New Year Music and Musicians Thread

[Wafflenose]

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.

Grade 1 violin tomorrow. I feel sick with nerves for her. I haven't pushed practice too much this weekend - literally just got her to play her pieces and do her scales.

She doesn't seem that nervous. I'm sure she is though.

trout don't get me wrong - I don't think obsessiveness is worrying in itself, in fact all the best performers have that or they would not reach the top level of technical achievement! I know a lad who started guitar about the same time as DD and is incredibly motivated and obsessive, and also an extremely skilled guitarist (far better than DD, he is jawdroppingly good). He does have some social difficulties but nothing major. DD is a different sort of musician, she's not motivated by virtuoso playing at all, her main skill is composition (for eg today she's written a new song - guitar and vocal - and also arranged and recorded vocal, piano and guitar parts for a cover version. She basically improvised the piano part, she's done this so much that it's second nature now).

Thanks everyone. Lovely having somewhere to share things like this

Still a bit stunned!

BBC Young Musician 2016 on BBC Four
Friday 8 April – Keyboard category final
Friday 15 April – Woodwind category final
Friday 22 April – Percussion category final
Friday 29 April – Brass category final
Friday 6 May – Strings category final
Saturday 7 May – semi-final
Friday 13 May – Jazz Award final
Sunday 15 May – final

2ndsopranos how did it go? I hope all went to plan and no surprises for your DD if she finished the exam already.

I am starting to feel sick in the stomach also for Saturday and I am doing my best not to show the nerves. It started this morning as we only have 5 days left and all I have done all morning is googling "grade 3 piano" information, I mean I am now a walking encyclopaedia on the exams

Not sure how this helps me, but I have this image that Dd's teacher may be disappointed if she gets less than a distinction as she keeps saying how DD is her best student. I am sure this wouldn't be the case as in the end DD is the produce of her teaching but I still can't stop thinking it.

Oh and I have this image that DD will restart her pieces 20 times (she doesn't do this at home but you never know) and when the examiner will ask in her aural test if the change was in pitch or rythm DD will say "so which one is which again?"

You must be obsessed at some point to be able to be really good at anything especially extra curr related(art, music, sport) as it needs alot of work and most important self motivation. This is the reason I hope hoping for my daughter to learn to play couple of instrument well. She doesnt have a gene nor talent but I am still hoping she learns the hardwork, determination and self disciplined through it(apart from the skills itself). Another thing I am hoping she will be better than us and appreciate music better as we are both nonmusically and super "dry", little taste to music(if you know what I mean).

Fleur: some expectation is nice and works as a small push/encouragement for her to do well but try not to pressurise(I know its hard, I sounded so fake when I told my daughter many time before her exam: dont worry, you work hard, enjoy the pieces, slowdown in scales then it will be a pass. Even if its not a pass then its fine, there isnt anything missed, we just know that we need more time and practise a little harder-This is what I told her before any exam actually, I even know come to believe it hahaha). My tiny trick, dont think about the exam rather than planning for the future after exam(but independent of exam results), this then keeps us being busy and distracted( I was trying planning for theory and violin and swimming and thinking of a piano which our little baby wont be able to make any damage)

She's done.

She came out seeming happy enough, although her accompanist says she did miscount a rest. She also said it wouldn't have really made much difference and she played beautifully. She knew all her scales and said she definitely made sure to observe dynamics in the sight reading. So we shall see!

Well done little 2ndSopranos sounds all good news!

Green I agree completely and I keep saying to my DD that I don't care what the exam result is, what matters is that she worked hard and she has my admiration for her determination. I am so proud of her!

I guess I am getting nervous as I feel her hard work may not be rewarded with the result she is hoping for, I am doing my best to lower her expectations by explaining it is only 10 min of her time and it may not reflect how hard she worked for it.

Best of luck to Li'l fleur, I am sure she will come put with flying colors like last time.

*out

Thank you mom17

Fleur it sound to me as if the teacher's expectations are putting YOU under pressure. It's a hard one to fight for parents but just think what little difference her teacher's reaction (disappointment or elation) will make in her lifetime! Just focus on your DD and make her proud of going through it once again, like you said.

Your DD's lifetime of course.

Well done to all those dc's who have had exams. I hope they all do ok
Thanks also for your thoughts about music practice

Thank you for the perspective drummersmum in fact I got tired of thinking about the exam by dinner time, started planning stuff for next week and suddenly realised that by next week (I'm planning a small family event mid week) we're past all of this and it feels quite insignificant.

Are we the last ones taking exams this session? Anybody else joining DD in the last few days?

I've realised the other day that the piano curriculum for 2017/2018 is published this July which gets me a bit excited as there will probably be a couple of exams DD will cover by the new curriculum.

My DS has a piano exam (Grade 3 Trinity) on Monday. I think it is getting a bit boring for him now, so it will be good to go onto something else after that.
He has put off his violin,Grade 5 exam until the summer, as he didn't feel ready, but now I think that is too far away. Sometimes it is hard to get it right.

DS is Tuesday next week, DD Wed morning. Special school visit, Trinity. Last Exam at lunchtime Wednesday so they will know on Wednesday afternoon.

Good luck chica and raspberry!

Anybody using "piano pieces for children everybody's favorite series No 3 ", it has got good number of pieces from Grade 1-4 with a very reasonable price.

My ds is taking grade 2 piano on Friday afternoon, he is as ready as he can be I think so hoping he plays well on the day.

Think we're done for now. Ds1 came out of piano grade 3 in tears. Messed up the sight reading (he just can't see it), and his voice is breaking so really self conscious during the aural. Not worth the anxiety - he is a super pianist, so we're ditching exams.

sunny big hug for you and your DS1. The singing bit of the aural is only a few marks and fingers crossed he got enough of the gist of the sightreading. I still remember being in tears after every music festival as a child (my Gran used to have to take me out to tea to cheer me up) which is why mine have done very few exams. That said DD2 is pencilled in for piano in the summer. We are all already sick of the pieces but she needs a bit of exam discipline to progress.

Thanks. He had a complete block before hand, as he was dreading the sight reading. He woke up in the morning having a nightmare that he'd forgotten a homework, and he was so nervous.

He's definitely turning into a teenager with anxiety issues. He has a lesson today, so the plan is to turn piano back into fun.