September Music Thread

The treat has been cancelled. DS got sick as soon as the rehearsal started so had to bring him back home. Now in bed, sleeping. Hope he'll be fine tomorrow.

A music audition is on Friday, and a science aptitude test is on Monday...

Happy birthday to your lovely DD, earling! It's so amazing to see how your DD handles her busy life seemingly so effortlessly (swan in a lake?). Just so inspiring. So please don't think you don't have much to contribute. Many people like me is so looking forward to read your posts. So please keep stay with us!!!

Loose, it's the first rehearsal day of the youth orchestra my DS is in today - that's the best treat for him!

Happy birthday miniealing!!

So pleased for minikutik & minifleur. Thinking of all you others with big things ahead!

Ealing: happy 14 today mini Ealing!!!

And String, Prada, Drummers and Ealing stories about your mini music scholar made me really thinking too.

And great news to hear positive story from Kutik's son interview.

And Misti: well done for starting lessons again!

Ealing happy birthday to your amazingly busy DD!

So glad to hear he enjoyed himself Kutik. Hope he's having a little treat after all that!
DS1 is a bit better, thanks, and I think the antibiotics are starting to work, although he is still looking sorry for himself!
DS2 on the other hand is full of himself and looking forward to tonight's guitar lesson...

Huge bold fail. Again!

Kutik; Fleur; well done to your minis for their recent interviews, tests. And very best of luck to loose; Misti for your courage to continue/pick up lessons again overcoming the grown up nerves. Huge admiration.

And apologies for the radio silence. I do read all when I can. Truth is I don't feel I have a huge amount to contribute anymore. DD does play her instruments (but I don't know how much as it's not much at home), she does her homework (but I don't know when) and spends SO many hours doing her sport that includes missing lots of school for meets like this weekend Fri pm to late Sun night with her club that I barely see her these days. We have a music scholars concert too coming up and for the first time I am dreading that she's actually prepared for it. Wish I had a crystal ball that following her passion with the hours it consumes is the right thing to do and it won't come back to bite us, as I keep thinking if I hear nothing back from school, then she's in control of it all. Turned 14 today...suddenly she seems like a young adult. And says just trust me a lot...

Loose, thank you for the good wishes. DS was happy all way through so your good vibes must have reached to him! I hope your DS is feeling much better today? [flower]

The interview's done! DS said he enjoyed it. He then started telling me the similarity between musical performance and school interviews and concluded that the reason why he liked both were partly because he really enjoyed the attention showered on him.

I don't know how all went really, as DS is a kind of boy who tells me he did well whatever however he did. But it was not a horrible nerve wrecking experience and the fact he enjoyed so much made it as a positive experience whatever the outcome!

Oh good luck, Misti! I'm sure it will all go well on Friday.
I know sight reading is practice really - my current predicament is mainly due to the lack of it!

By the way grade 5 piano sight reading is really hard - how do children manage this??!

Practice! Lots and lots of it!

I was always good at sight reading, mainly due to lack of practice between lessons which meant that I was sight reading much of what I played in my weekly lessons ;) It really does get easier the more you do it - I started playing piano again this summer and I quite often sight read new pieces to see if I fancy working on them. My sight reading was already quite good to start with (way better than my actual playing!) but it has improved significantly in the last couple of months.

I start piano lessons on Friday, wish me luck ... my teacher asked me to prepare a couple of pieces, I have a Bach prelude (only half done because the fingering is driving me mad) and a movement from one of the Viennese sonatinas which I am quite proud of.

DD OTOH is doing very little, she just doesn't have time. She has Wed afternoon off so I need to go and check if she has time for piano in between homework tasks.

Kutik good luck with the interview today! And the audition
I see your dilemma with DH. The jokey interview is funny but obviously not what he was meant to do. On the other hand, it's possibly good for calming nerves!
Green yes, I thought I was relatively good at sight reading but realise I'm really going to have to work on it. I think DS2 is reasonably ok on grade 5 cello but I think he's going to have to start the Paul Harris book for piano now rather than later. He doesn't like it though, unfortunately! On the other hand 'Cool' is coming along very nicely!

