Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

September 2018 Music Thread

905 replies

folkmamma · 01/09/2018 08:21

Hi all! Our lovely host Waffle is away at the moment and has asked me to start this months thread.

Here is a place for us to share stories, ask for advice, and generally support one another through our DCs (and in some cases our own!) musical journeys. All are very welcome, from the early beginners to the very advanced. Some people have been regular contributors for years, but we also have a lot of newcomers and love welcoming new contributors to the MN Music Thread team. I became aware of this group about 9 months ago via the NCO 2018 thread and I now spend more time here than on Facebook... Grin.

Over here, I have Noo, just turned 11, violinist, violist and pianist. She is playing at aroud G7 standard on violin (first study) and is starting JD this month, eek!. Noo is also an associate member of NCO and this year joined the Pro Corda ensemble training programme, which she loves above all else! She is also very into musical theatre and regularly performs in professional and semi-professional shows - it is a challenge to juggle it all, but somehow we do. This month is a biggie for Noo as she starts secondary school as well as JD.

DD2 is Moll. 8yrs old and plays cello and piano. She is a very different kettle of fish to big sister - every bit as able, but some self esteem issues, together with a slightly quirky personality, mean her journey is not often quite so smooth (and mine completely turbulent!). Working towards G3 cello this term (although she doesn’t know it yet) and will go for a consultation at Noo’s JD sometime this term also.

I’m sure Waffle will drop in to update us on Goo, Rara and her own musical self once she gets back from holibobs.

Good luck to everyone with back to school, changes in school, new routines and audition prep! I predict September will be a busy month on the thread!

Over to you.... Smile

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Floottoot · 01/10/2018 09:42

It's October, I've just realised - time for a new thread?

Patrick, so many nasties going around. Hopefully, a day of mum care will make him feel well enough to go back tomorrow. Xx

PatricksViolin · 01/10/2018 09:27

It turns out to be one of those weeks I'm starting to work for a new client.... I can cancel an appointment with a physio or a bank but not this one. I'm so hoping DS will be back school tomorrow!!!

PatricksViolin · 01/10/2018 09:23

Thanks Green and druid. We do Manuka and lemon but never heard of the grapefruit drop! It's on my shopping list! I probably need the power drop too as I always get a cold when DS has it.

druidsong · 01/10/2018 08:50

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

druidsong · 01/10/2018 08:47

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

Greenleave · 01/10/2018 08:36

Oh Patrick, we do manuka plus lemon in warm water, try to see if it helps. We cough like an Orchestra as a family here too, always happen beginning of Autumn.

Floot, thats so true. I have someone who loves competition and exams etc. She is most motivated when put to exams, tests, competition...just doest like practise for it though Grin

PatricksViolin · 01/10/2018 08:28

DS had a sour throat last week. He was fine on Saturday but got worse a bit yesterday and today he doesn't look good at all. The first day of missing school! Unlike primary school, his day now is so long that missing a day feels like he'll miss A LOT. But he really needs a rest today.

Floottoot · 01/10/2018 08:19

Ealing and Greenleave, one of the articles I read about practising yesterday likened the process to enjoying a fire...but having to chop the wood first - you have to put the blood, sweat and tears in to enjoy the pleasure that follows. 😀

Mistigri · 30/09/2018 21:56

My DS jumps between pieces a lot on the piano though he does work on small sections quite methodically.

It seems to work because since the end of August he has completed two pieces (not to exam or performance standard but not far off) and is halfway through two others.

Greenleave · 30/09/2018 21:38

Ealing: mine is definitely the same:); love the end result but not fan of the processing :).

hertsandessex · 30/09/2018 21:19

Glad to see I'm not alone. I'm not actually sure it is a bad thing - not much fun to listen to but maybe effective, well at least if not like that all the time.

Littleladsdad - I think you have gone through the looking glass on that one. I see DS every weekend unlike you but really have very little involvement in what he is doing. I see my main role as just making sure he is keeping all the plates spinning in the air across different teachers, instruments, forthcoming concerts, competitions in coming months etc the best I can.

littleladsdad · 30/09/2018 20:38

Practise is the main cause for slight concern after this weekends exeat. He's doing lots of it but I'm left wondering about the quality of it as he seems to be left to just get on with it. Difficult for me because I'm so used to being there. Early yet but something to keep an eye on.

horseymum · 30/09/2018 20:14

This is absolutely my DS! Jumps around, jams a bit, melts down when I suggest practising ' smarter' ie not from the start every time, super slow in the learning phase. DD is a totally different kettle of fish, metronome and tuner employed for every oboe session, long notes, studies, pieces, and then usually a decent period of 'fun' playing pieces from sound of music or greatest showman as well! A good 40-45 minutes every day without fail. So different!

littleladsdad · 30/09/2018 20:00

Mine does this too Herts. Starts warm up, plays McDonalds jingle, something from Star Wars, back to study etc.

ealingwestmum · 30/09/2018 19:12

Mine does this herts. She says it’s to avoid a melt down when she can feel herself getting frustrated. Returning to the original piece is restored with calmness. Allegedly.

