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!

Thank you Loose! I think I would have remained with the initial plan as she'll miss about 3 lessons in July but I feel guilty not taking advantage of her curiousity.

And also I think she'd get bad habits, I tried hiding it but she found it and she is already probably having a bad embouchure, I don't want it to become a reflex and have troubles to get rid of it.

I'll let you know if/when she gets bored.

I know what you mean, Fleur. It's not quite the same, but after DS1 started teaching himself the bass guitar, I got worried that he was picking up some bad habits with the fingering and made him take lessons. He has absolutely flown with it since!
Asked both DSs about their exams last night. Can't say I was filled with absolute confidence by the answers. I'm hoping they've done enough to pass but am also feeling pragmatic about resits!

Loose: fingers crossed, we are normally pessimistic being a mum, I am sure it's better than a pass

We are having a guest tonight who stays with us for a night. He did his grade 8 piano, St playing for pleasure an in a church at weekends. Hopefully the piano will eventually be recognised as our G3 learner hasn't appreciated it as much

Sorry about terrible typo as I am on blackberry and still tempting to mumsnet awggg!

Hi guys

Not sure if I am being caught up in the enthusiasm of this thread (and feeling competitive or just on the right track with DCs!

Anyway, can I have honest opinions about a five year old starting piano? DD has a lesson on Mon while DS and I wait in the room next door and I thought.. well, as we're waiting anyway, maybe he can do it too... BUT I don't want to put him off.

He's started picking out notes with most of his fingers (!!) rather than just boom booming, and he is reading fairly ok so I don't think learning ABC for notes will impact his school learning... BUT he is still an almost five year old whose favourite thing is to sing a willie bum poo song and laugh, so... might be better to wait!

Have any of you had an early starter on piano? Piano teacher is not Suzuki by the way. She also may think it's a bit too early.

Hi Lucy
first and most important is does he want to start? Then give it a try.
DS started at 4 because he was born in a house with a piano that was played very often and from an early age he started trying it out, experimenting ,etc till it became obvious he better be taught. A teacher said she needed to check if his fingers were ready. She said yes but we ended up not using that teacher (she was Russian old style, and at the time we thought she was too strict as he came out of the second lesson with teary eyes). Instead, his dad who can play started teaching him in a very casual way starting with the Bastien method which is very child friendly. They started with two books:
www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/piano-party-book-b-sheet-music/313032?narrow_by=Bastien
and
www.sheetmusicplus.com/look_inside?R=312590
This is a sample of the contents:
kjos.vo.llnwd.net/o28/pdf/WP200_PG_S.pdf
They took it super slowly always having fun and he didn't sit Grade 1 till he was 7.
I don't think starting young is a problem but I don't regret taking it slowly. He is 14 now preparing grade 8 and also added jazz lessons, still loves it and even though he's quite demanding with himself, he has a pressure free relationship with the instrument. It shows in the fact that he's become a fearless improviser.

Had one little girl literally jumping up with joy hearing about the clarinet lesson tonight.

lucy if he wants to do it I would say yes. My friend's DD started at 5 on an hour lesson (Russian piano teacher who didn't take kids on less than an hour) and has been with her for an year and progressed nicely. Dd's teacher also takes little ones from 5 (she's English if it matters and does 30 min lessons) but after a quick assesment to check they can focus for the lesson. She is also adapting her teaching to be more interactive, such as more clapping rythms and counting, it depends of how ready she sees them.

I would give it a try if I were you providing the little one is interested. DD wasn't at 5 when I mentioned it, she started at 6 after she has seen her friend progressing and playing nice pieces.

I have just found out that the violin test date is 2 days after theory date. Oh well, at least they are not on the same date. No party for 3 weeks from now then will be a long long long break...

Predictably DD is unable to make the date they have allocated for her grade 7 singing exam. Are we just destined to have to throw good money after bad repeatedly until a date actually suits....? Can they not schedule them a little bit further in advance....? Has anyone else had this repeatedly......?

I called them and asked for any further date, no centre is available within 30 miles, we did specify the preferable date( never had it allocated I the past either). I have no idea about their allocation methodology, it's def not first comes first serve as we registered on the firs available date when we were allowed

Thanks Greenleave. I guess we just pay up again for next term and cross our fingers. Its an expensive game......I'm not enjoying it.

Greenleave - oh goodness, that's a lot of prep in one go! On the other hand, think how happy you will both be afterwards! Good luck with both. I am definitely not worrying about results for my two. Ds2 trotted off to piano as normal this morning and has come back with lots of holiday practise for piano! That's OK because he has his own portable keyboard and is going to take it on holiday at half term.
He has his cello lesson tomorrow, they can do the post mortem then!
janinlondon I sympathize about scheduling. I had to cancel an exam last year because the one date we were offered clashed with a school trip I'd already paid for! Our music centre offered two dates originally but cancelled the one I'd chosen due to lack of demand!

