Summer Term Music and Music Exams Thread

[Wafflenose]

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.

For various reasons, I'll probably have the post deleted in an hour or two, but thought it might be nice for you to see her!

It was, thank you. And yes to getting it deleted, but it was lovely to see her (and you).

It was a lovely distraction, thank you. I was ready to start chewing chair legs this afternoon and it took my mind off burying my husband under the rhubarb. When I posted my message I realised the time (14.07) and ran about ironing trousers, collecting clothes and making two packed meals because I was picking my son up at 14.45 and putting him on a coach for the Whit Marches. Where it all went wrong is that my husband was supposed to be getting on the same coach and he didn't get in until 14.35. So much for "I'm just popping out and I'll keep an eye on the time". If it had been my son's usual band (where he's been the band baby and they line up to mother him) I'd have been happy to stick him on the coach on his own but he only knows a couple of people in this band and it wouldn't have been fair on him.

Cooing over recorder players was just what I needed to take my mind off things.

ABRSM theory exams this morning at 10am!

My grade 6 (which I never took... roll on DipABRSM finally!!!) and someone else's piano student for grade 3 - who was entered by her teacher but I've had to coach her in under a term. I should be fine (have music degree after all, just figured that I might need to study for grade 8 and only need that grade 6)... think she finally cracked some of the interval/scale stuff last night.

Good luck Julie - I imagine you're in there now!

I uploaded 2 Music Medals last night, and have 8 more to fit in this term. Hopefully I'll get more than half of them done next week.

I really need to crack on with DD1's theory, because it's not going brilliantly. Last time we fell out over it worked on it, she was about 1/4 of the way through the Grade 2 book. She knows full well that she needs to do it, but can be just like a stroppy teenager! I would love to get her through this book and onto the next one during the summer holidays, but I'll have my work cut out!

I have three evenings to survive until DH's piano exam on Thursday morning. I'm not counting tonight because four nights is too many to think about. His pieces sounded much better a month ago, it seems that they have been practised to the stage where they are falling apart. I wish I could come to some sort of happy medium between the son who doesn't practise at all and the husband who lives on the piano stool.

Roll on Thursday lunchtime.

Wafflenose -

It's only, what, twenty years since I took grade 5?!?! (ridiculous, eh?). I left after two hours and my former-accompanist who was invigilating looked at me like I was insane. Since I'm only aiming for a pass, not too worried, and I was feeling a bit sick and didn't want to sit in the exam room for another hour! Should be fine - I went for the grade 6 because I'd have to study for grade 8, I think. Not expecting fantastic mark, 67 will do nicely!

Hope the girl I was tutoring did okay, though - grade 3 and entered by her piano teacher, with less than a term's notice. So yours truly had to teach her everything last minute. Ho hummm.

Hang in there Ishouldbeweaving - we have the overcooked cycle in our house too (G4 piano for my daughter this Friday). I am now resorting to slow motion on all (20 mins practice max but she can play other stuff not related to exam if she wants to) with my fingers x'd that by Friday we are back on track! It's worked so far on the past grades...

Good luck to your husband - I am sure it'll come good for Thursday!

Results finally arrived! So no more stress here - one merit and one distinction. Some lovely comments on the sheets. And I could read the examiner's handwriting - which always helps!

Congratulations to the Misses Shakyisles, it's a lovely feeling when it's all done and dusted.

I still have three evenings practice to look forward to before DH is done, by the time he was finished last night he was smiling so there's hope that Thursday might not be a total nightmare.

I am hoping the children take exams at separate times in future. Two at once raises the stress levels - for me! Good luck to everyone!
Best wishes to the Mr, i shouldbeweaving.

Well done to them both! Which was which?

I haven't had the mark sheets yet. I think they have been sent to my work - I'll go and take a look later.

YY to separate sessions in future, although I'm not sure we'll always manage it.

DD2's cello teacher has suggested Initial next term - I'm a bit because she's only had 10 lessons, so it's far too early to know where she'll be at during the autumn. Will think about it in September I suppose. She won't be doing Grade 1 Recorder until sometime next year, and I hope DD1 won't do Grade for a couple of years yet. She needs to get her treble level up, and have a lot of fun with both first.

So our possible schedule is:
Autumn term: Initial Grade Cello?? (little one)
Spring term: Grade 4 Flute? (big one)
Summer term: Grade 1 Recorder? (little one)

All very vague!

won't be doing Grade 6, that's supposed to say.

DD is taking 3 ABRSM exams on Wed, including Gr 5 Practical Musicianship, which should be interesting.
She attended an audition for SWMS at the weekend. She was in it last year but they have to re-audition. She'll be upset if she doesn't get in this time.

Ooh, good luck with her exams, Hedgehogs, and I hope the audition went well. DD's is this coming Saturday. I think her chances of getting in this year are absolutely minimal, but we have 8 more years to try.

Waffle - From what you've said about her I think she has a good chance. But they may put her in the induction scheme (they sometimes put some of the younger children together in a small group which meets less often, just for a year while they grow up a bit). On Sat there was a just 8 year old who had grade 4 cornet.

Is that the same as the Feeder Scheme, or a younger version?

It's a younger version that they've run a few times to cater for talented younger children. The Feeder scheme has a lot of teenagers on it, so I can see the point of a younger scheme.

Cool, I didn't know about this! It sounds good. Thank you.

Gosh lots gone on since I was here last!

Good luck to all the auditionees and exam kids, and nerves of steel for the mums!

We are kind of coming out the end of all this now. DS has , possibly taking his last music exam. (recent CBSO youth audition... rejection- expected as conservatoire locally and students audition from there) .

Music service audition awaited then maybe grade 7 clarinet for DD2 but she's not that fussed - just 15 so ages to get to 8 before end of education.

Waffle posted a video and I missed it? waah!

Is it OK to link to u tube thing of DD1? I'm v proud and it shows where you can be at 20 even if music is " just a hobby". (and it's lready public domain, audio only so I'm not causing any isshoos with posting other peoples " kids" or anything)

Oh I think so Theas! I'd love to see it!

Will pm you.

I'd like to see it Theas. Can you PM me the link if you don't want to put it publicly.

And Waffles videos were lovely, her DD is gorgeous.

Shakyisle Well done to your little misses.

Separate exams won't happen here for any instruments learnt at school because they only do one session.

Next year will include Grade 8s for DS1 and DD, Grade 5 trombone for DS2 and Grade 5 theory, possible autumn but more likely spring.

Piano exam for DS2 dependant on board and theory.

He is going to have formal clarinet lessons when he starts secondary in September, rather than the ad hoc lessons he gets off a friend at present.

But it will be his 3rd (4th if you count Cathedral Choir) and I am going to discourage exams, I think. He will also have his RSCM silver award to do.

Really pleased his teacher didn't enter him for Grade 5 trombone this term. She wanted him to have fun with his music and enjoy the last term of Year 6 which he is. School orchestra is going round some other local schools to encourage them in music-making, plus lots of other things going on. And the Y6 musical in July

We'll have G5 theory next year. He says he wants to take G6 too because of the composition, we'll see how keen he is about that when the time comes. This is going to be the summer of the trombone, we found one we could borrow for a while and it's currently living down the back of the settee. It's embargoed until after his audition at the end of July. His arms must be four inches longer than the last time he played one so he might find that the positions aren't where he thinks they should be.

I'm looking forward to a year with no exams (other than theory which he could pass today) because I am hoping that DH isn't going to rush to G8 piano. The new repertoire comes out at the beginning of July so that's something to look forward to. Or not.