November Music Thread

Wow you all sound so busy! Glad to hear that your DC all have some exciting concerts lined up in the coming weeks. As I said last month, I have one DD who will be 8 tomorrow and has just started to learn clarinet. She seems to be doing well and learning new notes but we are struggling a bit with reeds. She is currently using the plastic ones that came with the clarinet as the wooden one her teacher gave her split. She says each week that the teacher says she is going to get her some more, but it isn't happening. I would buy her some myself but I have no idea what to buy and I understand they come in different ratings of hardness? When she was playing with the wooden reed she sounded great (to me anyway) but on the plastic reeds she struggles to get any sound out at all so for several weeks we have ended up just practising her fingering as it sounds so awful if she tries to play.
She tells me her teacher has promised to have some wooden reeds for her next week, but if she doesn't I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do as I have never met her teacher as she has lessons at school. Do any of you wood wind experts have any advice if I have to resort to getting something for her to at least use at home? Many thanks :-)

This is why he runs - he can do this whenever he gets a chance though both him and his dad have had awful running injuries this year !!

Pancake
I have to say I was surprised that they let him swap from Rugby but on the whole they are very supportive of ds’s musical endeavours even though he would be a great asset to the PE department if time allowed !!

We’ve had appendicitis the week before a violin exam - DD could barely stand up straight! Luckily it was only grade 3.

I also have two dancers, a gymnast/trampoliner, and a diver (who’s recently developed a love for 10m platform). Someone is always injured in our house, I’ve decided to give up on safety.

My DS doesn't take part in any dangerous sports but he still managed to get his thumb stuck in a metal hole the day before his piano exam because he 'wanted to see what would happen' .

I think it was sixth formers- it was an arrangement written by a student apparently.
Ha -Violentetta- Romany- love it!

Yes - running is potentially the safest. Or how about swimming - bit gentler!

I don't think I would get anywhere at all if I tried to get them excused from anything. The PE dept seem to be utterly inflexible. It's a school with great music as well as PE so there have been generations of musicians who also play rugby. So I'd be made to look foolish for even attempting to point out the pitfalls. I'm counting the PE lessons till the end of term, as then I think rugby is off the timetable.

I used cello lessons as an excuse for missing PE lessons my entire way through high school, even though it was rarely a clash. I used to go and hide in the practice rooms or go home … When the teachers asked my classmates where I was, they used to say 'oh cello lessons'. And nobody twigged. I'm proud of that. Self-preservation!

woolleybear

So glad you got sorted, I was thinking about you and dd friend called to see if there was an update. I think it's lovely how something like Mnet and love of music can bring complete strangers together to offer help and support.

littleladsdad

It more than likely part or all of Violetta, or as my dd calls them Violentetta . They are Y4 - Y8, although the Y8 are usually to help out/ waiting to move up, so not many of this age.
They are good, I know.

I excused ds from rugby last year as he had an NCO course coming up - though he did hockey instead !?! So only a bit better ( but he loves hockey so there’s not much I can do about that ) he’s currently more likely to get injured playing football with his mates at lunch though - which isn’t great as he’s got a lot on in the next 6 weeks - but I’m just trying not to think about it.
But yes I think they should be excused certain contact sports if they have important music ( or other sporting commitments) that an injury would ruin . Not much I can do about ds’s love of hockey though !!- though I am currently encouraging long distance running

I've been 'that' parent this half term, and wrote to the pe dept asking that DS2 could avoid contact sports, explaining about his Grade 8 and a couple of other important events. They've actually been great and sorted it.

DD sprained her fingers before Grade 5 sax in Y7, playing netball. Just long enough so that she was ok to play but had missed out on 2 weeks practice.

My DS1 (trumpet) was due to play Last Post & Reveille today for the school act of remembrance. It's the 3rd year in a row he's done it, and - from listening to the practice - it gets better every year. He's very proud to have a job to do. I remembered to buy him a poppy for his blazer but failed to shine his shoes (still muddy from football at lunchtime yesterday).

DS2 (trombone/guitar/violin) came home from school yesterday with part of his nail torn off from rugby (middle finger, left hand). Goodness knows how he managed that. It's very sore but nothing to be done except put a plaster on and wait for it to grow back. It's not really, really bad, but the nail is shorter than it should be.

