Autumn 23 Music chat

@Alsoplayspiccolo DD2 was wondering what to do in prep as she didn't have any - but I'm sure she passed the time.

Specialist timetable does look brutal indeed - but the climbing etc seems to be her PE activities - I think they're compulsory until Sixth Form? She's trying to negotiate her way out of RE for more practice periods which should help.

In contrast, minisnowballs, DS messaged at 10.30pm last night to say that he was having trouble with the Netflix password and could we help? 😆
When we asked how everything was going, he replied that her had no lessons, just an admin day, and no lessons today either - just football training this afternoon.

He didn't do any extra activities last year - no time, so don't be surprised if your DD drops climbing etc. In the words of DS's previous matron, the specialist's timetable is "brutal".

Wow @minisnowballs , sounds exciting and different and a bit scary (in a good way!) just as an adult to hear that itinerary! What an experience, and from everything you've said on here, I'm sure she'll thrive on it. I have so much admiration for the young people on here and that we meet on our various musical outings...they seem to just blossom under the pressure and it's admirable and inspiring to watch. I know I would crumble at half the things they do, on a weekly basis!!

DD starts next week, all very exciting, a bit nerve wracking too, but taking the "it's a privilege to feel the pressure" approach. She needs organised music back in her life, summer has been far too long for her without it.

School is a weird one, one music teacher is as you say, realises that DD is 'useful' and is actually pretty encouraging . The head of music is pretty new and a tricky character by all accounts, doesn't seem to be interested in orchestra/ensembles at all. Sadly virtually all of the ensembles are gone or going and it's choirs only. No dig at the choirs from me, but that's all school want to offer these days. The tiger parent thing is funny to me too - I've gotten a bit more sharp elbowed these days as realised DD needs it, but god, I'm far from a tiger parent. I can't be for music anyway - I know so little!!!

@georgedawes I completely get it - although you might find that after a while the school realises your DD is 'useful' to the music department. DD2 was hauled out of her lessons to do the recordings for all the GCSE students' ensemble work (as a singer) - I guess because they knew she was a safe pair of hands. She was also asked to organise concerts. We had a few years of the 'tiger parent' bit first though (and we really, really aren't).

Good luck with JD (when does she start?)

DD is settling in, but dealing with a huge number of music lessons that clash with one another and with ensembles and with her academic lessons. This will be sorted but she's having to be a real self-starter making sure she tells all of the teachers what she'll be missing while the timetable is fettled.

It feels like a deluge of information at present but sure all will become clear. I do feel very far away though.

Meanwhile she's acclimatising to Saturday academic lessons (ha!) and so much SPORT. She seems to have signed up for badminton and climbing - I'm not sure she knows how to do either - has an entire day on Monday learning how to stage fight (GCSE drama), and had already developed a slightly posh accent when I spoke to her on the phone yesterday. She's a real mimic and has been sounding very South East London for years so this is very funny.

Hello all, lost you on the new thread! Infrequent poster here, but love reading everyone's updates, especially as a non musical person myself. Good luck to all doing NYO auditions and how exciting to be starting specialist school @minisnowballs
Hope she's settling in, I reckon she'll take it all in her stride.

I'm not the most knowledgeable about opportunities, but can't recommend NYO inspire enough for children playing at grade 6+. I know most here know about it, but it's been so impactful for DD. It's free, and just such a different world to playing in a state school, with very little music provision. She has a great music centre but school is really not supportive or encouraging, I've tried to (very politely) ask if DD can do extension work, individual practice etc in school lessons but it's been a firm no with the implication we're tiger parents etc etc....it's just a waste of an hour really and putting her massively off GCSE music. On a more positive note, she's starting JD this term and can't wait!

@minisnowballs I'm glad drop off went well albeit rather drawn out! I'm sure she'll soo get into the swing of things. Must be so nice to have practice timetabled in. My dd would love that!

@thirdfiddle she sounds amazing!

It is too hot for back to school, it really is...

