What to suggest to fill a term of music lessons with no goal?

[DowntonTrout]

DD has won a place at a Theatre School and so is moving school after Christmas, shes Y6 anyway so only moving 2 terms early. I've handed in the notice to school and DD will continue her singing, piano and recorder lessons up until then as you have to give a full terms notice to stop.

She took singing and piano grades in the summer and so, I suppose, there isnt time for her to prepare for another grade and I don't particularly want to push for that as I know grades arent the be all and end all.

Her music teacher has asked to speak to me about what I want her to do with DD. tBH I would have cancelled the lessons if I could, it's almost £400 and it feels like she's just going to be marking time. There are no performance opportunities coming up, or music festivals, so nothing to work towards.

I would like to say just have fun with music. Sing some thing that DD wouldn't usually have chance to try, instead of plodding away with folk songs, trad, grade work, but this teacher and I have had run ins before. She is not inspirational, teaches by bullying, has called DD stupid, idiot etc ( its her manner, she's the same with all the pupils). I nearly pulled DD out of her lessons before over it.

I feel a bit like she's thinking DD is leaving so there's not much point bothering with her. I don't know what to suggest and I'm not looking forward to this meeting. She has pooh-poohed songs in the past that DD has learnt at home and asked to sing. She has refused to enter DD into music festivals before claiming DD is not ready ( DD was entered by an out of school choral director and DD won the class and beat much older pupils from school- it didn't go down well.)

Any ideas what I can suggest she does? Surelyif there's no pressure for exams DD could just be doing music she enjoys?

Thanks for all the input.

The teacher wants to enter DD for some festivals. She's suggested a piano piece, two set vocal pieces and has allowed DD to choose a song for a musical theatre catergory.

She also suggested doing lots of work on scales on the piano, to keep DD going until she decides whether to keep up with private lessons at the new school. I said no to that as it would probably make DD want to give up! We've reached a compromise as DD played and sang the "Sing" piece she's been working on at home and they're going to work on that.

To be fair to the teacher she said she was devastated to be losing DD, which is the nicest thing she's said in 5 years!

DD has (predictably) chosen to sing Popular for the MT piece, which is a class for ages up to 21yo! I'm a bit surprised she's being entered for that as she's 10 but teacher and DD are both happy for once so I'm willing for her to have a go at it.

As for introducing us to Kristin Chenoweth purplepenguin DD has discovered The Girl from 14g- you have no idea what you've done!

Oh that song is incredible isn't it? Bloody hard sing though! I'm sure your DD already knew Kristin Chenoweth - she was Glinda!

Ga-Linda !!? Oh well that explains a lot. We have seen Wicked numerous times - hence DDs desire to sing all the songs.

Yes brilliant song. It's the opera bits she loves.

I'm looking through your other suggestions for possible audition pieces for her to try- she already knows some Whistle Down the Wind songs and did When Children Rule The World at Christmas last year. Thanks again.