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.

Fabulous.

Well done to her. How nice to have the choice.

I have just been doing a bit of theory with Mini, and estimate that she has about 6 sessions left (15-20 minutes at a time) on the Grade 5 book. We have only ever managed to do it during school holidays, but started the Grade 1 book and then past papers about 2.5 years ago, when she was 7. It's been a long haul, but I think we have been thorough. Hopefully she will finish the book by the time she goes back to school, and she will then have about 8 weeks to learn the rest of the words (German this time!) and do a practice paper each week. We are finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

Mini and I are going to be 'the band' in church on Christmas Day, so will start practising later. I burnt my left hand pinky quite badly yesterday, although can now type, so hope it will be OK. Baby is going to play some cello Christmas carols as people come in, and perform one with a backing track during the service.

Waffle, hope the burn will recovered soon, the girls are doing well especially Mimi on G5. Can I ask you how long does it take her to get to grade 5, did you say 2 years ago and she was only 7 when she started?

Uhtred: fantastic news, its a relief to know whats next isnt it

We have been super lazy. Our tutor wasnt well last week and we had a school carol so it was a little singing that was all. We miss the practise and the lesson but we are in the beginning of new grades for both violin and piano so not too sure where to start.

My daughter still play some G2 piano songs most the times she walks pass it as it comes as a habit and for fun and she misses it.

We had some discussion last night about private vs state school etc for secondary and she said she wantsto be a musician. Oh dear, we are very far from bring a good musician either from a talent or level of commitment point of view so I could on tell her that after she passes grade 5 then we could see how it goes, its still too early now(then 5 mins later she said she wants to be a scientist then an author...)

Yes 2.5 years so far, starting at 7 and doing a little bit daily in school holidays. She covered the grade 1 book in the summer holidays after year 2, and some practice papers some time after that. Grade 2 book the following summer, and practice papers that autumn I think. We started grade 3 this time last year, and she took the exam in June as a trial run (year 4, aged 9) and did the whole grade 4 book over the summer. She has done the grade 5 book at occasional weekends and the half term holiday, is due to complete it soon and taking the exam in March, aged 10. So we have been slow compared to other children we know, but it's hard to fit it in during term time.

We are hoping will be in Mimi position in 2 years time too, I dont like the idea of rushing through the exams for the sale of it(but having exam as a guideline is good)

Sale=sake(typo, sorry)

Well, DD got a merit in her Grade 1 cello - which I think is fair given that it is very much a sideline to her dancing (did a grade 6 and a vocational [Grade 6+] exam today in 2 different genres). Looking forward to some new pieces next term!

Well done to your DD, teacher.

Mini has pulled her finger out, is working really hard to try and finish the Theory book before Christmas - I was hoping by the New Year - and reckons she can polish off the general exercises in 2 days. Yippee!

And sshhh... we have bought her a piccolo! An inexpensive one, although we still had to save up. I had already spent the same amount on both girls, so it's not a Christmas present as such, but we hope it will be useful for NCO. I can now give it to her as a reward for finishing the theory books too. BabyWaffle has been briefed, and understands that next year, it will be her turn, as we will have to look at half sized cellos by then. It helps that they both had new instruments at the beginning of this year (better flute, and quarter sized cello respectively) so she knows I mean it and will be completely fair. So excited now! I haven't been able to play the piccolo, except in the shop, as Mini is always home with me, but it sounds a bit like a dog whistle.

Waffle, we're getting DS a 'proper' sax for Christmas - he has had a music service one up till now, but as it seems more and more likely that music, and jazz in particular, will be part of his life for a long time to come, it's time to buy.

We consulted him as to whether 'if your present needs some input from you, do you want to have the present for Christmas- but sacrifice surprise - or have the surprise at Christmas - and not get the object for a while after Christmas?'

he's gone for the surprise option, so it looks like a trip to the music shop [best option is a fair journey away] in the New Year is on the cards...

DD2 is getting a decent flute for Xmas. 3 arrived on approval today. She reckons she has already made her selection but we have 10 days so I'm not calling it yet...I suspect it will end up being the one she has already shown a preference for though.

DS2 asked for an electric cello! Needless to say he isn't getting one as we'll probably have to buy a 'normal' one this year! (Renting the music centre one until he reaches 3/4 size or they decide I've held onto this one for too long.)
However, bass/guitar amp requests have been met and a couple of music-themed T shirts as stocking fillers!

DS is getting an adjustable proper piano stool from grandparents. Should've been done years ago!

