Autumn / Winter 24 - music thread

I guess just depends what you mean by versatile, and the type of music you like playing the most. There is much more chamber music for horn than other brass,
for example.

Yes @MockCroc that’s exactly what I would have expected - I’m sure she will have a ball and they will be wowed by her.

Also I wouldn’t worry too much about the school music offering if she’s at a JD anyway.

My child would absolutely love reeds in her stocking! I would definitely check with her teacher although if you absolutely can't, howarth academy ones could be a good start. They usually start on easier ones and could be on them for a while, hard to predict how long. I don't know what hardness my DD uses as her previous teacher makes them for her ( I suspect they are the ones he makes for himself but aren't quite good enough for a pro but suit her so we've never changed). I would second the magnet pot as otherwise you'll have spilt pots of water everywhere. You could make one yourself if you had a film canister and some magnetic tape stuff and maybe some insulation tape to secure it. Although the oboist in the family uses those mini jam jars from hotels, I always get one if I'm staying away!
You can get a nice wee reed case from howarths for about £10. Or just use an m and s mint tin.

@TreeAtMyWindow DS is a bassoon player and usually has around three reeds on the go at any one time. They vary hugely depending on the level and instrument though, so it's worth checking with a teacher or a music shop. We got ds a new (second hand!) bassoon earlier this term and he needed an entirely new set of reeds for it because it was different in some way I don't really understand!

If you want fun bassoon accessories for a Christmas present, my ds has a magnetic water holder for his reed that attaches to his music stand that he finds really useful. It looks like an old film canister (that comparison is lost on him) but has a magnetic bit so it sticks to his stand. It helps his reeds to be the right moisture level in a concert if there's a lot of travelling involved.

Lots of fun bassoon t shirts on Red Bubble as well (optimist, pessimist, bassoonist, etc) with glasses of water.

I do! Not sure how I managed to leave out the most important word there.

Reeds, just the sort of thing every eight year old hopes to find in their stocking on Christmas morning.

Do you mean reeds? I think three, perhaps two 'easy' and one slightly harder for as she gets better.

Well done to @herbaceous's DS. All these talented kids! Our house is full of carols in preparation for chorister trials. I suspect I'm going to be feeling differently about this by mid-Jan when the trials actually roll around.

I'm busy buying bassoon supplies for DD to start in Jan (the best Christmas present is something you were going to have to buy anyway!). Can you lovely parents of bassoonists give me an idea of how many I need to buy? I know I could ask her teacher, but she's been so busy with all the end of term concerts that I don't really want to bother her. I'm wondering whether if I only buy two I'll come to regret it.

@chocolateisnecessary - seconding minisnowballs comments about pastoral care at Wells - also as a cathedral school they are used to having some very young boarders as choristers. Joe Tong who is running it this year is a really lovely man - very kind (although that doesn't let you get away with anything) and a very inspiring teacher. DD loved him.

and @herbaceous well done to your DS. Excellent stuff.

Am logging this in my head for when she's older. Thanks!

RCS in Glasgow has summer schools, including piano ( it's 12+, grade 8+) but not residential although you can book to stay in halls.

Fab, thanks both. It clashes with Viva Strings which she adores, but will consider it seriously the following year. I think the social side of it all is important and piano's hard for that for obvious reasons!

What I will say @chocolateisnecessary is that Wells is excellent pastorally - I'd be confident they'll be kind in their summer schools to littler ones - they're used to having young boarders as they have choristers.

Can I ask how old she is? My daughter's just gone 10. Wondering if it'd be too old for her. She's grade 6/7 level. She does so much stuff with orchestral instruments but piano's her main and feel it doesn't get the same weight outside her lessons.

DS is a v experienced orchestral player for his age, so those skills are what comes over in exams. He's much further up grades wise with piano and singing, but has managed to get there with never really nailing scales. He's a great one for winging it and see what happens!

Your DS sounds is very much same standard as my dc @herbaceous but mine is the opposite in the they nail the scales but mess up the aural!

I've often felt like actually the examiners are disposed to be a bit kinder to rare instruments - but i suppose it depends which one you get.

To give reassurance i have a horn player and i had this fear when they started secondary - the school didnt have an orchestra etc. My fears were misplaced and actually the school do some fab stuff just using the instrumentalists they've got even if its unconventional groupings! So yep they and their horn get thrown into all sorts of stuff very happily!

His teacher predicted him a 'strong distinction', so I think is disappointed. However, he never passed on this expectation to DS, thankfully!

Fab, thank you!

Wells should be good as Jo Tong is running it - my Dc's old teacher - he's lovely amazing and into duets etc as well as solo. CHets have one too.

Further horn news - DS has his grade 6 result back. A merit. He seems pleased!

26 for all his pieces, which his teacher thinks should be higher - his beef is that examiners never mark horns high enough, as they don't realise the technical achievement!

Pretty much full marks for sightreading and aural.

What let him down was scales - 12/21. Silly arse. He always leaves them until the weekend before to practise, and they often let him down.

Popped back on here and enjoyed seeing all the horn love. DD is going to a state secondary where they don’t have lots of anything so I will encourage her to throw herself - and her horn - into whatever there is. The staff are great and used to making do with what they have so I am sure she will be welcomed wherever they can make it work. It’s a great school but the lack of orchestral instruments (or in fact anything really apart from guitar, drums and piano) is my one sadness about it