Ooh Ben, 10/10 for being entrepreneurial but you really need to understand mumsnet even a tiny bit before sending unsolicited adverts... on this thread all of the kids have existing music teachers. Some are parents and music teachers There is a 'tutors' thread elsewhere you might want to try. I think ads are allowed there. Maybe report your own post and get it moved.....

Oh, DS has an interview tomorrow. DH has been away all this week, so I asked him to have a quick practice run on the phone. He phoned (wow) and asked DS why he would like to come to the school in a pretended interviewer's voice, DS jokingly answered back, both laughed, then started chatting something else, then the phone ended. Well, one star to DH at least he remembered to call and did ask DS one question....

Green, but we are not 'Asian family' - my DH is 100% British! I don't think he thinks childcare is mother's job, but homework, 11+, music practice are simply not very important to him. Whenever he has time, he takes DS out for exercises and allotments, talks to him about planets and stars, read Asterix, basically, nothing to do with modern education. Hence, I end up being in charge for practical and daily requirement...

I decided not to go to the open morning.

sting, how has your DD been finding the balance of jd and secondary school? As a music scholar, she must be even busier than other DCs. Does she do any sport? I have applied for a music place at several schools, mainly because that's only way for DS to have a chance to get in but also I think DS would enjoy the musical commitments in school. But I sometimes wonder how demanding it will be if he is successful to gain a place. I suppose some musical activities after school are compulsory and DS would like to do some sports for fun at least a couple of times a week. So he would come back late then homework and multiple musical instruments practice to be fitted in in the evening. Of course, he has to eat, shower and needs some downtime too. Not sure if he can handle all the stuff...

Loose: we thought sight reading was our strength and never practiced for her g5 piano or g5 violin. She didnt have a great mark(I think it was only a pass). We have learnt the lesson now, I got her both of the gr6 and gr7 Paul Harris sight reading books. She loves it though which helps.

Drummers: thank you, there will be Santa present for this Christmas where I could get this blu-ray tv with apps. I plan to make family entertainment close to her science curiosity, basically loads of documentaries, science series etc.

Fleur: sounds great! Fingers crossed to miniFleur on her result.

Kutik: best of luck this Friday audition. I hope you could sort out this Saturday schedule in peace. I am lucky my husband "takes" my order. He is home "early" tonight(7.30) and I asked him to sit down with her for her scales practice and he did. We both absolutely none musical however if one of us sits and listens she will prsctise. I still complain though that he isnt active enough, he doesnt know about 11+ or how many grades in ABRSM exams for example. I think its in Asian family that mothers are usually "in charge" for these children "stuffs".

Prada: its great to hear MiniPrada is settling well with new school. I went to my friend who has a daughter just left the school after 13 years(she went to the prep too), she is now studying medicine in one of the best school in the country. She loves the school. And "wow" on the 3rd diploma(just had to google to know it. I wish miniPrada will have a great coming performance. And, thank you for sharing your 11+ knowledge, I have take a picture of your post on CGP. Will keep our head down and start digging in. We just need to start(and hopefully it will look alittle less scary).
(And thanks foundout)

Fleur, I am so happy to hear the positive news, but also so envious that you now officially finished 11+. Now all miniFleur has to do is to enjoy what she loves and cares.

drummers, oh poor boy! DS is prone to suffer from ear infection. Not sure if it is because of his weekly swimming, or just that's how he's made. He get it quite a lot...

Drummers oh no! Ear infections are horrid enough without an allergic reaction! Poor DS. I hope he feels better now.
Fleur a wow! Has to be a good sign!
Bit drained today - five hours' teaching on top of dragging DS to the doctor. Looking forward to doing some piano practice tomorrow!
By the way grade 5 piano sight reading is really hard - how do children manage this??!

Prada - same here, first term as a music scholar and chorister is proving quite demanding, and dd is having to turn down some opportunities at school. Homework also a very big step up, even though she was in a homework heavy prep. Our scholars concert is in 2 weeks and also looking forward to it. So we may also skip nco auditions - after 4 years that will be quite a big decision, but there is always next year. We are thinking of cello pro cord, but at the moment i think dd needs a break at half term!

Fleur - well done :)

she managed to mention she plays the clarinet