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Extra-curricular activities

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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.

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Trumpetboysmum · 01/09/2017 10:35

I think it makes much more sense to do it the way they are now organising it. One of the great things about nco is being with others your age ds spends such a lot of time with much older children it's been lovely to see him make so many nco friends of his own age . Who knows if he will get in or not but it's been a fab experience anyway

Original poster
Wafflenose · 01/09/2017 10:11

Trumpet I didn't know that. Goo and I had pretty much decided that in the (extremely unlikely) event that Goo were offered U13, we would turn it down, because I don't think she'd cope. She finds it challenging enough already, sometimes her confidence takes a knock, and there will be older and better ones there as well as her friends.

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Trumpetboysmum · 01/09/2017 09:58

String ,waffle and Prada good luck to your dd's starting in year 7 and anyone else I've forgotten!!

Trumpetboysmum · 01/09/2017 09:55

Mine don't go back till Tuesday . String and Waffle ds seemed to think that on their course those younger ones in this years under 12a could choose to be in the under 13s next year if they wanted - not sure how this would work and he could be talking absolute rubbish Grin

Original poster
Wafflenose · 01/09/2017 09:18

Good luck with her first day BTW! Can't believe they are having to start on a Friday. We have INSET days on Monday, so both girls start on Tuesday.

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Original poster
Wafflenose · 01/09/2017 09:14

string is she hoping for Under 12s or Under 13s? As most will be going up, but ours are in the small minority affected by the change in cutoff date. I have no idea if Goo is likely to get in again, but she seems resigned to the fate of hardly knowing anybody, if she does!

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stringchild · 01/09/2017 09:09

Morning all. Dd started yr7 today - brand new big school where Shen is a music scholar, and hopefully choirester. Going into her second year of JD. No exams planned after doing G8 cello last term. Auditioning for a much hoped for 5th year in nco - going to be a big blow if doesn't get in with her pals!

Welcome to all 😀

Trumpetboysmum · 01/09/2017 09:08

Also it's good to let them go with their interests dd is much more inspired by singing than anything else and does way more practice for this. Ds got given a cornet at school and it was just luck really that it turned out to be his thing.

Trumpetboysmum · 01/09/2017 09:07

Catkind I think learning a brass instrument is a good idea. If he went for something like a cornet then he might be able to join a junior section of a brass band they would do the teaching and it would be great ensemble playing experience; also very good for sightreading) and they often loan instruments as well. Or look at the local music service ours havebeginner bands that you can join after you've been learning for a term they helped ds in the beginning no end.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 01/09/2017 08:55

Welcome catkind!

If you can afford it and they have time, I'd let them have their second instrument, so brass and piano respectively. The reading thing you describe is quite common. As a teacher, I'd spend a bit of lesson time playing harder things from ear/ memory with a child like your DS, and lots of time sight reading loads and loads of tunes which are slightly too easy for him. Other than that, I don't really know, but a brass instrument might help because he will start over and consolidate with note reading, and should be able to join an ensemble fairly quickly.

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catkind · 01/09/2017 08:45

Hello, keep thinking I should stick a nose into music threads.

I have DS who's 8 and plays the piano, only grade 1-2ish. He fancies a brass instruments for a second instrument, which I know nothing about. Not sure if he's ready for practicing 2 instruments yet!
DD is 5 and plays the violin, towards the end of Suzuki book 1 though not actually learning with a Suzuki teacher. Though has spent more time playing the piano this summer. Thinking of letting her go for it, she is consistently enthusiastic about practicing both. She says she's going to be a violin teacher when she grows upSmile
I'm an amateur violinist/violist, looking for a teacher to improve technique and learn some repertoire on the latter. Play in 2 regular orchestras and as much chamber music as I can get.

Hoping for tips on getting DC to actually read the dots on the page. DS is really slowed down by it. He seems to only look at the notes the first time he looks at a piece. Frequently caught practicing even new this week piece without having got the book out of the bag. Impressive memory, but it means any rhythms or notes he gets wrong first time stay wrong, and any "subtleties" (in DS's view!) like articulation or dynamics don't happen unless teacher or I make a massive fuss about it. Any ideas? On a string instrument I'd say join an orchestra!

ealingwestmum · 01/09/2017 08:30

Thank you waffle for new thread, happy Sept everyone, new and old!

DD started Y9 today (was SO excited!), turning 14 this month. Plays violin, piano and sings, sitting G7 piano this term. Would love to do more like choir, drama, debating and additional sports but I've had to put my foot down as there just are not enough hours in the day, with the clashes & swimming being the main hours drain outside of music. She is aiming for national level this year, though I reserve judgement. I do secretly admire her goal setting though, even if a little ambitious.

On that note; Drummers; link for you Grin Good luck with this weekend's entertaining. And Star for Prada for the mammoth task of hosting new school class and overcoming cooking adversities!

www.therichest.com/expensive-lifestyle/entertainment/the-10-richest-drummers-in-the-world/

se22mother · 01/09/2017 08:16

I don't want it to be September either. 5 weeks till grade 4 violin for dd and we have been too slack with practice this holiday. She also plays clarinet

Trumpetboysmum · 01/09/2017 07:28

I don't want it to be September either. I'm mum to ds 12 ( going into year 8) who plays trumpet and piano and dd 9 who sings and plays piano ( plus a bit of cornet not that she ever practices !!)
Ds had a crazy year last year with lots of concerts, solos auditions and grade 7 so I'm looking forward to a much more relaxed year this year- I hope. He's currently away on an Aldeburgh Young Muscician s course which will take up a lot of his spare time - it's like a jd but runs for intensive weeks and weekends instead of every Saturday . He's also got an orchestra tour with school in Germany and will be reauditioning for the NCO in October. But even though he's got a lot on I'm hoping his solo practice can be a bit more relaxed and he can take his time to master new stuff. He also really needs to do grade 5 theory .....Hmm

Minimusiciansmama · 01/09/2017 07:09

Efficiently snuck in right on the turn of September there, waffle! It worries me that it's September already.

My little one is a wee clarinetist and pianist. Quite a busy term for her with her first proper solos in a concert in a couple of weeks, starting CATs, NCO audition and a new orchestra, plus 3 ensemble concerts. She's excited but a bit of nerves at moving on from her beloved teacher. I don't know what or when her next grades will be, we are in the hands of two new teachers! But we are very much hoping she can stay with the same exam board

Anyway.... happy September to all.... (hmm, still not convinced I want it to be September and back to proper work/termtime madness!)