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!

Thanks everyone, she was introduced to it last week lesson and was excited( and frustrated) to get it right. I will ask her teacher what he thinks, telling him your experience( I normally refer you all to him as "my friends said" hahaha event recently I told him that its hard for her to understand the importance of practice because none of my friends children doing it at her level and/or her neighbors, classmates, I think he knows I googled it and/or have online friends).

Green I am not stressing much with the 11+, truth be told I over stressed on it with my first DC (14 now) and while he succeeded and got into a very good school looking back I wish I knew there were lots of things as important as the academic side. He is doing really well and I am very proud of him but bottom line is that if I could go back in time I'd take away all the pressure I put on him.

green It must be very difficult not to stress about schools in London especially if you have a lot of competitive-parent friends, but like Fleur I think it matters a lot less than you think in the long run. We sent DD to a very ordinary, local comprehensive (deprived intake, but with a good team of teachers), and I'm pleased we did because she had so much more time to develop her outside interests during those years. This year she had private lycées (sixth form colleges) falling over themselves to take her, but she opted to stay in the state sector where she continues to do very well.

Fleur I am glad (but not surprised) to hear that your dd is doing so well with Fur Elise :) It is very motivating to choose a piece of music which is beautiful but technically a bit too hard. DD has to work this week on putting hands together on the hard section of her chopin nocturne, it's a bit of a struggle (fast, and with triplets for the LH and semiquavers for the right) - but she'll get there eventually.

Fleur: its good that he has done well, I think the feeling of whether we had overdone it only applied to the successful one, it is better than whether we had underprepared in my opinion. I havent done anything now mainly because I havent found any tutor starting from next year yet( the good ones) eventhough my friends have their children start tutoring from year 4. The kids are all doing really well, gifted registered and still doing works on top at home however I feel their pressure(however their parents are trying to say there isnt any pressure). I find myself peace here and its distracted me from being worrying on her 11+ route.

Good luck to your DD Misti with the nocturne I am sure she'll do great, any chance she'll add it on FB when ready? I'd love to hear her playing the piano.

Green I know what you mean, I have a lot of competitive parents around me asking me if I started preparing DD and telling me what they are doing with their DCs. It puts pressure on you and I guess I am a bit more relaxed as she is my second and I know it will be fine no matter what. We have a grammar school in the area and then another two very good selective ones, she'll try for them but I have seen DCs coming out of the really good schools not making the best of the opportunity they had, some dropping at A levels, others just doing tinge A levels but not going to Uni while I have also seen DCs coming out of the local comprehensive doing very well for themselves, getting into good Unis and achieving high. It is ultimately down to the individual.

Mistigri, Fleur: I think I could only calm once its over. I feel hopeless manytime as a working parents for example this week both of us wont be able to make home for supper, tonight we both need to stay late and wont see the kids at all.

I think I have carried the thread a little away and even I sound pessimistic in real life it isnt as bad, they are both very happy children and we care and love them and doing everything for them

Thanks to Wafflenose I have just bought a treble recorder, baroque fingering .........I think she enjoys the descant as we play together (we just happened to have 2 descant recorders). Was not interested in trying out my treble. I'm hoping to do the same now with the treble, one each so we can play together as well. (No formal lessons as we just don't have the time for it.)

well, dd2 is only doing the first piece of fur elise, it was something that was easy for her to learn and a relaxation after her exam. Our problem is that her teacher is so busy we only get lessons once in 2 to 4 weeks. And I am NOT attempting to teach her anything too difficult.

DS2 had a good practice with the new cello last night and realised it wasn't 'out of tune', he just had to get used to the different size. Seems fine now, and it is definitely louder!

