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.

(Or take a note or two with the other hand depending on what else is going on).

Don't you just love it when your carefully written post vanishes?

SpringheeledJack, to be able to get the VAT back your DC needs to be in a state school (including academies) and play the instrument in school. For most instruments that's not a problem but size is obviously a consideration here. If the harp isn't going to be going into school on a regular basis then you won't qualify.

The HRMC guidance is here (I shan't say how my experience ties in with those, waves to VAT inspector).

www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/vatgpbmanual/vatgpb7825.htm

I had to get special exemption for some of my piano exams because of small hands - I couldn't do certain technical requirements like octave scales. I could just about stretch to octaves in certain pieces, but injured myself in the process.

Many years later, I am finding that the Alexander technique is helping. My previous attempts at stretching had all involved a lot of tension, and now I am finding that learning to relax certain muscles makes it easier and more effective. It is also possible to stretch between my fingers more easily (things like yoga hands). It is a really different way of approaching it to what I am used to, and is a very hard habit to break after many years, but children would find it easier to learn to relax instead of tensing as they learn to reach for larger chords.

Ages since I checked in with this thread! No exams for my DS's this term, but we have managed to get a good practice regime going - they are both getting up at 6.30 and doing two lots of practice before school! It's not really as much as DS1 should be doing, but he tends to play again later when homework allows, so overall he is doing far more music regularly. DS2 is loving the drums - we have an electric kit now, and he is playing twice a day most days.

From my students I have one grade 5 theory, and three grade 3 pianos, two of whom are frustrating me by only practicing the bits they want to - so ignoring their list A pieces and scales. My other grade 3 failed by three marks last term due to nerves; unhelpfully his father told him this week that he doesn't sound ready and will probably fail again . He has learnt new pieces, so they are not quite polished yet! (I agreed to the retake so long as he still felt he was moving forward and learning new things). Not my easiest term.

Nice to see you, singinggirl. We try to do the same, with getting up early and getting it done, but we keep getting foiled by two things: the DDs insisting on 'reading time' first thing and getting very stroppy if they don't get a long read in bed before getting up (!) and the fact that I'm NOT a morning person, tend to sleep through my alarm, etc! The DDs have gone to my mums for a couple of days with no homework, no instruments etc but next week we'll have a routine: all instruments done first thing, a bit of theory, a bit of maths (DD1) and then we'll go out and have fun in the afternoons.

DD1 has started whole class trumpet lessons, made me buy her a book, and insists on practising every day, so of course she is way ahead of where she's supposed to be...! She loves it, and it's nice to hear her, but I feel it's distracting her from what she's meant to be doing.

After months of huffing, tantrums and incredibly perfectionistic and defeating behaviour, I've told her I won't be teaching her recorder after the next festival, and will find her another teacher. She's not happy, but it's becoming a battleground. Hopefully, her attitude will improve, because it stinks at the moment.

DS has Grade 1 Jazz Piano, but his teacher is hospitalised and he hasn't done any aural or sight reading - the exam' s in two weeks time. Does anyone have any advice, please? Any online tutorials?

Hello all, interesting read of thread - and in awe of how advanced your D's are! DD (Y7) doing her Grade 4 piano (LCM) in November. Not convinced she is totally ready for it yet, but i am confident her teacher knows what she's doing!
Scales have always been perfect before, she practises well - but she just can't seem to remember what she's doing on them at the moment! (especially the minors). One piece great, one piece OK (needs speeding up) and one piece not finished being learnt yet. Practise hours have been put in, but not sure she has been very efficient (too much playing through and not enough working on the tough bits).
Sight-reading improved a lot this year.

We have had the "not allowed to comment" arguments; and i do find it difficult with the "What scale are you trying to play??" (although she takes that quite well at the moment). It won't be long before she is past my ability to "show her".

ohmychrist is he doing ABRSM? You can get a CD for each grade, which includes a few Aural tests. Rather than sight reading there are quick studies for jazz; you can buy the book yourself for him to practice from at home. Look on musicroom.com for both of them - they normally do next day delivery. PM me if you want - I've put three people (plus myself!) in for different jazz grades now, and am entering a couple more next term.

