January to March 2019 music thread (Title edited by MNHQ)

Sorry for the sudden change of the topic but must share this information otherwise I can't sleep tonight (because I am so excited)!!

According to New Scientist magazine, the longer you have studied a musical instrument before age 25, the quicker your brain is able to recognise words in later life. Apparently by the age of 45, your basic cognitive abilities begin to slip. Grab a musical instrument and start learning NOW if you are still under 25!

It continues to say that musical training (and speaking a second language) help the brain work more efficiently, requiring less energy to accomplish the same cognitive tasks.

Those who are too late (like me....), at least you can let your DCs to pick up an instrument now! Those who learnt musical instruments as a child, enjoy and celebrate your smart brain!!

Bravo! Music!! Wish I knew it before 25

On practice impressed that people are practicing regularly in the morning. Three kids here all grade 8ish in different instruments and barely any morning practice ever going back 10 years apart from maybe day of lesson for 5-10. Just never time in our unorganised house. One child now at specialist school practicing from 7am for an hour before breakfast but that is different.

My kids are at a stage where playing 3 page long pieces + 3 exercises (trinity) at once is a big workload. & 20 minutes lesson, DS probably practises less than that DD a bit more. I don't think other stuff alongside is going to catch on here, can just imagine DS's look of horror if I suggested it!

In my experience the constant narrow pushing for grades is often the parents either directly demanding this or teachers or indirectly encouraging children. Know some teachers that have fallen out with parents over this. When my children were younger and I knew less about music education I was a bit like that as I wanted a tangible benchmark but now I really couldn’t care less within reason and often find myself encouraging youngest not to take grades (cheaper as well!)

DS's first piano and violin teachers were those who offered lessons locally and reasonably (one at school, one around the corner). Nothing fancy. But one had zero interest in grade exams (he always said he wouldn't judge playing standard from paper but only by hearing) and one had this 'from the top' approach. So luckily DS has no experience of working 'towards' exams. I didn't realise how lucky it was until I started talking to other parents. I've introduced many people to the teachers since and all seems to be very happy (and they aren't expensive!).

I know the ideal would be doing the exam pieces alongside others but I hear so many people complaining about only hearing the same three pieces for months on end so lots of teachers obviously don't.

Doing every exam does sometimes seem soul destroying, my DD has not done any yet on oboe, she is playing around grade 6, her teacher did mention doing grade 5 but I think he can't bear to spend months on pieces so she will do it as described 'from the top' when it only takes a short time to polish the pieces. They play so many pieces that I think stopping to do an exam would slow down progress just now. She does scales all the time so pretty sure those are all done anyway. I think it is harder on piano when you actually have to learn them first before polishing them, maybe that's just my kids. Ds starting work on his grade 4 piano pieces, I do not love this stage. I need a recording of me saying slow it down and use the correct fingering every time!

But surely you can keep learning new pieces along exam pieces? Learning to polish music to performance level is beneficial not harmful. If you have to spend a loooong time on them, only them, then I understand that's real soul killing though.

catkind - ouch and I thought DD had a lot with one a term this school year!
DD did a choral transition event today with some other local schools. Seemed like fun although she was more excited by the kitkat at the end...

I find the whole grades thing a bit reductive, but I'm no musician - seems to mean they practise the same three pieces constantly for a bit, at the expense of learning anything new.

Agree with this. My preference is to take exams "from on top" so you can basically sight read the music and spend a month or two polishing it and done. And not every single one unless they're going slowly and need a milestone. I obviously haven't done a good job of communicating this though as we seem to have ended up with exams on 3 out of 4 instruments this term (2 x DS, 1 x DD).

Queen I've just asked the teacher when needed. Last term DS had his G8 on his first instrument plus his NCO audition so I just asked the piano teacher if we could postpone his next grade for a term. He was fine about it and it meant my DS could explore other pieces last term so he didn't become sick to death of his set pieces. He did some really interesting stuff, I'd recommend a break from the grade treadmill every now and again!

mini - DD took her G1 at Christmas and I think the plan is for her to take her G2 in the summer (with her piano G3 sandwiched between at Easter - Exam fees! ).
Like you I’m a bit at the grades but not sure how to approach the teachers about taking a break. Any suggestions anyone?

