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!

Wow, I'm loving the beast
It's so nice to hear positive musical posts.

We have tears tonight and a huge panic.
Dd had her main assessment last week and for some reason hadn't noticed she was timetabled for a
jazz assessment next week, for which she hasn't prepared.
They are really heavy duty too with outside assessors coming into the school.
poor love is beside herself.
Dh is helping her find some pieces now but I fear that's the weekend gone

I don't know what to do anymore, her organisation skills are terrible but not sure how much is her and how much is school tbh. But right hand doesn't know what left is doing by the sounds of it.

Ooh, I want one.

Wow drummer, its beautiful!

Fleur: miniFleur is so brave and sweet, her response is so lovely, I bet you must be in tears

newlife your DD is still v young. Secondary school is a challenge re organization. . Don't worry

NewLife your DD seems to have a remarkable work ethic and I am sure that once she gets down to it, she'll manage to prepare adequately for her assessment.

Poor organisational skills go hand in hand with many learning disabilities and in particular with some of the things you've mentioned (eg ADHD). In my experience (of having a very flighty and disorganised child) the secondary years can bring about huge changes. DD was slow and disorganised all the way through primary and early secondary, none of her teachers would say that now.

drummersmum what a handsome beast that is! You'd almost think that the alcove had been made to measure :) I'm happy to share some links but please don't expect anything complicated or clever (it's just pop music) - DD's strength is in doing simple things well.

Newlife Messing up is how we learn. Organisational skills are a learned skill just like everything else. DS in Y7 was scatty. If it could be forgotten/left somewhere then it would be. Homework left on the dining table, no pencil case, last minute catering shopping, a mad panic looking for stuff just as the school bus comes. He's a different child in Y11 although he still has a way to go with planning and organisation to be as good as I am because I've had decades of time to learn these things.

I'm not going to say that everything is fine and don't worry but really and truly a lot of Y7s are disorganised, it comes with being eleven.

Icouldbe is spot on - year 7's are notorious for it but young enough to care about getting into trouble and that's how they learn! I had great study and organisational skills in sixth form but not so much before that! NewLife I am sure it will go well for DD but I can feel the panic!

Drummersmum that is a beautiful beast! Can you resist playing it yourself?!

Thank you all, she is just surfacing from her practice atm and doing some prep she has to catch up on. Then a short tea break later and YMOTY if she has time.
Hopefully that should make her feel better.

Well said about year 7 organisation skills, I am amazed my DS brought his bag home in those days, I remember thinking he'll never ever be capable to remember anything and there we are, 3 years later and I have no involvement in organising his school work and equipment.

DD had a good piano lesson today, I tried to suggest she gets too much work assigned to her for her age (scales, theory, two pieces and two technical exercises, working from 5 books in total) but when the teacher asked her how she's finding the work load she said "it's easy" which prompted the teacher to suggest another composer for her studies.

Well I tried, if she thinks it is easy than maybe she doesn't mind so I will just wait for her to dictate the pace. Just that I am not sure an 8 yo should spend 45 min on practice. On the other hand she doesn't moan and if she wouldn't practice she'd probably play on the iPad or watch tv.

Don't you all love the British weather? It was winter till Monday wasn't it, suddenly today I had to go and buy sandals as I can't find my last year's ones.

*another composer as in "one more composer" and then not than, apologies, I post from my phone.

It's hot here too.

Concert over and child has turned from moody to cheery. I wonder when it would click in his mind that he was suffering from nerves. "NO I'M NOT NERVOUS!!!".

Ha! Never glad it went well and cheeriness has returned.
Fleur that is an awful lot but it sounds like your dd is thriving on it. Can honestly say neither of mine has that kind of work ethic; although they do play a lot, it's not that focused.
It's very hot in London and DS2 had to go to a rehearsal with accompanist at lunchtime. After a couple of false starts it went well and I hope he can maintain that for the next 2 weeks.

Loose nobody can resist the beast and we all play it!
Fleur sounds like the teacher is loving having someone like your DD as a student :)

Loose: its very hot today however forecast says its getting cooler, hopefully he will do well.

