Autumn Term Music and Musicians Thread

[Wafflenose]

Hello everyone!

I know not everyone is in the UK, but my children went back to school today, and I have found that having a new thread every few months works well. The school terms sort-of coincide with music exam sessions here - I will shortly start preparing the pupils that I plan to enter for November/ December.

As there are quite a few people reading/ posting on these threads, I would find it really helpful if people could remind us what children they have, how old they are, and what they play. If you don't mind, of course! Please feel free to ask questions and talk about your own learning too!

I'm Waffle and I'm a teacher of woodwind - mostly recorders these days. I have Mini who is 9 and plays the recorder and flute properly, and a bit of piano, trumpet and ukulele for fun. She is a member of South West Music School and NCO. I also have Baby who is 7 and plays the recorder and cello, and would like to play the piano.

For exams this term, Mini is doing Grade 6 Recorder with Trinity, and Baby is doing Grade 2. Next term, they are doing Theory exams - Grades 5 and 1 respectively. I know Grade 1 is utterly unnecessary, but Mini found it helpful to have a practice run by doing her Grade 3, and I can think of worse ideas than sending Baby in for the first time with her big sister. The next Flute and Cello exams will be Grades 5 and 2, but not yet.

I need to change their names at some point - Mini is not mini any more. She is 4'8" and up to my top lip. Baby is clearly 7, so I need to think again.

Hello. I hope this is the correct thread for my question.
My DS was, unfortunately, unsuccessful in his audition for the NCO but is still keen to find a residential course. He is nearly 11, plays the violin (and piano) and is currently playing at about Grade 5 standard. I think the NCO standard was too high for him, but he would love to do a residential course.
I wondered if anyone had experience of either the Young NSSO or Pro Corda. I have heard that a child is less likely to be turned down for Pro Corda. Does anyone know whether it is also extremely difficult to get into the Young NCCO? If anyone has done both, is there one course that was preferred?
thanks

Chica you'd be better to re post in a new thread in this section. as your question will be buried here by exam chat, which is what this thread is about.
Good luck!

Phew! Concerts out of the way. Last music lesson of the year is dd's jazz sax lesson today. Then we are done!

Both teachers prepping kids for grade 8 next year. Plus a grade 5 jazz sax exam just for fun.

Happy Christmas, people. I shall never get over hot BBQ Christmas fare.

I'm relaxing nicely, the father/son team have many brass band jobs between now and Christmas but they don't involve me doing anything other than keeping up with the laundry of the white shirts. I'm hoping that the long awaited audition results will land this week, it could go either way seeing as he turned in a less than stellar performance but I'm sure he'll be better prepared if we go round again next year (if he wants to do it again that is)

I got the mark sheets for my two today. They got the exact same mark in their recent recorder exams (Grades 2 and 6) but utterly different profiles. Baby got 21/22 for one piece, but didn't do very well in the aural. Mini was pretty consistent all round. Both are happy.

I have 13 lessons, a rehearsal and three carol services left to go before I can relax... a bit. House also needs some attention, and over the holidays I need to do my tax return, car insurance and all sorts of other financial stuff. Oh well!

Well done to the wafflettes !

Well -exam done - though the sight reading was rubbish (she has no excuse for that !). Bet we don't hear till after Xmas

At least you managed to get the exam in this side of Christmas Helen. There's nothing worse than being ready to go and then trying to keep everything at peak performance for another few weeks.

Congratulations to the Waffles and their synchronised scoring and best wishes to those of you counting the days off until the end of term. We have eight (brass) band jobs remaining between now and the 25th and this is another year where I didn't get all the way through the season without failing with the laundry of white shirts. It's a pity because this was my last year to get it right, next year DS will be at sixth form and out of school uniform so he'll only need concert shirts, it's making the same six shirts do double duty for school and concerts that trips me up every December. I suppose it would have helped if someone had mentioned that he was down to his last shirt before it came to rummaging in the washing basket this morning.

I hear you re concert washing! Here its DH dress shirt and the black dresses that DD favours over the other many black dresses she has! "but I wanted to wear THAT one"!!

I am fortunately past finding every concert season that DS can't do his shirt up and the emergency black shirt purchases!

