Spring 23 music thread

Hello all.

Been a while since I posted on here... I have no useful knowledge of national ensembles or JDs, so am not much use in that regard.

DS - the angelic choirboy - is hurtling through puberty. For the first time his voice cracked on a high note in a solo the other day, so he's getting prepared to hang up his boy treble boots. I think I'm more emotional about it than he is! He's looking forward to being a tenor (he hopes) and playing romantic leads in musicals. He's doing a 'last hurrah' concert on Sunday, and has decided to turn down any further invitations for solos in case he does a humiliating yodel!

Gearing up for his grade 8 piano, performance grade. Had a fun time at a piano competition in Harrogate, where his class was won by a prodigy from Cheethams, who has been wiping the floor with the competition for eight years (I looked him up!). Didn't seem to enjoy any aspect of the process though... will be playing in his piano trio for the school's open day.

God merit in his initial grade viola after a term of lessons, and is storming along with French horn.

Oh, and he's going to be Lawrence in a non-school production of School of Rock!

Sorry - lots of boasting there...

Fingers crossed 🤞 :)

@JRBS I don't want to raise your hopes but I'd say it's 99% likely that our sons have places. There was only one day of auditions for the mini bass. They clearly let everyone know who didn't get a place before Easter. They will let us know this week. There will be information and forms they need to send to the people who get a place. Hence the wait for us. It was kindest to let the people know who didn't have a place. Fingers crossed, I'm right!

RCMJD were still auditioning last week (generally, not sure about the mini bass programme) if that is any use, so it isn’t the case that all applicants to JD necessarily find out at the same time.

@MozartIsMyBestie , they didn't get a place

Hi @JRBS Just seen your reply here too. They informed someone else who applied for the same course before Easter? Did they get a place? I would think they'd let everyone know together. That's bad. The only other option is to group people into those who got in and those who didn't. Did your friend's child get a place?

Hi, thank you! Yes, they wanted the same course. My son passed gr 5 on piano. He said the audition wasn't difficult, but who knows :). With the kids it is difficult to understand.

@JRBS Good Luck! Was your friend applying for the same course? Maybe different instruments are informed at different times? What standard is your son on the piano? Was the audition hard? I am interested to consider this course for my DC.

Thanks @horseymum - I do agree that changing teachers can bring positive change too, and we've definitely seen it with DD this year, just so much improvement, its just that both my kids changed teachers at the beginning of this academic year, so it feels like more chopping and changing that i'd ideally want. Still - at least it will give her a new teacher to work towards gr 8 with.

I'm sure I read about someone else who did, maybe do a search. Good luck, hope he gets in, I love playing bass.
@northerngoldilocks it's tricky changing teachers, although we have actually had good experiences when doing so, it's brought a freshness so, whilst it may not be ideal, hopefully it works out fine in the end.

Hi
I'm new here. I have an 8y.o.boy who love to play piano.
I hope it is ok to ask if anyone tryed to apply for RCM mini- bass program this year?
Did you receive the results already?
One of my friends received before Easter, but we didn't hear anything from them. I started to think if they forgot about us.

Hi @Violasrule , I don't have any experience of this, I've not heard of a bad ensemble course though!

Hi,

I posted this on a different thread but didn’t get any responses.

Does anyone have any experience of NYSO? DD seriously thinking of auditioning for next year but I can’t find much information about it apart from their website.

Thanks!

aaaargh - just heard that DD's amazing piano teacher who she only switched to in September this year is taking a year out and so not teaching on Saturdays next year. This means she will need to have another new teacher. I'm sure there will be other good teachers she can have and it will all be ok, its just such a shame as it was a really good 'fit' teaching wise and she has been making amazing progress with him. Added to the fact that I'm also trying to switch DSs piano teacher at his Sat centre too, am basically feeling that piano is falling into the 'tricky' category.

Thank you all, I've ordered both to see how we go.

Realised that the one @horseymum mentioned is what DD uses at Saturday music theory classes too- so yes, either should be fine for a 7 year old.

Music Theory For Young Musicians
Ying Ying Ng is what I'm using with a wee recorder pupil. It's also helping her visualise a keyboard which she's not that familiar with. I also second the app, my kids have used it. You can go back over each section till you are getting good marks consistently.

@mummyoffourminimes we used the Lina Ng ones- the ABRSM books are awful and best avoided!

www.musicroom.com/theory-of-music-made-easy-grade-1-fabmpt300301

You can also get the ABRSM theory app and the bonus is its grades 1-5. There are lessons and then questions on each section but I don't think it's enough on its own.

Please wise mums could you also recommend to me a first theory book? For a 7yo pianist around initial grade 🙏

Great tip thank you. I've explained this to her and she seems up for it!

@mummyoffourminimes some are easier than others so worth a look through- but don't let her be disheartened by the weird 'level 2-3' on the front as it doesn't seem to align with ABRSM grades and so if some of them are tricky or have notes she hasn't learnt yet just come back to them later on (or use the chart at the back)!

Thanks @Mumsafan we are in an area with a strong county provision also

Thank you for this @northerngoldilocks I will check it out. Gd3+ will be something to aim for 😬

The Harry Potter themes/ music have been great for both my DDs instruments through the grades.

She has missed out a few exams along the way - mainly due to Covid and various other poor timings. It's always been such a blessing that they allow them to do this.

Music tuition/ provision isn't always better in private. It depends on the school.

With us from Year 1 - Year 5 private prep and fantastic music provision and visting teachers - she still has lessons with the brass teacher today.

Year 6 - Year 11 (currently Year 11) - another private school but lacking in music provision now, has faded over the years sadly, but the town has a brilliant music service with which she has lessons and also plays in County groups /orchestras. Most of the kids in her groups are in state school with very good music provision usually provided by the music service.

Sixth Form - the school she is planning on going to, again, has brilliant music provision and visiting teachers so she probably won't be doing much with the music service.