A lover of process she is not. End result...definitely!

hertsandessex · 30/09/2018 17:39

Anybody else's DC do this? DS just started practising and within 5-10 mins he has played bits of 4 or 5 different pieces. He does this all the time. He just suddenly stops and starts with something else and then maybe 5 mins later goes back to something earlier. Drives me mad listening from afar although maybe method in his madness of jumping about the bits in pieces he needs to work on.

PatricksViolin · 30/09/2018 16:52

Loose, DS2 stopping for snack as soon as you mentioned he's having a concentrated session made me smile as it sounded like my DS! When I talk about him being diligent or being smart about his practice or basically praise his attitude, somehow he kind of stop doing it and I'm like, 'where has that boy I was talking about gone???' Shock I don't know why! But it's as if he senses he's being talked about and decides to do the opposite! Grin

Crazygirlmama · 30/09/2018 15:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LooseAtTheSeams · 30/09/2018 15:20

He's stopped for snacks. Oh dear!

LooseAtTheSeams · 30/09/2018 15:10

After weeks of barely any practice, DS2 is having a concentrated session of cello practice this afternoon. There is a lot of work to do. (First piece just needs some work in places, second piece needs lots of work throughout!) i think piano practice tends to be a bit more focused in comparison, though.

TaggieOHara · 30/09/2018 13:30

Interesting about the mental practice. DS2 doesn’t get much practice time but he spends hours everyday listening to music, always imagining himself playing or singing it. Maybe that helps more than you might think.

Definitely yy to making use of orchestra for technique! Lots of opportunity for vibrato and shift practice in the slow bits.

Also I told DS2 that at nco he must do his posture, tone and straight bow exercises at the beginning of every rehearsal (about 2-5 mins of Simon Fischer type stuff) when everyone else was no doubt showing off their big concerto cadenzas. It was surprisingly effective! He came home playing better, and with no bad habits.

Original poster
folkmamma · 30/09/2018 13:01

Oh, but despite all this, she still HATES practice. But loves playing. Go figure.....

OP posts:
Original poster
folkmamma · 30/09/2018 13:00

Normally Noo will do 1-1.5 hours on a Sunday, 30 mins before school on Monday, 1hr on Tuesday, 1hr on Wednesday, 1hr on Thursday then rest day on Friday. That's on violin. She will then do 15-30 mins on each of viola and piano on top depending on if/when it can be fitted in, but usually manages 3-4 sessions on each per week.

Monday is a 'light' day on violin because she has a singing lesson every other week, senior strings after school and then her piano lesson, which I think is quite enough! Rest day on Friday is because she has theatre school from 4.30-7.30, which is fun and a release for her, but is still 'work' in some ways. She comes home and goes to bed in prep for a full-on day at JD on Saturdays.

We need to practice smart this week as it's NCO today so no violin practice in addition to that, which means we lose our 'big' practice day. We sat and wrote her practice plan together this morning, and are going to try 'mental' practice for the first time tonight - I'm going to plug her into a set of earphones and sit her down with the music in front of her and get her to visualise playing her pieces whilst listening and reading the music - paying particular attention to the techniquey bits that were covered in her lessons yesterday. I'm hoping given her theatrical tendencies she will be able to visualise pretty well. In addition, before we went off to NCO we discussed how she can use the rehearsal to practice the technique stuff from yesterday. Even if she only thinks about it a couple of times, at least she is thinking about it IYSWIM.

Practice plans are invaluable for both her and me - it means there is no ambiguity about what needs to be covered during the week. Although as she is getting older I am handing over more of the decision making re: what to practice, when. She is getting very good at this.

We had a talk on the way home from JD about how she wanted to approach things this week - teacher is having a big focus on bow hold and has introduced some new elements to bow stroke, which really need my eyes on them to keep consistency and form good habits quickly. But I also don't want to spend the whole week battling with her so I gave her the option: Mummy in the room pointing out when the new technique is slipping, or no mummy in the room but it will take longer to consolidate on her own. She is very keen to impress new teacher and so made the 'right' choice (mummy in the room). But it will still be a challenge I think!

I'm learning soooo much about this from the podcast Crazy recommended, it's just gold dust.

OP posts:
catkind · 30/09/2018 12:29

DS's teacher gave him a good talk about practice last week. He is trying! (Teacher that is. DS not so sure.)

And yy to head practice. I used to practice orchestra music on the train. Particularly good for passagework - if you know which finger to put where without the prop of physical or sound feedback, you really know it. Also for memory if you want to play something by memory. Not much good for bow technique or intonation though!

druidsong · 30/09/2018 12:08

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

Swipe left for the next trending thread