October Music Thread

Hello everyone! Thank you waffle for the new thread! Lovely to hear about Goo's school, it sounds fab!

Miniprada is 11 and just started y7 as a music scholar in a girls London day school. She is just starting her G8 violin syllabus and G7 piano. She's already had so many music opportunities in school - choir, chamber music, orchestras and lately a trio ensemble with two other classmates. She's loving it but I think realistically she is going to have to give up her out of school orchestra commitments as there will literally be no time for homework or dancing (which she loves).

I hope minimusician is ok!

We had a family outing to New Scientist Live at ExCel today - lots fun things to see and do! One of the highlights for DS was to meet and chat with Lucy Hawking. He read all her George books and of course has all the series at home, but bought another copy of the first edition being sold there today with his pocket money to get her signature. She was so lovely and told him a little secret of her next book publishing next spring, shock hand, and let us take a photo together. The book with her signature will be his treasure for sure.

Now DH and DS are off to a quick swim (we live in front of a gym so we regard it's our personal gym ). DS said he would do some music later, but not sure if he has any energy left after all this. It was fun, but as it was such a big event, we were all quite exhausted at the end!

Lurky your post made me smile I am exactly the same with ds and have to give myself a stern talking to from time to time !! He is always fine but also switch between oh isn't that great and definitely only hearing the bits that aren't quite right !!

Hope your DD is ok Mini.

I've no excuse for flapping over G3 violin, I took my G8 violin about 100yrs ago (okay, 20yrs) and studied music at Uni. I've played in orchestras all my life...

But I only ever took G5 and G8 and I'm struggling to reassure myself that she's at the correct standard to be a good mark. I flirt between thinking 'oh my wonderful DD, she is so talented and marvellous(!)" and "oh my god, that intonation is a bit rocky and, ooo, the bow hold isn't perfect and, hmmm, the sound quality could of be richer and, whoops, I'm not mad on that vibrato...".

Her teacher assures me she is above standard so I think I need to chill out. I just need to get her to understand the importance of KEY SIGNATURES in the sight reading!

I mainly read these threads as I find it hard to make enough time to contribute.

I have DD who is 10. Does violin and piano. Did Grade 5 violin in the summer and got a good merit, 127. No piano grades yet has been learning for about a year. Does NCO regionals and is reauditioning in a couple of weeks. Going to apply for some music scholarships for secondary school but it's very competitive here, South West London, so I don't know if she will get to audition or not.

I have DS1 aged 7. He is at a school where he has a place as a chorister though he isn't in the choir yet. He is learning violin and piano and doing loads of singing at school. No grades taken yet.

I also have DS2 aged 4. He hasn't started anything yet.

Mini, I hope it's nothing that rest and an ice pack won't sort.

Waffle, glad to hear that Goo has decided to do the NCO audition.

I have DD1 (14) who plays oboe (Grade 6 +) and sax (about to take Grade 6). She's a music scholar at her school with her scholar's concert coming up next week. She plays in 4 orchestras/ensembles at school, and a double reed ensemble, concert band and swing band with the local music hub.

DD2 (10) plays bassoon (Grade 7) and guitar (Grade 3ish). She has been in NCO for the last two years and plays in the double reed ensemble with her sister, plus wind band. She is on the music hub's gifted and talented programme and is currently spending the day doing a chamber ensemble day, one to a part. We get to go and listen to the results of that in about an hour.

Mini hope your dd is fine . Ds took part in a dalcroze class the other week and really enjoyed it though I think they took part barefoot

Just read other posts, mini sorry to hear! Hope it isnt too bad! Its dangerous everywhere!
Mine is 9 yrs old, playing violin and piano. We are struggling with finding a violin teacher the last 1.5 yrs. Progress since has been very slow. Its very frustrated. Our aim now is only finding a good, permanent teacher. We will have to start with 11+ prep. We have a test with a tutor next week with hope she is offered a place at the tutor, then the lesson will start from end of Oct. My aim this school year is trying to balance all her activities with her academic side with hope she wont fail 11+ and still keeps up with her interests.

mini wishing her a speedy recovery.
Quick recap for new thread:
I have a percussionist (15) and pianist, finished all grades last year so this year is all about getting better. He is continuing lessons on drum kit, orchestral percussion, classical piano and jazz piano. He has joined jd and it's their requisite he takes Theory gr6 in the summer. He's a music scholar at his school where he plays and sings in 6 weekly ensembles plus a multitude of events because percussion is always needed. All this doesn't leave a lot of time for academic work, therefore our Sundays are now 10 hour long marathons of homework. I think that when he leaves home in 3 years I will have to be hospitalized for adrenaline withdrawal syndrome.

