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!

PiqueABoo Average of about 1 hour a week is about all my kids do. But they seemed to have managed on this and made reasonable progress - enough to be happy and interested. And the teachers are happy. I suspect if I push them more they would progress faster. But then to like the thing is half the battle won so ... Besides they are not aiming to be career musicians.

I have used the Susan Paradis material when the kids were younger. Little duets and things.

But I'm nicking the scales jar idea. The only kilner jar I have contains granola so we need more!

I don't think either of them meant she was that mature in terms of practice or commitment - just that she is like an older child in a 10 year old body, and it's true.

We are having some rebellion over homework at the moment, and for the first time ever, Goo has gone to school without completing it properly. Admittedly, it was a bit of a pointless task, but she is likely to get a telling off. She just didn't want to do it!

Waffle: just last Nov, before joining this thread chain I could never imagine so many children have such a busy life out of school(in a good way) where they pursue many extra curr and later on become competitive and then very good and could even pursue gcse and even College and could even have a career out of it. Its such a huge commitment, time spend, energy(not mentioning cost) from the child. At school in primary we would expect 30mins-1 hour homework a week. For the children who is passionate about extra curri activities like music or dance then there are hours and they want more, could do more. Their mentality is so in it. Just last night I read a papers about Goldman Sach head of HR about their recruitment criteria. She said nowaday its not that you are graduated from Havard or similar, its whats else happening in your life and any particular hobby you gave and what you gave done about it. Now, after all this glamorous things in their CV, from the back of it are many years of hard work. Its even much more challenging than being good academically. For parents, although I think the most challenging is keeping everything in the right balance(or thats what I have been telling myself and trying to do so). I think Goo has been very busy and still now is. Her mentality is now in music. To balance her back with her academic then if music could take a little less busy. For myself, we are so not confident with the theory, every night when she has her books in her hands I wanted to tell her about the practice for both theory and practical she hasnt done or should have done. I have to bite my toungue and let her read. Thats why you see me here manytimes on this thread whining (reminding myself) that this is only extra curri activities for now. Where is the balance point. This is what I am thinking interms of primary children who parents also aim for being good academically. Hope you are not crossed with me

Green leaves, I also find it a bit difficult to keep the balance. Academics are still most important in our house (even though DC might not agree)but I don't think primary school is important from that point of view. My dc spent minimum time on homework at that age. However once at secondary school expext them to get top grades and then they can fill the remaining times with as many activities as they(and i) can fit in. Next "problem" is that none of them want to stick to one or two things only to get really good at it but rather try lot of different things. . But as we are on a music thread...they will therefore not get to grade 8 when they are 12 or 14 but hopefully can to at least grade 6 before uni and scope up a few UCAS points.

I feel very bad about it but academic work of my 8yo is totally ignored in our household at the moment. And I don't know how to get the balance right. Luckily she is a bright girl and manages without it (not that we have loads of homework from school anyway). We keep after school activities to the minimum too. My effort goes to dd's music and homework of my number two who is in reception (seems like they have more homework in reception than in year 3!).

Hmm...still remember DS1 in year 6 managing three weeks of no homework by the simple expediency of not bringing it home! His cunning plan was foiled when the teacher cornered me in the playground. I said if she could make sure he brought the book home I would make sure the homework got done.
I think the GCSE and music balance is going to be interesting next year, but up until now there hasn't been a problem. The main issue is insisting everything gets done before they get onto the computer.

I feel like we are putting more emphasis on music than academics at the moment also, while music practice is about 45 min to an hour a day homework and academics are somewhere around an hour or max 2 a week. We recently in the last couple of months started some 10 min maths tests a couple of times a week to get her into a routine of doing some extra work which would be required come September but I am not consistent at all, sometimes I remember to do it, other time a week or two goes by without any extra academic work. I can't say she needs it, she currently works on books for 9-10 year olds and come September she'll be ready to approach 10-11 and more so hopefully ready for the 11+ by September 2017 when the rest is. I also checked with DS's school and she would get in on the sibling rule providing he gets into sixth form which currently I have no reason to believe he wouldn't. That should hopefully take some of the pressure away even though 2017 will be a stressful year with DS's GCSEs and Dd's 11+.

I'm militantly anti-homework in primary, though in fairness mine didn't get much. DD used to go to the after school homework club to hang out with her best friend (her choice) so homework never actually came home. Even now (equiv. Y11) most of it gets done in free periods at school. She kept up five after-school activities right through junior high, including exam year, though currently down to only three. Obviously it depends on your child (my younger one seems to spend much more time on homework to much less effect) though it probably helps that we decided to keep them in state schools.

