Summer term 2019 music

Hello,

First posting from me!

I have two cellists DD12 and DS8. Eldest also just passed Grade 2 piano with Distinction. DD will sit grade 6 cello next term but basically held back a year by not having done Grade 5 theory (just passed with Distinction). Her teacher has insisted that Grade 6 can not be skipped so we’re going with it. It’s likely we’re going to have a change of teacher soon as they haven’t really gelled.

My question is about the JDs in London.

I’ve just dropped my daughter to her second Pro Corda course. She loves the course and several of her friends are at RCM or RAM. DD is playing alongside these children with no problems and loving the music.

Can anyone give an indication about expected standards for these JDs. My view is that DD is playing at Grade 7 standard presently and we would be looking at the 2020 auditions. Is this realistic?

@Margia Ooh good to have someone else doing the madness.
@thirdfiddle I've found it really helpful to have a set practice time in the morning. Also my partner is a professional musician which is encouraging.

Do composition teachers normally put their name on a piece of music in addition to the student's name? The musical ideas are the student's but of course the teacher is helping to develop them. I was a bit surprised but have no idea how these things normally work.

@rivierliedje hello from another parent working for diplomas! I’m back having piano lessons in the hope of doing DipABRSM and am thankful that my teacher (the organist and choirmaster who has to deal with my DD on a weekly basis) encourages me to swear at Bach fugues!

Congrats to all the successful theorists!

And jolly well done, rivierliedje, great result (I’m sure you’ll get your 130+ next time )

Yes, it is so much nicer having made my own entry, just being able to get them myself. I hope nobody's school or teacher makes them wait till the new term for results.

I would highly encourage it thistly. I hadn't had a lesson in six years (or in fact a cello) when I picked it up again about 10 months ago. I only had three lessons right before the exam, which was possible not the best strategy, but it felt really good to practice at my own tempo and only at my on behest. I'm considering grade 5 next, and I finally have the courage to work steadily through a sight reading programme for piano, in the hopes of one day getting it up to standard for the diploma. I did all 8 grades as a child and scraped through the sight reading only once. Failed miserably both times I attempted the diploma.

Thanks Fiddle, yes, I’m sick of cake! Really pleased to be done with results for the exams auditions and so on, really looking forward to the summer and hoping to hear lots of playing around with music as they have the opportunity to do that with all lessons off for for a few months.

River, i’m So sorrry I assumed it was your dc waiting the results... i’m Actually even more impressed for an adult to go for the exams. It’s something in the back of my mind, but not sure I ever will.
Well done!

It sounds like most people have had theory results now,,, well done everybody for going through the process. Seems like mostly passes, but if your entrant didn’t make it this time, hopefully the experience has meant they will be able to approach it with more confidence next time.

Quite a few practical exams still to hear, so all the best to those people. Hope nobody has to wait til September to hear.

well done all theory takers, and river for your exam - superb stuff! We are winding down happily for summer - my little flute player has split her lip open so struggling to practise at all (or talk), and term is nearly done. Saturday centre is over and we have our weekends back!

I idly looked at the piece dd has been set for cello grade 3 (watkins ale) on youtube yesterday. The lyrics are very, very rude (though elizabethan, so obviously quite archaic). Someone at ABRSM is having a laugh there - and to think I felt guilty about forgetting to turn on the explicit filter for dds karaoke birthday party!

Jensboys thanks for the tips on de-bubbling trumpets. My instinct was to dunk the whole thing in the bath before I read your post. Not sure how I would have dried it. Thankfully the trumpet sorted itself out overnight and he played really well - Hedwig's Theme in the cathedral - amazing acoustics and very atmospheric and emotional. And thankfully bubble free!

Midlife if I were PM I'd make every child either play an orchestral/ ensemble instrument or sing in a choir. It teaches so many great life skills. My DS is a percussionist so he's learnt fantastic team working skills along with the confidence to roll his timps louder than the whole symphony orchestra put together! And, yes, if you've got the cajones to take a grade exam then that's great preparation for the grown up world.

Well done Thistly DC... that’s amazing news and no more waiting! Cake is great but too much does tend to bring on the opposite effect...lol x

Midlife That sounds very stressful! You must be proud of your DD for taking it in to her stride so well.

Thistly that was my exam, not dc's
I know what you mean about the brass. I played for a few years as a child. A few weeks into lessons the teacher made me cry because my trumpet wasn't working properly and he was angry that I hadn't fixed it. But he hadn't explained what was wrong with it and what I needed to do.

It's funny you say that boys but I always say to the kids that preparing for music exams is such a life skill - the working hard beforehand, the controlling of nerves, the confident delivery etc I think kids who have done lots of music exams before they get to public exams cope much better with the pressure.

She's an oboist which is one of the harder instruments to play when stressy! Thankfully her examiner was lovely and very understanding of the situation.

Midlife Oh my goodness! How awful for you both! On the positive side it'll make a great example for future conservatoire/uni/job interviews when asked about stressful or unplanned situations and how brilliantly it sounds like she coped with it. Demonstrates great resilience and flexibility!

DD had a real 'mare yesterday. Her accompanist arrived late for her grade VIII so she had to do her exam in reverse (study, sight-reading, scales, aural first) and then wait for him to do her pieces. He arrived just in time (ie 10-15 minutes into her exam) - but there was no chance of a run through of her pieces.

Not ideal! To be fair though, I think I was more stressed than she was!

Thanks GoodbyeKitty. She’s pleased 😀.
Goood luck for your swift arrival of results
Lotsof. Here is some 🍰 and also 🥂

Trumpets and in fact all brass instruments are a total mystery for get your head round.

I wish our brass teachers were a little more into teaching maintenance... it’s vital!

Ilovesushi, try taking out the slide where the spit valve is and use a sheet of kitchen roll rolled up tight to clean into the slide. Also try the same where the mouthpiece is inserted. We have a cleaning kit from Amazon that is worth buying for the future. My older ds gives his trumpet (minus the valves) a bath now and again to give it a good clean. Very important to dry out well afterwards though.

Hoping any trumpet mums can help - my son has a solo performance at his primary school leavers service tomorrow. Practicing this evening and the trumpet is 'bubbling'. He's had a go draining the spit but it's still making noises. Usually when we can't rid of the sound we just wait it out, but clearly that won't work in this situation. Anything I can do? Sorry if I leapt in mid conversation by the way. Thanks!

Well done to your dd Thistly
Was worth the wait. Time for more

That’s fantastic river! Well done to your dc.
Finally heard from music centre; a merit for grade 5 theory! Well done dd! So proud of her. She has achieved so much more that I did already.

Well done everybody on the great results! We had late practical exams so still waiting , hoping the school music staff will be kind and email over the summer break rather than waiting till September!

Sorry thistly
Got my results yesterday (finally, after a few calls). 127 Which I am very happy with. Though there is a small part of me that wishes for three more points

Do you know when you'll hear?

Gah, can’t believe i’m Still in the waiting room! .... anyone else? Someone pop their head round the door and tell me about an amazing concert their dc performed in please!

I’m getting sick of 🍰 🤢