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.

Oh all the best children don't listen to a single word you say and stubbornly insist on playing Fur Elise

Despite her limelight shunning nature, DD dragged herself from a (mild flu) sickbed to perform it one evening in front of a large school hall full of parents. I don't enjoy watching her perform, but the fun thing about that piece is that most people only know the first section but not the rest. Lots of jaws really did drop when she hit the 'manic middle'.

Dd loves it too
I am interested in the Jazz arrangement though... Sounds good

I have memories of DS playing the jazz version, will see if I can find it!

I could . We have a variety of woodwind and brass here and brass are definitely better behaved. I will threaten our woodwind with a stay at your house to bring them into line!

Hi Green, yes it was Woodbridge violins. Worth a trip if you need an upgrade or maintenance. Lovely cafe opposite for a nice lunch

Not sure which Martha Mier book fur Elise is in but if it's Classical jazz book 5 that might be a bit much! However, music room.com has a Boogie Beethoven from grade 3 that is a series of jazz variations on Fur Elise so that could be fun! In fact I am tempted to get it myself now...

I downloaded the original version last night and showed it to DD hoping she'll change her mind she declared that it looks ok and she will give it a try.

I've googled it and apparently you need to be grade 4 to 6 standard to make a good job of it so I'll see what her teacher says, it may be one of the pieces she'll work on as a long project to bridge the gap between grade 3 and 5.

The second part (well the part in the middle) is amazing so not sure how she'll cope with that. We'll just have to see when she gets there.

I think once you've reached a certain minimum level of technical competence, it's possible to attempt really quite difficult pieces given enough persistence and patience. Whether this is the best use of limited practice time is another question, it depends what the student's motivation and goal is. DD jumped pretty much straight into grade 5+ material when she started piano. The difference, 18 months in, is that she now finds learning pieces of that standard much easier - this time last year, it took her ages to learn Schumann's Traumerei (only one page of music!) to a decent standard, whereas now it takes about 4 weeks to get a much longer Chopin nocturne mostly wired. You have to really, really want something to spend as much time as she did on Traumerei.

Why oh why is sheet music so expensive?
i know the reason really but dd costing me a fortune at the moment.
The music for grade 8 sax is awful though, classical sax is not really nice.
Have found a couple of pieces she likes from 7 and one from 8 but can you buy them all in one book? No, that would be too bloody simple.

No sooner have I finished one order and she's asking for another, now it's music for singing. At least you can get books for grades 6-8 that have a good range

So today wondering how I'm going to afford it all and if I can find any out of copyright, but not too hopeful of this as all quite modern classical really.

NewLife I don't even want to add up the cost of the music bought for DD in the last year or so. Since she's off the method books and every exam she wanted to play alternatives aside the ones published by abrsm it is getting more expensive by the day. I have just ordered a few from the list given by the teacher so hopefully these will last her a while.

I tell dd to borrow off friends and we can just photo copy for practice, but obviously we have to buy if used for comp, concert or exam.

She is covering 3 grades atm as there is no plan for any exam on the horizon, so she's just doing some from each and then when teacher wants an exam she'll do whichever they feel is the right level.
I know, strange way of doing it, but they don't teach to the exam.
Exams are rather an afterthought.

I don't think it is strange, Dd's teacher is not moving from exam to exam either but rather has a plan of how to get to the next exam and which grade would be next. So now for example she said she won't put DD in for grade 4 (well she can always change her mind) but to get to grade 4 and then 5 she needs to play certain pieces.

Once she would have played all the pieces from her list she'll start preparing for the exam, so no graded books for the time being as there is no point. The syllabus for piano is changing for next year so we'll get the grades pieces when she'll be ready.

Saying that all the pieces in the list are different books, individual composers editions such as Urtex so more expensive. I am not complaining though as I quite enjoy getting them and looking for the pieces on YouTube to listen to them

When exams come DD insists to listen to ALL the pieces including the alternatives and each time she liked at least one of those (additional cost).

"apparently you need to be grade 4 to 6 standard to make a good job"

Sounds right to me. DD first learnt it shortly after her G4 and performed it at one of those little primary school talent contests. She picked it up again for that scarier performance above with defter fingers a the same month as her G5 exam.

