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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

New Year Music and Musicians Thread

991 replies

Wafflenose · 04/01/2016 13:46

Morning all, and Happy New Year. I decided it was time for a new music thread too. I really enjoy hearing about what everyone (and their DCs) are up to each term, and it's great to hear from new posters too.

I have two DDs. Goo (10) - the child previously known as MiniWaffle. She's not very mini any more... she's 4'10" and catching up with me. Anyway, she plays the recorder, flute, piccolo and a bit of piano when it occurs to her. She is doing Grade 5 Theory and possibly Grade 5 Flute (if the new teacher deems her ready) this term. Next recorder exam will be Grade 7, but possibly not for about 18 months! Am hoping the new flute teacher will also do a bit of piano with her... we'll see.

And Rara (7) - previously known as BabyWaffle - plays the recorder and cello. I was thinking of putting her in for Grade 1 Theory, but she's not keen, so we'll wait. She is in the blissfully calm position of no exams this term - yay!

We all have the local music festival next month. I think Goo is doing 11 Classes, and Rara about 7 (plus possibly helping with some percussion parts). I have 27 groups, pairs and individuals entered, so am going to be busy for the next month or so.

OP posts:
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Original poster
Wafflenose · 03/03/2016 14:31

Yes, I will really miss him when he goes.

OP posts:
Fleurdelise · 04/03/2016 18:13

Green if it makes you feel better DD had a crappy lesson tonight. Had a mock exam, we have issues with the scales, constant second takes, not that she doesn't know them but the moment she hears the request (A Major left hand for ex) she jumps straight at, misses a note and needs to start again. Pieces even though at home they are fluent she had two stops in one of them.

At least her teacher marked a merit in her sight reading which is her weak area. Hmm

So hopefully she'll pull herself together in the next two weeks. In fact, remembering last year experience with the scare 2 weeks before the exam I have decided next time I won't tell her the exam date and how much longer she's got as she seems to think it is fine to mess it all up 2-3 weeks before. Confused

Fleurdelise · 04/03/2016 18:16

Oh and in aural, teacher: "now I'll play a piece twice with a change, you'll have to tell me if the change is in pitch or in rythm". DD: "what is pitch? Which one is which?"Shock

She was doing fine in this area last week, suddenly she seems confused Angry

LooseAtTheSeams · 04/03/2016 18:49

i think doing the mock exam on a Friday might have contributed - has she had a busy week?
My two set off for theory tonight with the younger looking like he was being sent to prison and the elder looking keen but a bit decrepit after overdoing it in PE! There was a bit of piano practice from DS2 but the alleged xylophone practice sounded suspiciously like a guitar so DS1 has gone back upstairs to do the practice he was meant to do!

RapidlyOscillating · 04/03/2016 20:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Icouldbeknitting · 04/03/2016 20:47

I've bought black shirts from Burtons in the past, the boy is now man sized and now I get them from Marks and Spencer. It's not cheap but it is convenient.

NewLife4Me · 04/03/2016 20:47

Rapidly

I know it's easier to get the shirt and skirt than the long dress, well until they are teen wearing adults.

dd doesn't have the dress as Big Band/ Jazz, not orchestra, but I got the shirt from BHS I'm sure it was school range.
You could try the children's section of River Island, her first was from there and they go up to twelve.
I'm sorry, I can't help with skirts as dd wears trousers and shirt.

Have you asked on the school forum, I bet you'd get lots of ideas there.

NewLife4Me · 04/03/2016 20:49

Oh, also try H&M have seen plain black there too.
Maybe a school outfitter may be good for long skirt, may be pleated though.
You might get the shirt there too.As long as it's at least 3/4 sleeve they are alright, so a pretty blouse would do just as good.

Greenleave · 04/03/2016 20:50

Loose: hope he is enjoying the practice, there is plenty time in July! I cant imagine having 2 little musicians in the house or have to take care both of them at the same time, for me now after putting the baby to bed then I turn to the elder one!!!

Fleur: they do that do they, couple of times our tutor told us that she just wasnt listening, completely distracted(then he was being kind saying may be because she was tired on the day, but some cases I know she was just not concentrated. Regarding to stopping in the middle my tutor always remind us that during the test if there was a mistakes realised while playing the pieces then just carry on playing as normal as its worse to stop and/or replay it as its upset the rythm/flow of the pieces

Icouldbeknitting · 04/03/2016 21:29

Whoops, sorry. Girl "child" so not Burtons then.

