Autumn 2020 music thread

Hello all.
Not sure if anyone can remember me, I've been on these threads since the very first one, used to be a prolific poster, but not as much the last year or so.

Well here we are a family of musicians and entertainers, who apart from dh teaching have lost it all.
It's so tough trying to instil the necessity of a plan B for somebody who won't listen.
What do you do? How can you tell them there's likely to me no chance of a career in music.
Even teaching is suffering, who wants to learn something that will be extinct.

Ooh mini snowballs, we are hoping to get a big bassoon soon, Dd2 is growing out of the mini. Unfortunately we can't have face to face lessons or visitors here so not sure when ( the teacher has it). I'm sure it will look huge on her but I know she will love it. It will also make duets etc so much easier as no transposing. However, practice will take forever as she is so slow at putting the mini together, I'm sure the big one will be worse. She's kind of reached the limit of the mini as it doesn't go high enough.

Thanks third fiddle. Good thoughts here. I'll talk to them (again). Sometimes it feels I am really struggling to communicate what I mean with them - I just don't speak the right 'language' somehow... onwards an upwards.

In more fun news, dd2 has acquired a full-size bassoon. Big, aren't they!?

Comefromaway that's so lovely! Fabulous when they find their thing. You must be so proud (and relieved)

We are struggling here. Both girls now at the same saturday music school, which the younger one is very used to, but the older one is finding it all a bit dispiriting.

As a new viola (transitioning from violin) she has been promoted way above her level of competence and has a quartet and a string orchestra where the other children are WAY more experienced than she is (the only other violist one is a purcell student and obviously amazing. DD has been playing since february and is around grade 5). I guess they just needed another viola and didn't really think about how she'd cope. She's 13 and has never played in a quartet in her life - and doesn't have any music theory yet. The string orchestra she's in has 23 violins and two violas so she's massively exposed when playing online.

It's a bit souldestroying and I seem to spend my entire time emailing them and saying 'er, she can't do that', which is depressing. They keep devoting all of her lesson time to 'sorting out' her quartet playing so that she can keep up with children who have been playing for many years when she's still struggling with a new clef. I'm proud of her for gritting her teeth and keeping on, but even her individual lessons aren't in person so it's not fun in any way.

Not really sure what to do - we never asked for her to be given quite so much at such a high level - there are lots of lower ensembles and lots of children don't yet have a quartet. I was very clear on her knowledge and background when she auditioned and they keep just piling on the new music and the pressure. It would be so much easier if it was in person but it feels rather fraught - she barely has time to learn it all.

Her sister's a wind player so I've never had to deal with the strings dept before. Any thoughts about how to tackle this well very much appreciated. They certainly don't pressure her sister like this.

Had virtual parent's evening at ds's college and I honestly couldn't get a word in edgeways. The tutor was enthusing. After year after year of coming away from parent's evenings so dispirited it was fabulous.

We’re missing singing too horseymum. Dd is yr 7 and they have put on a y7 choir but there’s only six of them!! Possibly because it’s before school. 🙄
Usually choir is years 7-9 but it’s not happening and neither is the school’s church choir which rehearses twice a week and sings 2-3 church services a month. However singing lessons (and all other music lessons) are happening in person and we are very grateful for that. No ensembles though.

I found the booking for the theory was fine once I realised how to make a new account. Obviously the new one I made last year didn't work! Off to hunt for some practice papers for digital exam now she's done all the old ones. Thankfully the only exam we are doing this year.
Zoom lessons returning was not greeted with joy in our house, they would just love to play with other people. Primary school would normally do quite a bit of singing so missing that too.

DD’s school had a nightmare booking all the pupils in! By the time they had got logged in all the later slots were gone. dd now has to get her g5 performance recording in before we break up for half term! She gets v nervous being recorded so I’m recording her in my phone as much as possible in the hope she gets used to it!

Finally got an ABRSM slot after three hours. I only needed one. Why are they so cr*p? After the fiasco that was August's online theory exam I couldn't believe this didn't work either!

Well, DS told me his teacher threatened to drop him as a pupil today due to lack of practice. Things seem to be coming to a head fairly quickly, I have warned DS many times....he promises to practice tomorrow for half an hour but we will see....I have refused to nag him any more, it is up to him now!

OMG yes I feel your pain!

I only needed to book one practical exam and it took 5 hours.

Tried changing browser, on my phone. It was an absolute fiasco!

I still don’t know if we have an actual slot. Waiting for final confirmation.

Anyone want to talk about the fiasco that is the ABRSM booking website today? Tried for 3 hours to book 8 exams. Website kept crashing. Hundreds of teachers complaining on FB and Twitter. They've had bags of time to sort it out since January's debacle! Luckily, it was my day off today, but for those that were trying to enter their students on their lunch break etc., I feel sorry for them!

Newbie here! Hoping to learn lots as hopefully I'm at the start of a long "music parent" journey.

DS (aged 9) is loving piano, currently having in person lessons in our house (with all the doors open - not sure how long that will last for!). Working through the Trinity Initial pieces and also working through Grade 1 theory. He's hasn't picked up his recorder since March and although he wants to start a different instrument (as well as keeping with piano) we've agreed to think about that next spring - any suggestions? 🤣

DD (aged 6) started piano during lockdown, with me teaching her, now having piano lessons and enjoying it!

abrsm exams are bookable from tomorrow

Sorry to gatecrash your thread - quick question! We haven’t resumed music lessons yet so can’t ask teacher. Are exams back on? My eldest DS is motivated by having an exam to work for...

DH age 13 is very musical with a great sense of rhythm (which I don't have :-) He is learning trumpet and piano. He is great with jazz. I've always had to nag a bit to get him to practice but he used to long to play his trumpet and play other things he liked.

Over lockdown and the summer he sent in some videos of himself playing different parts requested by his bands (I had to nag him). The videos were great. He said he hated playing by himself.

He's missed out on a lot due to COVID: county band closed, music tour cancelled, residential cancelled.

School bands have started up again but no plans as yet to do a concert.

Online lessons have continued over the summer.

DS no longer picks up his instrument for fun, and has to be nagged to practice. He says that Grade 6 trumpet is too hard.

I am concentrating on encouraging DS to play fun stuff; about at a grade 3, to boost his confidence.

I was wondering about reducing the lessons to fortnightly and alternate practice days. This means postponing the dream that DS once wanted of being a trumpeter. He now says he wants to be a computer programmer.

The big issue for my dh (a member of both the ISM and MU) is that he can make his teaching room at our house covid secure. He can be responsible for gaps between lessons to ensure ventilation, wiping down etc etc. He would be reliant on others who may not be so vigilant for lessons in their houses (something he's never offered anyway)

The private music teachers are all totally stressed trying to work out as MU and ISM both say totally different things. I think if they are considered tradespeople it might be ok! Trying to get clarity is impossible. Hopefully we will get some soon as can't do another few months of zoom. Some who have totally separate studios might be ok but most don't. Woodwind not allowed inside at all anyway.

Come from, that sounds brilliant that he has found his thing.
I'm just about weeping with having to go back to zoom lessons, in Scotland so no visitors to your house.

I feel like I have a different child. He goes to bed earlier, sleeps better, is up early even on days not in college. He is making friends, he is playing music all day, every day (and composing and programming).

he is communicative, he talks to us, he makes us come into the spare bedroom (his little studio) to hear what he has been working on. He laughs, he jokes.

Allowing ds to do the thing he loves at college is the best thing EVER. My demand avoidant, depressed, child with daily meltdowns has been transformed.