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!

The marimba sounds awesome! I hope you have a large front room ;)

Fleur we also drew the line at harp (and at double bass )

Ha ha! When I went mad and bought a xylophone for DS1, his teacher did suggest. Marimba. We basically only just shoehorned the xylophone into the house; there was no way I could get a marimba into any of the rooms without removing the sofa from the front room! And I know this is what people do!

Fleur the harp is a rather lovely instrument, I can see why your DD would want one. And why you had to say no!

DH has played marimba, he went on a brass band summer school and signed up for percussion rather than his instrument. I think it's fair to say that he learned a lot that week.

I had to explain to DD that DH would probably move out if we end up with another huge instrument in the house. We already had to rearrange the living room to accommodate the piano. I love the harp too but unless NeverEver wins the lottery and buys us that mansion she promised no space I am afraid.

Is it easy to find marimba teachers? And no, I am not looking into marimba lessons, I am just curious.

Fleur - we went to a harp trial session; was lovely and I had a go too. But we would a new house AND anew car!!

Thanks for all your encouragement for DS for his upcoming group audition with Britten Sinfonia Academy, especially to icouldbeknitting for all your thoughts - perhaps I'll get him a "smart casual" shirt for the occasion - he brushes up quite well really! Maybe hair not too short? - he tends to get quite a short haircut and then it gradually grows out. He likes it short, I like it slightly more classic, so it's a compromise approach!
I especially liked what you said about being positive about the opportunity. As it's a whole day with them he can mostly just do his best, and be engaged and friendly and positive I think, which he basically is. Think we'll try to talk with a couple of friends over the next 2 months who are a bit further down the musician's road - one at the Royal College of Music, and one a professional flute player, also music teachers at DS's school (one also a professional musician)

I'm thinking we might put grade 8 on hold til December and concentrate on the audition preparation and scales (lucky DS!) Scales are not so great at the moment so some solid practice of those alongside more sight reading experience might do him good as prep for both audition and grade 8?
And I feel we have quite a lot going on already with DD doing her AS exams this summer. 2 weeks time!
Yes, think I'll definitely go for that if I can persuade the music teacher. He's been saying it's absolutely our choice, but I know he favours doing it earlier! Not that sure why.
I think December is soon enough though, and maybe DS can work towards a merit with some solid practice behind him?

juggling just wanted to wish your DS all the best for his audition. My trumpeter is the same age but not so far along so I am watching with interest and hoping to learn from you.

fleur later on marimba is a good choice of instrument in our area because it is supported as one of the core instrument curriculum choices at secondary school. At our school there are quite a few pupils who practice using school instruments after school and so don't have them at home. Not sure how common that is elsewhere.

musicmom I didn't think about the car, gosh, NeverEver can you chuck in a new big car also with the mansion?

Juggling good luck with the audition! My only concern with postponing the grade exam would be the fact that the pieces would go stale over a long period of time. Can he change the pieces maybe if taking the exam in December?

howabout it sounds like you have very good music provisions at school, out of curiousity I'll check if the secondaries in our areas have any marimbas when I visit with DD in September.

Does anybody know of any festivals in Herts that happen before Feb/March next year? I'd like Dd to experience one but all the ones I found online have been and gone for 2016.

I know someone who has just bought a harp, she only has a small car so they had to test for fit before she would buy it. It was last seen sitting in the middle of the living room as there wasn't room for it in her teaching area.

Oh yes, a great big car for each of us too if I win the lottery!

Does anyone else's DC go in a complete meltdown if there's a performance coming up? I can't play anything well! Listen to this! It's a disaster!

And it sounded perfectly fine to me and I'm a bit of a pedant ...

I'll be fine, I've had a whopping great marimba in the back of my car. Two timps too (not at the same time though).

Yes, my DD does that before the exams. But she does play wrong. Complete meltdown the few days before and last time she even managed to play her best piece completely muddled up in the practice room 10 min before the exam. Both myself and the teacher were trying to be encouraging while she was messing it up. And guess what... She got 28 points on that piece as she didn't mess it up in the exam.

Thanks, that's a good thought Fleur - he could at least look at his choice of pieces for his grade 8 and maybe consider changing one or two of them for something new? I noticed they seem to have quite a big choice these days (compared to choices in the 70s when I did my piano and clarinet grades!)

I'm so glad that I encouraged my dcs towards relatively small, easily portable instruments. We have a really tiny car, and wouldn't be able to cope with a cello, even. And I like the fact that there is no hassle about taking an instrument anywhere, or storing it.

My dd is now a teenager. Previously, she didn't suffer from nerves - has played in front of loads of people, in competitions, etc, with no problem. But now nerves have started to kick in, and it affected her performance in her recent competition. I'm told that it's just to do with her age, and there's not much you can do about it. How do others deal with this?

