Autumn 23 Music chat

On the theory, yes I was also thinking it had got a lot easier being online. But I guess we kind of did the writing bits just from working through the books. We and teachers tried to do theory in parallel as we went along, but DS has been resistant to doing anything written so at least doing the g5 exam gives him a bit of extra foundation. In the end what with having worked through books when he was younger and what he's picked up in instrumental lessons and school lessons there wasn't a lot of extra to learn, but putting it all together and making sure he could do it slickly.

MelodiousThunk (such a good user name!) do i gather your background is in jazz? Jazz is very theoretical from what I understand. Grade 5 jazz itself counts as an alternative to g5 theory when it comes to accessing higher grade classical exams. G5 theory doesn't require harmonising as such. Maybe one qn of working out which chord would fit at a particular place in a melody, the options were like I, IV, V, nothing you could debussy.

In classical cadenzas are hardly ever actually improvised. Even if someone plays an original one, they write it in advance. Not least so the conductor knows when to wake the orchestra up. Though kids' ensembles are often quite good at trying to encourage some improvising, it is recognised as a good skill.

I'd love to learn more about proper jazz. My kids' teachers don't do it either, just the occasional jazzy piece from anthologies. DS thought about following jazz route at one point, but was advised to wait till he was more advanced in classical, and now he's more into video game music so unlikely to go back to the idea.

Oh wow, congrats to horseyDD, piccoloDS and PollyannaDS 🎉 And sorry no luck pinkgrapefruit, there's always next year, and also many other brilliant playing opportunities out there.

Thanks @horseymum - he will try again next year and hopefully Inspire will help him to be more prepared. One of his bassoon keys stuck in one of his pieces so he had to restart, so he was sort of not expecting to have been successful (but hoping that he was all the same!).

Congrats to the NYO successes! DS unfortunately didn't make it, so he's pretty disappointed. He's eligible for Inspire, so will get something down that route but not sure what yet.

DS got in too!
Absolutely over the moon for him, especially as he was a bit down about how he felt he played at the audition.

Well done, horseymum and Pollyanna8844!

Congratulations to your DD @horseymum that is great news!
We have a happy DS here that has got back in for next year. Next stop NYO Unite!

Does anyone have experience of the ABRSM performance grades. I'm looking at grade 5 piano next year and wondered if anyone had any tips on getting the best recording? The piano teacher recommended having the recording before entering for the exam which seems a bit odd.

If they used to require metrical annotation of a lyric melody that's actually a very useful skill (and one I'm rubbish at). The ABRSM jazz syllabus doesn't require grade 5 theory but incorporates practical theory right from grade 1 which was a pleasant surprise when DS started on it. I've been very pleased with how forward-looking it is as a syllabus, certainly more so than Trinity which is the much better established Jazz syllabus.

Agree with @northerngoldilocks - if it had the interesting stuff in it it would still be useful. But it really doesn't and is just tick box chords, intervals etc.

DD2 is now doing GCSE music in a great class and is really excited by the theory she's learning there- spent an inordinate amount of time telling me about basso continuo on Saturday (not that I'm much the wiser). That is much more useful stuff for playing music, in my very inexpert opinion.

Grade 5 theory used to be pretty rigorous and interesting - setting words to a rhythm, cadences, simple chord harmony, triad inversions etc.
It was a really useful prep for O level (showing my age) and A level music, and just learning how to correctly notate things like rests and beat groupings was really helpful to reading music.

Now that it’s all online, a lot of the value is lost IMO.

@northerngoldilocks hmm, I just looked at the grade 5 theory syllabus and I have to agree with you - it looks more like "the naming of things" rather than how to use them to make music. Although it does seem to have choice of chords to harmonise a simple melody which is a good start - I bet they take a dim view if you full Debussy in the exam though!

@MelodiousThunk I think yes and no on the theory and whether its a shame. I totally agree that its a really important part of overall musical education and knowledge, but i think that the way that ABRSM have it as a barrier to further practical grades does mean that it will feel like a chore for many, together with the content of the online testing now which means that more than ever its feeling like a tick box exercise. It does give a foundation and its needed, but i'm also not sure that it particularly goes far enough in terms of any of the things you noted, and maybe that comes more through the aural tests in the exam and working with teachers to develop those skills.

Is it just me that is a bit sad that theory is just seen as something to get out of the way? I find my appreciation of music, and my ability to create my own, is massively enhanced by having a good understanding of theory. I use it all the time: transposing on the fly, improvising over non-diatonic changes, making interesting substitutions, modal mixture to enliven otherwise pedestrian harmonies and develop themes etc. I know that there is less emphasis on improvisation in classical music these days, but cadenzas are still a thing.

@herbaceous loving the idea of a dodgy teen Artful Dodger- hope he gets it!

Afternoon all!

Usual busy weekend here. DS was dragooned into the fourth horn spot in our excellent city chamber orchestra concert last night. They're amazing. He just had to be at the back and have an easy part, but it has inspired him.

Was told at 2.30 (for evening rehearsal) that he needed a DJ and bow tie! Cue mad dash around the city's charity shops for the relevant sort of jacket. Found one, but it's so vast it's like a frock coat. Still, he'll grow into it!

Then church choir this morning, and now School of Rock rehearsal.

His school show this year is Oliver. Which would have been fab a year ago when an angelic choirboy, as he'd had been a shoe in for O! He's going for Artful Dodger, in the hope they'll cast in the style of 'dodgy teen' with his newly broken voice...

Thanks everyone.
Music boarding school sounds amazing! What an experience.

School orchestras have started back here(a general one and a grade 5+ one so not super high grade but is really good fun.) They also have a flute group which she enjoys.

Our Saturday orchestra is fantastic! But for the full orchestra it's audition and grade 8 for flute so that's the goal for summer. 🤞 For now there's wind ensembles and she's doing flute in the senior one and oboe in the junior one. Last year she had a theory class in the junior slot so she is soon relieved not to be doing that!

She's come along way in a short time so I think has picked it all up well, and I'm sure all the ensembles have helped and being inspired by older years etc. (I know it's not compared to those doing high grades at 11 years old etc I'm.in awe of that!)

She has a longer music lesson now and I am hoping she will increase her practice to make the extra lesson time worthwhile!

Great news @CupOfCoffeePlease - always a relief to get it out of the way! Glad to hear all the new ensembles and schools are going so well. We are starting the Christmas preparations here.

Great news @CupOfCoffeePlease - so good to get it out of the way and eliminate any requirement for theory. After this it's only for those who want to do it rather than a blanket rule!

Good to hear about others music starting back too. DS finally back at sat music too- his supporting studies is apparently a shock to the system as he's now in the older group- no more quizzes! Otherwise really enjoyed his first Saturday.

Hooray CupofCoffeePlease's DD!

And minisnowballsDD too, that all sounds really positive and incredibly hard working.
And QueenMabby DD. I so envy having ensembles happening at school. DC's school have nothing, so we are v lucky to have a good local music centre and other teachers who organise things.

@minisnowballs - it's a school ensemble so there is a range of ability but probably all g5+. Our current upper sixth is randomly VERY musical. Lots of really high achieving musicians. It's odd isn't it that some school years are just like that. Clusters of brilliance!

@QueenMabby Les Mis ensemble will be brilliant -great songs and fun characterisation. What a good choice.

Fab the chamber orchestra going so well - sounds very high level - fabulous experience for her.