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Extra-curricular activities

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Original poster

Summer Term Music and Music Exams Thread

584 replies

Wafflenose · 22/04/2014 11:50

A new thread for a new term!

If you're a music parent, or music teacher, please introduce yourselves here. It was getting hard to keep track on the old thread.

I am a music teacher (woodwind, 90% recorders these days) and I have:

DD1 (aged 8) who is taking Grade 5 Recorder this term, currently working towards Grade 4 Flute, and also sings, plays the piano and one tune on the ukulele (no lessons on these three). She has completed a video audition for the South West Music School, but we won't hear yet, and quite honestly, I don't think she'll get in this year.

DD2 (aged 5) who is taking Initial Grade Recorder this term, started the cello a month ago, and can play a few tiny, baby tunes on the piano and ukulele (again, no lessons on these).

I only have one pupil doing an exam this term, other than my girls - a Grade 2 Recorder player. I'm doing 11 Music Medals though.

OP posts:
teabiscuit22 · 27/06/2014 16:36

Hooray! One exam down. dc thinks it went well but completely forgot (for first time ever) to shift to third position so had to ask to start the section again. Any idea how many marks are deducted by Trinity for this?

RaspberryLemonPavlova · 27/06/2014 16:57

Sorry, I don't know teabiscuit. I wouldn't have thought a huge amount. Regardless, its done, they can put it behind them and move on to the next exam, and then Trinity is really quick with results.

teabiscuit22 · 27/06/2014 17:07

Thanks RLP ....How quickly do Trinity usually issue results. Is it via email?

RaspberryLemonPavlova · 27/06/2014 17:19

Very quickly. Our local centre with exams Mon to Fri posts the results out to the teachers on Saturday, so we get an e-mail/tex/phone call on Monday evening from the teacher.

When school is the their own centre we knowby the end of the week, DS once came home from school to tell me his exam had gone really well and he had a Distinction, but I think they wait until the end of the exam session now.

HercShipwright · 27/06/2014 17:27

Not all centres are so quick though...

teabiscuit22 · 27/06/2014 17:29

I entered her so hopefully results will come to me :)

JulieMichelleRobinson · 27/06/2014 22:16

Six prep tests done and a grade 1 today. All of the preps got very good comments which matched exactly what I know about the students. Particularly proud of the youngest one (yr2) however, who apparently played excellently (I didn't listen). No idea how the grade 1 was (again, I didn't listen as was shepherding) but fingers crossed. ABRSM so we won't get the results for a while.

Next to plan for is the local Eisteddfod (which I can't spell) in November.

Shakyisles · 28/06/2014 08:07

Thanks. She is year 5 and embarking on grade 7-8 technique, with a view to taking grade 8 next year at some point. Then doing diplomas. She is learning grade 6 theory and doing lots of singing. We shall wait a good number of years and when her voice is sufficiently mature, just do start at grade 5. As I run choir and the children always sing something in another language, it won't be too hard.

It's piano that's the problem. She wants to do it but there sing much time left in the day as she does lots of other things too. So is 10 minutes a day better than 20 every other? If I was talking about woodwind, I would recommend the daily method. What say you?

Shakyisles · 28/06/2014 08:08

Arghh. Can you tell I aren't feeling on top form? I should read more carefully.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 28/06/2014 13:37

Well, she got in... sort of!

"Dear MiniWaffle,
Thank you for auditioning for South West Music School. We feel you have a lot of porential and musical creativity and would like to work with you further. However, due to your age and current musical ability, we do not feel the full Feeder Scheme would be the most appropriate learning environment for you at present. Instead, we would like to offer you a place on our Induction Programme, which consists of 3 workshops across the learning year run by international quality artists alongside the Feeder Scheme with mentoring/ advice opportunities for parents/ guardians."

HedgehogsRule, you were completely right!!

DD1 was a bit confused as to whether she'd actually got in or not, as was I, for a moment. But in the end, I said, "Er, yeah!"

OP posts:
RaspberryLemonPavlova · 28/06/2014 14:06

Great news Wafflenose. Congratulations Miniwaffle.

Shakyisles · 28/06/2014 19:50

Congratulations to you both.

HercShipwright · 28/06/2014 22:15

Show week just finished here. 3 very sad DCs. It's going to be hard to get DD2 to focus on her piano and singing exams and DD1 to feel excited about her summer school and her NYRO week. Because nothing can really compare to standing ovations every night in the best musical ever written, apparently! Grin

Shakyisles · 28/06/2014 23:13

The grade 5 jazz sax materials arrived yesterday. Dh has decided he is going to learn his jazz scales alongside dd. My money is on her learning all hers, before he learns his!

