November Music Thread

Thanks for the new thread waffle
I have 3 kids, dd1 (12, violin and piano) dd2 (10, flute and double bass) and ds (8, drums and piano). I play flugelhorn (badly).

We are currently diving headlong into christmas music and trying various duets with varying degrees of success....

Thank you for the new thread Waffle.

DS is 13 & recently started at specialist music school. All he's talked about over the half term is going back!

He also attends JD in London and is a member of NCBBGB. We're staying in London this weekend so that he can attend JD on Saturday before going back to school on Sunday. Hectic!

We did a professional video (teachers bro does it for a living) for the pro corda auditions and still then had to go and do a live one...

minisnowballs, good for your dad! That is wonderful!
Everything crossed for his exam. 😍

Decaf - have PMed you about Pro Corda audition logistics.

Hapsburg - I have the same question!

Double- I don’t want to ‘out’ myself and make my DD identifiable!

I think there was discussion about this a while back, but does anyone have experience of Invisilign for woodwind-playing DC's?

Thank you for the thread.

I have dd2 9, who is my little musician. She's about to take Grade 3 flute and attends CYM London, which she loves. She also plays cello through school, and is in a string ensemble there. She spent this morning composing on her flute while I tried to get her ready for school, which gives some indication of her enthusiasm. However she would rather play The Greatest Showman than anything her teacher sets.

Dd1 (11) is about to take Grade 3 violin, but is not quite so keen. Plays in our borough's chamber orchestra, and has to be nagged to practise. Loves the piano though - which she's just started.

And - in the spirit of your intro about musical families, my Dad, who was 70 yesterday, is about to take his Grade 1 piano this week. Now that is lifelong learning!

Thanks Folks and Taggie Procorda does sound really good. And dd loves chamber music. Once she’s feeling better I’ll speak with her again to see if she can get some pieces ready for an audition. I’ll email them this week to get some more details.

Hi all and thank you for the thread waffle .
I have a ds 13 who plays trumpet and piano and sings, and a dd 11 who sings and reluctantly plays piano and cornet

Its been quite a stressful start to the new academic year music wise for ds but we now have a new piano and a new trumpet teacher and so I’m hopeful that things will settle down now !
Ds certainly seems to be in a good place and loving things . Grade 5 theory next week ( I’m not hopeful !) and grade 8 trumpet before the end of year 9 I think . The new teacher is taking a bit of a different take on it I think as ds can play lots of repertoire at that standard anyway. so his teacher is of the view that he might as well just get on with it and then they will just carry on with what they are doing anyway.

I had forgotten how intense this half term is ( blocked it out!) so ds is currently rehearsing in the show band for the school show - he loves this as he misses school for a week!! , he also has 2 NCO concerts to go , AYM and lots of brass band concerts . I am spending a lot of time sitting in my car in the dark waiting for him at various venues

Dd has decided she is definitely not doing music exams for now , but at least this means she’s keeping playing .

Having sung in an amazing concert at Snape Maltings last week I’m guessing my choir will be looking at Christmas stuff from tonight it always seems too early

Hi Double- yes u11s last year!

Wind, I was looking at NSSO as a possible alternative if NCO doesn’t come off. They were scouting around for bassoons last year, but the course was while DD2 was still in school - and she had NCO to do. Was your DD in U11s last year?

DD1 (15) plays oboe in various music centre and school groups, and also in the county orchestra. Grade 7+ on that and due to take Grade 7 on her fun instrument (sax) at the end of Nov.

DD2 (11) plays bassoon in a number of ensembles at school and the music centre and has done NCO for the last 3 years. She plays guitar at around Grade 3 and has just started piano lessons.

Decaf - another enthusiastic vote for Pro Corda here. It is a lovely contrast to NCO.

