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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

Not strictly " extra-curricular" but a few mumsnet vibes appreciated

36 replies

Theas18 · 29/04/2013 16:19

Hi DS has his AS music practical tomorrow. DD1 is coming home from uni to do the " group" part (LOL) because there just isn't anyone else he can play with at school.

The vibes are needed to help DS have nerves of steel, and for the examiner to understand the recorder is a "real" instrument. Mind you if you hear DS play and don't "get" that I think you shouldn't be examining!

For those that understand recorder music he's doing Hotteterre, Robin milford, and a Teleman canon sonata .

Thanks!

OP posts:
KatyMac · 29/04/2013 16:23

Oh good luck

DD has 7 (adult) drummers coming round tonight to (learn &) record her GCSE music composition.....I have made cakes Grin not on the same scale but I understand the complexities of arranging these things

Original poster
Theas18 · 29/04/2013 16:29

Wow good luck Katiymac DD

OP posts:
KatyMac · 29/04/2013 16:34

I was just surprised the drummers could be bothered

DD must be much nicer out than she is at home

AS level, I can't even imagine

Picturesinthefirelight · 29/04/2013 20:16

There were recorder players on both mine and dh's degree courses. I've been to recorder recitals. Lovely instrument.

BeckAndCall · 29/04/2013 20:21

Don't you worry, theas, the recorder is a real instrument!

Just go and look at the final for young musician last year and you'll see. I was lucky enough to there for the semi final and it was magnificent.

So good luck to your DS. And to KatMac's DD too! (All our recordings are out of the way for this year. Phew!)

RussiansOnTheSpree · 29/04/2013 20:23

Beck - you really don't need to be recommending Theas of all people to look at good recorder players!!!! Grin

KatyMac · 29/04/2013 22:19

All done and not a recorder in sight Wink

Good luck for tomorrow for both DS & DD

Wafflenose · 29/04/2013 22:38

Ooh, I SO wish I could come along and listen to the recorder recital! I hope it goes brilliantly.

We love the recorder in this house. My youngest (Baby Waffle) has just started learning. I took the older DD (Mini Waffle) to a NYRO day yesterday, and she LOVED it. They are keen to have her on their Easter course next year, but made it clear that she would need to improve her treble playing. She has duly done 35 minutes tonight. I'm not sure about the course - four nights away from home - and might make her wait a couple of years, but we'll see..

BeckAndCall · 30/04/2013 06:43

I know that russians - I was just trying to give encouragement!!

Maybe Charlotte is actually theas's DD?

KatyMac · 30/04/2013 07:31

Beckandcall - why not get that post removed (ask MN towers or report your post) it isn't nice to speculate on people's real life identity - even if it's for lovey reasons

Original poster
Theas18 · 30/04/2013 08:29

don't worry KatyMac I'm not Charlottes mum!

Wafflenose your DD would love the NYRO Easter course. The youngest started at just 10 and loved it (so has done 3 courses - not this year though) Generally it seems that it's a rather younger bunch than the summer course.

OP posts:
BeckAndCall · 30/04/2013 10:14

Sorry, Katy, if that worried you but as theas DS is the recorder player, and her DD is at college, I know this couldn't be the case. Clumsy of me perhaps but I knew it was not possible as I was typing and thinking out loud. I wouldn't have said it if I thought it could be true ( which highlights how pointless my post was! Just thinking out loud at the time)

My original point remains! The recorder is a great instrument and there are clips on BBC I player which prove it to be so!

RussiansOnTheSpree · 30/04/2013 10:16

If anyone is interested in seeing some virtuoso recorder playing they should look on youtube for the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet, or The Royal Wind Music. Grin I won't name my orchestra because modesty forbids. Grin

Startail · 30/04/2013 10:20

Double Good luck to Theas DS

DD is only in Y10 doing GCSE and that makes me nervous.
And
My DSIL played beautiful Hebridean folk songs on the recorder at our wedding. She also did a lot of early music. All on various sizes of recorder Grin

anothermadamebutterfly · 30/04/2013 11:03

Good luck to your DS - I was the accompanist (on the piano) to my friend, who played recorder (treble/alto recorder) as part of her school-leaving exams (this was not in the UK).

It was so nerve-racking for her, and she was really worried about the examiners not taking the recorder seriously, but she did very well, and went on to study music.

She played some Teleman too, I still have the music somewhere!

circular · 30/04/2013 13:05

Bit late to the thread but good luck to Theas DS.

DD1 yr11 a recorder player too, and came up against much prejudice when she insisted on doing both solo and ensemble GCSE performances on recorder.

Telemann Sonatas a great favourite in our house currently. Not come across the others.

kitkat1967 · 30/04/2013 21:14

I saw you at NYRO Wafflenose - well I suspected it was you and mini waffle.
My DD was there and she also went to the Easter course (first time) but she is 12 now.
Recorder is not her 'main' instrument but she is totally hooked at the moment and is currently playing descant, treble & tenor (purchased at Easter course!!) - she wants a bass next as they let her play the Great Bass at NYRO.

Original poster
Theas18 · 30/04/2013 21:41

Well ds said it was "ok" and dd that it was " good" for the duet part.

He obviously really got into his grove in the viva part talking about baroque pitch etc. his teacher is so good and they chat about this sort if stuff all the time, so he will have done well in this I'm sure. Interesting to think of the variety of things these examiners deal with and this is such a specialist area.

OP posts:
Wafflenose · 01/05/2013 09:43

waves at kitkat

I probably saw you too if that's the case! Smile DD plays the descant mainly, but also sopranino and treble. She's currently too small for a tenor, but quite big for her age, so maybe it won't be too long! She wants to do the Easter course, but we'll see how she is maturity-wise (she would only be 8 by then, so we might wait a couple of years) and whether we can afford it. She also plays the flute in her school orchestra.

Theas -so glad it went well for you ds! It sounds like he has done really well.

KatyMac · 01/05/2013 09:56

Sounds positive

kitkat1967 · 01/05/2013 11:20

Wafflenose - the Easter course is billed as for ages 10- 21 so your DD is unlikely to find others her age so I'm not sure what the social side of it would be like for her. This year one year girl was 9 but there were lots of children aged 11,12,13 and they had a fantastic time.

circular · 01/05/2013 13:59

sounds as though it went well Thea. Out of interest, is it OCR being external performance assessment?

Kitkat Do you get many over 14's at the NYRO days?

RussiansOnTheSpree · 01/05/2013 14:19

Circular - at playing days it can vary. Over the years DD1 has always been one of the younger ones but this year there were plenty younger than her, but again, several older. Your DD (probably a year and a bit older) would not have been out of place at any of the playing days DD1 has ever attended, age wise. DD1 has never been to the Easter course because Rugby is a ridiculous place to get to from here and because it's not auditioned, it isn't much cheaper yada yada yada. At the summer course, most of the kids have been over 14 (I might say well over) in the last two years. DD1 was among the youngest last year and the year before. I wouldn't have dreamed letting her go any younger than 12/13 although there was one child younger than that the first year that she went (but he had either a close family friend or an actual sibling also attending).

Original poster
Theas18 · 01/05/2013 14:38

Yup OCR Blush had to check school website to know!

OP posts:
circular · 01/05/2013 17:58

Thanks for the info Thea, just asked as we recently did the 6th form rounds and only came across one school doing OCR and were quite surprised how different it was to Edexcel. how is your DS finding the course in general?

Russians DD is 15, August born. Assumed your Dd was also yr11 as you were on the GCSE thread.