Loose - did you get a refund on that? We have been told no refund is possible.....so I am not cancelling her slot......just in case a flood of biblical proportions hits the DofE expedition site.......

We won't have refund if the date isn't suitable, only if the child is sick on the day with an evidence and can't be able to make it.

Well, it's part of a fun game( in a sarcastic way) to play along. We used to be able to reschedule for 2 days last November so we didn't have piano and violin on the same day(2 hours apart, no idea what they were thinking)

I know a boy who did 3 music exams within two hours recently. We offered him Thurs am, Thurs pm, Fri am, but no, he said he'd rather stay there and get them all done! I think it was Grade 4 piano, Grade 3 Guitar and Grade 2 Saxophone. He also plays the violin and recorder, and sings!

As for piano lessons - some early years specialists will take them from age 4 or 5. Many teachers prefer them to be 7 - I prefer 8, but mainly on the grounds that by age 10, the late starters will generally have caught up with the early ones. I'm by no means a piano specialist though - just occasionally get arm-twisted into giving lessons to friends' children!

Jan I did get s refund but only because it was the music centre who withdrew the date after offering it if you see what I mean. I think if the fee had already got to ABRSM I'd have lost the money.
Waffle I can see his logic, actually! It's less fun to go on three different occasions. I hope he does well! DS2 wants to add saxophone as a third instrument but I am in no rush - he can only start once he gets to secondary school and only if he gets through his grade 3 exams on the other two instruments. Also, I need to think about practice time and homework. And he's determined to play tenor whereas I think kids generally start on alto, though he's as tall as I am so maybe that isn't an issue.

Jan no help this time but maybe Trinity exams might be better? Certainly in my area the weeks are set way in advance.

Loose DD plays alto and bari, but she had friends who started on tenor at secondary. I think it is the same fingering on all of them

My dd has done 3 exams one after the other, a couple of times I think. Probably doesn't lead to the best possible results, but so much less hassle than doing them all separately.
I am very much in favour of skipping ABRSM exams. So we say no exams until grade 3 (except for piano, which is different). And since then dd has skipped quite a few exams. In one of her instruments I think she's about grade 6 level, but she has done no exams at all on that one. The hassle and the money and the playing the same pieces for months - there are lots of reasons not to do all exams from gr 1 to 8 (let alone pre grade 1!)

janinlondon is it worth contacting abrsm to check if they can reschedule for another day? I know one of Dd's teacher's students had hers another day than most of them as she couldn't make it on the original allocated slot. Not sure what had to happen but I think it is worth trying.

Green good luck with the exams, I guess it will feel like a massive relaxing break straight after which is always good.

lucysnowe, my dd started piano at 4 and though she progressed very quickly, her brother is not starting it (if at all) till 6yo+ - this my conclusion from this experience. Even though he also asked for piano lessons. He also was asking for violin lessons for about two years but guess what? once the real thing started he lost interest very quickly. Because it looks effortless when his sister is playing but it is a VERY hard work!
Same with piano.
I can also see from numerous examples that the same can be achieved in a much shorter time if lessons are started at 6-7yo. Saves time and money.
If anything, I would start with another instrument, not piano.

I think that it's good to start fairly young (age 5 or 6) on recorder. Plus plenty of singing. Then swop to an orchestral instrument or piano at around 7. Dd1 actually started recorder at age 4 and did quite well. But 1) she's v musical, 2) it was hard work (mind you it's hard work getting her to practice her instruments now, so that may not have been age related).

Talking about other instruments, I asked dd's violin teacher about the best age to start violin. He was quite firm that 4-5yo would be an ideal age.

It's a bit different because she is already relatively proficient on two other instruments, but my daughter Goo is 10, and after five weeks of learning the piano is playing Grade 2ish pieces pretty well. I'm amazed - she could already read music fluently, has Grade 5 Theory etc and is putting in 4-5 hours a week, but it's still astonishing to see. I'll make another video when she lets me.

I'm inclined to agree with routenationale that recorder is a good choice for very young children. It's easier in the initial stages than most instruments, it requires little strength and not too much coordination. It's possible even for not especially focussed or hardworking students (like my DD) to make decent progress. I'm sure violin is good too, but I suspect that young children who succeed at violin have a bit more focus and perseverance than either of my kids did at that age.

Starting piano young may have some advantages but older students can often catch up quite quickly especially if they have other instrumental experience.

We are definitely a recordering family too. Goo started at 3.5 and Rara late 4s, due to being much smaller. We literally only did it when they asked to (including months of nothing at times!) but both became mad keen once they hit 5.