Summer Term Music, Musicians and Music Exams thread

[Wafflenose]

Hello again everyone! I know not everyone in the UK has gone back to school yet, and some of you are overseas, but term here starts today, so it's time for a new thread. Please post away about your children, your own musical studies or any questions about music exams/ learning an instrument generally. We have a helpful and experienced bunch of people here to answer queries or reassure you.

I have MiniWaffle, who is 9, and BabyWaffle who is 6. Mini has passed Grade 5 Recorder and Grade 4 Flute, and also plays some trumpet, piano and ukulele. Baby has passed Grade 1 Recorder and Initial Cello, and tinkers with the piano (when it's not in the repair shop...)

This term for exams, we have Grade 3 Theory (Mini) - as a warm-up for Grade 5 which will hopefully take place next year - and Grade 1 Cello (Baby). Both in June. I am doing Grade 2 Xylophone for the NCO Parents' Challenge! We have been challenged to learn an instrument unrelated to our proper ones, and I'm really a clarinettist.

Bettertochange : I am really amazed at your DS's achivement, G6 Piano and G7 violin looks too amazing for a 9 year old, What age he started both instrument ?

Mom17,DS started piano at 5 and violin half year later.

I'm new to this thread, but have enjoyed reading about your experiences. I have 2 dc's studying music, but one is a good self-starter so other than reminding him to practice I don't have to do much. But my other DC is a different story and requires a lot more interaction from me!

7 year old dd has just passed her grade 1 recorder with merit and done her singing prep test. She loves music and is very musical but is not terribly self-motivated to practice, particularly scales etc...

I wonder how much you will get your younger ones to practice over the summer holidays?

Dd's teacher has given her a few pieces to work on so I'm thinking 15-20 mins every other day apart from when we're away. Does that sound reasonable?

Well done for all the amazing achievements, Better I am impressed with your DS's level so young, congrats!

Dd will continue her piano lessons over the summer holiday so no change there except our 2 weeks holiday but we will try to make up the lessons by doing a couple of one hour length lessons instead of the usual 30 min.

Her teacher is still aiming for the C session for her next exam so timing is important.

I congratulate myself for getting her the piano as it is now in the living room so more accessible (digital was in her bedroom), while previously she was just doing her practice in her bedroom now she went and played for pleasure a few times only because the piano is there.

Fleur one of e best tips we had was to always keep instruments 'out' by using instrument stands etc. as soon as we did that with a cello stand dd started just to casually start playing at random moments, and often to relax. Hope your dd continues to enjoy.

This is a good tip - the cello stand we have was worth every penny! Also we have our (admittedly digital) piano downstairs and DS2 quite often goes and plays in the morning before school as well as his 'proper' practice, just because it's there.
My joy at his cello report was slightly tempered by laughing at the incorrect categorization of DS2 as 'female' - I suspect the teacher has had a lot of reports to do recently and clicked in the wrong box and I have every sympathy. DS2 hasn't noticed, so I'm saying nothing!
Last week of catch-up lessons before the summer hols, hurray!

Yes I wish I would have had the digital in the living room but hey, never too late. Luckily the 250 kg upright could not go upstairs so DH had to accept it will be in the living room.

Not. That he was against music in the living room but we did have to rearrange furniture to fit it in. The benefits are showing, I am still laughing though when dd is looking for the on/off button when she starts/ends her playing session.

One more passed exam, from a Grade 1 clarinet pupil a couple of weeks ago. She played brilliantly in the warm up, then not so well in the exam, but passed every section. Phew!

Now waiting for another 4 results from last week, plus Mini's Theory. And my last candidate is doing Grade 6 Trinity on Thursday.

Just got my children's school reports. Mostly as expected, with a lot of generic stuff and a few personal remarks, but the part about Mini's Wider Opps Trumpet lessons made us all chuckle:

"Through weekly brass lessons with a specialist teacher, Mini has developed her skills in reading musical notation, understanding rhythm and pitch, making a controlled sound and joining in with class performances."

Yes - thanks for teaching my child to read music this year!

With all DC's doing so well, I am terrified of the impending doom which is my grade 1 piano (NCO challenge) on Wednesday afternoon. DD has not been backward in coming forward to give lots of advice and especially assistance with aural! I still haven't had a lesson as such, but played my pieces through to DD's piano teacher at the weekend. It went so badly I had to go and play to her again this evening - she gave me wine afterwards which she obviously thought I needed!!

