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.

So... my daughter has composed and written her first piece of music. Frankly, it's both derivative and repetitive but she's 7 so I'll let it go :)

Are there any really good and engaging books out there for aspiring young composers that aren't too sticker and baby picture oriented? I know a lot of it is theory but she just wants to get stuff on paper. The Ng (both of them) are good for theory but all she wants to do is the sticker bits and gets bored of them quite quickly.

Waffle I am sure Goo will do just fine progressing through the theory path with your support. I wish I could teach DD.

Enb how lovely, I have to say composing is an area I wish to encourage more.

Rapidly that looks great fun! I'm really tempted to get that for DS2 as part of his birthday present next month!
I remember showing a musical friend of my mum's my own 'compositions' for flute when I was about 10. All well and good except I hadn't the remotest clue what I was doing, but she was too nice to say anything!

Hello everyone, I'm after some advice and this seems like the perfect place to ask

My elder daughter is in Yr3 and has been learning the piano for 4 terms. She's getting on well and much to my surprise I'm enjoying helping her with her practice I'd like her to start another instrument, she's interested in the flute - I have awful memories of scraping away at the violin as a child so I'm quite happy she wants to try a wind instrument instead. I just wish there was a way she could take her time deciding and try out several different instruments but music is a bit of an afterthought at her (otherwise good) school and I'm not really sure where to start.

The other thing is her piano teacher - he's perfectly nice and she's getting on fine but I just find him a bit uninspiring I know that sounds awful. But I don't know how to find another teacher - obviously there are plenty of listings online but how do you find a decent one?

Thanks in advance

June

You don't need to take my advice obviously, but we found it far better to get to a decent level before starting another instrument.
Has your dd done any grades yet and studied any theory.
Once she has the basic/intermediate foundations it will be much easier to start another instrument.
As for looking for a teacher I'd firstly ask friends for recommendations, your local music shop will have a list of suitable teachers and may provide lessons in the shop.
Some will give an audition/trial to see if both teacher and pupil will be able to work together.
They'll charge for this lesson of course, but there are no expectanies for you to continue if either aren't happy.

There's something to be said for getting to a reasonable level on the first instrument, and piano is an excellent foundation. Having said that, learning two at a time can mean they kind of help each other along. Do you have a music shop where she can try out different wind instruments? At this age, it's important to have her measured/ assessed properly so she doesn't end up on an instrument that's too big. Unless she's enormous for Year 3, you would probably be looking at flutes with curved head joints. Clarinets come in smaller sizes - I have a smallish Year 3 starting soon on a C clarinet, and she will upgrade to the usual Bb instrument in a couple of years. I'm so pleased you are both enjoying your DD's musical journey.

Thanks NewLife and Waffle

Maybe waiting a bit would be a good idea. She's currently preparing for her piano prep test. Ironically the flute teacher at the school is her piano teacher so I could ask his opinion - maybe he'll surprise me - and she could have a trial lesson just to see whether she likes it. No hurry to start properly though.

Actually I'd rather she learned the clarinet (also taught by the same teacher!) as I prefer it to the flute, personally, so maybe she could try out both. By chance I've found a children's concert coming up locally which is focusing on wind instruments, and gives children a chance to try a variety, so I'm hoping this will help.

Why didn't think of trying local music shops?? I've actually been working in the music business my entire career but I'm clueless when it comes to children's lessons

Hi June.

I played clarinet at age ten and in 6 months took grade 3.
Before this though I played recorder for about 3 years, it was easier as I knew most basics, like reading, aural work, theory terms etc.

My dd started sax at 9 and progressed very well, very quickly. She had played violin from 6.5 and tinkered with piano (no lessons) and then singing lessons.
I think she was about grade 4 before she started her second instrument but honestly, it was worth the wait.

My youngest is 7 and has been playing the cello for something like 20 months. She wanted to try out cello and violin because she couldn't decide. I managed to set up a trial lesson with my cello teaching colleague, and she loved it... but only one of the three violin teachers I contacted returned my call, and wasn't prepared to do a trial. She said to give it a term to see if she liked it. But all I wanted was for DD to see and hear one, and maybe hold it. In the end, I took her to the local music shop, and the Saturday girls there were lovely with her. They fitted her with a 1/10 size violin, showed her how to hold it, let her pluck the strings and helped her to use the bow. This was really helpful, because she ended up saying that she didn't like the feeling of it under her chin, and much preferred the cello. That saved me forking out £200 for a term's worth of lessons!

I think adding an orchestra instrument to piano is a little different. DS2 started piano at 6.5 and a friend started teaching him clarinet at 7.5. He started having a lovely time playing in music service groups and school groups from age 8, opportunities he wouldn't have had with piano. For him his instruments encouraged each other.

Rapidly from your post upthread I am deeply envious of the underfloor heating. I have a full set of thermals specially for Evensong in winter!

Hello all! Talking of a second instrument got me thinking. DD has a recorder that she is messing about with, she started suggesting she'd like to add recorder lessons to her music studies. Now we literally have no more time to add extra lessons unless they would be in the evenings and even so it would be challenging.

I suggested she starts to teach herself initially by watching YouTube videos at least for a few months. Is this a crazy suggestion?

Also providing she does teach herself and discoveres she enjoys it, how easy is to progress from recorder to flute or clarinet in a couple of years time?

