October Music Thread

Thanks harps, we loved the video, even the 4 yrs old. Will watch again before bed tonight.

Thanks Patrick, Taggie for mentioning the technique name, will check with our teacher. For Patrick and some of you having boarders here, we are trying Wycombe Abbey too( my colleagues children go there and they love it), thinking of sending her away and for her little sister not seeing her daily is breaking my heart. I am torn between. My colleagues said eventually the siblings get used to it and their daughters love it, grew up as equally warm, lovely and responsible children(you know the over protective thinking that sending your child away then losing touch of how they grow up)...

patrick. I take DS2 for one to one Alexander lessons once a month. It has made a massive difference to his playing. Although his practice time is restricted, we always make time for 5 minutes of Alexander exes.

The reason I take DS2 is that he has problems with posture and coordination, linked to hypermobility and (probably) dyspraxia. The Alexander exercises give him a better sense of his body in space, which helps with bowing, shifting and left hand facility. And yes, DS2 loves the skeleton too

Glad to hear Goo's finger will be fine very soon. I think Goo will audition and ace it. Flute is fiercely competitive. But whatever the outcome, I feel Goo should try. I just can't think of Goo without NCO.

cat, yes I'm grateful that they do 1-1 Alexander. They also do plenty exercises. Their morning starts with 'warm-up' and they swim a lot. Football, tennis and table tennis are regularly available too. DS cannot go too long without exercise so I'm quietly relieved they do care about the importance of regular exercises for musicians.

That's cool Patrick. So important to get the physical stuff right particularly in an environment with so much playing. I have known a few musicians who swear by Alexander, the main thing I picked up from them is sitting up straight in orchestra rehearsals is less tiring than slouching - very true. It seems to have a great deal of sensible stuff about how not to strain yourself with bad posture and tension, and if friend's teacher is typical a dose laying-on-of-hands woo which put me off ever trying it.

Still catching up, for floot and friend and sister. So much to cope with never mind musical children.

The homework expectations of some schools sound utterly bonkers. Someone I know took their high achiever year 7 out of local state school to home ed after they were regularly ending up with 4 hours of homework a day Mad. Quality not quantity, just like music practice really!

DS had his first Alexander Technique lesson yesterday and he absolutely loved it. He is quite poor in the description department so I still have no idea what he did and why he loved it. He mentioned the teacher brought a skeleton and they did something with it. That's as far as I could get from him!

Well done to miniCrazy! What's a super girl.

to Goo. Can she still go ahead with NCO audition with the injury??

hapsburg, thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed watching it. I don't know how to explain but it really warmed my heart.

cat, I feel for you. DS's primary was like that. They had instrumental lessons but they were never really celebrated and almost zero recognition at school apart from rare events. I felt the head teacher wasn't particularly interested in music.

Thanks Hapsburg - that was an awesome end to the week

Thanks for sharing that, Hapsburg - brilliant! 😂😂😂

Just catching up, so I'm a few pages back.

hotdog74: Thank you for the warm welcome! Some of you have such busy lives. As DD is only 7 and a total beginner we only have the lesson a week in school and getting her to play a bit at home to contend with so far. Although she is hoping to be able to join the junior school orchestra; she has to be invited and I have no idea how much she needs to be able to play but I don't think it is terribly hard to get in so hopefully by the end of Year 3.
Just wanted to say - awesome they have orchestras to join at school! There's nothing at DCs' school. Used to be a wind band but the teacher who organised it left :(

Green wishing you the very best with the treatment and the school tests. and a for dd.
DS2 needs to do some regular focused practice for piano - tonight's lesson highlighted his tendency to gloss over the tricky bits!

I don't post very often, but saw this today and thought it might put a smile on the faces of those parents and DC's who are struggling with demands of school/music/sports etc etc It just reminded me that above all music should be fun some seriously big names there, taking themselves not at all seriously!!

Many congrats Crazygirlmama!
Lovely to hear about Woolleymini positive news on new teacher!
And Goo, not again!
Loose, hope your father in law getting better soon and thanks for the kind words. My husband has a treatment at the moment, we are holding our breath!!!