DD1 has just got an offer from RCM. So now she needs to make a decision between Guildhall, RCM and Birmingham. :)

Uhtred what a lovely " problem" to have deciding between the three!

If you are ever in brum having a second look or what ever ping me. It's a great place to be :)

Grade 7 singing nailed - merit despite the sight reading.

Now to persuade her she wants to start getting those grade 8s under her belt so she's not attempting two in one sitting, or the clashing with academic exams. I guess she should look at clarinet in the spring to give her audition repertoire for symphony orchestra ( but competition is huge and it's a popular instrument ) or recorder as the " easier" choice...

We'll see. Maybe she won't do them? I think, even though I'm not hugely pro exams, it will be worth having them to evidence standards when applying for stuff further on..

Uhtred It does look like that first audition wasn't a fluke! I know it must be hard for her, does she get the option to go around them again? I know that unis have offers days, just for those who have offers (not that you couldn't guess that from the name)

Helen it's good that they haven't left you hanging over Christmas for the result, well done to your daughter.

Hello all! I last nipped onto one of these threads 3 years ago when DS did grade 6. It's taken a while, but he's just got grade 8 (euphonium) and wangled a very unexpected distinction.

I am so tempted to say 'Excellent, no more music lessons ever!' but that would seem a bit rough on his teacher...

Uhtred - wow what great results. Have you heard Julian Lloyd-webbers plans for Birmingham conservatoire. Viva Birmingham (as he said last week). He is a very hands on and present leader. Worth looking at the articles and things.

Waffle - excellent 😀

Four more concerts for DD - she is tired!

Lancelottie well done your DS. Euphonium is such a lovely instrument. What are his plans? None of mine have bothered with diplomas but that's the usual for a decent handful of their peers at school each year going by the school newsletters.

We have had this week off school and unusually for us this has just meant chilling at home, so dd has been doing lots of practice voluntarily. We have recently got the new music for Grade 2 and they sound reasonable a lot quicker than the Grade 1 pieces did. She is struggling a bit with scales this time though, I'm some ways this is good as she finds so much in life easy but does anyone have any tips for getting enough breath to play 15 notes in a row (clarinet)?

Thanks HelenluvsRob (you poor deluded soul, you! Ditch the louse!*). He's doing A-levels so probably can't pile too much else on top at present.
It's been lovely to hear him getting back up to speed on the euphonium (braces knocked him for six for a while).

*If that isn't an Archers ref, please ignore my suggestion to LTB.

And very well done to HelenluvsRob's daughter. I shudder at the thought of Grade 7 sight- singing.

Helen, Uhtred, fantastic results before Christmas!!!

Lancelottie- you got the reference!

Sounds like your DS is a year ahead of DD ( shes year 12) . Good luck to him with the A levels and plans for after.

I just wish Dd had some plans for post A level study , she's no idea!

Nor has DS. 'Busking round Britain for a gap year' is the nearest he's come to a plan so far.

Lancelottie nooooo it can't be three years! Well done to your DS.

Uhtred so pleased for you. We know someone auditioning with no offers so far.

Helenluvsrob brilliant news.

We are still in the middle of Carol concerts, with hours added on to travel times after the floods, bridges still closed. Taking much more organising!

Waves at Lancelottie. I must have wandered in here after you left because I would have remembered another euphonium on the thread. Congratulations on that distinction, it can't be easy putting the practise time in whilst dealing with A levels as well.

I can bore for my country on the level four euphonium diploma, for example did you know that ABRSM allow a three minute break in the programme for brass players and Trinity and LCM don't? I made a comparison chart of the Trinity/ABRSM/LCM Standard/LCM performance syllabus back in January but I've erased most of it from my memory. Give me a month and I might manage to forget about the whole thing altogether.

In other news - DH managed to pass his G8 piano despite flinging all the music on the floor with an overenthusiastic page turn and then going to pieces. I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to listening to some new music while he's off over Christmas.

Uhtred that is amazing. Maybe it comes down to choosing between cities to be in!
Everyone else congratulations. I can't keep up with news.

DD1 has accepted RCM. She is very happy.