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Extra-curricular activities

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October Music Thread

486 replies

Wafflenose · 01/10/2017 01:18

Hello, I just fell asleep in front of a very long film that DH wanted to watch, and woke up in October! I couldn't resist starting the new thread before going to sleep properly.

The monthly music threads are welcome to ALL, and we really like hearing from new contributors and beginner musicians. We have all levels on here. It's a good place to discuss instruments, lessons, practice, exams, auditions and anything else that you want to.

I am a teacher of recorder, clarinet, saxophone and flute, and have two daughters. Goo is 11 and plays the flute and piano. She is planning to do exams on both next year, but none just now because she's just started at the secondary school 2 miles down the road, which has a great reputation for music and sport, and is extremely academic. They study four languages in Year 7 - Goo has just finished her unit on German (by the end of three weeks, they could write three substantial paragraphs - I couldn't believe it!) and is now embarking on Mandarin.
She's thrown herself into choir, orchestra, steel band, flute group and the gym. Rara is 9 and has been playing the cello since the age of 5, and clarinet for a year. She enjoys both, but is happiest when she's reading or cutting up paper/ making things out of paper! Rara has plenty of free time because she attends the village school five minutes away, and hardly gets any homework.

Goo attends South West Music School, which is the nearest thing we have to a JD in the south west. Rara is just about to join! Not too much on musically this term (and not a lot of practice taking place, quite honestly) apart from auditioning for the NCO. Goo has been in it for the past three years, and is hoping for Under 12s. After a wobble about even auditioning, she seems quietly confident now.

OP posts:
TheSecondOfHerName · 16/10/2017 22:25

Happy birthday to Goo and Mistigri

DS2 has now listened to every piece on the 2018-2021 syllabus, has chosen three pieces he likes and his teacher has approved the combination. I went to order the sheet music: £30! And two of the pieces aren't even in stock so will take 2-3 weeks to arrive.

stringchild · 16/10/2017 21:12

Hapy Biryhday Goo and Misti!

Kutik73 · 16/10/2017 21:01

Happy Birthday Misti StarCakeWineGlitterballFlowers

Greenleave · 16/10/2017 20:29

Hope you are having a grear birthday, Goo and Mistigri!

Pradaqueen · 16/10/2017 17:59

Happy birthday to Goo and misti! 🎉🎈🎉🎈

Minimusiciansmama · 16/10/2017 12:51

Happy Birthday misti and goo xxx

Wafflenose · 16/10/2017 12:47

Happy birthday Misti! I hope your son gives you a bit of peace and quiet today.

OP posts:
LooseAtTheSeams · 16/10/2017 12:21

Happy birthday to Goo and Misti! Cake

Mistigri · 16/10/2017 11:59

Happy birthday Goo! My birthday too as it happens, all the best people and all that ;)

On the music front I came very close to confiscating DS's guitar twice yesterday .... practice is all very well but after multiple hours and at 10pm it gets wearing.

Kutik73 · 16/10/2017 11:04

Happy Birthday Goo! WineFlowersWine

Nigglenotes · 16/10/2017 10:41

Happy Birthday to Goo!

Wafflenose · 16/10/2017 09:56

It's Goo's birthday! We have been (sort of) celebrating since Friday, we're out at Parents' Evening and then dinner tonight, and no practice has been done for days. I've just realised Rara's cello hasn't been out of the case since Tuesday, except for orchestra. Whoops.

OP posts:
Greenleave · 15/10/2017 19:56

Never had it drummers, it sounds super yumm, hope you are enjoying it. And thanks so much for recommendation on Yo-Yo Ma.
We will save it for mid-term must watch list.

stringchild · 15/10/2017 18:11

Raspberry - we are there st the end of half term ...what did you think?

Doubleup · 15/10/2017 17:24

Lovely to meet you too Kutik Smile. Your ds looked very confident and dynamic in his playing. Thanks for the PM - I will check it out.

Icouldbeknitting · 15/10/2017 17:02

Raspberry we know someone who started there as a boarder for sixth form. He's not much of a social animal if you know what I mean but he settled well and enjoyed it.

raspberryrippleicecream · 15/10/2017 16:50

drummersmun, yes. The one with several thread DC attending. It's 2 hours away from us, so definitely boarding. At least it was 2 hours there, 3 hours back with traffic!

Icouldbe his inclination is euphonium I think. He'd have trombone for orchestra/jazz anyway.

drummersmum · 15/10/2017 15:36

Raspberry by music school do you mean specialist boarding? That's great.
niggle I think we've all done that, the occasional house search near a music school Grin DS did a short boarding course at Wells. It´s really beautiful and very friendly.
green your pics made me salivate. I have friends coming for dinner and I was blank in terms of ideas. I have opted for beef with an almond and brandy sauce my mum used to cook when I was a child, and basmati rice... One of the guests won't eat gluten and we're very much a pasta family. (She's not intolerant, she just thinks she is).

DS is drumming right now, enjoying the half-term. We had a free evening together yesterday after jd (miracle!) and we watched (rewatched in DH's and my case) "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". Cello soundtrack is by Yo-Yo Ma. EVERYONE WITH YOUNG DAUGHTERS: if you're looking for that rarity of rarities, a truly feminist film with worthy role models to show your daughter, this is the one!!!

Kutik73 · 15/10/2017 15:16

DS1 used to try and leave the house without his shoes on a regular basis.
So familiar with this kind, Loose. Hasn't happened recently though. Hopefully those days are gone here too!

Double, it was so lovely to meet you and your lovely bassoonist this morning! Just to let you know I have PMed you as I promised. Smile

LooseAtTheSeams · 15/10/2017 11:51

Nice evening last night. DS1 was playing in Gig Night for Wimbledon Bookfest. He was in the school jazz band and (slightly surreally) backing bass for the rappers! Really fun time for all the kids taking part.
I have sympathy for anyone who has ever rushed out of the door without vital equipment. DS1 used to try and leave the house without his shoes on a regular basis. Luckily those days are long gone!

Mistigri · 14/10/2017 22:25

On the subject of missing equipment DD turned up at her first guitar lesson this year with her guitar case but without the guitar inside.

Green it's not so much that I mind DS being better than me, but that I resent him doing it so quickly! Mind you DD reckons he is close to being better than her at some things already (soloing - not her thing, and scales which he actually enjoys).

se22mother · 14/10/2017 21:43

Green that looks beautiful.

Nigglenotes · 14/10/2017 21:41

The music provision looks amazing. Absolutely nothing like it in our area. Nearest would be London. Went a bit mad and looked up house prices in Wells. DH needn't know, as occasional fantasies don't count.

Wafflenose · 14/10/2017 21:21

We are not all that far from Wells, but much too far away to drive in daily.

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Nigglenotes · 14/10/2017 21:02

Hi Eflon, know what you mean about YouTube. Youngest DD liked watching cartoons online and they became very inappropriate quite quickly! Banned now. Musical theatre can be tricky, can't it. One minute they are singing Annie, and the next minute they would want to sing something age inappropriate. Your DD must be good to go up for shows. I don't know anything, to be honest, about reading music and dyslexia, hopefully someone else will.

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