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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

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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Original poster
Wafflenose · 15/04/2016 20:22

I haven't got a TV, so am looking forward to watching on iplayer later. Goo and I went to see the Woodwind final, so I'm desperate to see how it comes across in the programme, and also to check whether we're on it!

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Icouldbeknitting · 15/04/2016 20:53

There are no bassoons so we'll catch it later on.

MirandaWest · 16/04/2016 00:11

I'm watching the woodwind final and when they've been panning across the audience wondering if it's showing you and Goo, Wafflenose

Original poster
Wafflenose · 16/04/2016 01:24

We weren't in it, but we were literally JUST out of camera shot when the two presenters were discussing the performances! We would have been just over to the left of the screen, or on Alison Balsom's right.

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drummersmum · 16/04/2016 12:00

NeverEver, DS was not playing jazz at 9 either. It was mostly rock and funk then. The jazz came later at around 12 partly due to the fab music department at his school.

The way forward I'm afraid is regular access to a kit. Is there one at school he can practice on? If you don't want to buy one, it'll be difficult for him to improve. Lots of people go for the electronic option. It's silent and takes less space. On the other hand, it really is not enough after a few years (say after G5 or 6). At that point, one either needs an acoustic at home or at school. If his teacher says he's good and he enjoys it it may be worth looking into it as it's a really fun and versatile thing to play in secondary school.

Fleurdelise · 16/04/2016 14:15

drummers the drum kit is impressive. DH was trying to say DD should pick up drums, had to explain that there is no space for a drum kit in the house having a massive piano also.

I am becoming more and more excited about clarinet. Found a teacher close to our house where there is a music centre. 1-2-1 lessons. Still waiting for the piano teacher's recommendation.

Mistigri · 16/04/2016 14:53

Never DD is not a big jazz buff, but her jazz workshop plays jazz-influenced interpretations of different genres and she loves it - we were at an end-of-term music school get-together last night, and they played songs by Whitney Houston, Marvin Gaye and Dizzy Gillespie. It's more a "jazz approach", in terms of the arrangements, than pure jazz - they use a lot of weird chords (ie ones that as a more traditional guitarist I can't identify by sight) and jazzy rhythms.

The drummer in my guitar class uses an electronic drum kit and it's very practical and portable and not at all space-hogging. It takes him about five minutes to carry it upstairs to our practice room and set it up.

Saw DD's old guitar teacher last night and he is talking about getting some proper musicians together to work on arrangements for DD's songs, probably at the start of the summer holidays. She failed to make the final three in the competition she entered (this was completely unsurprising and not a disappointment at all) but she has been invited to a meeting with the people in charge of cultural activities at the town hall, to discuss what they can do to help her. Good to see a bit of money and effort being spent on developing cultural activities at grass-roots levels.

drummersmum · 16/04/2016 16:28

mistigiri that sounds exciting.
fleur I hear you. We had to sacrifice having a dinning table in the living room and have a few guests cramped in the kitchen when I want to be social . And then the xylophone arrived ! Clearly what we all need is loose 's posh shed!!

Icouldbeknitting · 16/04/2016 17:29

I ignore all hints about a music shed, if it's too much effort to practice when the instrument is in the dining room then there's no chance at all if involves stepping through the back door.

LooseAtTheSeams · 16/04/2016 17:33

Everyone should have a posh shed! I used to have a patio down there and a soft fruit patch, but this is more practical and less chance of tripping over a guitar or two!
Mistigri that sounds like a fantastic opportunity for your DD! Well done to her, all the hard work is paying off.

Mistigri · 16/04/2016 18:18

loose thank you. We'll see, I don't want to encourage her too much because 99.99% of the time there is no money or career in it and I don't want her to harbour illusions (she jokes that going to university is plan B).

Do you find that having the instruments in the shed makes your kids less likely to play? DD's guitar pretty much lives on her bed (it goes on a stand only when she is sleeping) and she picks it up whenever a musical thought passes through her head.

LooseAtTheSeams · 16/04/2016 19:12

Most of the stuff down there is DH's! The drum kit gets used about the same as if it were in the house. But the boys' other instruments are in the house for exactly the reasons you say. It's definitely true that if it's just there they are much more likely to play. However, the bass guitar goes down to the shed if it wants to be noisy! Especially if other friends are involved!

