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Extra-curricular activities

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Spring/ Summer Music and Musicians Thread

981 replies

Wafflenose · 10/04/2016 11:25

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!

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Greenleave · 21/05/2016 12:36

Poor Goo, hope she is feeling better!
Loose: it's great that it went well, weldone to him.
We have swimming this morning and a party this evening so no practice is happening today, I try no to say a thing however knowing that she needs to have some practise this week and a bit of theory. We have been wasting the whole week. Well, she doesn't know the pressure which is what I am trying to keep away from her. Now the usual song singing in my head that why I am feeling pressurised when it's supposed to be only having fun. Balance is the key!
Finished whining!
Hope everyone else is having a better productive than us
Nearly forgot Prada, hope mini Prada is doing well with her Spanish exam. GCSE at the age of 10-11 is tough!

teacherwith2kids · 21/05/2016 12:45

DS has a clash-of-two-lives day today - football cup final match followed by quick hose down and into concert clothes for a jazz performance.

As this did not allow any time for eating, we had a massive cooked breakfast this morning!

Fleurdelise · 21/05/2016 14:52

Glad all went well Loose!

Piano lesson done for the day, Dd's teacher mentioned a local piano competition where the level needs to be minimum grade 6 and she'd like to prepare DD for it in the future (not this year as it is very close and she isn't that level yet). I am quite impressed that she thinks DD could take part as one of the BBC young musicians pianists won it a couple of years ago and I think the standard is high.

Fleurdelise · 21/05/2016 14:54

Happy to hear Goo is better waffle!

Pradaqueen · 21/05/2016 15:39

Glad to hear Goo is better! Well the G5 violin is done...her teacher and I listened at the door and apart from a few minor slips all sounded lovely. Scales were good and aural seemed fine. The examiner was an older gentleman and spent time before the exams started today cooing with miniprada and the other girls over the kittens that have been born wild in the teacher's garden by a random cat.... That put the girls at ease and was lovely for them to know examiners are human! I now have to dodge the 'mummy can we have one' requests..... Grade 5 theory next stop then G5 piano.

Thanks for the kind wishes regarding Spanish, all seemed to go well. Reckon she's got a pass (C) maybe more if she had a good day, but then I am a pessimist....!

NeverEverAnythingEver · 21/05/2016 16:24

Pradaqueen I thought you mentioned upthread that one of the Grade 5 violin pieces is a Rondino. Which one is that? Is that the Kreisler one?

QueenofQuirkiness · 21/05/2016 16:59

DD's got her date for her G5 oboe exam - her birthday! (End of June) She has her accompanist rehearsal next week, exams after half term and then her music exam...yay Wine

Fleurdelise · 21/05/2016 17:08

Well done miniprada! Good luck for all of the DCs taking summer session exams!

We have picked this beauty up Smile

Spring/ Summer Music and Musicians Thread
Icouldbeknitting · 21/05/2016 17:11

DH got his date for his G1 challenge exam (which is now G3 because he missed the date for entries in the last session) and by some fluke it's a date he can do. That's the first time in years he's started with a date he can actually make. He is now deciding what he'd like to do after that, keep on with flute or try something else. He mentioned kit percussion this afternoon. Fortunately words failed me for long enough for him to say that he'd be practising on the kit in the bandroom so I think I'm ok with that.

Fleurdelise · 21/05/2016 19:01

DD spent the afternoon learning how to put the clarinet together, take it apart, how to have a correct embouchure and to play a few notes. After an hour of fiddling with it and watching YouTube she stated she loves it while we put it away.

I am now considering contacting the teacher to find a solution to start early.

ealingwestmum · 21/05/2016 19:39

It was never going to be any other way fleur!

Enjoy, and good luck with getting her to start learning earlier Smile

Icouldbeknitting · 21/05/2016 19:51

Fleur good for her - it's a long wait until September.

Wafflenose · 21/05/2016 20:18

I knew it wouldn't wait that long! My kids would find that tortuous!

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troutsprout · 21/05/2016 21:01

Looks lovely Fleur! Absolutely perfect!

We had a potentially music free Saturday for once ( no music centre today) but actually spent the day getting dd's clarinet ( Clarence) serviced. Booked it in for early this morning, then dropped it off at the workshop and spent a lovely day exploring before picking him up all perfect and leak-free later on. A day well spent Smile

Fleurdelise · 21/05/2016 21:10

I'll call the teacher on Monday, maybe she'll have a few spare lessons here and there. Maybe start officially in June, I don't know. Smile

NewLife4Me · 21/05/2016 21:24

Fleur

That looks very pretty and well done to your dd.
sounds like it was the right choice and definitely agree to asking for earlier lessons.

waffle Your lego battles sound similar to the ones I remember with ds1 and 2. I wish they were both still at home, arguing and creating havoc Sad they grow up too soon. Glad to hear Goo is better.
Too many people to name, so good luck to all those taking exams.

drummersmum · 21/05/2016 22:12

Fleur what a beautiful thing...

Greenleave · 21/05/2016 22:18

Its very beautiful Fleur, how exciting, I wouldnt wait either, hope Minifleur will progress real fast with it

onlymusic · 21/05/2016 23:24

Fleurdelise like your thing too!

I discussed potential cello lessons with dd's violin teacher and got big NO. The argument was that two different technical approaches can interfere with each other and it will be a mess.
(big sigh) No cello for us then....

Also asked our teachers about Practical Musicianship exam, it appears that one of them was already thinking in this direction and the other one promised to have a look too....

Pradaqueen · 22/05/2016 04:57

Ooh Fleur, that looks exciting! Congratulations!

Never- re the Rondino, I think it is the Kreisler one but will check. It's in the 2016/1019 ABRSM G5 syllabus list B from memory. She also did the Vivaldi from the additional pieces (list A) and the Intermezzo by Kodaly (C). The Intermezzo was a really fab piece that she played as a solo last week in the local orchestra concert.

NeverEverAnythingEver · 22/05/2016 08:51

Prada I found the syllabus. I must have got the old one when I looked last time. I was just wondering if it was this one. Grin Thanks!

Pradaqueen · 22/05/2016 09:43

Never - the Vivaldi is awesome but very challenging!

NeverEverAnythingEver · 22/05/2016 14:46

I'll have a look!

Fleurdelise · 22/05/2016 22:33

So after another day of DD not giving the clarinet a rest, literally giving me a scare, coming in the kitchen with the clarinet in one piece saying "look mum, I put it together myself" and making different sounds by pressing random keys and being happy about it I have texted the teacher and she can start tomorrow.

She doesn't know yet but I think she'll jump for joy when finding out given that she went to sleep saying "I love all my activities and I can't wait to learn how to play clarinet, I think it will become my favourite".

I hope she keeps her enthusiasm, I have to say, she wasn't so enthusiastic when she started piano. But she was only 6...

LooseAtTheSeams · 22/05/2016 22:39

Lovely to hear about her enthusiasm, Fleur - and good for you for moving things along! I thinks she's going to be very excited about her new lessons!

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