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Original poster

January Music Thread

634 replies

Wafflenose · 01/01/2018 00:21

Happy New Year!

This is the new thread for our continuing (6 year old) conversation about all things to do with music - lessons, exams, auditions, theory, scales, practice and whatever else you want to talk about.

I am Waffle, teacher of woodwind, amateur composer, and unpaid consultant watching and commenting on all sorts of woodwind videos that people send my way! I am mum to Goo 12, and Rara 9, who both play instruments, do South West Music School and NCO. Goo plays flute and piano, and has Grade 8 and Grade 5 pending for some time this year. Rara plays cello and clarinet - working within Grade 4 for both, but hasn't taken a clarinet exam since Grade 1, and wants to do Grade 3 this coming term. She's way behind with Theory, so it's theory boot camp again this week. We start back to school late (Jan 8th) so that's good.

OP posts:
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Kutik73 · 05/01/2018 13:49

DS is playing Bach Concerto, Paul.

He played through before school this morning as he has a football match so all he wants once he's back home may be a long warm bath. It sounded pretty good to my ears. Of course there is plenty room to improve (always will be) but good enough for what he could achieve at this stage. Hopefully he'll play like that at the concert!

I asked DS how he felt about his play and he excitedly reported me the increased number of steps on his fitbit from playing the whole movement... Kid..

drummersmum · 05/01/2018 12:34

Many congratulations to minifolk. And I missed the news from truffle which are indeed wonderful!!!!!

Paulweller11 · 05/01/2018 10:57

I’m sure MiniKutik will be fine with his performance. What piece is he playing Kutik?

LooseAtTheSeams · 05/01/2018 09:44

Good luck MiniKutik and Star to minifolk!
Alex your post made me laugh as I have had many such conversations myself! On a whole range of issues. DS2 did some cello practice last night but dodged the scales even though it’s the scales that are holding him back, not pieces or sight reading.

Trumpetboysmum · 05/01/2018 06:42

Good luck Kutik I'm sure he will be fine . Smile

Xennialish · 05/01/2018 05:49

But I am sure minikutik will pull it out of the bag and all will be well.

Xennialish · 05/01/2018 05:48

ALL concerts are disastrous according to my dd1 Wink!

Kutik73 · 05/01/2018 00:44

DS has never experienced disastrous concerts (yet). This could be the one!!

Kutik73 · 05/01/2018 00:34

Thank you Taggie for your kind advice. I love the positive thinking (and I guess that's what I need right now!), but I'm afraid school homework is pretty useless for 11+ preparation. They are just so unnecessarily time consuming - the total opposite to what we need at this busiest moment! It doesn't help that DS doesn't know how to cut corners...

The teacher probably knows it's not really ready yet but suddenly decided DS should perform it in front of people before his scholarship audition. DS can have only one lesson before the audition as other lesson days are taken for 11+ exams/interviews. So there is no other option but it has to be this weekend...

Thank you again for your kind comments on DS's playing. However, whereas the piece DS played in the video is forgiven due to the style of the music, the one he is playing this weekend is utterly absolutely unforgiving. And I know DS hasn't nailed enough yet. Scary....

I was very close to turn down the performance opportunity but in the end decided to go ahead as I thought gains would be greater than losses. Gaining experience would beat the possible humiliation (I hope)...

TaggieOHara · 04/01/2018 23:16

Gosh - you have a busy few weeks ahead kutik. For 11+ much of the homework will be good preparation in itself? Maybe getting him to do it (or parts of it) in timed / quiet conditions would help. Even if it is project work, he could do the written parts a bit like an exam. Of course, homework may be to build a power station out of cereal boxes, in which case that is pointless advice Smile.

I'm sure the teacher knows what they are doing with the performance! If it is as good as the spontaneous Christmas one on the channel, he will be more than fine.

I am envious of you all going full size violin shopping! DS is only just growing into his half size! He still can't quite reach the point of the bow...

Welcome catkind!

AlexandraLeaving · 04/01/2018 22:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

catkind · 04/01/2018 22:41

Hi and happy new year!
Still lurking mostly as my two are in very early stages, so all this NCO and grade 8s and stuff is way off our radar and very impressive!

