July Music and Musicians Thread

[Wafflenose]

Welcome to wet July (well it's wet here) and a new thread. This is the place where we can talk about all things musical, like music lessons, exams, practice and new instruments. I am a music teacher (woodwind) and have two daughters. Goo is 10 and her first instrument is recorder, although on paper, flute has now caught up. She plays flute in NCO Under 11s, has just received the difficult bits she's meant to work on, so is finally cracking on with sorting out her piccolo. She started piano lessons at Easter and is going fast, currently playing Grade 3 pieces, and working through the Grade 2 sight reading and Dozen a Day books. Rara is 8 and far less keen - we are still currently trying to figure out what she really enjoys so that we can encourage her. But for now, she's learning the recorder and cello, and is between Grade 2 and 3 on both.

Goo did her flute exam on June 23rd, and now won't have any until at least March, or next June if I can push for that. Rara will probably do Grade 3 Recorder at Christmas. I have had a quiet exam term for my pupils - 7 altogether. 4 are already safely through (3 merits and a distinction), we are awaiting results for a Grade 6 Theory, and I have a couple of clarinettists still to go on Monday.

howabout percussion section sounds fabulous!
loose who knows, maybe marching band would fall into the Chinese good for discipline activities, teaching respect for authority, etc. At least is not drug-fuelled rock! BTW when we went to the percussion festival there was a RAF recruiting stall! They are desperate for musicians and it's not a bad deal. DH had a nice chat with a musician who has spent his life with the RAF. Stable job, almost free lodgings, good pension.

Well I have kept up with the tiger book (free afternoon, a rarity!!!) and only, yes, it is hard, but it's a question of yelling, more yelling, threatening, bribing (she does, though she says bribing your kids is not Chinese), not allowing for anything else.... and then after six hours of hell, cuddling in bed telling each other how much fun you have together. Go for it ladies!

So... a very expensive say- just bought DD a new (to her) clarinet.
Please could someone recommend insurance?

I'm glad it's not only DD finding the purple patches tough, she said that some of the notes she hasn't even used yet (just done G3 this July).

Grrr... day, not say!

Allianz does pretty good music insurance - I had flute insurance with them and it included if anything happened to the flute if left in the car! i bet DD is very excited to have a new clarinet!
Right, did my scales pots - all the arpeggios are in the pot for need to practise! It's good to have a system and DS2 will definitely need it for his piano scales. I don't know if it's the heat or small fingers but I definitely need to work on a couple of arpeggio stretches. New piece is going fine hands separately so moment of truth will be on Tuesday when I put hands together. Will do sight reading with metronome tomorrow. Gibber.
Interesting about RAF musicians, had no idea they were short of bandsmen!
(I don't have the energy needed to be a Tiger Mum. I don't like shouting. I'm probably a soft moggy mum!)

drummersmum
Wait till the end of the book-you will see who is in charge after all :)
The girl will have her revenge by not doing what her mother wants her to.
Honestly, the book cannot be trusted too much - after all the author is supposed to have a good career and it is not quite clear how she managed to fit it in between of all the practicing :)

I had to buy a recorder from school (for year 4 lessons). Children are constantly fighting over it and 5yo wants to have recorder lessons now :)

Btw, I quite liked this book (music fiction :))
It is about pianists and there are some interesting thoughts about music, etc. The plot is not exactly my piece of cake but I still thought it was quite entertaining
www.amazon.co.uk/Music-Ketil-Bjornstad/dp/1904559352/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469296200&sr=1-2

at Battle Hymn reading. I remember reading it when it was first published here, and grimacing through most of it (with admittedly, the odd moment of admiration for her tenacity)!

Some years later after a 'disagreement' with my daughter, she said ooh mum, you're being so Amy. I was shocked, that a) she'd read it (her excuse was in big text and a New York Times best seller, and was, well, on the book shelf) and b) she'd read it many times, as she found it...motivating??

Now when we have a good bust up, one of my diffusing lines are 'do you want me to be more like Amy?'. And we laugh. And she says often 'I can't make my mind up whether to be be like Sophia or Lulu today'.

I could not admit this anywhere else but on here, and it makes me cringe but somehow, it works for us!

...The sceptic in me also says she wrote it to create such controversy to help get her husband's writing career off the ground at a similar time. But I may be totally wrong

Thank you loose, I shall give them a ring. It would be covered in the house tonight, I'm sure!

