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!

Letlove - we also missed g6 whilst theory caught up; agree much is in their heads by the time they have got to that level ESP if they are pianists or used to many clefs.

Drummer - not London; and only just beginning 😀

green that's lovely. Glad your daughter's learning has made your life so much richer.

Good luck musicmom!

We're planning the same with theory, take it easy, see where we get without pushing it too much and if needed skip grades until after she has taken theory. She doesn't need to take all the grades and she doesn't anyway so no reason to push for it. I think every other grade works well for her as it gives her lots of time to do wider repertoire without thinking of exams.

I am reading Practical Musicianship description (thanks for mentioning it)(www.abrsm.org/regions/fileadmin/user_upload/syllabuses/pracComplete10.pdf) and it seems to be a good alternative to theory exam. Did anyone's dc actually take it? It seems doable.

Greenleave, I already saved your screenshot! Some interesting books in there, will be happy to read them myself!
I am also into classical music now and certainly prefer it to pop when driving. Also relate it to dc's music lessons. Try to go to classical concerts whenever I can too.

"I am aware that we will soon need to tackle the dreaded G5 theory paper to take the practical any further... any tips?! "

Switch to Trinity and ignore it?

It depends on your aims, but that's what DD did (got her G6 piano a couple of months ago). She has acquired plenty of theory along the way, but I think there are some holes and we intend to fill them in a leisurely fashion this year... but not for exams, unless she surprises me and really wants to do them.

Practical Musicianship looks much harder than theory!

Well... yes, but given certain natural abilities it may not....

I think our natural abilities here lean more towards theory.

Luckily theory is taught as a lunchtime course in dd1's school....

Sorry I'm joining the thread so late. DD's flute teacher phoned me today to let me know that DD spent half of her flute lesson in tears. This has never happened before. It was triggered by a crisis of confidence about her Grade 3 exam in a month's time. DD's scales could be better, but her pieces, aural and sight-reading are all fine. Her teacher thinks she is ready.

I'm a bit concerned, because playing the flute is usually something she enjoys, and she has never cried in a lesson before. I asked her about it this evening, and she said that secondary school is too tiring (she's in Y7) and everything is just too much.

Only: stupid question pls, how do I get the aural apps (AMEB) which you recommended work as its just silent, its running but there isnt a sound even I have registered

We tried the abrsm aural apps last night and tonight and have never got the clapping pulse bit right. How do we clap? Whats considered right?

Never: hahaha, I am on the same boat. We have absolutely no music gene in our blood! There isnt another way!
Thesecond: well come and hug! It happens, could be only a bad and tiring day, fingers crossed!

thesecond. I remember when dc1 started secondary school, he was really tired, and around this time of the year he had end of year exams as well.. He cut down on quite a few activities. Hopefully you also have midterm soon? and hopefully exam is afterwards?

exampanic I think you could be right. Her next few weeks go like this:
1 week of normal school.
1 week half-term holiday.
1 week of school exams.
1 week of normal school.
School trip to Cornwall.
Then her flute exam.

A lot of my attention has been on the eldest, who is in the middle of his GCSE exams. I have to remember that the other three need support too.

Greenleave where did you install it? I just downloaded straight on ipad, when running it it was saying that smth in my settings was switched off, I just followed instruction to switch it on. I think it was smth to do with sound too.
You may not get the clapping pulse right as it is a computer and we are only humans but it still should an idea how close you are and what areas to work on. It does not mean that you will fail it on exam as examiner is also a human .

I downloaded it from itunes btw
itunes.apple.com/gb/app/auralbook-for-abrsm-grade-1-hd/id465267146?mt=8

Only: I downloaded it from itune. Will try again, thanks so much. She failed her last aural test and usually is terrible with it so I wasnt really surprised

when dc2 did her first music exam, I tried to explain about 2/4 and 3/4. By either marching up and down the room or walzing away in our sittingroom. not sure whether it helped....
Thesecond: ha, that sounds familiar, although dc exams are before midterm. Oh, hang on , just looked at calendar that means dd1 only has one more lessons before her brass exam?????

Greenleave if it still does not work I will try to remember what I did

She got a distinction in her jazz assessment.
All that fuss over nothing
She was over the moon, I could tell. She didn't tell me until the end of our conversation though, as if in passing

newlife that's wonderful! Well done to DD! She must be thrilled!
TheSecond hugs to your DD; sounds like she's tired and a lot of things are happening at once. It can just get a bit overwhelming at that age. I think we forget how much year 7s have to deal with. Of course, Year 8s know everything, as I discovered last year with DS1!
I found the abrsm aural app for grade 3 a bit odd! The singing one shows you how close you are to the notes. if you get it right the voice says Hmm...not bad! If you get it wrong you're very much put in your place. And woe betide you if you're too quiet!
As for practical musicianship, I'll have to keep on with theory, I think. I started my homework this evening, doing the exercises on intervals in the grade 4 theory book. Still haven't finished it!
Ds2 suddenly remembered he has an extra cello lesson tomorrow at school. Just as well as that"s where his music has spent the last two evenings! Apparently, he'd memorised enough to practise last night while I was at work! Hopefully this is all a good sign for Friday's exam!

Only: redownloaded it last night and it works, yayyy!(silly me didnt set up the sound when there was a message asking)
Exam: might try the same here!!
Newlife: how wonderful, many congratulations.
Loose: all the best for your DS2 exam tonorrow!

Newlife that's nice to hear even if it does reinforce the message that proper preparation doesn't really matter.

TheSecond I know you from the GCSE thread. Summer term is pants for music exams because there is so much else going on. DS did one summer exam - if I'd known how many lessons he would miss on the run up to it then I'd have waited until September. I'd take a wild guess that she's worried about the school exams (she's living in a GCSE household so exams are a Big Thing) but it's safe to let it all out in the music lesson.