mind).

Your DD learnt and passed G5 Theory without a blink of an eye. Please, when having dark wobbles, remember this!

We did not sit Tiffin, for a number of reasons of wrong for DD, but also would have muddied the prep needed in that finite time...

I just re-read Green's post. I think you took miniGreen to the assessment before summer so you know where miniGreen has to work on (though I vaguely remember she didn't have any weak areas).

If familiarisation is only concern, then she really doesn't need a year long project. But as Fleur said, starting slowly and nicely now is a good idea, and in many ways much less stressful as you can avoid last minute cramming by starting early. Yes, starting at the beginning of Year 5 is 'early' enough!

I think you can keep the precious 1 hour before bedtime for music, then do some timed work for 11+ at weekends. If you want to make sure, she can do some extra work during school holidays (she has 4 school holidays plus 4 half terms before the exam).

I totally understand your feeling though. I had a panic moment here and there. The last one was some time last term and at the time I got lots of great advice from lovely people here and also people I know in real. I suppose there are million ways for million children. You know what works best to your child - a long term, diligent commitment or a short, quick fix and so on.

Green I think you're starting at the right time, it depends what schools you have in mind but I'd say if you start preparing now with a good tutor and home practice minigreen will pass her 11+ with flying colours.

As you know I didn't prepare dd at all as I had the security of her brother getting her in via the sibling rule and I still think she'll do quite well, with preparation I'm sure your dd will do great.

Green, I assume the friends who are already so prepared are the same year as your DD? If so they are just starting Year 5, right? I'm sure it depends on child, but in general, I think starting too early can be harmful, especially for bright ones. If my DS had been prepared so well at the beginning of Year 5, he would have been bored to death by now, and possibly would have refused even looking at those text books when in fact, it would have been the time for him to focus more. Lightly prepared and smartly guiding would be good, but hard-core preparation is not yet needed for your DD to be successful at 11+. Having learnt her nature by reading your posts, she would have been bored with the materials like a lighting. You wants her to be most focused at the exam season, not now.

Loose, se22: best of luck with finding tutors and moving school decision!

I have 2 problems: I have too little time with her during the week(1 hour in the evening before bed) and most of all I am completely non-musical which I often have someone to tell me "but you cant play, you dont present in lessons, how would you know it was wrong". It was true though that I really couldnt tell. I intend to get back home before the end of our piano lesson tonight so I could discuss with our teacher on his plan for this term exam. If we can still go ahead then we will need to work on the scales the most and decide the 3rd piece. We are usually ok with the 3 pieces however rubbish at everything else especially scales and aural.

This year we will have to give way for academic. The 1 hour in the evening might not even for music anymore. I dont even know where to start her with her academic side, I have been lurking and asking every where. We are fortunately an all rounder, we need to work on: exam format and timing. There is Tiffins for girl which is free however I dont think we will try, all the independent secondary school exams are later on (Dec time I think) which I am trying to tell myself that we will have more time(than my friends who is way ahead, already went to multiple mocks and preparing so well that I am too scared to compare). I also deliberately avoid talking to my friends on 11+ preparation worrying the competition among us might even make the pressure got worse.

I taught DS piano for a couple of years, at a deliberately pottering pace, because he wanted to play but didn't want lessons. Though it turned out he was still doing better than some friends who'd had lessons for the same time. Possibly that's more to do with being a musical family who understand that practice is supposed to happen between lessons too! He goes to a teacher now, which is a big relief in some ways, but has disadvantages too. He will insist on playing things wrong because "that's how Miss Teacher told me to do it" - even though I'm sure she didn't! And hearing him practice every day rather than just half an hour once a week, I think sometimes I do have a clearer idea where the problems lie.

Even though violin is my proper instrument, I'm completely at a loss teaching it, so DD has always had a proper teacher. I don't know where to start, what to fix first. Maybe to do with I can remember being a beginner pianist, but can't remember not playing the violin.

Green I'm in the same boat as your dd regarding practice - my teacher won't be impressed this evening!
Good luck with exam prep but even more so in finding the right school - it takes quite a few visits to be sure of what you want!
I'm now at the other end in the sense of looking at sixth forms with a maddeningly vague DS1! I'd be really happy for him to stay where he is but he thinks he'd like a change!
Aargh.

First day at back to school here. Dd was anxious last night but dare I say excited this morning.

Green I agree, I'd go as far as saying that the primary education system and the secondary one are not aligned, you have your child for 7 years (incl reception) in a primary school where you are told they need to be self driven and self motivated to learn, not much homework and then "boom!" 11+ exams and tons of homework in secondary.

