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

Hi, my Ds is 10 and grade 5 in cello.
She enjoys playing cello but seems stuck. Since she started school again in September she seems not to have make any improvement. Her teacher always complains about bowing and posture. She has told her 100 times and spend entire lessons on bowing.
I think she should know by now but it's not like that and she keeps doing the same mistake. Really don't know what to do to make her understand that these things are important. Hopefully she will one day.. soon

Hi. Can I join in with this thread? I have 2 DCs. DS not musical. Did guitar for a few years but never wanted to practice so gave it up.
DD is (just) 10 and plays piano and cello. Didn’t start doing lessons until she was nearly 8 (piano) and picked up the cello about a year ago (group lesson) with individual lessons starting last Easter. She has lessons for both at school. She loves music and also sings in a chapel choir. She’s just taken her G1 in the cello (took it before school broke up for Christmas hols but STILL no result!) and is taking G3 in the piano at Easter and then G2 on the cello in the summer.
She does a piano duet “club” at school and plays her cello in the school strings group and is in a cello ensemble. I’m really proud of her as she practises really hard and is doing very well despite her late start!
Anybody else waiting on pre-Christmas exam results still?

Tricky
I would encourage her to go to NCO as she enjoys it - it’s ages away anyway so she might be back in love with music by then. Remind her how much she loves being with her friends
Maybe give another youth orchestra rehearsal a try but if she hates it I would talk to staff but potentially pull out - there’s no point in feeling unhappy. Some children don’t mind being the youngest and feeling a bit out of their depth some hate it . She can always join again when she’s older .
Similar with the grade 5 ( apart from losing the fees!?!) if it’s putting her off does she have to do it now ?
Children often change their minds about what they’re really into ( well mine do) but I reckon she’s more likely to stick with it long term if it’s not stressing her out . Having said that I wouldn’t necessarily tell her that not doing the exam is an option just see how it goes ?
My 2 don’t like doing exams ( for different reasons) both love to perform . Ds is doing his grade 8 for a specific reason I think and to get it out of the way , dd has announced she’s doing 2 grade 3s in the summer term - we’ll see but it’s up to her I certainly don’t want to see her upset ( as often happens !!)

Hi all,
My first time on this thread but I’ve been on the NCO thread for the last couple of years. I’m after some advice....
My DD is 10 and taking viola G5 this term and singing/flute G4 next term. She is in NCO U11’S this year having loved the U10’s last year. Clearly her grades are lower than some others on here and in NCO but playing viola can help open doors sometimes. Not that she chose it for that but that’s another story!
She is in a quartet locally and school orchestra etc. Until recently she just loved it all. At the moment though she is really off it all. The world has started to revolve around netball & hockey. This is from the girl who at age 6 announced she wanted to try to get a music scholarship to senior school. It seems to have come at the same time as she has got into the regional youth orchestra which is an excellent one. She has only been once and found the music very very hard. The average age is 15ish there so she isn’t with her friends.
She was so pleased when she got in but there were tears last night to say the least. I’m not sure whether to just push her on or pull her back. She is so sociable as a character and NCO is so good as it is all children of the same age. I don’t want her to go off music altogether. And she has her work cut out for her exam this term too. She’s a calm child so her being so upset is out of character....
Have any of you been through similar? Any advice?
Thank you!

I can think of two people I know who wish they'd gone for performing as a career. One male one female. Both were pushed into more career oriented courses at uni by their parents. (To be fair, one of them I seriously doubt would have got into music college, the other was easily good enough.)

Performing musicians who are trying to find a more settled career to fit round families are a source of excellent teachers IME!

Yes I know a few female musicians who cut down their work as a musician or changed profession after having children. But what I meat was those men who I met made the decision at the time of going to uni/college. There may be more parental involvement for the decision...? So it's a bit different...

It wasn't the first time of meeting someone who expressed a regret of giving up music and interestingly they were all men (in my experience). I am sure there are plenty grownup women who share the same regret or sadness but, am I being a sexist to think male musicians may tend to give up and take a different path for financial reasons, perhaps more than female musicians? I might be thinking too much!

Aw, wishing that gentleman a lovely piano and much joy with it. I remember the happiness of being able to get a piano again when we finally had space, but how much worse if it's your main instrument. Those of us with portable instruments are lucky!

Ah, Neleus that's really poignant... I hope he gets his piano and starts to play again.