Just popping by to say how lovely to read of all the success updates from everyone - exam results, music school/college offers and concert news...and to all have a great Christmas!

Been quiet on our side as DD has had no exams to report on recently - we've restarted G8 on the new violin AB syllabus as didn't want to overload pressure to do old pieces with move to senior school. Transition's gone really well, handling the music scholarship duties of recitals/concerts etc but managing to juggle the other extra-curricular stuff with academics not suffering (yet). Though violin gets left at school for early a.m practicing...not ideal.

Still need to crack aural for G6 piano. Not getting any better, and I can't get her to download the new app as Instagram is more interesting

I was going to say ours is a non musical Christmas but then I stopped and thought about it. DS will have an ocarina and a hoodie similar to this t shirt

society6.com/product/wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey-qpn_t-shirt#11=49&4=104

DH is having a surprise flute and a surprise 30 minute recital with DS and the accompanist. I have done all the running around between brass teacher and accompanist so the only bits of his diploma programme that DH heard were those bars that needed the work. We told him ten minutes before he needed to leave and blabbermouth DS has managed to keep it a secret.

Uhtred I'm glad that your daughter made a decision, what a good start to the holidays.

And in other news, it looks as if DS did not get a seat after his audition in June (July? ages ago anyway). Offer letters started landing on Thursday last week and as we're now four days later with no letter it looks like a "no". He's not bothered, he knew he'd not played well and he's young enough to have another go next year if he wants to.

I could be that hoody is awesome.

Our musical Christmas is a box of clarinet reeds, a box of sax reeds and some Les Mis piano music for DD.

Nearly finished now, just Christmas Eve Carol Service, Midnight Eucharist and Christmas Day. DS2 had the Once In Royal David's City solo the other day which always seems special.

Everything still dominated by floods here though, every event DC have played in has collected money for Flood Appeal or donated their fee.

We just have Xmas day mass (well, and the panto which is never ending). DD1 is singing the psalm, DD2 is singing the once in royal... Solo verse, and the 3 of us are playing in dulci jubilo at the gathering (and then obviously playing with the rest of the music group throughout mass, like every week).

Dd's musical gift is a new ligature, never has so much money looked so small!

Merry Christmas all, and well done to uhtred's and teachers DCs.

For once neither of mine had any music-related presents - not sure we have room for any more instruments! (though we have just given DD's first guitar to a friend so that frees up some space ...)

After a fallow period DD has been writing and recording again, and she's been invited to play live on local radio, probably in January.

Merry Christmas!

Three of us got new instruments... Mini got her piccolo, Baby got a glockenspiel (she really wanted one!) and I got a Garklein recorder to annoy everyone with. He he.

Waffle remember a garklien is an out door instrument- preferably 2 fields away ,and you'll up set the dogs 😂 Merry Xmas all!

Merry Christmas all!
Definitely an awesome hoodie Icouldbe! DS1 was thrilled with a 'Mr Bassist' t-shirt and possibly even more thrilled with his bass guitar amp. He's spent a lot of Christmas holiday holed up in his room with two guitars or hidden under his duvet with headphones on, so we forced him out for a walk today!

Merry Christmas all.

DS2 was presented with his Gold RSCM medal by the bishop on Christmas day, which was lovely. The Christmas music had been especially good this year, and DS2 has been lucky enough to have some lovely solos.

Chilling now, and I suspect from the coughs and sneezes amongst the choir on Christmas Day they are all going to go down with colds this week!

DD was thrilled with her Les Mis music, we've heard a bit already!

Merry Christmas to all, for any of you contemplating buying an ocarina and flute as Christmas presents I'd suggest you learn from my experiences and Just Don't. One at a time I could have coped with but both together (and I use the word "together" very loosely) was horrible. Christmas Day itself needed earplugs but it's got better since then, DS is now up to Blaydon Races on ocarina, hampered only by its limited range.

Raspberry how lovely to have a presentation from the bishop, it's not the sort of thing that you experience often in a lifetime.

It depends what she wants to do ultimately, and some piano ability is always useful. But my DD is about to do Grade 5 Theory with no piano lessons as yet - does your DD need a much higher level of theory than that yet? If not, then don't worry.

Having said that, my DD has been picking out tunes for years, and took her Prep Test when she was 6 (self taught), just hasn't shown much interest since. But we are probably going to ask her new flute teacher to do 15-20 mins a week with her on piano, just to keep her options open. I decided at 15 years old that I wanted to study music at university, and had NO piano experience at that point... that was leaving it rather late.