Spring/ Summer Music and Musicians Thread

[Wafflenose]

My children go back to school tomorrow, and it's my birthday this week, so it must be properly spring in the UK now, and time for a new thread! Please jump right in by telling us about your DCs' learning (or your own), or by asking any music/ music exam related questions you like. We have lots of experienced music parents and teachers on here, as well as lots of new ones.

I am a music teacher, and mum to Goo (10) and Rara (7). Goo started the recorder and flute when she was tiny (age 3 and 6 respectively), has recently added piccolo, but not very well yet, and is starting piano lessons in a couple of weeks. She has no exams this term, but will probably do Grade 6 Flute in the Autumn and Grade 8 Recorder next Spring. She plays in her school orchestra and recorder groups, South West Music School and NCO, and has her first concert with County Wind Band tonight, after a trial course. She hasn't auditioned to become a member yet, and might not for a few years yet, due to age and time factors.

Rara isn't so musically inclined - she prefers to read and draw, and is also very physically active. However, she is due to take her Grade 2 Cello exam this term, and Grade 3 Recorder in the Autumn - she's currently getting to grips with the treble and loving it!

Ooh - just saw Mistigri's news - how lovely, and definitely like the idea of the loop for her live shows. Well done to DD!
And belated to all the May birthdays - just realised there are lots of you!
Moonbells as well as aural lessons per se, joining a choir can be really helpful for aural.

Loose yes something to do with muscle memory, Dd's teacher is the same. Practically if you do the same mistake more than twice in a bar then your muscle memory learnt the wrong note so every time you play that bar you'll make the same mistake even if you know you make it. It is your fingers playing by themselves. To override the mistake you need to play it correctly a number of times so the muscles "forget" the previous pattern.

Thank you for my cake and wine

A loop station is a brilliant idea that would work really well with the way DD writes and plays music. It wouldn't have occurred to me or DD, but when the guy she met today suggested it, she was immediately taken with it. It will definitely be on the shopping list - especially if, for once, I am not the one paying the bill.

DD and I saw Owen Pallet live last year (classical-pop crossover musician - he's a violinist and singer). He uses a lot of loops in his stage show, to layer different violin and keyboard parts, and the effect is amazing. I don't expect DD to do anything that complex, but It would go at least part of the way to solving her problem of not being able to play guitar, piano and sax simultaneously while singing both the main vocal and the harmonies .

Lemanitoba your DC's friend is a wonderful example of someone coming from what appears to be a poorer background who not only seems to be gifted but also demonstrates the woefully undervalued skills of initiative and self motivation. I love the fact that she has used Skype as a platform to learn languages.

Greenleave, I think the popular press in the West often only reports evidence to reinforce stereotypes - in the example you mention, that individuals and families on benefits are lazy and don't amount to much despite having access to the same school system as the wealthy. Unfortunately, education provision here is not uniformly strong in either the state or private systems, and typically, relatively few poorer families (particularly those on long term benefits) will live in the catchment area for the better schools. There is already huge competition for grammar school places in the counties that still have them, but children attending average, let alone poorer performing primary schools are at a massive disadvantage. Moreover, I personally believe that a large part of the population in the West does not value classical music and would therefore be unlikely to encourage their children to try an instrument - particularly if those lessons clashed with Saturday morning rugby / soccer / cricket / netball, etc. (which many of the council led programmes do).

Mistigri wow, just wow! What a fabulous opportunity!

NewLife I'm not sure my DS has ever spent as much as five minutes on scales (either trumpet or cello). I rather think he'd like your DH!

Happy birthday everyone! It's Rara's this month as well. And ooh, Mistigri, that sounds very exciting!

Goo has been asked to play in a Festival Gala concert, which I think (?) is in June. She's done several before, but they then stopped doing them for a few years.

I am logging her practice and other musical activities, and will get back to you after a week. She spends a lot of time doing music related stuff, but not much time practising the recorder or flute, considering the level she's got to. She is going to have to find some motivation to step it up a bit for this exam, because I refuse to push it along.

Thanks Wafflenose I was hoping there were teachers who would! Sadly I'm home counties or I'd take you up on the offer!

I'm desperately trying to find my old little red book from decades ago when I was learning, but it seems to have vanished into the ether (even though I still have my very first piano books!)

I have my old piano books too! They've been patched like anything and now that DC have progressed beyond some of the more basic ones I'm thinking about binning them...

Gosh Mistgri that sounds fantastic.
Its brilliant that your dd's talent is being recognised and supported.
Our new piano is being practiced on a lot ( sounds lush) and dd has new piano teacher who is challenging her... Which is good ( despite the whinging)
And it's sunny and lovely today! .. -Just did a big walk in the peaks..was beautiful

mistigiri how fabulous!!
I also have news. DS was given an award recently towards an instrument and we have bought a 4.3 octaves marima! and I am moving out

Is it big enough to sleep under? Stick his mattress underneath it - space problem solved.

Ha icould Big hanging resonators are not good sleep companions...

Ooh! I like the marimba! Where are you going to keep it?

Living room. We had to move piano against book shelf... marimba is 2 meters long.

I have marimba envy.

Today DS chiefly moaned about not playing well enough.

Ohhhh! Marimba! Love it! Can he play it?

Two metres - there's plenty of room to get the mattress underneath. I'm sure that you'd soon learn to ignore the clanging every time he turned over in the night.

I love the idea of it! I would love one. But then DD will hold me ransom that I didn't allow her to learn to play the harp due to the instrument being too big.

When I asked "can he play it" I meant are the skills transferable from another instrument?

Fleur he has been learning both marimba and xylophone for a couple of years. He tested it with Albeniz's Asturias with three mallets and it was so nice.

drummersmum I had no clue your Ds was learning marimba, in fact I know nothing about the instrument except that it sounds amazing.

Oh, and is it very difficult to learn how to play? It looks difficult.

Drummersmum that's fabulous but I imagine it doesn't leave a lot of space in the living room! Lovely sound, though...

If I win the lottery I'll buy each of us a marimba (and a mansion to go with it)!

We do have a glockenspiel though. Does that count?

Fingers crossed for you to win the lottery NeverEver!