Although the piece is a cliche, it certainly motivated DD to make a lot of effort to get to grips with some then significantly challenging technique/timing etc.

Fleur

have you considered the past syllabus pieces. We have lots of piano music that people have practically given us as they obviously can't be used for exams anymore. If they were grade x a few years ago they are still that level now.

Pique once DD attempts to play it and finished it (probably in a few months from now) I'll record you and ask what you great musical people think of it.

NewLife I will have a look in charity shops as they sometimes have old syllabus exam books, good idea.

I can't find the one I was thinking of, but another DC also played a version that I'm pretty certain was from an old syllabus, possibly around Grade 3, so definitely worth looking out for Fleur .

Does it matter if the teacher isnt on board? My DC always wanted their own fun pieces as well as the lesson stuff.

New I hear you over the Grade 8 sax. I bought all of DS1s Grade 8 tuba books for less than the cost of one of DSs pieces. What is she playing?

I don't know tbh.

I have lots of titles in my head, but just before she was playing devils something? Aria by Bossa are the gr7 pieces.
I don't think it matters if teachers aren't on board, dd thinks her teacher would say Aria was too difficult but she's almost there with it.
I know they need to do the pieces/ exercises set by the teacher, foremost.

Fleur
It's good because you know they are the right level and when they are being used for consolidating purpose are great.
I often think that festival/ comp adjudicators must get sick of hearing the same syllabus tunes too.

Icould: how on earth I missed Mr Bassoon story last night, it would have made my bed time much better.
Fleur: will google fur Elise tonight. Sounds exciting.

Prada: thank you, will def visit. I wont be able to afford a new violin now until its a must( she would need a 3/4 in couple of years-if she still plays)
Newlife: I am lucky as my 8yrs old doesnt have any friends who learn/knows theory so she is still ok with printed music sheet which I printed them for her.

We received the black beast this afternoon and its huge and beautiful!

Greenleave The piano may be huge now but in a couple of weeks you'll stop noticing it, your eye will just slide past it.

Cost of music - don't get me started. I love the idea of the grade pieces being in a book, that was never an option for us so it was three pieces of music every exam. We were fortunate enough to borrow from his teacher until he'd narrowed it down to the final three because it could otherwise have been very expensive indeed. I am so looking forward to collecting bassoon music (no, not really) but I'm going to learn from past mistakes and it will have its own cardboard file right from the start.

The bassoon is on loan from the woodwind teacher, she was not at all bothered about the stuck joint and said if it does it again then sandpaper was an option. That will not be happening. What's really funny about this is that DS can't remember learning to play his first instrument (16 now, 7 when he started). I can and "hot cross buns" and "auld lang syne" is bringing it all back. The good thing is that this time around I'm not called on to identify the note he just played or work out what that note is that he should be playing.

Sorry, the teacher not on board was specifically directed at Fleur for the Fur Elise as she seemed concerned as to what her teacher would think. It wouldn't bother me as long as they were doing what they were supposed to do. It's supposed to be for fun/enjoyment too!

Green it looks beautiful. Enjoy!

I have piano envy. And also a bit of bassoon envy.

Hahaha, thank you everyone, remember there is someone eating beans on toast tonight. The best thing about it is it has lock, we could lock it so the cheeky baby wont be tempted during the day. The silent system is nice however its definitely not too loud

Ohhhhh what a beauty! Enjoy the new piano Green! It looks exactly the same like hours but I suspect it is taller if you got the U3, Icouldbe is right, we stopped noticing it about a month later, and now it doesn't feel big at all but initially it felt like the main furniture in the room.

Pique I meant I will record her not you. I am not a stalker, I swear.

Raspberry I was just wondering out of consideration what she's think as I am sure all piano teachers hear the "when can I play fur Elise" question quite often. Not sure what she thinks though yet, I have texted her about an hour ago to check if DD would be ready for it. Sure, DD can learn what she wants generally but ideally her teacher has an input also to ensure something comes out of it, be it tehnique, progress or just enjoyment. For the current books that I have just purchased her teacher sat at the piano and played a few pieces to check if DD likes them.

*she'd think, typing on my phone so I apologise.