Scaredofthepianoexaminer Our pro tip for an adult candidate - when arriving for your exam make sure that they know you are a candidate and not a candidate's accompanist or parent. My husband returned to piano after a thirty five year gap and nearly missed his exam as he was the only adult entrant in the room (or "the only one above knee high" as he put it at the time).

I wish you the best of luck, it is supposed to be a challenge and it sounds as if that's what it is.

Waffle you made me laugh about your dd's school report. I mean what an achievement for the school to teach her to read music. And she now understands rythm

I also got dd's school report with no reference to the NC whatsoever, just lovely comments for each subject but nevertheless I have no clue how she stands.

Lovely comment about her sharing her musical talent with the school in the spring concert and being part of the choir. At least they didn't try to pretend they taught her how to read music.

Scared, good luck! That was me a couple of weeks ago, the only adult doing a music exam in a week of children! Grade 1 piano at that.

Anyway, just got the result and I got a distinction!

Good luck Scared and well done Science!

According to ABRSM, Theory results will be online this evening. Such an improvement from waiting 6 weeks for the envelope!

30 French horns?? That must have been an amazing sight!
Good luck for this evening Wafflenose - so nice to be able to check online. I think we have at least another week before the piano result comes through for DS2 but teacher checks online for us and texts me so it's still better than waiting weeks for the post.
Last night's end of term concert at DS1's school was lovely apart from DS1 who panicked when he couldn't find his flute music and chose an unscheduled bass guitar piece instead. Those expecting to hear Schubert were treated to Rush! (It made one Dad's day, though!) He is the limit.

Mini got 89% for her Grade 3 Theory exam!! I am delighted, but she is VERY annoyed about the 1% which would have propelled her into the next category. It's great to know we are firmly on the right track, and we'll now crack on with a page a day. She's done a few pages of the Grade 4 book. I imagine she'll do Grade 5 in the Spring or Summer term 2016.

Fingers crossed for everyone else, especially those doing the all-important Grade 5!

That's a fantastic result for Miniwaffle - looks like everything is on track for her to do grade 5 when planned and so glad all her hard work paid off! Time to celebrate!

Lovely news to start the holidays with, Waffle.

DS2 is on the way home from his school band trip, due back in the early hours, then tomorrow has a sponsored sing for his Cathedral Choir trip next term. He has choir on Sunday, and another Choir commitment on Monday evening and then he is finished!

DS1 and DD have various commitments over the summer with their community band, but otherwise the end is in sight

Musicmom

Congratulations to your dd, well done her. hope she enjoys it.
well done to mini waffle

My dd had saxophone exam yesterday and final performance. It was very sad saying goodbye to the music service, friends there and the lovely teachers and choir leaders.

It's all change now for us and most my chaperoning times have gone now. She'll do all exams and travel to concerts with school now. No more treking the country for music opportunities.
Perhaps I should get a job

Best wishes for all those with theory results today and well done to MiniWaffle.

I made a note on the top of my shopping list this week "DS is away" because I won't be feeding him next week and the week after he's on another music course with DH. They have breakfast and then vanish until 10pm. If I shop as normal I end up with far too much juice, milk and fruit.

Morethanpotatoprints you're all going to have to adjust but I'm sure that by the end of the first term you will have settled into your new routine (with your own revised shopping list) and not remember what the old "normal" was like.

We are very happy tonight - found out that both of us (DD & myself) passed G5 theory (DD with 84 & I managed a distinction)! Our violin exam results were also positive, with DD's merit and my distinction. I think the examiner was generous and we got off lightly. DD is surprisingly relaxed about scoring 3 points lower than me at the practical exam; she is so delighted and relieved about passing G5 theory that nothing else matters today.

Ishould

yes, i suppose it's surprising how quickly we do adjust, your shopping list has made me laugh. We get through so much milk, yogurt and fruit with dd. Hope your ds and dh have a wonderful time.
Do you get a break while they are away, I bet it will be quiet.

Good luck with the theory results everyone.

Dh has agreed to give me some soprano and clarinet lessons when dd goes to school, there's no time for me atm and hasn't been for ages.
He doesn't like my taste in music though I'm very patchy though and haven't played in years.