November Music Thread

Oo - how fun to meet up! I think I saw Zak from a distance at U10s but was trying to repack DS2’s suitcase in the car park, so couldn’t say hello. I didn’t manage to spot anyone else.

Harder to spot me and DS2 amongst the hoards of violinists....

Love it lillteladsdad
I always giggle when they give the safety announcement on my commuter boat in English - apparently my lifejacket is equiped with a flute (they mean whistle but a flute would probably be more fun)

I did do that to a forum friend in my babywearing days in a shopping centre very far from home, our husbands definitely thought we were mad!

Ah lovely Zak!! There's quite a few U11's around the place....

DD violinist also met a friend she had made from NCO u11’s in the summer- which was nice.
Small world this music world 🤣

Nice to meet Folkmamma today 🤣

herts Love it!

This made me .

That is so funny! We need to have a Mumsnet Music Mothers Meet-up. Oooo, look at that lovely alliteration!!

When a fellow poster comes up to you in the JD cafe and says "are you folkmamma?". Noo, who was blissfully unaware of this thread now thinks we're all nuts and keeps calling me folkmamma 😂😂😂😂 lovely to meet @ZakStarkey IRL 😍

Shameless sharing for a friend with a new band. I love it and hope they find success. (FYI singer was an opera singer I believe :))

Good luck to NBB and anyone else with exams/auditions coming up. We’ve got 3 exams between the DC in the next couple of weeks. Only 4 weeks of term to go!

Can't that's good news - glad they switched the date!

Notanother your dcs primary school sounds great

Can'tkeep I'm glad they sorted it for him, they should have done really given that they assured him that there would be no clash.

(old poster, new name)

I can’t think of a better team sport than orchestra, or ensemble playing to be honest! Everything that sports are supposed to foster and encourage is equally applicable to playing a musical instrument.

Thankfully our tiny, bog standard Primary has a very accomplished musician for a headteacher, so we have piano accompaniment for assembly, a good choir and concerts (despite the head being non sporty, they also manage to do cross country, swimming etc.....)

It’s bonkers that they only want to hear music paid for by school! Why not celebrate the whole child?

Cantkeep im glad he’s got an answer about the auditions . I’m sure he’ll manage to juggle it all - but it’s a shame it always has to be so complicated . Good luck to him for the upcoming auditions

Update on NBB audition dates - this audition has been postponed again. Luckily the conservatoire has allowed him to do that because he let them know about the potential clash and they couldn't accommodate him [only jazz auditions in this session are on the clashing date].

So we have an 'outlier' late audition next term (all others before Christmas).

This may be really good, as it is one of the more 'realistic chances' and DS can prepare in detail for it after a couple more months of JD teaching etc if it is indeed the 'last chance saloon'. On the other hand, plans for A-levels etc did mean that we hoped to be all done and dusted one way or another this term....

Don't get me started on Sports Day! The best bit is that my DS is really good at the throwing sports like discus and javelin but because he can't be in any school teams due to musical commitments he's not even allowed to compete! It's beyond stupid. I may have been known to ask the Head when it's Maths Day and Music Day ...

DS's primary offers group piano lessons once a week at a subsidised rate. There is a waiting list for the school piano lessons and I have been told by another parent that the school piano lessons are only meant for children who do not have private lessons outside school - although am not sure how they monitor that. DS for instance takes part in the school piano lessons but also has lessons outside school - although only with me and maybe I don't count as am not a proper teacher.

They put a concert on last term where the children who have piano lessons in that set-up at school played. The school choir also sang. The children played mainly in groups except for DS who played a solo - although I think he was the only child who actually wanted to play on his own.

The piece he played was one taught by his teacher at school and he was far from secure in it. I would have preferred that he had played a more secure piece that he knew better but I didn't have any say in it and I understand that the whole point was that the music showcased is what they have learned in school.

Anyway, my point is that DS is definitely not the best pianist in the school by any stretch of the imagination. But he was the only soloist as a) he was the only one who wanted to do it and b) the children who have private lessons were not included at all. He was very happy with how it went but he did say that afterwards other boys in his class told him that they could play better than him. He didn't seem too bothered by that, he was more focussed on his performance on the day.

But from the experience of others on this thread, it does seem bonkers that a child who has lessons at school and who actively wants to perform is prevented from doing so.

kitty oh yes, the praise heaped on the sporty ones.

I've decided dd1 won't be doing sports day this year. She hates it, isn't sporty and isn't allowed to show what she is good at. I don't care if I'm giving her a terrible message: it's no worse than the one she gets from school...

mini she has lessons via the music service in school (and in school time, in fact), which does make it all the more frustrating! She has private piano lessons, so certainly isn't allowed to play the piano in concerts...

It's all a complete nonsense!

Although DS is no where near as accomplished as other DC on this thread I can relate to the discussion about music performance in Primary school. At our school the only music performance is singing to recorded music. Its often good, but it's such a shame they don't seem to either allow or encourage the DC who can play instruments to perform in public. Recorded music just isn't the same. They have been great at giving DS opportunities in school such as playing in assembly but they haven't allowed this for public performances for parents (and there are plenty of kids having private music lessons who could give it a go). I think it's a combination of not having any teachers who are confident enough musically to support it plus the issue mentioned here about not wanting DC to have individual limelight. Sport has a massive profile and they don't seem to have a problem with giving the limelight to the sporty kids . When I was at school there were definitely more opportunities and teachers who played the piano etc. I'm hopeful that there will be more opportunities at secondary school.