Wafflenose her attitude may well improve, DS1 at 13 is lovely to teach, and is doing Grade 6 piano with me next term. At 9-10 I often felt there would be blood on the carpet if we persisted with the lessons though. It was the threat of sending him to someone else that really worked for us though - he decided that he wanted to carry on with me, and his attitude improved radically. We even play duets together now!

Hi everybody
Waffle dd(11) started keyboard lessons 4 weeks ago after the move up to secondary school.
She's loving it and seems to be flying with it but also sneakily seems to use it as an excuse to not do other things.
She usually practices keyboard in the morning and then her clarinet a couple of times in the evening. I try to put her off clarinet in the morning because it bounces off the walls and seems very loud. We live in a small victorian terrace... My neighbours haven't commented in a negative way ( yet) ... But I sometimes wonder . I think maybe a box of chocs at xmas might be in order!
Does anyone else have this worry?

Troutsprout, we have a brass player in a semi detached house. Morning practice is out unless it's Remembrance Sunday or an exam. My neighbour comes in from work about 5.30, my son gets in at 3.45 so to me there's an obvious time for making noise. Sadly this is not so obvious to DS who gets in from school and wants to be straight in his room jacked into the matrix. I think time/length of practice is the biggest argument we are having at the moment. The saving grace has been the silent brass system that I got off ebay, it means that I don't feel so bad about disturbing my neighbour in the evenings.

So nice to know I'm not the only one, on both counts: attitude (singinggirl I'm glad your son improved, and hope my daughter will too - she has always been highly strung but is getting worse. And I don't think she's even close to puberty yet!) and the distractions of another instrument (troutsprout that sounds so familiar!). I am trying to leave her alone to get on with the trumpet, as recently she was playing the piano every day (same old tunes she taught herself around age 6) so I got a couple of her old books out to have a go at, and suddenly she didn't want to know... oops!

Will see how she is after a total break at my mum's.

hello Waffle

It's the same here, dd and her dad just can't go much further although she listens to him more than me.
At the moment though she is a bit better as she visited the school she wants to attend, it was open day on Saturday.
With 2 auditions to prepare for at a school with a catchment area of the world, she needs all the help she can get.
Piano practice is actually being done correctly for once, violin has been relegated to fourth instrument, but attitude under pressure isn't that nice.

I get my daughter to practice sax at lunchtime or straight after school, although her room is separated by a garage from our neighbours so it's not too antisocial. Piano isn't an issue as it's an electronic one so the sound can be turned down, and if she wants to play guitar late in the evening she often uses my guitar, which is a hollow body electric that can be played unplugged but is quieter than her acoustic.

During half term she has started messing about with some of the rockschool guitar exam pieces, but a lot of them are too "heavy rock" for her tastes so we may look at alternatives (Trinity?).

We homeschool so fitting instrument practise into the timetable is my responsibility. It's far easier than when the children were at home. To be honest, by the time they came in from school, then did homework, they were fed up and not at their best, so instrument practise had to be squeezed into 30 minutes (per child) before the meal.its way more relaxed now - they get their full time, usually just after lunch.

Four weeks to go to grade 5 sax. She's also preparing for grade 5 theory. I suspect she will take that and grade 6 trinity sax as she is flying through technique and repertoire. She's even upped her scales and aurals practise as she is hoping for another distinction.

Hello Helpful Music Peeps

Me again

Thanks for the vat info weaving- if we had been at the neighbouring school, that would have worked-it's the only school I know of that has a harp teacher.

alas, we're not

I have a q about piano grades 1 & 2, if any of you can help...how big is the leap between the two? DDs have been playing for ages and, because they only started being keen on idea of grades recently, their teacher started them off with a view to doing grade 1 at Easter. However it's focused both of them so much that they've reached standard where teacher says she could have put them in for Christmas and they would've been ready.