I don't know to what extent I'd be prepared to let music take priority over academics though I suspect we might be on course to find out. DD currently thinks she might want to do medicine - which in France is completely incompatible with music, especially the first year. She has a year "in hand" as she will only just have turned 17 in June 2018 when she finishes her baccalaureat, but she doesn't have the right personality for a gap year IMO.

I agree with you Mistigri about homework in primary, although ironically the year 6 homework was a lot more useful than what had gone before. DS1 still does most of his homework in breaks as well and I haven't heard any complaints!

DD doesn't get formal homework, she gets "home learning" which is a theme they need to look into and present it the way they want. So if it is the Tudors she can look into it and do what she wants, a poster, a power point, write something down, whatever. There is some competition between the kids though so she does like to spend time on it, there are days when she's not in the mood though so she'd only write a couple of sentences which takes her 10-15 min. I don't mind either way. Maths homework doesn't get assigned at all, just being told what they'll learn the following week in case they want to look into it.

We had parents evening this week and I was so impressed with DS2s teachers. DS is Y8 and had subject exams the week of our Music Festival in March. He missed some, and didn't revise for any as he had so much practice for the Festival on top of Chorister stuff. The attitude all round was that he works hard in class, does homework (mostly) well, and that though his exam results didn't always reflect what he could have done, it was Y8 and they were pleased he had done his Music. Equally no complaints about his recent few days off to sing at a concert

Loose DS (year 10) is also doing most of his homework in breaks. No complaints and his teachers sang his praises how all the homework is done on time. I have to say I feel like I am out of control as I never see him doing much academic work at home.

raspberry well done to your DS, sounds like he knows what he is doing.

Both my DC manage their own "home learning" - that's what I like to say. I ask them whether they have homework, what their plans are to tackle that, what they need from me, and I give them my "office hour" when I am available to help. So far it seems to work.

So I concentrate on getting music practise and theory done ...

I know what you mean, Fleur. although ironically, he has just stomped off to his theory lesson annoyed because he forgot for the second week running to do his theory homework. This is despite having an hour at least this afternoon when he could have cobbled it together. and after faffing around he set off late despite being reminded in plenty of time.

If they want to be musicians I don't see any problem in prioritising it over academic subjects.
My dd hardly did any work when she was H.ed, it was all music really.
She enjoyed other subjects but would always relate them back to music in some way.
History, included black American Jazz musicians, and issues surrounding Human rights.
Geography had to take in all the Opera houses

She once told us she needed 3 subjects - Geography, English and Maths.
To find her way to gigs/ concerts, to sign autographs, and to know she'd been paid right.

New life: thats so funny and so true. I think its great that she has her clear route from now and she could throw herself just for it.
Neverever: I am the same, I dont even know what she is learning at school anymore, every week on Sunday night I checked if it has been done. Just a week or couple of weeks ago we nearly forgot to do an English home work and she ended up stayed up late to do it as only realised in thd evening

She forgot about languages then. And drama is pretty useful for an opera singer.

Rout

She was only 8 at the time, but yes forgot the languages
She already had started italian though and had her tutor as soon as she left school.

Since starting school she has begun to enjoy Drama, I did suggest it a few years ago but she didn't seem interested at all. Now she quite likes it and will chose it for options next year.
I can't believe they decide in yr8 now. They are still so young.
Saying that though I think with the compulsory subjects there is little choice anyway.

DD had such s great piano lesson today that after lessons like that I realise what her teacher sees in her (in a positive way). Inquisitive, going the extra mile, wanting to do more than required. Not all her lessons are like that, there are the lessons when she listens and does what she's asked, the lessons when she's in a mood and takes a while to follow instructions and lessons like today when I think there must be a spark and maybe that is what the teacher sees.

NewLife your DD sounds amusing with her plans :)

I get that too. Dd never wants to practise, which drives me mad, though I have decided there's nothing I can do about it. But her teachers love her and refuse to believe that she doesn't practise. She's a very quick learner, and very enthusiastic in the lessons when she's getting attention. This fools them into thinking that she practises. Without practising, but playing in groups, she makes what to them is good progress. I can only imagine how well she would do if she actually put the work in. V frustrating.

Fleur and Misti, I too love the Chopin waltzes. The one DS has just performed is the op.69 n.2, it´s in the Gr8 Abrsm repertoire this year but DS said it was easier than the other Gr8 pieces he is preparing. The watzes n.17 and n.18 are around Gr4 apparently. Fleur I can pm you link if you really want...

RE SCALES We have always used a box with three partitions I created. In one, scales. In another, arpeggios. In the third, what DS calls "other" (?) Then a big bowl where everything goes when practised so he empties box before starting the cycle again.

Teacher good luck with audition.
Waffle so good that Goo is enjoying piano so much. Best of luck with other exam.