Hedgehogsrule · 30/06/2014 10:29

DD has a place on the SWMS core scheme. She is thrilled. The residentials sound like a lot of fun.

Well done to MiniWaffle - I was pretty sure that that would be the outcome!

Original poster
Wafflenose · 30/06/2014 10:59

Very well done to her, Hedgehogs! Can you remind me how old she is, and what she plays?

Loads of paper work to fill in now!

OP posts:
Bramshott · 30/06/2014 11:11

Blimey - I haven't posted for so long here!

DD1 has her Gr 4 ABRSM singing on 11th July and seems fairly well prepared. I know there are others doing Grade 4 this term - how are they all doing?

Abracadabra Bassoon arrived in the post this morning for her to have a go at over the summer before starting lessons in Sept - exciting times!

Hedgehogsrule · 30/06/2014 14:08

She's 12 and does voice and several instruments. She loves SWMS, and I'm sure your DD will have a great time too.

Ishouldbeweaving · 30/06/2014 15:27

Congrats to MinWaffle and HedgehogJunior on their SWMS places. It's good that they tell them so quickly after audition, I hate the wait.

Mr Shouldbe's piano result was not as bad as it could have been but still not good - a pass. All his adult music exams have been distinctions but seeing as everything fell apart in the last month he's happy that it wasn't a fail. With hindsight it wasn't a good idea to have the exam the day before he left his job of twentymumble years, it certainly took his mind away from leaving but I can't say that he's been exactly relaxed this last month. His music teacher is not pleased but then she didn't have to live with him for the last month and hear him getting worse by the night.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 30/06/2014 17:15

Well done to Mr Shouldbe! Success begins at the pass mark.

OP posts:
ealingwestmum · 01/07/2014 09:38

Well done also to Mr Ishouldbe!

News yesterday was better than expected on our piano result - a good abrsm merit, daughter humbled to acknowledge the importance of 'non-pieces' that pulled her through, hopefully lesson learnt.

G6 violin tomorrow - and then relax and prepare for her first residential orchestral with Kent Music School mid July (5 nights). Hoping she'll really enjoy it - anyone with first hand feedback much appreciated!

singinggirl · 01/07/2014 09:52

I'm having a really crisis-riden term here. DS2 took his Grade 2 jazz piano with another student taking grade 1. No results yet, so I'm getting nervous, especially since DS2 had his year six residential the week before, so no practice that week! He did practice a lot the day before, but got very upset at how he was playing, so I just don't know.

DS1 has grade 5 violin a week today and everything just fell apart at the weekend - and he has been playing so well.

And as for my eleven other students, four are year 6's and have also had time out for residentials, one ten year old is only practicing her favourite piece and a year 11 has only just turned to practicing properly after GCSEs. Roll on the holidays!

RaspberryLemonPavlova · 01/07/2014 10:25

Herc hope they are recovering now, it must be an amazing experience to be in that musical.

Congrats to Hedgehog Junior and Mr I should be. That is a great line from Wafflenose re success starting at the Pass mark, will remember that.

Singingirl good luck with everything.

Am extremely grateful DS2s brass teacher decided not to enter him for G5 this term, she felt that there was so much on for Y6 he should just enjoy it. DD managed 2 exams in June/July of Y6, both merits, so I wasn't sure, but it was right for DS2.

HercShipwright · 01/07/2014 10:31

Raspberry - they are all a bit sadface still! Missing the show. But DD1 has her two exams (I agree that 2 at the end of Y6 isn't ideal but it's what DD1 did too) and DD1 has her various residential things coming up - I'm quite glad she decided not to go to Edinburgh to be honest - apart from the cost, I think it will be nice for her to have some time off this summer!

Good luck to all who still have exams - DD2 has two weeks exactly before hers.

Ishouldbeweaving · 01/07/2014 11:07

It's all getting a bit end-of-termy isn't it? DS missed his music lesson last week because of something going on at school, he's off on a trip this week, the school is closed for the strike next Thursday so there's only one peri lesson left in term. He also has a residential coming up - I suppose I should see if he has a pair of pj's and slippers that fit him. I also need to confiscate the trousers that show an inch of ankle before he packs them and we have a scene when I take them out of the case. Last year I was organised enough to email myself the packing list so at least I don't have to start that over again.