January Music Thread

Thanks mini and Double. DS goes to a local music hub. Not for a private tuition though. I may ask them if he qualifies.

Supposed I have to collect all the forgotten changes/notes splattered in our house.

kutik your child has to be learning with the LEA/academy school to be eligible for the assisted purchase.

My girl has the Wizard as this weeks “quick study” piece, she came home with it today loving it. She’s working towards g5, with bits of g4 thrown in for short study fun.

We really liked the trinity g3 repertoire too and also did vast quantities of it!

I didn’t know Festive Road was real! I have to investigate! Great clarinet Choices Gilly

Kutik it's the Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme.

I think our children are given a huge disservice ito musical aural education.
We used to hear real orchestras and bands and live music all the time.
It was our constant from children's tv to TOTP.
Kids today just don't get this opportunity and it stinks.

I want to go to Festive Road now.
I had no idea it was real, wow. i'm going to tell everyone,

There's BOD for flute too, with the vocal sound iirc
Vocal flute is amazing, where's Waffle

Would anyone please remind me the organisation who helps people buy instruments without TAX? I think it was mentioned a few times on this thread. I think we have to buy through state funded school or music centre. Our full size violin hunting is about to start!

Oh I loved Mr Benn ( and The Flumps!!)

Oh my childhood

For You Alexandra.

I was looking at grade 3/4 clarinet syllabus recently.
Thinking of picking it up again, I do this every now and then and don't continue I saw Mr Ben theme song, and The Wizard theme from MB, reminds me of my childhood, have been playing them by ear on dh bass clarinet .
They are great pieces for anyone encouraging the early grades.

Happy Sunday.

Their DCs are def making music for themselves that's for sure. The parents are lovely people too. It's just that their views are a bit different from mine. Anyway we'll focus on our stuff and enjoy our own journey.

I can't wait to order this year's hoodie!

Double I thought exactly the same . Personally I wouldn't let ds audition for something unless I knew that I would either definitely get funding or could pay for it myself. It doesn't mean he will be able to do everything every year you have to prioritise but I think to let them get in and then not take part is a bit mean
Kutik if ds had got a reserve place this year or last ( or next year) I would be thrilled and he would have been pleased too ( not all of his trumpet friends got in this year and this has made him sad and I think a useful lesson in just how competitive it is ) - so I totally get where you are coming from

Makes me wonder whether the kids are making music for themselves or as an extension of the parents. They will miss out on the social aspects of NCO which is a shame. I’m not sure what it teaches the kids either.

I know... Their comments were totally innocent. But I did felt, 'what am I doing here?!' But later on, when I saw DS happily making some noises on the piano, I managed to bounce back! We love music in our life. Such a joy!!

Kutik - crikey, that sounds like a whole other world

I felt we were such an odd ball today... I happened to have a chat with some parents with talented young musicians and they were talking about turning down places like NCO because they didn't get a scholarship (good news for those who are on the reserve, at least three places will be available soon!). For them, it's not worth it without a scholarship. When I told them it's my DS's first year as he was on the reserve last year, they were truly surprised. My reaction last year was 'wooow, he made it!', but their reaction was 'oh poor thing, he couldn't make it!'... They asked me how come he managed to miss it (very seriously, but in a nicest possible way). They were lovely people, by the way. Just a different level of expectation from mine. I didn't know how to reply...

Thanks mini and waffle - looking forward to the new channel

Am just catching up on the thread - lots to celebrate!

Well done to:

Rupert's mini on the lovely phone call

Kutik's DS on his great school results

Alex's DS on his competition

Mini's fabulous festival achievements

Folk - I hope it works out for your DD and BFF re regionals and Waffle - hope the channel stuff isn't causing too much extra stress at what sounds like an already very busy time!

Thank you everyone for the advice re cello bow and rosin. It turned out that the need for rosin combined with DD holding the bow at the wrong angle was the issue I think.

DD had her second ever cello lesson today and managed the cello on the bus ok.

We have done our exam entries now: Grade 1 theory and Grade 1 piano for DS and Grade 2 theory and Grade 2 piano for DD so just waiting for the dates allocations now for the practicals. I have told DD that she's going to have to do a bit of a scales bootcamp to be ready in time, especially as she has her Year 6 residential in 2 weeks' time. DS has also been told he will be playing a piano piece in a school concert which he hasn't done before so I think he's quite excited about that.

Waffle we have covered 6 of the Abrsm pieces. Seems like the choice is too good in the new syllabus as dd can't choose between 2 a and 2 c pieces. Sure the Trinity's is amazing too.