May/ June Music and Musicians Thread

[Wafflenose]

Welcome, everyone. I can't believe we need a new thread already, but I'm delighted that they now seem so popular!

I'm Waffle, I'm a music teacher and I have two daughters - Goo (10) who plays the recorder, flute, piccolo (a bit) and started the piano a month ago, and Rara (8) who isn't as musically inclined but plays the cello and recorder. She is plodding (very) slowly towards Grade 3 on both.

We're going on holiday this weekend, so will have to have a good read when I get back. For now, I'll wind the thread up and let it do its stuff.

Queen great news, glad it went well!

Thanks all, I kept trying to remember today that he is not that bad after all, he does have his good side but he is really reluctant to show it at the moment. It doesn't help that DH seems to have forgotten his teenage years and apparently he was a saint.

I agree you need talent and hard work to separate from the crowd as a musician, I don't think either can work without the other.

It's not that I don't believe in talent. It's just that as a pragmatic way of proceeding it seems better to concentrate on hard work. Saying "Well done, you've worked very hard for this" seems better than saying "Well done, you are so talented"...

Queen, so glad to hear.

Fleurdelise we don't share the same dh, do we? Don't have teenagers in our house but have a very naughty 5yo. Apparently my dh was also a saint at 5yo, always followed his parents instructions, no tantrums, no noisy games or running around and screaming. Just sitting and doing what??? I wonder...

Talking about musical talent - I cannot quite figure out what is it exactly. Because it involves so many things not necessarily presented in one person. Someone good at performing may not be good at composing and vise versa. Someone with great aural skills and sight reading may not necessarily be a good performer or improviser, etc. Yes, when they start lessons it is very easy to become "Felicity's mum" but I think it is lack of knowledge.... Once children progress and one, as a parent, knows more, it is all put into perspective...

Interesting subject though, always controversial :)

Btw I am reading Jacqueline du Pre biography by Carol Easton, there are very interesting thoughts on musical prodigies. This extract is ... thought provoking "Families of highly gifted children deserve sympathy, not envy, for the prodigy's gift is both a blessing and a curse. It affects the family's activities and priorities, straining its resources of time, energy, finances and emotional support. Educators and psychologists agree that the impact of a prodigy an a family's equilibrium can be as great as that of a mentally or physically disabled child. Explicitly or as subtext, everyone in the family gets the message:the prodigy will fulfil her destiny, whatever the cost"

NeverEver I agree in fact I think like with everything in life success in music is is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration, as with sports and so on.

The only fault I ever found in Dd's piano teacher is the fact that she says in front of her she is so musical. And I always add "she does work hard" when she says that. And now I am starting to sound just like felicity' mum.

onlymusic sorry to hear you are also experiencing the perfect immaculate child/teen DH. It is so annoying to hear how great they were and never caused any trouble. Yeah right!

in other news: my username annoys me, how do I change it? I have no reason to do so, just I don't like it anymore and I will let people know who I am after the change.

Fleur go to My Mumsnet then My Account.
I like your username because I loved The 3 Musketeers when I was a child

I am off to work soon, then leaving to pick Goo up for her exam (of which we do not speak!). I have absolutely no idea how it's going to go, because she hasn't worked overly hard. I do know that she will throw a wobbly afterwards, about how terribly she thinks she played, and she'll then fret until the results come out. I have told both flute and piano teachers that we don't want her to do exams for the foreseeable future. If ever!

Thank you drummersmum it is an analogy of the three musketeers and something in real life, I may keep it a bit longer but once I find a meaningful username I'll change it and let you guys know who I am. It just sounds a bit precious.

Good luck Goo!!

Goo's exam in like Voldemort.
And as such, it will be conquered.

I thought it was a variation of Fur Elise, but then again I've never had a TV!

is not in

Ha ha Waffle I'm afraid that's not an excuse. I read the book

I will tell her about Voldemort!

What would our thread look like without our divas (of both sexes!)

Here's to a positive outcome Waffle...Goo's got form on winging it, because she just can!

I like your name too fleur. It took me ages to get used to Newlife's name change!

Can I share some nice news for DS. He has been given the Head of Year prize at school and it's so encouraging after all the hard work he puts in all subjects juggling the demands of the extra music. I opened the letter, called him during the break and he was just so cool about it: "Oh that's great, yeah thanks, bye" Hang up. I'm sure he was with his mates.

I like the name fleur as well.
Ha ha to Goo's exam being like Voldemort in terms of what's not said!
Talking of exams, DS2 assured me his piano lesson was "fine" yesterday. Then I happened to look in the practice book and discovered the lesson was in fact a Mock Voldemort. And we aren't talking about it!

Oh drummersmum just saw your post - sorry, my internet connection is so slow! That is so fantastic! Congratulations to him. (Clearly his phone style is just the same as DS1's!)

Goo's Voldemort went well, and she is calm for a change. She is hoping for a pass or possibly merit, which is optimistic for her! Teacher said she'd never heard a child play Chanson De Matin so well! Rutter was lovely, but with a couple of split high notes. The piece she usually thinks is awful (Telemann) was 'ok'. Sight reading was good, and scales and aural apparently had mistakes. In fact, Goo has now decided that all three pieces had mistakes and she must have failed the scales! Place your bets now...

Lovely news to share Drummersmum. Well done that boy!

Nooooo!!! The girl was good. Her mum was calm. This is when I die...

Waffle that must have gone pretty well to put it mildly. Well done to Goo! And here's to a long break before another you-know-what!

You lot are hilarious!!! Exams shall henceforth be known as you-know-whats, or Voldemorts!

Very well done to drummer, that's amazing, and he sounds as cool as a cucumber!