October Music Thread

folk - it's comforting to know that it might be a common thing for Year 7s to melt down a bit at this point. Not that I want anyone else to be suffering but I feel less in the dark knowing DD is not the only one!

Sorry, got the letters the wrong way round.
Dyslexia rearing it's ugly head

Patricks

All schools have to do PHSE.
www.pshe-association.org.uk/curriculum-and-resources/curriculum

I always forget what it stands for, so here's a link.

Taggie, NCO was DS's first orchestral experience too and I still remember how surprised I was when they started playing pieces from day one. DS had never done such a pace of sight-reading before (he only knew happy relaxing school violins ) so def he wasn't prepared for that! He managed to look part of it and was moving his bow somehow (had never done air bow neither 😂). A year later he was a different boy - the report for his U11 audition stated his sight reading as 'extremely good' (prepared) and 'very good indeed'(unprepared). He joined a youth orchestra also a term before the audition so that may have helped too.

Very sorry for being so ignorant but what PHSE is...?

@MeltingWax PHSE was the start of Noo's meltdown too! In our case, it was the 'Supersize Me' documentary about McDonald's. She now thinks we're all going to get really sick because (shock, horror!) we have eaten the odd Big Mac.... ever since she's been really clingy. But a teacher friend has been telling me today that apparently it's very normal for Y7's to lose the plot a bit at this point. X

Hello everyone, just trying to catch up with everyone's news.

Interesting to read about all the juggling going on.

I don't feel as though we are juggling very well at all at the moment. My work is very full on and no matter how hard I work, I always feel as though am chasing my tail.

And DD seems to be struggling a bit . They had a PSHE day at her new school yesterday and she came home saying that she recognised all the symptoms of anxiety and one of her friends told her she should see a therapist. I am torn between wanting to make sure that she knows I am listening and taking her seriously on the one hand but not getting it out of proportion and making it into a bigger 'thing' than it needs to be on the other.

It might be that she is doing too much. She is academic and sets ridiculously high standards for herself. Her school doesn't offer many language choices so she does 2 languages outside of school and now am wondering whether it's a bit much with her music as well. But there's no pressure from us on that front. It's supposed to be a hobby/something sociable to do for fun. It's meant to be light touch.

Oh well, maybe it's just the transition to secondary school she's struggling with a bit.

On other news: I picked up my oboe from the repairer today. Looking forward to getting reacquainted with it!

DS2 hasn’t been to many regionals because of choir. He is only allowed to miss two evensongs for Nco, so we have to choose carefully! He found some of the music difficult, especially the speed they were playing at, but he hadn’t played in an orchestra before at that stage so he might be better now. He didn’t practice the parts but wished he had!

I am in two minds as to whether to send him back to the last rehearsal and concert. Rehearsals have shifted to the morning, so technically he could do both evensong and Nco, but he’d be knackered, especially as it is a 2 hour drive each way to Nco. I think it would be too much to do that and evensong. If he is lucky enough to get in again this year, we will go for London juniors as southeasterlies moved too far for us.

But there were some occasions he messed up a bit (not in NCO though, yet!) after telling me he was fine in the past...

Shall see !!

Yes ds could be a bit exposed at the concert as he’s the only trumpet but they assured me he was fine , he of course always says it’s fine so I guess it is !! We shall in due course

Ha ha, I have enough proof that DS isn't being too optimistic then! He is an optimistic/confident kind of child so sometimes I can't take his 'I'm OK' as it is. We can't sit in the rehearsal at his regional rehearsals so I have no idea how he's been doing so yes we'll find out if he really is OK very soon! 😂

@PatricksViolin we don't practice for regionals either. Noo announced it was easy after first rehearsal and I've not pushed it since! She apparently can play it. We'll see in a weeks time 😂

DS doesn't practise for any orchestra he's in (well, so far, but not sure if it'll be the case in future) but when I mentioned it on this threat I was left with impression it's a bit naughty hence my thought above. .. But if it's OK and actually majority kids are like that, then I'm relieved!

Patrick it will be fine ds does a lot of sight reading at regionals

Oh not tomorrow but Sunday!

DS has been so distance from NCO regional this year. First of all, he missed 2 or 3 rehearsals (ouch...), then hasn't looked at the music even once outside of the rehearsal (double ouch...). Then I realised tomorrow is the last rehearsal for this year and I know DS hasn't had any chance to even touch the music... I packed the music thinking he would be able to go through during his individual practice time. But he's been so busy for studies given by his teachers, unfortunately revising for NCO is the last thing he can think of at the moment. Tomorrow will be sight-reading practice for him then I guess. But if it'll be like that for the next year, even he is lucky enough to get in, we may have to think of whether to do regional. Ideally I like him to do the regional though. It's nice to have something outside of school.

Littleladsdad - I might be the odd one out but that wouldn't bother us in the slightest. Certificate yes of course but not the mark sheet. The mark sheets usually get looked at for about 20 seconds and then "filed" in the huge music pile unlikely to ever see the light of day again.

We have the option of specific ' streams' at our high school, which allow for a couple of extra periods on that subject. Eg for football, all your PE is football, for STEM, all your maths and science are combined. For music, you miss drama and art to get two extra periods of music. It is only in its infancy but I will need to consider it for DD in the summer as she will start at that school. It is not high performing, their broad aim is to get to grade 3 on guitar, drums, bass or voice. They also do lots of group work. I'm still to be convinced that oboe and piano will fit into this set up, although they have said that if you come in with different instruments, you will be accommodated and challenged. DD would love to spend more time playing, I just want it to be productive so will look forward with interest to the next information evening. It is the closest we get to any kind of music 'specialism' here.

stringchild be aware with the IB that UK universities don’t really get it - their offers for IB students can be a lot higher than for those without (eg asking for 41/42 out of 45 which is equivalent to a in 3 a levels and 3 as levels - where their standard offer might be lower than 3 a )

Littleladsdad that’s awful hope you get it sorted

to all whose DCs are juggling and struggling - it's def one fat reason why we thought of specialist school as an option. DS used to be allowed to leave school earlier once a week for his football commitment at primary school (until he decided to drop it). It was possible because primary school wasn't demanding academically like secondary school but also it was a tiny school so the head knew all the children and most of the families so could see things at individual level. The school DS was supposed to go after primary school was enormous, so even the HoM was very understanding and the school specialised in music (and language and science), I am sure they wouldn't be able to cater DS's needs and as many DCs on this thread DS would try to respond to all the demand stretching himslef to do well in everything and his music would suffer greatly.

However, DS's current school had a massive direction change recently and they are more enforcing academic commitment than ever. DS mentioned some academic assessments/tests here and there so he still has to find time to review and prepare for them between his already packed schedule. A noticeable difference between the school he was supposed to go (regular day school) and this current school (specialist boarding school) may be the latter keeps me less worry about juggling, not because DS doesn't need to juggle, but because I have no information what's going on with their schedule! I would like to know what he's up to and whether he's got multiple deadlines but part of me think it may be better this way to keep myself sane... It's not good for my OCD nature....

I always say this at every opportunity, but I'll join Trumpet to hat off to ministring here again. Incredible.

Littleladsdad, oh no! How annoying!!

Gosh, that's terrible, but I suppose accidents happen.
perhaps if you tell them he needs the transcript for an interview as well as the certificate.

I too am feeling a little relieved that dd is specialist school to. I know that otherwise a school would be needing her to do so much extra work for GCSE, that music commitments would be well out of the question.
I suppose you can't blame the schools, they have targets to achieve and extra curricular activities are the first thing to be expected to give.