Yep, Goo always reckons it is going to go badly, always thinks she has played badly and still maintains that she is, even when she is given full marks for whatever section it is in the exam. I have recently realised that she is always like this, and I won't be buying into her hysteria any more!

Emergency flute practice and spelling practice here this morning. Uncharacteristically, she's got behind this week. I have no idea what she was doing in the four hours between coming home from school and going to bed last night... not a lot, I suspect!

lemanitoba we used to have a Toyota Yaris, and you can imagine the fun we had transporting four people plus two guitars, amps, stands and associated kit (and a suitcase, when dd was doing residentials). We now have an estate car and I love it!

I'm not sure what to suggest about the nerves, except that the more she does it, the easier it will get. I used to be paralysed with fear if asked to stand up and speak to a big audience. Now I don't get frightened enough (I find that just the right amount of nervousness helps me perform better).

It's the sort of thing that, if you have the money, might be helped by some specific relaxation training with a qualified person, and by plenty of rehearsal - by which I mean finding her some less high-stakes performance opportunities.

DD (just 15) doesn't get performance nerves - she plays best under a bit of pressure. But it has taken a long, long time for her to feel comfortable in front of an audience (she plays the sort of music where some sort of audience interaction is expected). She does a residential twice a year, with a concert after, and this spring was the first time I've seen her act confident in front of an audience (this was her fifth residential and she has quite a lot of other performing experience too).

Basically, time is the answer but you may be able to hasten the process by having her learn some simple psychological techniques and doing more performances in lower stress situations.

She does a lot of performing, but to be fair on her, this was a tough and high stakes competition.

My dd has never been nervous as such but she went through a spell of doing an exceptional performance in rehearsal, usually in front of some parents, but the actual performance not as polished, still good but not the same.

A problem she has now is she does so many concerts as a part of her school day that in terms of performance it's hard for her to differentiate between this and the performances which are worth more to her.

I think it does depend on the age, stage of their performance/ musical ability and experience.

I think that having no nerves can be as bad as having too many, in terms of extra shine.

Apart from exams DS doesn't do "high-stakes" performances. But then I suspect all solo performances are high-stakes for him because he's out there on his own!

No advice here lemanitoba other than I can empathise with you, we are experiencing similar here. I am hoping it is a temporary blip. I know they are more self aware than before, and in our case, the competition quality is high, compounded with some uncomfortable peer pressure from a few within her class who are more reluctant to perform publicly and get 'bored' of her performances (pieces are too long, they talk throughout her performing to derail her etc).

This is not the case amongst the music groups at school or at her residential music school thankfully as they all support each other... she just needs to find her confidence again and not be so selective on when she performs. I've taken the decision to not pressure her unless it builds, so long as she explains honestly to her teachers why she declines, so they don't think she's being a prima madonna!

drummersmum - just wow. I need not say anymore

Strangely, dd says that she doesn't get nervous when she performs in a concert, but that she does when it's in a competition or a grade exam. She says that it's the knowledge that she's being judged that makes her nervous. It's frustrating, because it's the great, emotional performances that she gives in concerts that would really help her in the competitions and grades! I have seen her nervous in a concert, but that was a very very high stakes event, when she was performing some very tough solos in front of a big crowd, including covering for another soloist who cancelled at the last minute due to illness. You can't blame her for being nervous, but it does affect the quality of the performance.

My DD is still young and she is becoming more shy and nervous in front of people as she grows up. But I did find that exams where she knows there is an outcome, so she could fail, or she wants to get a high score make her more nervous than a public performance.

I still remember when she was only 6 bless her and she performed in front of the whole school and their parents (around 250 people) she was as composed as you could get. DH asked her that evening how come she wasn't nervous at all and she replied "I just imagined I was playing for mummy!"

So I think it is natural to be more nervous when there are consequences to your performance.

DS doesn't usually show nerves though he must be feeling some. DH has a rule of never asking him or raising the nerves issue because he believes it actually makes one more nervous. What DS does which is quite amusing is that he starts yawning a few minutes before he takes the stage. Big bear yawns.The first few times I panicked thinking he was exhausted and now I have understood that his body must be doing this involuntarily to take in more oxygen!

juggling all the best to your DS.
mistigiri I've been wanting to hear your daughter for a long time. Can you PM a link to YouTube. (Totally understandable if you prefer not to)

And finally, here's the beast. It occupies the space where the piano and DH's cello have lived side by side for years. Piano is now in new good position but cello stands in the middle of the room like a lost guest in the party, and I want to hug it and tell him it will be alright.