Ds2 started on piano and got interested in the idea of adding another instrument so he could play in a group. When the cello teacher brought a cello and mini bass to school he trotted off to have a look. He nearly disappeared under the allegedly 'mini' bass so discounted that, but he loved the sound of the cello and hasn't looked back since. He is working on grade 3 in both instruments and playing piano really helped him progress quickly at the beginning with cello. He would probably be further ahead if he only played one but Waffle is absolutely right that the instruments help each other to a certain extent. Now he plays in a string orchestra and the school orchestra.
P.s. Not sure about YouTube. DS1 started on it for bass guitar but didn't pay attention to the fingering and I made him take proper lessons - which he loves. On the other hand, it did get him started and confirmed he wanted to play bass so it was useful.

I should add that I am pretty sure Minifleur is a lot more attentive than DS1 so I imagine she could use the videos more successfully for longer! I think he wanted to go from zero to Guitar hero a little too quickly!😀

The YouTube channels were the only suggestion I had as there is no time to have a proper lesson. I know that YouTube watching takes time also but at least she can do that quickly after dinner or just before bedtime and if she does show a real interest at least we can then discuss giving up another activity in favour of the recorder lessons. At the moment she doesn't want to give up anything (she also does ballroom dancing and started ice skating) and she really enjoys them.

Is there maybe an Internet platform for music lessons online? I'll go and do some research.

Time is such an issue - I definitely agree about being able to fit it in as a fun activity at home. It's not just lessons but the travel as well! For little ones, that adds up. And for parents! Is there a recorder group at school?

Yes, DS2 was lucky with my friend as it was easily fitted in as an informal occasional lesson. Recorder was group lessons in school and trombone lessons later were in schooltime. He's now at secondary and clarinet lesson is in schooltime and trombone in evening, piano Sat morning. But as they get older there is more evening time

I certainly agree with the time issue as well.
I suppose if you have a child that has no other commitments and they enjoy dedicating the required time to practice then it is fine.
However, when they get older and have GCSE's or A levels, or even just secondary school homework then they may find they don't have the time.
It seems a shame for them to play multiple instruments and then have to give something up because there is little time.
Maybe the answer is to look at the personality of the child, do they tend to stick things out, are they the type to progress with many irons in the fire or better with all their eggs in one basket.
So many phrases there

Oh, forgot to say, we are in the land of exams again, the last being the summer last year.
Dd is taking grade 2 Piano in March, a biggie for her as she really doesn't like it much, but it's compulsory at her school.
I'm sure something will kick in as she progresses and finds that there are many ways to play, not just songs, grades and classical works.

Fleur if your dd is keen, just get her a recorder and let her mess around on it, it will cost you almost nothing and if she takes to it, you can look at lessons later.

For those considering second instruments, this is our story.

DD started recorder at 4/5 (with a teacher who specialised in baroque instruments - she taught recorder and harpsichord, and her husband built harpsichords and taught strings). She did five years with this teacher, got to around grade 5 (on descant and alto) then lost interest and stopped music completely.

A year or two later, she picked up a guitar, initially teaching herself from YouTube videos. By the time she got lessons, she was already comfortably playing cover versions and writing her own songs.

More recently, aged 13, she took up piano (initially self-taught) and sax (with local music school). Because of her age and prior musical experience, she picked these up very quickly - grade 5/6 standard in less than a year. I'm tempted to conclude that it's a mistake to hurry into a second instrument, because a slightly older student with a good musical background should pick up the "easier" instruments fairly quickly (strings are probably an exception).

Time is the big issue for DD, or she would play harp and double bass too ;)

On the exam front, we're waiting for the conservatoire where she studies piano to give her the list for her end of year exam in June (not ABRSM obv, it's the French system). She is ahead of the standard required for her "official" level, so the exam pieces should be relatively easy.

No exams for the other instruments but she sang/ played guitar live on local radio today (one of her original songs) and also did an interview. Very proud!

She is doing so well, Mistigri. Especially singing and playing live on the radio! Wow.

Goo has been doing one theory paper per week lately, but her current one has dragged on into a second week. She sits with my Grade 6 Theory pupil at the table on Wednesday evenings and does some Grade 5 questions while he does his (and he gets my attention, not her). Today, she pulled faces, moaned, and had a massive rant as soon as he left, about how hard it is, how unfair it is, how much she hates it, etc etc etc. I just looked at what she'd done... and she got 100% for today. Drama queen. I can't wait for this to be over with.

Waffle: hahaha, cheeky! That 100% is impressive

Fleur: you dd is busy, she might not need to start a second instrument right now though especially the ballroom dance helps her with the music part. Our tutor told us that just listen to the music, dance or sing, it help enormously fir the child to play the pieces nicely

About us: finished the practice book grade 1, finished mock papers 2013 grade 1, I will scan them tomorrow and send it to our tutor for him to mark. She seems enjoys it. She said she understand the sightreadings and the notes better and find the meanings are very interesting, lets see how long will it last

Waffle that is very funny - and well done to Goo on 100%! Definitely a case of artistic temperament!
On the theory front, DSs are having theory lessons from Friday next week, just for half an hour but sharing the teacher between them. DS1 knows it will be useful to him and DS2 was surprisingly amenable. we shall see.
There's a lot to be said for playing instruments for fun. The bass guitar began as light relief for DS1 but I have to say he now appears to be glued to it! He's playing it this Saturday in a local concert with the music centre intermediate band. He's in the marching band as well but can't really practise that at home!
Wow, Mistigri many congrats to your DD on her radio success, that is brilliant! I think writing and performing her own songs is so impressive. Did she enjoy being interviewed or was it a bit nerve wracking?

Waffle sounds like Goo will be fine in the Exam. I don't think DS2 was at that stage in Jan last year before doing his exam in March.

My DS2 is doing Grade 6 very gently, although I paid a small fortune in books in December. Theory lessons are with the piano teacher, she just does a bit every now and then.

Well done to your DD Mistigri.