Spring /Summer 25 - Music thread

Dd does ABRSM for all of hers. She’s committed to getting better at sight singing and intervals so I’ve suggested the app that you recommended up-thread.

That is good @QueenMabby - yes the G8 was a really tough call for DD2 - she is glad it is done now but it produced stress in the last week. I am glad she didn't do the g7 singing she was supposed to do as well (fortunately or unfortunately there was no trinity exam session booked as lack of interest so she didn't do it. She's now moving to ABRSM). Year 12 much better.

Dd also picking g8 pieces @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - piano and cello for her. She’s managed to persuade her singing teacher to let her skip g5 and go straight to g6 and do musical theatre rather than classical. Looks like next year is going to be the year of exams for her which is good. Not sure I could cope with it and academic exams too!

@Happydaysandhappysmiles My friends son (drummer) uses loops as well. My daughter found them hard to put in but she was on the young side of their age guidance so I think she was just a bit small - apparently I have narrow ear canals so it might be hereditary. I started with loops for brass band rehearsals and have upgraded to ACS custom ones which are much better for brass playing. They needed custom moulds, which I got at Boots but Boots don't do the moulds for under 18s so you might need to go somewhere more specialist for kids.

That's a bargain for the right instruments and level @Ubertomusic . Maybe I'll check nearer the time for the summer ones for DD2 in the hope they'll provide something similar.

At the moment DD2 can't wait to get home - she seems to have finally discovered homesickness after a year and a half, and there are two more days of symphony rehearsals to go.

I think the GCSE/grade 8/Haydn's Creation combo may have been too much. Though she rang me tonight very excited because she'd been picking her grade 8 singing pieces. I'd really have thought she'd had enough exams for a while but it seems not.

Just realised NSSO is offering 50% discount to some instruments on their April courses, in case anyone is interested.
(no shortage of violins though, as usual).

I wanted some of those when in a very loud cafe at the weekend!

Have minor complications here - final diploma recording supposed to be same day as all-day GCSE drama practicals. Hmmm...

@Happydaysandhappysmiles my dd2 has loops - I got her the ones where you can twist them to change the amount of noise they block as she often uses them for general life as well as music. You can only use certain types of earplugs when you're playing I think, but I'm glad she does as she's often in front of the percussion!

I noticed a child wearing loop earplugs at a concert recently that one of mine was in and it got me thinking. Have any of you invested in something similar? Cellos were in front of brass and percussion so not probably great for hearing! 2 hrs of weekly rehearsals too. Thanks

Hi I hope it is okay to join the thread. I have one dc, who is currently getting the jitters about recording his Grade 8 piano performance exam. I must say I will be pleased when it is over and done with. With all exams and performances, the week or two before, it all seems to unravel. Goes well in the end though.

@WheelySquirrel DD also used ABRSM theory app.

DD was once the very last person for the exam period in a particular centre and her teacher rang up with the results a couple of hours later. Saved all the frayed nerves caused by waiting (mine at least).

Absolutely - quite scary!!!!

Thank you - these look good and I think we’ll try them and see how she gets on.

Still waiting for results from Thursday exam. Google mocks me by telling me "you visit often" when i go to abrsm website!

Goodness, that’s intense!

Dd who is also mathematically minded and liked to check things off did all the books but only took the g5 theory exam.

LAMDA used to tell you in person at the end of the exam - pretty scary....

My DD is a mathematician too so worked through the books quite quickly. We used the poco music series initially, which I would recommend.

I would say work through them, though no need to do the exams for each grade. Then the knowledge builds and is more likely to stick - in my opinion anyway.

Good to know I’m not alone with the parental nerves!

On a slightly different note, those of you with older/more advanced musicians, would you recommend working through the theory grades or just doing grade 5 as and when needed? I’m wondering whether to get one of the workbooks for my DD (she is quite mathematically minded so I think it might suit her) but equally don’t want to overwhelm her if really there’s no point for a while yet.

We had Grade 8 back in two days last March, so same turn around for all the other grades done here.

Interestingly, we have just had a LAMDA result back in a record 15 days (Grade 7, but again I’m not sure that makes a difference) which is a huge improvement.

Oh and then his has his GCSE drama practical all day the next day. Fortunately he apparently knows all his lines, and there's much eye-rolling at the thought of maybe rehearsing.

Thankfully DS has his exams at school, tho that doesn't stop me obsessively checking the ABRSM website for the results! His g8 took about eight weeks to come back last summer - fortunately his teacher did the chasing, or my refresh button would have been completely worn out.

We have an end of term concert on Wednesday too. Think DS will be in six of the ensembles in one form or other! I've been drafted in to play the bassoon in the orchestra, and won't get a chance to go to the rehearsals! What can go wrong!!

Hate to disillusion you all but I'm nervous as one of DDs pupils has her G2 piano today. Not sure it will ever go away!!!