Pardon me for my mumbling...

I contacted several cleaning companies for deep spring cleaning (our oven in particular needs a serious rescue...). One of them sent someone to visit me for more detailed quotation. A gentleman turned up and I took him for a (very short) tour while he was taking note, then he saw the piano. He asked me if I played so I told him it's my DS's. His eyes lightened up and told me he studied piano very seriously and becoming a pianist was his dream but he took a different path at 18. Recently he'd moved in his own place so been thinking of getting a piano so that he could go back to play again. He wiggled his fingers and said they were a bit rusty. He repeatedly told me music was his life, his everything, and he didn't want to give up piano. He checked every room and left with a big smile. Such a lovely man. Though, somehow this left me a bit of bitter sweet feeling. I wonder what happened to him when he was 18 and after. I didn't ask.

That sounds really positive neleus, enjoy the concerts! (If you get to go?)

Crucru, falling out with DS over practice is a regular occurrence here. On the plus side he usually does excellent practice for a few days after before dropping back to normal - here's hoping you replicate that bit too! I'm rather lacking in sympathy this term, DS decided to take exams on both instruments, he was warned this means hard work.

I've just been informed DS would have two concerts next week. After having a worrying start this term, it's such a relief to see things are happening somehow (not sure how but anyway!). It's so so nice to see him on stage. I don't get that nervous about it. I actually enjoy seeing him performing.

But really, his school loves last minute decisions. Hopefully I can re-arrange my work schedule next week without much fuss...

Hello all, I have dd 12 who is preparing for grade 5 clarinet this term, and apparently grade 3 bassoon next term, I think she is just going by my rule of only one exam a term and just trying to put off grade 5 theory...

First practice of the clarinet quartet her teacher is putting together outside of school and she is beside herself that she is clarinet 3 rather than 4 despite being the youngest by a way.

Other than that just ticking along for a couple of months before exam time and concert season begin!

Hi everyone. Things are slightly less busy on the music front for me these days as they've got older.

DS1 enjoyed his first term at RAM studying organ. Christmas was a bit weird for us as he was whizzing around everywhere playing services so didn't jointhe family till Christmas afternoon. We had a late meal but it just didn't feel quite right so next year we are going to try having our Christmas Day on Boxing Day.

DS2 also started university in the autumn and is playing sax in the big band which he is enjoying. DS3 no longer takes lessons but potters on the piano when the feeling gets him.

DD is now in year 12, hoping to go to music college after A levels so is in the midst of open days etc. Planning on ARSM in the summer. She has an awful virus at the moment but hopefully after the worst.

I'm enjoying hearing about what they are doing without having to do the organising for them!

Hello, thanks for the new thread. I have a DS (9) who plays piano and added cello last term. He's just starting on ABRSM Grade 3 material with a view to doing the exam in the summer. He's getting on well with the cello. I have a younger DD who occasionally plonks on the piano but nothing formal yet. I can muddle through basic things on the piano and do simple duets. There are lots of knowledgable people on this thread which I find helpful as I'm learning as we go along.

Thank you for the new thread. I’m also another name changer for 2019 but have been around a while.
DD plays violin and piano. As well as playing in the school orchestra she has just started at a new string group last Sunday and loved it. She’s the only one under 18 but said they were all very welcoming (and old!). She’s also had a change of violin teacher as 30 mins during school time just wasn’t working as she was missing work and tests and then had to catch up at lunchtime which then interfered with orchestra and choir. It was a hard decision as she’d had the same fantastic teacher for 7 years but we found a new one who lives less than a mile from our door (and we live in the absolute middle of nowhere). DDs now having an hour lesson and gets on really well with the new teacher.

Hello everybody, happy new year, glad the thread is back! We’re slowly getting back into the swing of term time again. We’ve been looking for a new teacher for DD 13 (flute) for a while and I’m hopeful we may have found the right person.. fingers crossed. She’s doing grade 8 this term so she has a lot to think about. Other DCs are pottering along nicely, DS1 doing piano grade 2 and DS2 doing clarinet grade 1 this time. Lots of chewed reeds but otherwise preparation going ok 🙂

Hi everyone - great that we are underway again! Thank you CruCru & Waffle.

DS is at specialist school & plays trumpet & piano. He attends JD in London and will be doing NCO Main Orch and NCBBGB this year. It's going to be a busy one!