Mini: your young musician is very advanced! I wish her all the best with her audition!

minimusician oh no! Hope your little one is ok!

Cross posted, minimusician. Sorry to hear the accident. Hope she is alright.

It's so nice that so many opportunities are out there for young talents. I can see a bright future for minimusician's little girl!

DS (10) plays violin and piano. He also does lots of sports, is a maths/science kid and loves reading and writing. So basically he has lots interests and passions in life! Currently in the first round of the secondary school selection process. Applied for 3 music places and 1 science place at state secondaries. One was done last week and two aptitude tests to be done this coming week. All will be finished before half term, then will be quiet until the second round of the process kicks in in January.

Argghhh you don't expect JD to be a danger zone.... I've just had a call from the centre manager that she's slipped and twisted her knee in the dalcroze class. I don't mind, accidents happen, but he said "she really do with something for her feet so she doesn't slip".... dalcroze isn't on her timetable! She mentioned a bit of movement to music in her musicianship class so took grip socks to wear for it. But she's a dancer, we've every variety of dance shoes at home she could wear.... if they'd told me!
Rant over.

Hi Mini - I forgot how young/advanced your dd is! My clarinettist was yr 4 when she first got into nco clarinet (u10s) and was around g2 level. how would you feel if she got into u10s? She must def benofnstandard tonso so 😀

Wow October already... thanks waffle. Mama to a little 7yr old clarinetist/pianist/wannabe bassoonist. She is as I type at our Northern answer to JD, where she spends her Sundays as of last week. She played her first "proper" concert last night and was beautiful, totally unphased by being the youngest by a long shot. Also, unphased by having to be put on a box to announce herself and an extra platform to play on and didn't bat an eye lid at her first experience playing with a totally unknown accompanist.
No exams this term but she's looking ahead to G5 clarinet and either 3 or 4 piano- she's fully prepared for G3 but they don't do them in their first term so she might just wait til 4.
Two weeks until her first NCO audition. Extremely excited for it!

Microjazz any good? I got DH a complete beginner book once, iirc it came with duet parts too.

Hello all, I'm glad Waffle reminded me it's October - I had a gin tasting party last night/this morning and have only just got up!
Anyway to music - DS1 is 15, doing GCSEs and plays bass guitar, drums and tuned percussion, although I think he loves the snare drum much more than xylophone!
DS2 is 12 and plays piano and cello at grade 5 and has started learning electric guitar. Misti he's using Rockschool grade books and the corresponding Hot Rock books with his teacher. I think the latter go up to grade 5 so your DS could look at that one and see what he thinks. The grade books are good for technique. DS2 will take grade 3 some time this academic year.
I'm working on grade 5 piano. I think I have reached my limit although I probably said that about grade 3!

Thanks cat. DS is very much a self-starter, so ideally I'd like to find a method for older beginners, and then I might download him the rockschool grade materials as IIRC they are available via a very good app. I will probably book him a few lessons with my teacher to avoid bad habits getting ingrained.

Hi all, signing on to try to stay in touch with music threads!
I'm a good amateur string player myself, kids are still in early stages - DS (8) on piano thinking about grade 1, DD (5) on violin and as of recently piano. I'm looking for a horn teacher for DS second instrument. Still somewhat dithery as to whether he's ready to practice two - DD got her second early because she enthusiastically practiced both all summer, including the boring bits; DS is still reluctant to do more than minimum, he'd rather play through his favourite pieces with the same mistakes every time than learn new things or try to improve. He says he wants to though, so think we'll give it a go.

Hi Lurky, DD is doing Suzuki books too, though her teacher is not actually Suzuki. Just towards end of book 1 though the pieces are taking a while at the moment. I learned with Suzuki too! Sight reading was always my weakest area when it came to exams, but really good pieces will help make up.

Misti, I'm sure jazz/contemporary style for beginners is a thing, perhaps your teacher will be able to recommend someone who can teach that way.

Didn't mean to post so soon!

Anyway, so DS14 now a better guitarist than me (6 weeks vs 3 years, grr). He wants to learn piano now, but for rock/ contemporary music not classical. Any advice? I can ask my new teacher but she is very classically oriented. Is there such a thing as a contemporary-music oriented method for near-beginners?

DD16 has less time for music this year due to ridiculous and partly self-imposed timetable at school where she sits her baccalauréat this year and has added optional music studies and Latin to her already heavy workload. Her piano teacher is making her work on Bach which she hates .

I am horribly behind with the threads as usual - sorry :(

I now officially have TWO musical kids as DS is still making phenomenal progress on guitar - he is better than me now