Glad you have had a successful if lengthy drop off mini! Even with normal secondary school DD was drooping by the time they'd done summer term visit, summer holiday experience X 3 days, plus two off timetable days at the beginning of term, and just wanted to get on with some lessons. By the end of it all and given the weather this week she reckoned the ice was not only well and truly broken, it had sublimed. (And if she managed to drop that little gem in at school she has given her new classmates and teachers maybe more insight than intended into how her mind works.)

@Alsoplayspiccolo thank god. I thought DD was going to explode by the end of it - she'd shaken hands with lots of people and said 'yes, bassoon' a lot and 'yes that is unusual' and listened to so many speeches on being kind to people.

Looking at today's timetable it seemed like another morning of the same so I hope she has not actually run away!

Ah, minisnowballs, it's only like that on moving in day for new pupils, don't worry.
DS and I arrived at 1.30pm, dropped the first of his gear to his new house, scooted across the lawn to the 6th form centre to grab some food and drink, caught up with his house mistress and tutor, and then finished moving him in - I was back on the road again in an hour and a half.
He was happy to be back and is looking forward to pre-term football training tomorrow afternoon and a full day of symphony orchestra on Sunday. 😀

Wow sounds very civilised and lovely 😊

Great that your DD is able to practise in school time @horseymum - mine got very fed up of leading the djembe drumming in music classes.

Extraordinary drop off with DD2 at new music school yesterday. Took all day, and just so, so hot. She is happy (I think) just wanted everyone to stop making speeches and offering tea on the lawn so that she could get on with this new stage in her life. We were quite outside our comfort zones as her parents but people were nice and kind.

Now just got to pray and hope it works out for her personally and musically. The opportunities are just so immensely different to what she's used to. And so odd to see 'practice' on her timetable for last period today - she's worried she won't know where to go but I'm sure someone will help her!

@se22mother heaven forfend I make a suggestion! Dd is definitely not receptive to those. Not really suggesting specialist school is the ‘wimpy’ option- just that I understand how hard it is to fit it all in otherwise!

We "wimped out " a long time ago but it is much more effective with practice supervisors etc than a mother "making suggestions". Hope your dd is really happy

DoE volunteering - DD helped in her school’s prep school at lunchtimes. DS would have helped in the junior school music department but then he saw a post looking for volunteers at a local aviation museum so he did that on a Sunday.

She used to do Scouts and tbh didn't love the hiking... but could it isn't completely unfamiliar if she does!

Ooh yes that would be an option.

I have just told her that it comes down to doing the expedition and she's said she'll swe which friends do it!

Thankyou 😊

@QueenMabby Never heard of Practice Pal, I'm afraid, so can't help there. Solidarity with the scheduling overload though!

@CupOfCoffeePlease the only way we managed to fit in DS's D of E volunteering was to do an online project that he could do here and there around everything else. The Zooniverse website has loads of options (he did Penguin Watch) and they are set up to certify for D of E hours in many cases. Although I wish he didn't, he really loves D of E and the expeditions, and I'm keen that he doesn't just do music (even though he seems to do all the music) so reluctantly we soldier on with D of E. There just wasn't another slot in the week for volunteering live, so the online option solved that problem.

@CupOfCoffeePlease it is sensible to know how much you can take on. my older dd is very good at knowing herself - musical dd2 is a nightmare and will just take on more and more until she breaks. Sounds like your DD is more balanced. I don't think DD2 will do Silver DofE - bronze was quite enough.

Oh wow music school must be wonderful. Hope she really enjoys it. What an adventure!

We are thinking about not doing D ofE simply as we can't fit the volunteering in... she has a sport that's flexible so that and music would cover a lot of it. She has to decide in the next few weeks.

She noticed last yrs Yr 10 and mocks, expedition and big orchestra concerts all v close together and wasn't sure she'd like that (also autistic so can get overhwlemd)

@CupOfCoffeePlease the scheduling has been a nightmare for music -we've wimped out now and DD is off to a music school where 'practice' appears as a scheduled period alongside her timetable and everything is on site. Lots of downsides to that too of course - she'll do fewer GCSES and (the biggest one) she will only be home every three weekends.

She was doing flute practice before school, bassoon and singing after and trying to fit in a million other things (including DofE, the school musical and an after school music GCSE) and it had definitely got too much.