Re practising, we have the huge advantage (rare in London) of having a detached house - though a very unglamorous one. DD2 does both her practices before school - which probably tells you how short they are (15 mins each at present, though I'm guessing we should be doing more) because no-one can hear us and DD1 has already left for school.

DD1 fits hers in whenever we can find the time (not enough) and she's often tired,- but music isn't her thing in quite the same way as DD2. She's getting lots of playing time in orchestras too, which has got to help?

Queenmabby - we have the Pink Panther too (love it!). DD2 takes her cello 2 this spring - it's her first grade on it, and she's only just started having lessons on her own, so we'll see how it goes. I find the whole grades thing a bit reductive, but I'm no musician - seems to mean they practise the same three pieces constantly for a bit, at the expense of learning anything new.

Yes, they do get more expensive the higher the grade. I thought £95 was bad enough for G8 but the diploma is £161! Makes G5 Theory an absolute bargain at £38. Yet another reason why music making is becoming an increasingly middle class activity

Funnily enough, I had this very conversation with my DS yesterday but regarding his third instrument. No decision made so I'll be following this discussion! He only did G8 on his first instrument and that was really just to have a piece of paper to prove he is at that standard for auditions, uni applications etc. That teacher isn't bothered about grades. He studies piano for his second instrument and that teacher is very focused on grades so he's religiously working through them. We both feel having good keyboard skills is useful for his musicianship so he's happy to plod away at the grades but he knows he's under no pressure, it's just the way the teacher prefers to teach.
However, DS was excited to learn that he now has 30 UCAS points with his Grade 8 which prompted me to ask if he wanted to start grades in the "fun" instrument but we came to no conclusion. I do worry he's got an awful lot on now that he plays in adult orchestras as well as NCO, youth orchestra etc. And the fees for exams are scary!

the fun instrument (bass) became his main one
Same here!

Queen, we don't dear to make DS practise in the morning at home. It happens only when he does it at school! We live in a residential area!

Re, grade for second (fun) instruments, in DS's case, he did exams for second study and didn't bother taking any for first study. Eventually he did grade 8 (only) for his first study but it was more like a let take it as an experience thing and really didn't need to do it. He did up to grade 7 for second study (skipping quite a few grades between) but now seemingly abandoned the whole exam thing for both instruments.

DD does exams on both, she sees her second instrument (piano) as a supporting study rather than a fun one though! She definitely finds her 1st instrument more fun, but she knows it will be useful to play the piano if she wants to teach music later on

Well, for FS1 the fun instrument (bass) became his main one. He said he wasn't going to do exams in drum kit again but has just announced he plans to work towards G8. The third instrument (guitar) is the current 'fun' one but not a peep about exams!
DS2 has cello as second instrument but has raced ahead of piano. He does exams in both. Guitar is also his 'fun' no exam instrument!

We only practice in the evenings. Haven’t thought about morning practice even though DD is an early bird! We leave the house at 8 though.
For those of you with DCs with a second (fun) instrument do they still do graded exams in those? DD’s done grade 1 on her cello (2nd instrument) and has her grade 2 pieces (loving that one is Pink Panther!) but I’m unsure if she really needs to plod through them all?
I’m definitely going to have a chat with her about morning practice though - sometimes we struggle with after school due to clubs etc.

So, it seems I am the minority one!! Feel bad to call DS's decision 'poor'. This is a good reminder for me to stay back and let him drive his own car...

DD does piano in the morning ( probably second study even though doing it longer) and oboe in the evening, it takes more strength I think and she does longer. Not worth getting it all out and warmed up for a short session.

You may all laugh, but i picked hun up from school and he was waxing lyrical about the ...... trombone

As for practise, luckily we live in the middle of nowhere so no neighbours to bother. 3 kids with 2 instruments each is a jigsaw puzzle for practise. Each day looks different because of lessons ør sport but mainly it's evenings some practise before school but not every day. On sunday i let ds loose on the drums
when i think it's time for dd1 to surface

DD also an evening person so does main instrument last thing at night in her pyjamas... her youngest brother has learnt to sleep through it.. Piano (less serious) gets a shorter session straight after dinner