I was just on a lift and it came to the ground, door opened and I was looking at my phone(surprise!), then all the boys(rather men and old) just stood in. I realised I had to make a move first. That makes me smile:).

We have some serious music practice to do this weekend to catch up with missing practice this week as she had Henrietta round 2 test and Tiffin round 1 test this week. We didnt think of trying Henrietta but went for it in the end.

Doubleup congrats on the sabbatical! Woolley lovely to hear from you! Well done MiniCrazy!
Waffle how does Goo do it?! Hope she's on the mend!
Green you are just amazing and your mini is clearly following in your footsteps!
Rather than slave over 12 hours of study in a weekend, which is madness, my and DS1's tip for y10 is just get the homework done as best you can in the time that you have and pay more attention to the end of year exams.
Don't drop your extracurricular music unless you actually want to reduce it. DS1 claims it was necessary to do music to deal with the stress!
Talk of work and illness resonates here. DH had to rush off on Monday because his dad was very ill. It's been touch and go but DH says he's looking much better today. Of course, it would be the week I went back to work full time. I'm knackered, poor DH doesn't know where he is (and not sure when he can come home) but the dcs have been lovely - after a little passive aggressive lecture on remembering to ask me how MY day went!
In happy music news, DS1 continues to love A level music and his new sixth form!

Woolley, were currently going through grade 5 theory boot camp here (I'm teaching DS....it's painful!). I should have made him have lessons at school last year, but thought it would be fine to do it myself. Regretting it now! Goodnight DD comes round to the idea - I think group lessons would be more fun than 1-to-1.

That's great news, Crazy, and a big relief, I imagine. ☺

Congratulations to Mini-Crazy!! Great news 😊

And welcome back Woolley!!

Flootoot. There is a theory club at school but she is very reluctant to go, I'm reluctant to pay out for lessons when this is free. I know its basically sitting and going through the books but with the added back up of a music teacher in the room. I'm trying to persuade her that the quicker she gets it done the better but she's having none of it!

We went for the Tom & Will bag too. DD's case was horrific, I conceded just how bad it was when I carried to and from London for Big Double Reed day last year. Until September she wasn't really carrying it around much but now its going backwards and forwards to school its definitely worth it. The bassoon is not even ours! Its a hire instrument but really nice so we will hang onto it for as long as we can.

Am aghast by amount of work expected of your DD, floot. Seems exceptionally harsh. I know new GCSES are hard, but they ought to be teaching working smarter, not longer, if they can. The poor thing, and the pressure on you must be extreme. DD1 has her first science test today, on the periodic table and choosing the right element for the job. She informed me this morning that helium would be a good thing to make drink cans from, so I'm not holding out much hope.

Thanks to all of your help, DD2 is more confident about wind band tomorrow. She's also learned to shift position on the cello this week, which seems much, much less traumatic than it was with her sister and the violin. My own music mishap was taking her cello into school with me, and then somehow leaving my handbag with it in the cello cupboard, wandering home and wondering why I had no keys, phone or anything else with me. What an idiot!

Good luck to all with auditions!

Woolley bassoon cases can be a revelation can’t they? What type did you go for? We have a Tom & Will gig bag which is pretty light, but DD2 insists on using the much heavier back pack bag that came with her bassoon as she’s paranoid about getting scratched etc on the bassoon.

Sabbatical due to start in the new year to give time to recruit someone on an assignment. Jobs do not come up in our team very often and someone will be pleased to get the opportunity!

Doubleup, a year's sabbatical sounds just what the doctor ordered. When does it start, and do you have plans to do something for yourself (I hope so!)do

Sorry you haven't had the easiest start to the new schook, Wooley, but the music side of things sounds very positive. Can your daughter have theory lessons at school?

Thanks, it makes up for the other areas of a new school which aren't going as well.

Hi Doubleup,

Forgot we have a new investment, new bassoon case, it's amazing, but had to be a birthday present due to expense!