RapidlyOscillating · 04/03/2016 21:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

raspberryrippleicecream · 04/03/2016 22:38

How tall is she? I got DD an adult size 6 when she was 1, from Asda.

raspberryrippleicecream · 04/03/2016 22:41

Green. I have 3 musicians here. But not so little now as eldest tops 6'4", and is hopefully off to Uni in Sept. It gets very noisy!

raspberryrippleicecream · 04/03/2016 22:51

It dawned on me last weekend that in school dance band play in black, with the girls in ankle length skirts. Miraculously DD and I found a skirt on Boohoo that she actually likes.

This is for the dance band class at our Festival next week. She and DS1 are in 3 bands, playing consecutively. Black trousers, white shirts and appropriate band tiefor the first two. Black shirts, plus change into skirt for DD, for final band. They aren't the only ones doing this, its quite fun watching the mayhem. DS1 has a change of instruments too.

SuspendedinGaffa · 05/03/2016 18:43

Not a music exam but…first outing at a festival for DS today and it seemed to go very well. He didn't win either class he was entered into, but came away with a merit and a distinction respectively so is very pleased with himself. It was amazing to see some quite different instruments in one of his classes - bassoon, oboe, clarinet, saxophone and trumpet, playing very different styles of music. I don't know about him, but I learnt a lot!

Mistigri · 05/03/2016 18:50

waffle piano certainly does seem to take more (and more focussed) practice than other instruments, so it is definitely good for teaching that effort in = results out.

DD is used to taking no more than an hour or two to master a guitar piece, so piano was a new experience for her. She's working a longer piece at the moment (a Chopin nocturne), which will probably take 4-6 weeks to get right, so we are again in new territory in terms of the sustained effort required.

I just wish she would read the music rather than memorising everything straight off ... I fear this is a guitarist habit that she is never going to break.

RapidlyOscillating · 05/03/2016 19:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fleurdelise · 06/03/2016 09:07

Well done to your DS Suspended!

Mock exam of Friday wasn't a good idea, as you said, Friday evening was a hard time to focus. She had another one Saturday morning in lesson and her teacher sounded very satisfied. I think the Friday evening feedback sank in also.

But she seems to be at a very good point now, any work from now in the next two weeks it is only added bonus.

Greenleave · 06/03/2016 14:23

Raspberry: I cant handle more than 2 kids to be honest, let alone 3 musicians, it must be hard and needs a very well organiser!

Fleur: good to hear, being confident is important and even if it wasnt a desirable result we could always do again

LooseAtTheSeams · 07/03/2016 09:06

The one thing that can send me a bit mad with music activities for two children is when there's a day change. Just for today, DS2 has piano and cello lessons, both this morning, at school. i can see him accidentally setting off with the cello tomorrow - except he usually manages to leave it at school so perhaps not!

woolleybear · 07/03/2016 11:00

Music exam week for us here (Clarinet grade 2), anyone else? I'm sure I get more nervous than dd! Its at the "it could go either way" stage with both pieces and scales at the moment so hopefully most of them will go right!

howabout · 07/03/2016 11:13

Hi woolleybear. DD1 has grade 6 piano this week. I think she is at the stage of just wanting to get on with it so I will stop nagging her to practice her scales and aural for a while. She also has a band competition and an orchestra performance this week and a set of school injections and the first rehearsals for the school show. Hopefully she won't have time to get nervous. I am sending her on her own for the first time as I am sure I pass on the nerves to her.

Good luck to everyone else in the same boat.

Greenleave · 07/03/2016 12:25

Loose:))!

Wool, howabout: good luck for this week exam!

Exam week for us this week too, piano grade 3. She isnt ready I can tell, 4 weeks ago the lessons went well and she was ready, after 2 weeks holiday and 1 week having a terrible flu then she just is "different", however we have reached to the point we really wanted it to be over. If it wasnt a pass then We might still move ahead with grade 4( didnt know we could skip grade until joined this board) and try to do better(different approach, practise more and no holiday couple of weeks before the test date.

woolleybear · 07/03/2016 12:26

dd did her last one without me as it was at school. This time I have to take her as it is away from school, she has no more music stuff planned til the Summer term but has three performances of the school play the following week so we are having a week off practice. While telling me this she is nagging to learn another instrument...

raspberryrippleicecream · 07/03/2016 12:35

Greenleave. It involves lots of lists! And as loose says, it is a nightmare whenever things change.

Good luck to those with exams this week.

Festival time here, starting tomorrow. Solo classes for both DSs plus school brass ensemble.