Autumn Term Music and Music Exams Thread

[Wafflenose]

Hello everyone. My children went back to school today, so I decided it was time for an Autumn Term thread. Please jump right in!

I have DD1 (MiniWaffle) aged 8, who loves music but knows her own mind!! She is currently playing Grade 6 and 7 Recorder pieces and trying to get her Treble up to scratch. Her second instrument is Flute and she's been hovering around Grade 4 for a while. I have no idea when her next exams will be, or what grade, but none this term that I'm aware of. She is auditioning for the NCO in October though. DD1 also sings, tinkers with piano and ukulele, and has just started the Grade 3 Theory book. I tend to find this one the biggest jump, and if you can do this one, you can manage Grade 4 and 5 easily. Usually. I hope.

DD2 (BabyWaffle) is 6, enjoys music and is going at a completely average pace. I can say this with some confidence, as I have about 120 pupils of my own. She's been playing the recorder for about 18 months and the cello since March. She wants to do Grade 1 Recorder and Initial Grade Cello this term.

Looking forward to hearing about how everyone else is getting on.

Shakyisles,

How 'amazing' is amazing? The Stringers London shop carries a 3/4 'Symphony' outfit for £600, which seems fairly top end for fractional sized instruments.

They also have some potentially interesting 3/4 and 7/8 models here: www.stringersmusic.com/Smaller-sized-violins-7/8-1/16-size/View-all-products.html

The viola I own is from them - bought secondhand but I think it's their 'soloist' outfit (still a student 'pack') with strings we can't identify but I think they're obligatos.

The Caswell's Maestro outfit also comes in 3/4 (again, in the £600 range).

Hi. We are in New Zealand so no chance of popping into London:-(
She plays a lovely Ling Hua violin, - bright sound and rich tone which is coupled with a Finkel bow.

There seem to be more 3/4 French pre1900 violins available in Europe but our budget doesn't stretch to picking up in person and we wouldn't buy unseen. They also have a bigger selection of bows there too.

Oops, only just found new thread! I'll repost what I posted yesterday on the old one:

Got it! DD1 squeaked a merit in her Grade 4 singing with 120 marks. Will get comments sheet tomorrow.

It was her first day in Y7 today, and tomorrow she has to negotiate the complexity which is two instrumental lessons during the day! Fingers crossed.

Any other young musicians starting secondary this term?

Here in NZ the school term is January - December, so no changes in schools or year groups right now.

Mini Muskey passed grade 1flute in the summer and when she goes back on Monday will commence grade 2. Mini Muskey did piano for five years but didn't want to do her grades.

Bramshott - yes DD2 has just started in Y7. Youngest child in the school. Luckily for her she has been having lessons with one of her instrumental teachers for the last year (when her old teacher retired at the end of Y5 it made sense to start with the teacher she was probably going to have from Y7 assuming she passed the 11+ (which she did)). The other teacher also teaches DD1 (actually they both do) so that's at least some stability for DD2 (she's met the other teacher several times at school performances and also at shows she has been in with her theatre group).

I do feel that DD2 is approaching the point where she will have to either give up some of the music or some of the dancing. Although she is adamant that she will give up neither.

Hello, I'm joining in this thread for the first time :)

We only have one musician in the family (DD age 13) but she plays so many instruments she's practically a one-person band. It's difficult to know at what point we should insist that she chooses an instrument to specialize in.

Currently she plays guitar (acoustic, electric and bass), mainly jazz/rock/folk so not exam-oriented, is a self-taught pianist/ keyboard player working around grade 5 standard (started lessons with a private teacher this week), and she played soprano and alto recorders for many years. She's now dropped the recorder and is starting saxophone at the local music school this year. This means she will have to do formal theory classes for the first time as we live in France and municipal music schools here insist on separate theory and instrument classes. She may even have to sit an exam ;)

She'd like to learn the violin and accordion too but I have drawn the line at any more instruments!

DS2 is another secondary school starter too. He has been to their primary music weeks for the last 3 years so knows the music department very well already though, as well as the numerous concerts that DD and DS1 have played in.

Rising 4 doesn't necessarily have to wait for violin, could start via Suzuki or Stringbabies. It depends on family situation - not just finances, but parenting style, ability to be involved in practise, commitment and finding the right local teacher! But just, you know, to throw it in the mix.

Can I just say: day 3 of term and I've practised 3 days in a row! What a shining example I am. Two instruments today, even (violin and viola - playing viola helps my bow technique), and actual practice not just playing stuff I like.

