October Music Thread

We have two more weeks, much to her disgust as there's various events in London she can't go to because we haven't broken up

MiniKutik is doing amazingly well - I do hope he’s feeling better.
Good luck to MiniMini for today!
Just one week to go and then half term, thank goodness. DSs seem ok but I need a break!

Best of luck to Minimini ! She is surely a wee brave girl!

Well done miniKutik and good luck with the audition to Mini's mini.

It's a good start Kutik and good for his confidence. Performing is so much about confidence so it's setting him off for a good start if he ends up at those schools.

Well done minikutik. He seems to be taking this all in his stride!

NCO audition tomorrow . Her first proper audition.

Schwanengesang, sorry can't give you any advice on classical guitar but just wanted to say I lost my words for your impressivly growing collection for such a short time. I'm so envious!

Thank you all for the kind words. We've only heard from our 3rd and 4th choices, so, although it's nice to have back-ups sorted, this uncertain game is still continuing... School No. 2 is a large school so offers a wide range of activities from music to sports which suits all-rounder DS. Also, due to its music college status, I assume there will be lots kids like DS who are so enthusiastic and excited about music. I think he can meet like-minded friends there (he can't really talk about music in depth at his current primary school).

DS said we would hear the results tomorrow, but shouldn't be as the second round tests are still going tomorrow. I suppose it'll be next Friday. At least we will know all before half term holiday, so it gives us time to think of plan B when things didn't work out in our way.

Well done kutik

Great news to Kutik family, very well done! Hope the coughing and the sore throat will go real soon!

Well done, miniKutik!

Our instrumental menagerie seems to be growing rather quickly... a year ago it was one baroque violin, now piano, keyboard, glockenspiel, modern violin, baroque violin; tenor, treble, descant, sopranino & Thomann-toddler recorders... and now DH wants a guitar to celebrate his promotion. Fair enough, anything that means he does stuff that isn't work. He played as a child and was apparently quite good.

Can anyone recommend any brands of cheap-but-not-terrible classical guitar?

Brilliant!

Dd1 (who is 11 nearly 12) is currently determined she is not going to high school next year. Aparently she's not getting on the school bus and the kids in the other school are nuts....hormones have a lot to answer for. No choice, no exams, no audition, and it's still not simple 😉

Brilliant, well done your DS kutik!

Well done mini kutik he's really flying at the moment great news and a huge relief for you kutik I'm sure

Just after posting about School No.2 above, I opened a letter from School No.3 (it was left on the doorstep). DS had the audition for a music place given to 7 children about two weeks ago.

There were two parts - a short performance (20 marks) and aural tests (20 marks) which makes the total of both assessments 40 marks. It stated that pupils who have received a grading of 30 and above will be considered for a music place. DS has received 39/40! Unless there are 7 children who scored the same or above who live closer to school than us, DS will be offered a place.

So one firm offer and another sort of an offer so far. Two more to go!

I truly respect all those adult learners. I am a serial failure of leaning instruments. My current excuse is I'm saving up the pleasure for my retirement...

DS finished the second round of the audition at School No. 2 today. He still had a sour throat but didn't seem to be bothered nor worried, and really enjoyed it. We'll know the results tomorrow. I said it's No. 2, but secretly it's my No. 1 (within our state secondary selections), so a bit anxious if I'm honest. But seeing how happy and positive DS is feeling, there is no regret whatever the outcome. I think he did what he could.

Thanks for the suggestions, mini, that sounds about right. I will find out when the BRB are next coming and see if I get tickets. They absolutely loved Romeo and Juliet.

And I will definitely look at the trinity syllabus.... Really good idea.

I think the wind syllabus on abrsm has become more diverse with the latest update, but not so much the bowed strings one..

Really appreciate all the suggestions, so thanks all.

I'm a beginner at piano so I do practise- madam likes us to play together so I have to attempt to keep up with her (I'll stop managing that very soon, she's going to fly past me!) but yeah, people look at me like I'm nuts/evil when they realise she practises two, sometimes three now, instruments a day (she'd ditched recorder when clarinet came along, but now school lessons have begun she's playing again)

I have to admit i often don't get my horn out between band rehersals..... mind you i am not trying to improve my playing im just bobbing along and enjoying it. I also suspect our band only has 1 dedicated practiser and be is a)retired and b)a new beginner so he's got some catching up to do 🤣

When he was at primary one of DS's friends took cornet lessons. He came for tea once on a day where they'd both had a lesson and I suggested that they both get their instruments out and play something together. I said that I knew that he had a little book from his teacher with the days marked in and I'd sign it to say that he'd practised on that day. He explained to me that he'd just had his lesson and so didn't need to play again until school next week and his mum would just sign to say that he'd done some practise. He literally only took it out of the case during the lesson.

Lots of children don't do much music practice at all ( don't think ds's friends ever did any trumpet practice even though they had lessons for 3 years at primary school mostly encouraged to continue playing by ds I think) ds always has so having to encourage/ nag dd about it took me a bit by surprise at first. I think most of the children mentioned here are quite unusual in the sense that they do practice ( though they are also the ones getting the most out of music as well I think)

Oh bad timing kutik
Good luck to your ds

Half term here so fairly quiet although dd1 has a violin lesson tomorrow and both dd's have talentlab all weekend. Ds's hands seem to have suddenly grown and we're doing chords on the piano now, apparently his teacher is over the moon with him but i have a very strong suspicion that he is one of very very few practisers..... other parents seem to look at me like i've got two heads when i mention the kids practising 😂

Oh no good luck mini kutik ( it's the season for colds though so I reckon lots will be in the same boat)

DS has a school trip today. He also has his second audition at a secondary school. So I end up accompanying the trip and take him out to the audition after lunch!

He’s been having cough, sour throat and runny nose for two weeks and this morning he didn’t have voice! The audition is aural and at some points he’s got to sing. It’s not a singing test so I hope he can still survive...

Yes I'll second the trinity idea. Ds did trinity for his last exam and played a jazz piece ( for the study - he had done this for previous exams too ) a modern piece composed for brass band with a trumpet solo and then a more traditional classical trumpet piece so definitely worth a look if your dd is inspired by different musical styles. Ds loves playing in orchestras but I think his heart really lies with big band and jazz

A slight sideways suggestion, have you looked at the Trinity syllabus? There might be pieces there she prefers.