What I'm wondering is: would it be worth skipping grade 1 and going for 2 instead, at Easter or the summer term? I appreciate that grade 1 is considered hard, but would like an idea of the gap between 1/2

Thanks awfully

I would have thought it would be fine.

DS2 did Piano Grade 1, then Grade 3 a year later, skipping Grade 2 so that could be a possibility too?

Can't believe its November already, I've just sent in the money for tickets for the school Christmas concerts, and filled in a slip to reserve tickets for the Christmas Eve Festival of Carols at the Cathedral.

Wafflenose it must be coming up to Festival time for you?

DSs are in a school lunchtime concert today, DS2 first time out with secondary school Brass Ensemble, I'm looking forward to it.

Well reminded RLP - I need to get the Christmas concert tickets this week but I'd forgotten all about it with it being half term last week. Now that DS has two sessions at music centre on Saturday I drop him off and don't stop so I wouldn't have seen the more organised parents queuing for tickets.

thanks RLP

hadn't thought of skipping Grade 2- that's worth a ponder

If they've not done exams before, it could be useful to do Gr 1 anyway, just as a way to get used to the format, aural tests, sight reading, etc. It's just the expense that is a drawback though.

Some schools or teachers arrange special visits for exams - especially harp teachers as it's so much more complicated moving the instruments - and sometimes you can piggy back on to those sessions to do exams for other instruments. So if they are likely to be ready for Christmas, you might still be able to find a special visit to join, as the deadlines for those are often nearer to the time than the main visits.

Raspberry at the risk of outing myself (oh, I think I've done that already.. but it's OK, I never say anything controversial) our Festival has been moved to a different time of year! I'm relieved, as I have lost count of the amount of exam entries I have done this term - I think it's about 15, but am not entirely sure! Plus all the Christmas trips and concerts... I'm glad to have a few more months to think about the festival!

DD2 is doing her Grade 1 Recorder and Initial Grade Cello on or around December 8th, and is working really hard.

One of my pupils has Grade 5 Theory tonight!

Waffle I am exhausted just thinking about your schedule!
DS1 seems a bit out of love with his flute, not sure if it's nerves about G3 but I need to get him to practise the difficult bits of the pieces rather than just trying to play through all the time. And, to be honest, to actually practise! We have about 6 weeks but I know it will go very quickly!

Waffle that sounds like its a positive change anyway. Babywaffle is doing really well, wasn't your first thread for Miniwaffle's Grade 1 recorder?

DS1 said tonight he has 2 weeks to get his scales mastered for his Grade 8 trombone exam or school won't enter him, they get their entries entered in December for a special visit in March. He is struggling at the top and apparently needs to strengthen his top lip.

As they only do this visit, its his last chance to get it on his personal statement for uni, so there is some very focussed practising happening. Shame he didn't listen when he was told about his top lip at the beginning of the summer holidays!

Ooh, I hope both DSs pull it around in time, Loose and Raspberry. And yes, my first thread was about Miniwaffle's Grade 1! It seems like such a long time ago, but is 3 years ago. She is now playing Grade 7 pieces on her descant! I never would have imagined that back then. She can enjoy a term of no exams for now. I think she is doing Grade 4 Flute next term (long overdue!), Grade 3 Theory in the summer (as a trial run for Grade 5 the following year) and Grade 6 Recorder at some point. Although her descant is ahead of this, her treble sight reading and speed are still a bit below, and the aural tests will be a stretch, so we won't miss a grade out and will do 6, whenever we happen to get there!

We've been having a look at some guitar exam music over half term with a vague idea of DD taking an exam next year, but I think now we probably won't. She looked at the rockschool guitar syllabus, didn't like the grade 5 pieces, could easily sight-read the grade 4 and declared grade 6 too hard. So the idea is on hold for now.

How long should it take to master an exam piece? (Her idea of a hard guitar piece is one that takes longer than a single practice session.)

She will have to take a sax exam in June (local syllabus not ABRSM) but not sure what standard yet. She has got over the early frustration of not being able to consistently hit the right register, and now her previous recorder experience is really paying off. So all those years of lessons weren't wasted then ;)