Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Extra-curricular activities

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

October Music Thread

995 replies

Wafflenose · 01/10/2018 22:17

Welcome to the thread for October, which is open to ANYONE who wants to discuss music lessons, practice, exams, auditions, instrument hire/ purchase or whatever related issues you'd like to. Newbies are especially welcome, and we have some each month, often with beginners. All of our kids were beginners once.

I have two DDs. Goo is 12 and plays the flute and piano. She can also play recorders and the piccolo, but doesn't. We've just moved her to another piano teacher because the first one retired, so it's nice to hear her practising again. She has been learning for about 2.5 years and hasn't done any exams... nor is she intending to. On the flute we have extended range scales, the Chaminade Concertino and Bizet's Carmen Fantasy at the moment. She plays in 7 school ensembles and does NCO and South West Music School, although she's likely to be leaving both at various points during this academic year.

Rara is 10 and plays the cello and clarinet regularly, and recorder sometimes. She's vaguely working towards Grade 5 on both, but it might end up being 4 on the cello because of various aspects she's behind in... we'll see. I am still teaching her the clarinet and am currently super fed up because however kind, patient and helpful I am, she behaves in such a horrible way. We can't afford lessons. Ho hum. Rara also does NCO and SWMS. Under 11s will be beyond her, but she'll carry on with SWMS for now.

I am a teacher of woodwind!

OP posts:
woolleybear · 30/10/2018 10:10

Hi Decaf

Floottoot · 30/10/2018 09:55

Welcome, Decaf!
Lots of string player parents on here, lots of JD parents, and lots of NCO parents too, so you're in good company!

Decafcoffee · 30/10/2018 09:52

Thanks Taggie I’m so glad to have found this!

Decafcoffee · 30/10/2018 09:50

Thanks DoubleupSmile I’ve just discovered mumsnet. Where have I been all this time?!

TaggieOHara · 30/10/2018 09:46

Welcome Decaf! Nice to welcome another string playing family to the thread! There are quite a few of us here

Doubleup · 30/10/2018 09:28

Hi Decaf, always nice to welcome new people to the thread!

Decafcoffee · 30/10/2018 09:07

Hi I'm new here... just found this. I have 2 dcs 14 and 7
Dd is in a JD, plays the violin and piano and ds plays cello and just started piano lessons this term. Dd has been in NCO for 5 years and ds is in regionals this year and has auditioned again. I'm not musical so learning along with the kids. Smile

folkmamma · 30/10/2018 08:51

Lol Cat, I'm the same!! I'd keep Noo's beautiful half forever if I could!! But it would be a waste - someone else needs to love it after her.

catkind · 30/10/2018 08:14

No names here, I get overattached to them enough without personifying them too!

Mendingfences · 30/10/2018 05:59

The violin and bass have names here (as do the bows) but none of the other instruments. Not sure what that means....

woolleybear · 29/10/2018 21:30

Dds clarinet is called Colin, she will be very glad if he is to stick around for a few more years so it’s good to hear that grade 8 is possible as that’s a long way in the future I think

cantkeepawayforever · 29/10/2018 21:30

Naming instruments...probably a slippery slope I'm reluctant to start down. DS does all but sleep with his new saxophone, though...

Crazygirlmama · 29/10/2018 21:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Wafflenose · 29/10/2018 21:27

I have an R13. It's called Arthur.

OP posts:
cantkeepawayforever · 29/10/2018 21:25

(DS's 'always' clarinet is not very different - Buffet E13, though a particularly sweet-toned one for some reason)

hertsandessex · 29/10/2018 21:17

Romany on the blind auditions I’ve heard of a few orchestras doing that. Also in some competitions. DS played in the national brass band for finals a couple of months ago and the judges spent hours in a tent by the stage so they couldn’t see and each band was just announced by number. I can see why but very weird Smile

folkmamma · 29/10/2018 21:17

G8 on a Buffet B12 over here!!!!!

Wafflenose · 29/10/2018 21:14

I tried to talk Rara into having the new equivalent of the B12, but she wasn't having any of it. She blind tested them and kept going back to the Yamaha. Traitor. It cost about £350 ex-VAT and with some special promotion at the time, and should see her through Grade 8 too.

OP posts:
cantkeepawayforever · 29/10/2018 21:08

I think I said before that DS had a Buffet B12 until his 'always' clarinet appeared slightly out of the blue much more recently. I think he started preparing G8 on the Buffet and finished on the new one (it's all a bit of a blur) but the Buffet would have been absolutely fine for G8.

Wafflenose · 29/10/2018 21:05

That's a perfectly nice clarinet. My school friend got her Grade 8 on one of those, and plenty of other people do. I'd wait, and save up for her forever clarinet for a few years' time.

OP posts:
woolleybear · 29/10/2018 20:59

Thanks, she has a Buffet B12 at the moment, and the one for sale is a Jupiter 750. A step up certainly but not a “final” instrument. Hoping we may get away with just a new mouthpiece for now and then a more serious upgrade in a few years.

The new teacher is going so well, and has asked dd to join a clarinet quartet she is putting together outside of school which is positive.

RomanyRoots · 29/10/2018 20:48

wholley

You can't beat a Buffet without paying serious money imo. I'm learning Grin If you can find one second hand it will be a good investment.

Brasstacks · 29/10/2018 20:39

I found playing clarinet with braces utterly miserable - but then my mouth was shredded by them even without playing.

Brasstacks · 29/10/2018 20:37

woolley, why not go and try it and see?

RomanyRoots · 29/10/2018 20:36

Floot

Your point about auditioning for orchestras is interesting.
A while back on the feminist board somebody was talking some adopting a blind approach, not seeing the auditionee.
I never heard anymore or whether it took off. It was a couple of years ago, or last year, maybe.They had to play behind a screen iirc. Could you imagine if it was compulsory.

crazy
I'm so pleased for your little girl, it sounds like she loved every minute.
I hate saying this, as I don't like it myself but...... You must be so proud Thanks Grin

Braces really aren't bad, I've known a few who all say they had no problems. Just a bit more practice to begin with to overcome the change and a bit more when they came out. I've known one carry on through grade 8 with and diploma, 6 weeks before exam and was fine.
My dd was fine, she was allowed to take hers out for practice, lesson, singing, but she had to choose wisely as only allowed up to 2 hours a day.