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!

Waffle thanks so much for posting the clips. Goo is making great progress - a real sense of pulse and lovely technique on the second piece. I love her concentration - I need to follow her example!

Greenleave its actually €1500 euros which is a fairly standard price for for-profit residentials here - the difference is that its a not-for-profit association and you're paying for the quality and skills of the session leaders (typically 1 adult to 5 teens for the music sessions, so good ratios too). I don't begrudge a cent of it!

lucysnowe dd can only play chopin from memory, because of the jumps. She'd never have her hands in the right place if she wasn't looking at them!

Off travelling this week, so I'm going to have to hope that DD is serious about the practice because her main piece still needs a lot of work...

Lovely videos Waffle, thanks for sharing.

Bsorry haven't caught up - work and life so busy right now. It's my birthday today - and as a good music mom am spending it hanging around for rehearsals and then watching DD sing.....but at least we have birthday tea after with friends!

Happy Birthday Musicmom

I hope you have a lovely Birthday tea. Will it be outdoors in this beautiful weather?

Thanks for sharing the clip waffle Goo sounds so musical you can tell even though she's only just starting Piano. good for her

Well done Goo! You can indeed see how well she's doing from those videos.

Happy Birthday Musicmom!

We're having a barbecue in the garden just to celebrate the weather. We have been to a local symphony concert last night which was impressive, the quality of the music played was stunning. DD didn't move for the whole duration and at one point I felt the need to remind her to breathe.

Happy birthday Musicmom1! !
I missed local symphony concert yesterday because of headache Fleurdelise, could be the same concert

Happy birthday Musicmom! We are having Rara's party today. It's not quite her birthday yet, but we'll all be busy on the actual day, with work and school.

Happy birthday Musicmum and hope Rara is having a fun party today!

We have 5km run today and its just ...too hot!

Happy birthdays! Hope birthday tea and party go well!

onlymusic I do wonder if it was the same one

Fleurdelise Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5 and Mozart: Bassoon Concerto by any chance?

onlymusic no, we were entertained by Kodaly and Handel.

Thankyou Icould! that sounds about par for the course then. My worries are that as she is just a beginner (and the only recorder) they are just kind of fitting her in. She doesn't know anyone else there and though she happily really enjoys it I am hoping she isn't left out or anything. Irrational I know.

Yes we have our eye on the cornet but probably not till Sept now so I will keep my eye out for a beginner band. That would be great for her.

Misti sounds like your daughter has the right idea! I am hopeless at memorizing anything so have to just judge the distance in my mind!

Lucy , Dd has been attending local music centre for 6 years. She's there for 4 hours every Saturday and doesn't bring anything home either
I'm not sure if get her there if they produced homework!

I have a question .. Might be daft (I'm non-musical) but bear with me . When music peeps sight read .. Do they generally look at a note and think "that's an e" or do they just look at a note and play it?. Is this the difference between becoming more fluent?

trout from what I gather from Dd's teacher when practising sight reading with DD is the fact that you should learn to recognise music patterns. So while yes, they do know "this is an E, C, A" if asked they actually read the pattern of 1 up, 2 down, a third, a fifth, a scale pattern and so on. When DD stops middle of sight reading trying to figure out the note name her teacher tells her to look at the note she's on and figure out if the next note is up or down and what is the interval (1 up, 2 down, a third).

I think when I sight read I'm looking for patterns. And always look ahead. DS2's teacher said to cover up one bar ahead, so by the time you play bar 2 you should know how to play bar 3 already. It does work. BUt takes practice.

That is also why you should learn your scales and arpeggios, so when you see a thing that looks like scales or arpeggio you don't need to think too much.

I was wondering.... Did anyone else dismiss the teacher in aural test preparation and rely mainly on aural apps?

Why would you do that?! Why not take the expert advice you're paying for?

My current teacher is a singer as well as pianist so she's been very supportive - but I still used an app!
I really think for my sons the apps would be better as they don't get much aural prep at all in lessons. We've had 2 emergency lessons for grade 5, that's it!

I should add, I used the app for extra practice. And we've started the aural for grade 4 in lessons and I have the specimen test book from ABRSM with the CD.
But I don't think it gets covered until almost at the exam date in the DCs' 30 minute lessons!

We hardly had time for aural. Always the last lesson only. Will search for the Apps now. Many thanks

DD tends to do aural practice the last couple of months before exam, I also use the Abrsm app more so when I panic.

DD got to the middle of Fur Elise which is really fast (semidemiquavers) and I will hand on heart post a video here of her playing it if ever she'll succeed playing that at speed. Her teacher is quite confident she can but we'll just have to wait (a few weeks as currently she's just learning that bit hands separate) and see.

Greenleave here is information about app www.playnote.com/web/index.html

Noteventhebestdrummer seems like app prepares better than the teachers and as already said it is never enough time for everything during the lesson. Did you try it? It is really good...