Fleur: my daughter is doing 45mins these days too and we didnt feel its long. We could even do more we just dont have time for it(too busy enjoying the sun). To be honest summer could be the most distracted time to music as we hardly be indoor at all which is worrying with the exams looming. Well, exams or not, we are having a bbq tonight with friends and enjoying the heat for now. Hope everyone is having a lovely time too!

It's just nice to be able to sit in the garden!
Thanks Green he should be fine! It doesn't help that he has SATS this week, mind you, but we aren't stressing over them.

NeverEver well done to your Ds for his concert.

Loose when DS took his sats in year 6 we told him they don't matter but the general vibe still put a bit of pressure on him. Good luck to your DS.

Green I don't think that how it should be, so much work at 8 but as DD is not complaining yet we'll go with the flow. I am a bit puzzled of where is all going to fit in come September, adding clarinet and more structure in 11+ practice, I am sure we'll find a way.

Had a barbecue today and enjoyed the sun all day, hopefully this weather will stay but it doesn't look like it.

Ooh, just found this thread, I have a DD14 who is taking her Grade 5 oboe next month, she started to play in year 7 after playing the recorder in primary school - also ashamed to say that I have no idea what she is playing for her exam, I am not musically inclined at all and am completely tone deaf

Welcome Queen - I'm not sure we have any oboes yet (forgive me everyone if I'm wrong!) so it's nice to have you here. We are a family of wind players - lots of recorders, flute, clarinet, saxophone... then my youngest (then aged 5) surprised us all by asking to learn the cello.

Hello Queen I have an oboe playing DD 13 doing her grade 4 next month. Mine is playing the swan and something else which escapes me as I am trying not to get over invested and they are starting to sound OK - not sure about the scales, the Hinke and the nerves but her teacher assures me she will be fine. The search for the perfect reed continues obvs

Waffle what do you think about a Xaphoon as I was thinking of treating myself?

waffle

Your youngest reminds me of dd
She started on violin and only gave up/ put it to one side as she didn't have enough time when she had to choose.
we still say she did it out of spite because none of us knew anything about strings.
.

She has gone back quite confident and I think she knows what she is doing now.
Her pieces are Autumn leaves and Blue Bossa.
It's quite hard to do, I'm not sure I'd be able to do it and think that fast, try and be inventive and remember the changes.
I heard dh shouting out things tio her as she was playing, no x Minor or no reverse that etc.
Thanks for helping me keep it all in perspective. I'll be so glad when she has had her SEN assessment. [thnks] At least we'll know if it's age related or if she needs more intervention.

DS took and passed his Grade 6 jazz clarinet on Saturday (teacher let us know he had passed, because he needs it for the jazz group audition he is doing over the next couple of weeks - don't know overall level).

If he doesn't get into the senior jazz group this time, I think he'll want to accelerate his Grade 6 saxophone next. I know he'd rather audition on the sax but he needs that bit of paper (basically. he only takes the exams he needs to - has done Grade 5 clarinet, Grade 4 sax, now Grade 6 clarinet, Grade 6 sax planned - think he may take the Grade 8s before Year 13, but won't do either of the 7s)

Right that's it, howabout - I am going to have one! I think you should too!

Well done to teacher's DS.

New never too late to go back to a violin.

DD1 had a master class with me following the YMoY strings on Friday. I may have over stepped my enthusiasm and got shouted at so had to let her have payback by giving me a piano lesson.

I thought of you all as she told me off for trying to run before I could walk, not perfecting hand by hand and bar by bar, threatened me with the metronome for slowing down for the hard bits. Final indignity was that she told me there was no point in her listening to me playing the "easy bit" cos the clue was in the name. Tomorrow when I get her out the door to school I am treating myself to a mini concert cos actually I think she may have improved me

howabout

I love her style she sounds absolutely brilliant. It's great that she is thinking about correct practice, even if it's at your expense

teacher, well done to him. I bet that's great for him to know and a relief that he won't stress for the result so much.

I'm having a mini concert tomorrow after my drier has been fixed, we have one of those dodgy ones and engineer coming in morning.

just doing a search as dd has asked for some music for duets with her friend a French horn player and thought maybe some people didn't know about this site. It can take some navigation but well worth it.

imslp.org/wiki/Special:CategoryWalker/WIMA_files/

I must warn you though, I spend far too much time printing music it's addictive when you see some of the amazing combinations of parts