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.

Aw, thank you all.
She called briefly at break time to say it went ok apart from a chord inversion or something like that.
Can you tell we aren't piano players here ?
If she gets anymore than a pass I'll be surprised as she has really just only started applying herself to Piano.
It's compulsory for her and I do understand why, hopefully she'll come on leaps and bounds after this, especially as we have decided not to let her practice any other instruments at home until she has done 15 mins practice a day. It's amazing what you can do in this time if you apply yourself.
5 min sightreading, 5 min scales and 5 min on a piece. We'll see.
She has her school assessment for her main instrument and voice tomorrow, this is surprisingly more important than the piano exam.

Well done Greenleave, it's a weight gone once the results come, especially if you have been heavily involved yourself.

Fleur
You are so right, it certainly is no good for them to become exam factories, they need variety and to be able to learn through playing with the music.
Btw, do keep in touch about mini fleur, I love hearing how she is doing.

Well done MiniGreen! A fantastic result and that's great you found out so quickly - now she can really enjoy the Easter holidays!
Good luck to everyone waiting for results. I am in awe of these talented DCs as I plod my way very slowly through grade 4. Rather embarrassingly, I have now realised the scales are not impossible and I just needed to work on turning my thumb a bit more. Like my teacher has been saying for weeks. I'm in great danger of being overtaken by DS2 at this rate!

Thank you!

She has 122, so not really a high merit, 14 on aural and 15 on sight reading again, these have been her weakness arhhhh!!! Her pieces scores are not bad for all 3 given she didnt practise them long.

Fleur: opposite to you we went to a concert yesterday and once we got home she sat on our piano immediately and played the g3 pieces and they werent as good as last week, we all didnt say a word and went straight to bed. I have to admit we have no music gene in this family either, we are learning to know how to play and to appreciate classical music but to be good at it there is very little chance(I only say it here although in front of her we always praise-to a limit mainly on her hardworking)

Green nevertheless a great result and I am sure you know that! Can I ask what did she get in each piece and for scales?

I admit I am going from highly confident that all went OK to scared as DD decides to disclose a new mistake day by day. Last night it was the "oh, I have taken the trills out of Jack is sad because I was worried I'll make a mistake". Do they loose points if they don't play the trills?

NewLife I am sure she'll get more than a pass.

Loose are grade 4 scales really hard? What are the main differences?

Fleur I hi I Minifleur is just teasing you! Although both my DSs like to drip feed information like that, it usually turns out fine in the end!
No, the scales are actually fine - in fact there is a lot of logic to the way they've grouped the major and minor scales and there's overlap with grade 3 for those. i was just constantly hitting the wrong key on the way down and I've realised it was just bad technique on my part!
The bit I find daunting is that there are 4 contrary motion scales and you have to be able to play all the arpeggios with hands together!

Loose DD hits the wrong key in the arpeggios, not all the time but it happens and her teacher keeps asking her it is her wrist rotation that needs fixing, I have to say I never expected to have such a fixation with my child wrist.

NewLife I meant I am sure your DD will get more then a pass, reading it back it sounds like I meant mine which sounds really smug. God knows what mine will get, as time goes by she seems to remember more errors in her exam.

Fleur: breath breath, the exam could never reflect her talent. To be honest even if mine had distinction in every single grade no way I would say she is talented in music. She works hard though(in everything she does). I cant renember the scale exactly however the pieces she had 2 at 27 and 1 at 25(the results were very similar to grade 2 only she were 5 marks closer to a distinction with grade 2, we know the pieces were always ok, the rest was always failed or close to a failed mark). On the exam day there were 2 examiners in the room we were told one was learning to be an examiner or similar. I was very lucky last week in the sense that I have a colleague resigned in my team blaming because of me so I was distracted a little. Try to plan for her learning the next few days as its really independent of the result. Its not like 11+ where even if we had an undesigned result there isnt any consequence, especially for music how could you judge someone with only a 10 mins test

That is true Green 10 min is no reflection on real talent (and hard work) but that is what I find annoying, the fact that she may not get the reward after the work she put in for the last few months.

On the other hand I should stop thinking about it and concentrate on the new job interview that I have applied for, much more important

Congratulations Green! A merit is fab!

fleur

I hadn't noticed or thought anything from your post
I think this thread is always supportive. We're all in the same boat.
I won't say we're all in it together as i'd sound like a politician

New life: yes, thank you waffle and everyone else this has been a very supportive thread(and we are in it together).

Fleur: the violin lesson today was very bad, the teacher said she couldnt concentrate for 1 min. He looked very tired and frustrated. I feel for him, of all, she is only a "very active" 8 years old.

On a positive note we are getting a new piano. Budget is 7k, any idea? We are thinking of an upright but no idea of brand etc... Any thought?

Green that is a very healthy budget. From when I did my research (we got an upright last year) it seems that the most popular and desired are Yamahas vs Kawai. And it also seems that it is a matter of preference as the Yamaha are known to be brighter in sound while the Kawai softer. Dd's teacher has a Kawai we decided on a Yamaha U1. The U1 and U3 seem to be the most popular and loved models for students. U3 is better as it is taller. It depends on how big the room is also, for us I am sure there wasn't a need to stretch our budget to get the U3 as our lounge is just an average size lounge.