Yes, the Rachel billings one, glad it worked for you. She's has taken gd1 and 2 already but I'm not sure how well she really knows it after the exams!

I noticed an error in my post too, dd3 plays cello not flute, quite different!

Mending, love the attitude - you've got to work with what you've got! Still pretty impressive selection of 'proper' instruments though. In our household, if DH and I want to join DS playing on the violin/piano, it'll be recorder (just manage one octave), harmonica (zero idea which notes we are producing...) or some primitive percussion such as tambourine or castanets in a very much primitive manner!

Re, teaching our own children, DH is specialised in sports and me in arts and we both nurtured DS with our specialities from the moment DS was born, yet DS chose music as his thing (so we were indirectly sacked as his teacher)...

Scwanengesang

I can only comment on our experience, but teaching our own dd music didn't work out.
I'm not bereft of musical knowledge, but no expert either.
However my dh is a legend in his own lunch time , a specialist on her instrument and an impressive portfolio of previous students.
They just wound one another up the wrong way and to her it was just "Dad trying to teach her".
So she auditioned for specialist music school and boards now.
I take my hat off to parents who can manage it.
Oh, and when she's had home they play some lovely duets and she listens to what he has to say.

As for exams, I believe they are useful and have their place.
However, they aren't the be all imo and experience.
I know 2 children who had grade 8 at Piano at aged 8, they are siblings and a few years older now.
One of them had a longer gap than the other between grade 6 and 8 as the hand span was just not quite big enough, one had extensions for the pedals, they looked really good. I hadn't seen them before.
I'm not sure what they are up to now, I must get in touch.

Thanks for the thoughts on exams. I agree DC is doing well to be grade 6-7 standard after 6.5 years of playing; I also agree that progress is likely to have been slow at the start, though I definitely think the benefits of doing music (or whatever else absorbing multisensory difficult activity) outweigh the downsides of lack of progress early on. It could well be that the DC is weak in some specific area (likely aural or theory) that means they're ticking through early exams at a rather extremely late stage. As for mother teaching DC, I think this may be the only arrangement that works for them as I gather mother had errr a few too many opinions to share in lessons with the recently-left teacher... and the two prior ones as well... still if that works for them, all it really risks is teenage rebellion completely derailing the music. Which could be messy but won't necessarily be a bad thing if DC then takes ownership of either doing or not doing music rather than doing it to please mother.

Of course, I have all those issues ahead of me... I hope I will meet them with humility and a sense of perspective, but am aware that I can lack those qualities at times!

Greenleave agree with the expectations of year 5 here in the capital. We have had to find a maths tutor for any hope of passing exams next year. More expense on top of the extracurricular activities and another evening late home.it us exhausting organising them, let alone being them - so little play time .

What have I missed?!

Thanks Waffle for a new month thread.

I have a 9 yrs old daughter who is playing violin and piano. We thought of piano exam this term however will need to discuss with our teacher on the lesson tomorrow. After 3 weeks not touching the piano (neither the violin), I feel like we are back to Zero when she sat down for a bit of both today. Violin has been on and off, we pretty much have no plan. I am also very worried about her academic side this year as she is entering yr5 and needs to start her preparation. To be honest I dont know where to start, worrying we might be underprepared however at the same time I dont want to over prepare her(to me at this age, its too young to judge an ability of a child, 11+ is purely crazy in London, the children are studying way too hard at 10 yrs old).

kutik i think it's a good thing we dont have very close neighbours! But it is fun 😂
I can't claim it's neccessarily 'works' musically, however youve got to work with what youve got...

Xennialish, is it by Rachel Billings? If so, that's what my DS used last year for his grade 5 theory. He hadn't done any theory study before (although he seemed to know quite a few already due to playing piano), and his lazy mum didn't want to order 5 books so grabbed something that covers all.

I was wondering about suggesting a chorister chamber group/ band but didn't know if piano, horn, cello and recorder would work - I am now inspired by mending!

I used to post a bit but have name changed. I have DD very nearly 12, back to school tomorrow, she sings and plays the cello but won't take exams. She started the piano at Easter and is working through a book of grade 1 pieces so exams on that might give her some confidence to tackle a cello exam. We just ordered the 1-5 all-in-one theory book and have to get that out the way this academic year :/.

I have dd2 9, lured from the flute by bright lights and grease paint and dd3 6, who has started on the flute but been incredibly difficult to keep going over the summer hols. I don't know what autumn will bring for that and do wonder what I am pushing it for sometimes. DD has a lovely schooling and social life through her music and I suppose I wanted that for them all, but they're all very different!

Mending, your family gathering must be so much fun!

DH is toying with switching to flugel from cornet. There's a borrowed one hanging around in the dining room at the moment.