I have DS (8) who's working on Grade 1 piano, and DD (5) who's towards the end of suzuki book 1 for violin and just started piano too last term. DS is highly resentful that practice is required to get from dots on the page to playing nice music, but enjoys the playing bit once he eventually gets there. DD is very enthusiastic, seems to "get" practice and is generally a happy bunny.

1/4 size violin here! DD started on a 1/10, it was super cute.

folkmamma · 04/01/2018 22:39

Thanks all!

DD1's teacher has a very pragmatic take on the 'when to do G8' question (not that we are anywhere near just yet!). His attitude is basically that no one is going to give a monkeys whether she does G8 at 12, 14 or 16 when she's at music college... (and this coming from someone who did G8 at a pretty young age, then went on to Purcell, RCM and is now doing a Masters with Guildhall/LSO). #howtodealwithaneuroticmother

Kutik73 · 04/01/2018 21:57

Grrrr!! And footy is starting!!! The first match this year tomorrow!!!

Kutik73 · 04/01/2018 21:55

And, school started yesterday. It's only day two, yet DS has brought back tons homework already... Supposed it's part of SAT preparation but utterly unnecessary for my eyes. I'm tempted to tell DS to ignore them only this week due to 11+ coming up, but DS would consider it cheating which he hates, so he'll do all the homework no matter what....

Kutik73 · 04/01/2018 21:35

Well done to minifolk!

Musicdoc, we've got a full sized violin on our shopping list also. Exciting though not a great timing - our wallet is almost empty after Christmas and all the payments for this term's clubs/JD/NCO fees!

The solo performance for this Saturday is now confirmed. The piece the teacher instructed DS to play is not ready yet. Sigh... And DS has his first 11+ exam early next week so he's supposed to be revising than preparing for a performance... Sigh...

Doubleup · 04/01/2018 21:21

Yay - another bassoonist in the making 2nd!

And well done mini-Folk!

Trumpetboysmum · 04/01/2018 21:18

Waffle I'm sure she's more than ready . Smile It must be really hard with the braces and she's coped so well with them . Ds hasn't learnt that much grade 8 stuff yet some pieces which are on the syllabus but other things as well. Last term kind of ran away with us ds had so much other music stuff going on which his teacher helped with . It's taken a while to adjust to his extra commitments but now I'm hoping for a term where he can focus more on the music that his trumpet teacher sets - fingers crossed

Original poster
Wafflenose · 04/01/2018 20:39

Excellent, mini-Folk. Well done to her!

Goo only dropped 7 marks in her Grade 7 flute exam (and Grade 6 two terms before that, and Grade 5 a term before that!) and has learned half a dozen pieces from the Grade 8 list. She should be more than ready now, but teacher has announced that she wants braces off first. Mentor (professional saxophonist) came round today and said that they can actively help a clarinet or saxophone embouchure to open out - eventually - and apart from pain with mine, I think they did help my playing after a while. Goo obviously plays the flute and struggles to form her embouchure around them, especially for the top notes. They're just in the way (as were large, prominent front teeth before) and I now wonder if her tone was the reason for falling down the ranks in the NCO this year - which is how she looks at it. I have no problem with waiting; she's just not used to a year+ between grades!

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Trumpetboysmum · 04/01/2018 20:37

Great news folk Smile

folkmamma · 04/01/2018 20:25

That's right Taggie!!! She totally bombed!!! Shocked 😊

Paulweller11 · 04/01/2018 20:12

No exams planned this term here.
Dd violinist teacher doesn’t like exams,
And dd percussionist has just done gr2 piano and gr4 drum kit.
Congrats folkmamma and any others with recent exam results.

TaggieOHara · 04/01/2018 20:12

Oooooh - well done mini-Folk! What a great mark! Do I remember rightly that she didn't even attempt the sight reading? Sounds like your DD1 isn't the only talented one in the family Smile

folkmamma · 04/01/2018 20:02

Phew.... just got DD2's piano exam results. Despite totally freaking out in her sight reading (proper freeze!!) she got 127, so a good merit!! I'm shocked but hugely relieved. She got great marks for her pieces. Mega chuffed!

Xennialish · 04/01/2018 19:28

I do think they perceive the teenage years to be an amorphous whole that lacks the wow factor of a pre teen achievement, which is obviously ridiculous. Encouraging them to place their achievements in the context of their own journey and circumstances is a constant battle!