For 7k I guess you could buy it new? Not sure as we bought a refurb one that looks amazing (as new) even though it is 25 years old. That was 2.8k and Dd's teacher and the piano tuner said it is in an amazing condition, as new. The dealer was recommended to us by Dd's teacher.

That is about as much as I can help but do ask and if I know the answer I'll help. Happy piano shopping!

Fleur: i bought our current second hand one now for £700 when my daughter was 4.5 and she was stamping on it at first rather than playing so it will go straight to the council waste dumping once we get the new one. I am thinking of a brand new one yes, hopefully we will use it for life. Our house isnt big(we couldnt afford here, Richmond is very expensive and very unlikely we could get a much bigger one until there is a lottery winner) so an upright good size is great, will google U1 and U3 now, thank you

We bought the U1 for life also even though I was in two minds about spending almost 3k on a piano but hey, it is a lovely piece of furniture and luckily it is stillplayed.

This is a good website with lots of info. It does sound like your budget can get you a new U1 look at this beautiful white one in the second link

www.markgoodwinpianos.co.uk/yamaha-piano/

www.yamahamusiclondon.com/product.php?product_id=YAM-U1-PWH&source=froogle&gclid=Cj0KEQjwt763BRDZx_Xg3-Pv2cABEiQAoDfeGJ1cstXPj-EpeH5Z4pCss2j4I5EKj-VhJqZ9bS4eDgEaAhGT8P8HAQ

Green - well done to your dd, lovely result; aural and sight reading come with practice and getting a bit older for many children. Good,luck with the piano buying - you should get something special with that budget I imagine

New life - am sure the exam went well; sounds like the prospect of jazz is going to be a great motivator :)

Fleur - your DD sounds very committed and talented, and others are quite right that grade exams dont necessarily measure talent , although it sounds like she will do fine anyway

Loose - I so admire you; i am sure it is much harder as an adult, not least because you don't have time or a nice mom coaxing you on! I really wish I could learn an instrument, but am completely unmusical.

Good luck to all waiting results - they seem to be quick this year so hopefully we will all hear before school breaks up.

Thank you musicmom, I feel better tonight to be fair as she stopped mentioning results and she is ready to move on.

However I now remember this happened last year: the frustration of having to look at the music after playing from memory for so long. She had a little strop for the first time in a long while. She wants to learn dance of the sugarplum fairy, started the first few notes and got frustrated. When I suggested to look at the music she threw me such a look.

She did manage four bars before giving up and saying she'll do more tomorrow.

Fleur: the white one looks truly shiny

Loose: same here I admire you very much, I dont think I could learn it not mentioning doing a grade

Musicmum: I heard that I will even have to pay for travelling cost etc so the reclying centre trip might be easier( also its very unfair for anyone else using it if you know what I mean, its very old/bad and partially damaged)

Hi Green,re: piano shopping miniprada's GP's bought a white Yamaha for their house for her. It is lovely. At the time they were £7k but there was an incentive from Yamaha that saved £3k with an old trade in. There are a few piano shops in our area and only one was supporting the deal so shop around. It should be said this was around 4/5 yrs ago so different economic circumstances. My own research for our house is that Yamaha retains value more than the Kawai in any colour and White ones general are more valuable second hand. I bought a white baby grand for our house (it is a challen) as I've always wanted one (I watched too many 1980's pop videos with elton John etc I guess!) I struck ebay gold as they aren't very desirable and the seller was desperate to get rid of it as her kids wanted a table tennis table . Good luck with the search!

Two one hour violin lessons in one week to get through the exam pieces! Wow they are long! Miss 11 has picked Copland's Hoedown so I am hearing the orchestral version about twenty times a day to inspire her for her part. I haven't dared look at the piano part.

I've just got a digital piano (actually two) because I used to get sick of having mine tuned - but I do so miss a 'real' one.

You lovely people spur me on to practise!
I notice ds2 definitely is naturally more flexible with wrist turns than I am.
I am now feeling deep piano envy - do keep us updated with the purchase! We have a piano shop round the corner and they try to tempt me with deals I can't really afford at the moment.
Wow! To playing Copland! That will be fantastic, I'm sure!

Lovely to see the results coming in
Well done to all.

We too have a second hand U1, its gorgeous.

DS1 had Grade8 tuba this afternoon and DD Grade 8 sax tomorrow
Roll on the holidays!

Good luck to raspberry's kids! Wow, Grade 8 - I have been following their progress for so long now.

I have an excellent digital piano, and really love it. It's old now, and the parts are no longer manufactured, so I had to wait 4 months and pay £360 to have the circuit board repaired last year. I'm so glad it could eventually be done though, and hope it will now last me for another 20 years.

Its so hard, I think I need to visit the piano shops and see it( mainly because I need to make sure about the colour which should match with the floor and furniture oh well, in the end I am nonmusical and no clue about piano. Hopefully this weekend will be fun shopping

Oh and best of luck with double grade 8 rasberry!!!