Which brings me to reflect how much I resent the that they're forced to do all sports, including the rough ones. I know, in general, I would get shouted down for turning my kids into 'snowflakes' but I imagine / hope other music parents might feel the same. Just as well he doesn't have an exam or performance on the violin in the next few days as he'd have to cancel. And - with rugby - it could be so much worse. I dread it all.

In this day and age when there has to be a risk-assessment for absolutely everything in school, I don't know how rugby is still ok?? One of my colleagues had a child home for several days suffering from concussion after a nasty rugby tackle.

I have to add that both of my kids actually like rugby but I've managed to talk them out of doing any more than they absolutely have to.

The highlight of tonight's gig was the string section. I thought that they looked young - they were from Chet's! If any of your dc were involved, then they did you proud.

Thank you Romany for the tips, we managed to fix it with cotton wool and cling film and it did at least hold out for the concert. A new pad and spare are winging there way to us currently for the next one.

Concert went well enough, informal one at school but the standard was very high and dd feels like she wasn't good enough. At the last one she played clarinet and more than held her own so I'm not sure whether to encourage bassoon for these in the near future.

Next concert for us is in a few weeks, choir and school orchestra at our local theatre which should be fun.

Aw, I grew up listening to Jackie Du pres, such a shame she was taken far too soon.

PancakeMum

Hello and welcome. I know a fair bit about saxes and know to recommend a Yamaha student model, you can't go far wrong, or failing this my dd and her peers play on Yanagisawa.

Pancake, we were recommended to get a Yamaha YAS280 when DD1 started in Year 7. She’s now in Year 11 and about to take Grade 7 on it.

I notice most here do introductions. I’ve got five DDs (yes, it is mayhem!).
DD1 plays clarinet and self taught ukulele. Did grade 8 maybe 4 years ago now and has just been playing for fun ever since.
DD2 plays piano, did grade 8 last year and again just plays for fun.
DD3 plays clarinet (g5) and flute (g8) and is looking to add a saxophone to that. DD4 plays guitar and violin (g5).
DD5 is only 9 so doesn’t formally play anything yet but sings wonderfully and has perfect pitch (can play piano but not read music) so will probably opt for an instrument soon just waiting for her to ask...

Has anyone got any recommendations for a first saxophone? I’m thinking of getting one for DD for christmas as she already plays flute and clarinet and has been hankering after a sax for a while.
(Here’s hoping this is more universal than the niche Leeds orchestras!)

DD also away at school - one of the benefits is that the scheduling crisis mentioned above is entirely hers to sort out!! Just got a text - she is practising not swimming!

Thank you for the link Hapsburg - I am spookily listening to a Schubert Trio as I write! I think I've seen the documentary before but will happily watch it again.

One of the advantages of ds being away at school is that we are able to be a little more spontaneous. I was browsing the Birmingham THSH website earlier and noticed that 2 seats had become available for the Beverly Craven/Judy Tsuke/Julia Fordham show at Town Hall tonight, so I snapped them up. Not quite my cup of tea but I think DW will be happily surprised when she gets home later.

That’s tickled me Melting; I think my DD would have been also star struck by the sight reading legend

Happy imminent 17th birthday to your DS Druid!

And good luck (and happy 16th) to your DS2 raspberry on coming out the other end of that crazy schedule!

at waffle. It was DD who pointed out that it could have been the same PH but both the DCs are now totally bemused by my excitement about this. Anyway, they both said he was by far the nicest examiner they have had, kind, chatty, etc. I pointed out that a kindly & chatty examiner doesn't equate to a generous marker so they shouldn't be blind-sided by that!

Very exciting new for wiifit's DS3!

Hope everyone is coping ok with the juggling, etc.

Our mammoth exam week is over now thank goodness so just the long wait for results now. The DCs examiner this morning was called Paul Harris and when I showed the DCs a photo I dug out online we are now wondering whether it is the same Paul Harris of 'improving your sight-reading' fame. I am ridiculously and sadly excited by this possibility. The kids think am bonkers.