Shedding - my daughter started violin one week after her 4th birthday, having begged from the age of 2. She is now 10, did grade 6 several months ago and is practising technique like crazy ready for grade 8 next year. Sometimes, they just have the motivational at a young age and know what they want! The hardest part was finding a teacher who would let her read music.

Julie - I am laughing at "actual practice, not just playing stuff I like". You're in touch with your inner teen there.

There is no morning practice here, not unless it's the morning of G8. The combination of a semi detached and a brass instrument rules that out. There's a two hour gap between the school bus arriving and my neighbour getting in from work and that's what I aim for.

Good luck to all the other new secondary starters!

DD1 seems to have survived her first day of 2 x instrumental lessons and struggling on the bus under the weight of a bassoon! Concert band from next week and apparently they're going on tour!

I was going to have one of my teenagers doing grade 8 horn this term but he and his teacher have put it off until another term ( probably due to his lack of practice).
The other one has passed grade 8 trumpet and grade 7 singing but has decided not to do grade 8 singing which is a shame as he has a lovely bass voice now and I would have enjoyed doing it with him. He is moving up the electric guitar grades though - although that is not my thing really. He got almost full marks in grade 3 which is not surprising due to his other subject higher grades which must make things like grade 3 sight reading, aurals etc seem fairly easy.

Not impressive - just helping her with her passion. It's all about building a habit.

I bought DD1 the Grade 4 flute book a couple of months ago, as per teacher's instructions, and she refused to look at it. She loves the old ones (2008-2012 or similar) and has been playing the for months, for concerts and auditions. I wasn't concerned, and put the book in her bag for when the time came. She's been playing studies, scales, Disney and Andrew Lloyd Webber all summer. On Tuesday, she decided she was ready to look at it... and already has 4 of the pieces to exam (high pass) standard! Scales are reasonable, but the sight reading and aural are a step up for her. I think she could do it this term if she pulled her finger out, but she already has SWMS, lots of school ensembles, an NCO audition, busking and possibly a competition (for recorder) lined up. I think her teacher is aiming for next term... She went sailing right past Grade 3, and was playing much longer/ harder pieces by the time she would have sat it, and I wonder if the same thing is going to happen with Grade 4. My wallet will be pleased.

DD2 is doing two exams this term, which I expect will cost in the region of 70 quid altogether!

My dd is starting County Youth Big Band on Monday it is her first step on her way to playing in her Dads NW Jazz Orchestra. She has a way to go yet though

She is still in the x choir but doesn't go back for a while. Looking forward to catching a glimpse of her on TV xmas day.

Then thursday another choir and County Youth Orchestra.

No exams for a while as she is skipping practical to concentrate on theory, then next year a few grade 6's

GreenGrow

Lovely to hear how your dc are doing, haven't heard about their music for a while. I bet that bass voice sounds lovely.

Morethan, we are about to get stuck at Grade 5 for a while I think, followed by some Grade 6s in a year or two!!

DD1 got Grade 5 distinction on recorder last term, but her treble is way below that, and she has to play part of her programme on it for Grade 6, as well as doing the sight reading and technical work on treble.

On flute, she's below that currently (although probably not for long)... and has only just started the Grade 3 Theory book! So her Grade 6s are a way off yet, although she is playing Grade 6/7 descant pieces.

I should add she's doing Trinity for Recorder, and ABRSM for Flute, hence the theory.

wafflenose

I admire your patience, do you teach your dds recorder as well as being a teacher yourself?
I have found that dh is far less patient with dd than the pupils he has.
Of course he is there to shout through when she gets something wrong and from day one has taught correct practice technique which I think helps tremendously.
The difference between saxophone and violin practice is distinct.
She is still determined to join music school at y9 so there isn't a hurry for grades yet. I think also she may hopefully give something up soon as she can't keep all four up at the later grades surely ?

Sorry to disappoint you, but I know a girl who got 4 Grade 8s around age 13-14, then went on to get a few more!!

Yes, I teach them recorders and theory, and they join in some of my school recorder groups too. But I can't tell DD1 anything or correct her at all - she goes berserk. Partly, it's personality, and partly (unfortunately) it's due to being older and brighter in her year, never having had to work at anything academic, and unable to cope with making mistakes, being wrong. Sheesh! So she is basically teaching herself the recorder right now. I just make supportive noises and tell her to practise!