Fleurdelise · 16/04/2016 19:22

I had to build a conservatory to move some furniture from the living room in order to make sure the piano fits in the living room. In reality there was a piece of furniture that my husband would not get rid of to fit the piano in so we moved it in the conservatory. Gosh, I should now suggest a musical shed and get a drum kit. That would "please" our neighbours so much I am sure. I think they are already "happy" when DD does her piano practice, specially when she was practising stormy coast they must have been over the moon. Grin

NewLife4Me · 16/04/2016 19:24

Dd is home with a certificate for Distinction 136 grade 2 Piano.
I'm so proud as I know what it took for her to achieve this. It has given her a lot of confidence to practice and she actually wants to play now, and awaiting the never ending transition to jazz Piano.
They need to be a consolidated 3 or practically gr4 standard, she started her grade 3 pieces today and has done some scales Grin

We have excellent neighbours and 2 flippin music rooms now.
Dh has upstairs spare bedroom and dd has downstairs teaching room with Piano and instruments on stands when she's here.

Fleurdelise · 16/04/2016 19:46

Fantastic result NewLife! Congrats to your DD!

Misti that sounds really good, I bet it makes you proud to see your DD involved with all the musicians.

drummersmum · 16/04/2016 19:48

Well done NewLife's DD Smile

NewLife4Me · 16/04/2016 20:12

Well done misti, sounds like she had a great time.

Thanks, I know gr2 isn't a huge level, but for her it was a huge challenge.
Mostly mental as she wouldn't play from choice.
I think she has confidence now though.

I'd love a posh shed but have a small enough garden as it is. Sad
The sound isn't too bad but it's constant, even when dd not here, dh still has students and his practice of at least 2 hours a day.

There's still no time/room for me to practice and my lovely clarinet is still in the flaming box. Arghhhhhh!

LooseAtTheSeams · 16/04/2016 20:18

Well done Newlife DD! That must be a huge boost!

Greenleave · 16/04/2016 20:37

Misti: its sounds lovely, they must see the potential in her, hope she will get the support she needs
Fleur: I feel the excitement too, hope she will love it!
Newlife: congratulations, a distinction, wow!!!
Loose: I am chocked with envy, we had our garden redone last year and I had even a smaller shed to have more room for the lawn awggg!

Original poster
Wafflenose · 16/04/2016 20:38

Well done to her! Goo is starting lessons on Monday - she did 6 months of piano with me when she was tiny, but stopped when she got to the point of not being able to play a piece correctly straight away (approaching Grade 1). However, she knows it now makes sense, and has started playing in preparation - she has taught herself a Grade 1 piece this week, hooray! I think she finally sees that she is going to have to persevere. The teacher is lovely, and really fab (attended and later taught at Wells) and even if Goo only does a couple of years with her, she'll be in a better position to get through her GCSE and A Level if she wants to do them. Hopefully she will enjoy playing the piano for its own sake though.

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AlexandraLeaving · 16/04/2016 21:02

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Musicmom1 · 16/04/2016 23:00

Misti - that sounds brilliant (musicians and support)

New life - well done to DD; we are still waiting....

Waffle - DD is also starting piano this week

Never - DD does 45 min jazz plus a jazz group. it def gives her a different perspective and a lot of fun (and no exams!)

This term is so busy all ready - lots of extra rehearsals for concerts and festivals; we already have 10'concerts in the diary. Need to get concert clothes checked for size as DD is growing again....black long skirts or dresses with enough room for cello-playing are really hard to find for a 10yr old!

NeverEverAnythingEver · 16/04/2016 23:20

Envy at posh shed.

We have no room for a drum kit. As it is there are already more instruments than people in the house. I don't know where DS2 is going with drums. Perhaps trying out jazz is not a bad thing. Thanks for the posts on this!

Icouldbeknitting · 17/04/2016 10:55

Newlife4me congratulations, it will be a confidence builder for her won't it?

This morning I was delighted to find that there were no speed restrictions on the motorway for the first time since DS started county wind band three years ago. That is going to save me forty minutes travelling time each rehearsal. See my happy smiling face.

We are supposed to be focussing less on music until the GCSEs are out of the way except that these things never work out the way that you plan. The token reduction looks to be dropping a couple of music lessons to offset the three full Sundays that have somehow worked their way onto the calendar.

Greenleave · 19/04/2016 14:34

Hi everyone, it has been very quiet here, hope everyone is having a lovely quiet time. Please can I ask a question on violin teacher. My daughter started her violin lesson at beg of y2 when the school had the club openned. After 2 terms there isnt any progress so I pulled her out as our existing piano tutor is also a violin tutor and he said he could help. She then had the grade 1 violin merit( high merit of 127) end of Nov 2015, she learnt the pieces well so both myself and our tutor think we could move straight to grade 3. My tutor recently saying he feels her progressing too slowly, her position is wrong, he cant get it corrected( he even kindly offers to come for extra lesson for free as he feels frustrated too). My questions are: is there that much a big jump between 2 grades for violin? Is having a very good violin tutor is a key to violin playing( I can play violin a little and I could tell our tutor is good but might not be of the best)( the reason for this question was we went to couple of violin concerts and understood that its very important to have an excellent tutor for violin, actually its the key to have an excellent tutor for violin).