Out of interest does PrCorda offer the same value for wind players or perhaps we should consider ProCorda for piano? Or NSSO if NCO does come off this year? Or as an alternative even if NCO comes off? Does anyone have experience from a wind players perspective? Interested by NSSO as they get 1:1 tuition each day too according to web bumph

Decaf Pro Corda is just wonderful. Noo auditioned last year - very relaxed! Same format as usual auditions (2 pieces, sight reading, they tell you to prep scales and aural but she never got tested on those elements). Somehow didn't feel as intense as NCO (although her NCO auditions have all been very lovely, its just the stakes somehow feel a bit higher, so maybe we felt more pressure for NCO auditions....). Once you are in, you're in, so no re-auditions. Our letter for this year was worded as an invitation, so I am guessing they maybe lose a few that aren't quite up to standard along the way by not inviting them the next year? This is just a hunch though. I believe they are happy to consider video auditions if it's going to be a pain to get to central London to audition. I would think your DD will get in easily given the level she is playing at.

Lost track of October so trying to keep up with November. DD year 7 plays clarinet, piano and sings taking grade 7 clarinet, grade 7 piano and grade 4 singing this academic year - All ABRSM, still not sure of the order but trying to avoid them all in the same session, she enjoys exams!!! I’ve convinced her to park grade 6 theory for the time being as there is lots going on at school and this is just for ‘fun’ - who does theory for fun!?! She’s been in NCO since year 4 and composes as often as time will permit and has self taught Sibelius software.

I play clarinet, got to grade 8 in my teens then didn’t play much until I picked it up again 5 years ago. Can’t imagine life without it and playing duets together with DD is pretty awesome!

Love the intro Waffle. Deep down I’d love to pick up an instrument.. sadly lessons are quite expensive and all extra cash goes on DCs music lessons, courses etc.
Dd14 plays violin and piano is a music scholar at her school and goes to JD on Saturdays as well . She’s also been in NCO for the last 5 years. No exams in a while on violin and preparing for grade 5 on piano in the summer term. Year 10 at school is quite intense so we’ll see how it goes.
DS7 plays cello and just started piano lessons this term. He’s never done any exams but now both cello and piano teachers have decided on exams next term.. cello grade 5 and piano grade 1! Not sure how we’re going to manage that. Both DCs do music theory. Although DD just announced she will no longer be doing grade 6 theory classes at JD instead she’s going to learn it herself?! Not sure where she’ll find the time for that
DD is quite keen to do procorda . Does anyone know what the audition process is like?

Hello all,

I have 2 DCs - DS (17) is the musician. Known to these threads as 'Nosebleed Boy' for events surrounding his Grade 8 clarinet, he then added Grade 8 saxophone last term. Currently auditioning for jazz courses at conservatoires for next year - had 1 audition, got 1 for his first choice in a couple of weeks, then the rest in December. Definitely marginal ... may not get in anywhere,. may get a choice or two, trying everywhere that offers the course 'just in case'. Trial lesson last year for conservatoire led to an unexpected audition for jazz course at junior conservatoire, which he is loving. Also usual round of school production, county jazz ensembles, county youth orchestra etc.

DD (15) dances. A lot. And yes, we do have simultaneous A-levels and GCSEs this year.

To relieve the stress, and because DS has had so much fun with it, I've taken up the clarinet courtesy of county music's 'Learn as You Play' group. I am genuinely terrible, but it's a lot of fun!

Thanks Waffle. I too agree wholeheartedly with your intro .

I have two DSes: DS1 (13) who plays the piano and DS2 (10), who plays violin and piano and is a chorister. Like many on this thread, DS2 plays in NCO and Pro Corda. He hasn’t done any violin exams, but is doing them on the piano.

Nice intro waffle!
I have DS year 5 who is awkward in his own stubborn way, playing piano and french horn. And DD year 2 who is currently thoroughly cooperative, violin and piano. No flashy levels, all around about grade 1 except DD's violin which is maybe a bit further on. And I play violin and viola and just about manage to bash piano accompaniments.

Hi everyone. DD9 plays violin and piano. She's in junior orchestra, plays in a chamber group and sings in a junior choir. She's auditioned for NCO for the first time this year. There won't be any exams around here for a while, so just prepping for christmas concerts.

We're off to a residential violin workshop this weekend for 2 days - not quite sure how I am going to be involved in it - we'll see.