As always thanks Waffle for starting the new thread.
DS (14) preparing G8 piano, drum kit and tuned percussion. No exams this term but preparing for two concerts, a Chopin waltz he has been preparing in one of them and the other will all be jazz ensembles. Jazz is really taking now a lot of his/our life. He improvises jazz at the piano for ours and has a jazz trio he plays with at school. Nice when my musicians friends tel me that there is absolutely no money in jazz. None whatsoever... Oh well.
Dougal the first ting we noticed with DS when he was a toddler is that he could listen attentively to music for hours without moving. It was like hibernation. At 20 months old he would refuse to go to the park and instead demanded to be placed on the comfy chair next to the stereo and be left there.

loose - haha wait for he full size one:) oddly DD seemed to find tuning easier the larger the cello got

Musicmom1 yes - and I'm hoping it stays in tune longer as well! Practice last night included a lot of "lift your elbow" in a vain attempt to get him out of a bad habit before he goes to strings orchestra on Saturday...
Drummersmum it sounds as though your DS is having a fantastic time. Sadly, I don't think there's ever been much money in jazz, more's the pity.

Indeed Loose !!
This is for your DS:

Drummersmum that is awesome!

Just moved kit to a new place in the house and, inspired by the recent exchange of piano pics, here's one so when people ask about their DC starting drums... well, this is what's coming! And this is not even a full size one. It's a traveller kit, drums an inch less in diameter and considerably less depth except for normal snare and cymbals.

Oh good, that much of room

I am so mean, I asked for practising in silent these days with an excuse it helps with the baby bedtime. The good thing about the silent system is both of us can hear her playing on headphone at the same time. The tuner came yesterday to tune it and you are right I dont notice it at all now( except our toddler keeps trying to put the pencil into the key hole and it might have some scratches very soon, we always on constant watch making sure she doesnt do anything funny around it.

The pencil in the keyhole is a first crucial step in piano playing, Green...

I meant " oh god!" earlier.

Drummer: having an elder child playibg definitely helps(as if you have anyone musical in your family then it helps). She climbs on the stool and pretending playing(banging the notes) every single time possible. The music books were read(up side down if you know what I mean) in a great length of time( to a 2 years old). I wont introduce either piano and/or violin though(proper lessons) until 5.5. My elder daughter started too early and to the point I thought we gave up as she wasnt much interested

alexandra we have no basement! Otherwise...

Green so sweet... You may find it's ok to start earlier. Each child is different.

drummers DS2 has been having drums lessons for over a year now. The teacher said he was doing really well, and I'm thinking about the way forward - he has an opportunity to join the jazz band but he said he hates jazz (as much as you can hate jazz when you are 9!) What to do?

(Though that's not his main instrument... We are NOT getting a drum kit or somebody will have to move out ...)

Drummersmum I'm not showing that photo to ds1, he will want to upgrade! It looks great! He has an electric drum kit at home but also practises on a 'proper' one at school! Our kit lives at the bottom of the garden.
Green the baby is clearly showing signs of musical promise! Reading the music upside down is particularly cute!

Green my DD3 is only 4 but has been exposed to musical immersion pretty much from birth due to her sisters. She found "Fiddle Time Joggers" and after an afternoon of pestering me can now read all the musical timing notation. She started off using the pictures to work out if she knew the song. Her Grannie bought her a wooden xylophone for Christmas which DD3 loves. It is only a matter of time before she works out the letters are the note names.

She will be a whizz at aural because she can sing all of her sisters' exam pieces by heart and she often joins in on her pots and pans drum.

DD2 made her a cardboard violin and a family friend has now given her a tiny real violin. She can blow a raspberry to toot a trumpet and make a reed squeak.

I am still intending to sit on my hands till she is 7ish.

Loose: you dont mean they are left outdoor? Can they be? Unless there is a room. I often wish I could renovate our shed so the violin practise section can be done there.

How, thats so sweet of them both. Is your dd2 enjoying her violin? I was given a violin and had couple of years lessons however cant play now and cant read music note. I was super excited when I had my violin though.

If your dd3 loves singing then singing is a lovely skills, it releases all the stress.

I cant believe its weekend everyone.

I am hoping all the foreign terms are learnt this weekend.

We have a posh shed at the bottom of the garden - it doubles as an office and music room. The drums live there with several guitars and a rather scary looking bass guitar amp.
Just realised one of my rare nights out tonight is coinciding with Young Musician of the Year. Thank goodness for IPlayer!