I think like with everything it works for some families/children and totally does not work for the others... But of course it is very cultural thing too...There are methods that just cannot be transferred to another culture without adjustment....But this is what makes it entertaining - you read it and think how if would work, if at all, on our grounds :)

ealingwestmum I think you are right about the provocative side of the book. I have impression I read somewhere (her interview may be?) that she deliberately created it but may be I am making it up as I read the book few years ago

I tried working through grade 1 theory with dd tonight (her holiday project from her Saturday school) all went well until the drawing the notes on the stave section where she ground to a sorry halt making the same mistake over and over . All respect to those who have got their child to grade 5

Se22 mother. I did not get my child to G5, her teacher did. Maybe get someone else in? Kids don't listen to parents. Ever.

Eroica: nice! Hope she will enjoy playing it
Only, thanks for the book recommendation
Se22, pls can you remind me how old is your dd and what is the highest grade her instrument is? I have a great excuse of not knowing a note so unable to teach her anything which was frustrated as then I dont know how good she was(or bad) and if she had any issue understanding anything. I had her read the pink book and she read the whole book in...1hr. I never read the book but then I read it here that its hard to remember and know all concepts in the book. It turned out the book was too boring, she only turned pages. Then after the 2nd, 3rd and 4th and sometimes opening it for a ref check it was the bible. So I think we have to try and be patient. It will click.
We had a long day full of music/theatre/activities until just now. Exhausted as it was very hot in the city today. We ended up letting the kids play in the Barnes paddle pool before heading back home to cool them down.
There hasnt been any practising either here guys, I can feel its slipping, however we are so busy(with other things and enjoying (listening) to music so I hope it counts. We will start afresh from next week
Regarding to the Tiger battle book, it was a very interesting read, very entertaining. I am not Chinese however South Asian background so I can relate everything that she says. Interestingly now in my home country everyone is trying to copy Westerned learning approach where you are expected to be rounded(athelete, read alot, study more wide than deep and very relax until secondary). Admittedly we need it as naturally every child studies very hard back home(so much harder than here, its the only way to be able to havd a good job, to have oversea scholarship)and then to some extent it destroyed creativity and independent thinking where everyone is equally perfect. I dont and cant be Amy (type) mainly because I am not Havard graduate where she must have higher expectation than usual, less energy(I look fit but feel exhausted all the time) and don't find time(only weekends and 1-2 hr in the evening with them however we have to prioritise basic needs:bath/meals/daily catchup/bedtime reading on top of any other thing. I although believe in parental influencing as I still remember before I went for my mat leave my daughter was in beg of yr1 and can hardly read(maths was ok) and just 4 months after I was at home then she read(and till now is a book worm). What I did: 5 mins first read with her then 10 mins, then checked on what she read, I read her books too then invest into books(the most recommended ones, the ones she cant put them down) Till now I still have £50/month budget for books that I make sure that I must spend it. It does help, she now even thinks she wants to be an author

We try to do theory regularly now and even teacher started to talk about taking exam in November after seeing my enthusiasm . I am not sure she will be ready though but I can certainly see her taking it in March, so fingers crossed....

Only, we didnt aim for high mark in lower than grade 5 practise and for 2 months and a half studying we took the whole 1.5 month for grade 4 and 5. We mainly studied on Friday, a good 2 hours every Friday and I asked her to read, do small section in the practise book if she feels like she didnt fully understand the concept. Easy things like foreign terms, orchestra instruments then I asked her to write down. Occasionally when I am at home I could check on these by hiding her note away(she loved that game, checking her memory). I remember it took her more effort in cadences when she didnt have the practise done correctly then our teacher came in and explained to her. I also bought mymusictheory printed book for her to read however she didnt really need it as the pink and (alittle) of blue book have everything she needs

green she is just turned 8 (last week) grade 3 violin, grade 1 clarinet. Maybe ishould keep trying to find a teacher for it, we are on the waiting list for one, and her own school only start at grade 3.

Greenleave, thank you, I am making notes :) Don't even know what cadences are . At the moment she is doing some theory from abrsm book with her teacher (does not really need to but don't want teacher to feel left out :)). Then I have few books to top up with answers - something I can check. Problem is that once it is getting difficult or repetitive she does not want to do it, so I really have to sit next to her and make sure she is doing it.... She is somewhat half way through grade 3 book (abrsm) so I am not sure if we have enough time because I would like her to do as much papers as possible before the exam - I think the fact yours left exam hall so quickly shows how well she was prepared - this is something I would aim for, I would not send her for exam if she only did couple of past papers. But please feel free to motivate me - I am trying to follow your steps

Only: by any means leaving the exam room earlier than given time is forbidden and isnt a good sign except certain computer tests where you have clicked too fast and it doesnt allow you to go back and check. Still it partially means you didnt think about it long and hard enough. Coming from state school system, this was the first test we ever sat and wrote in an exam centre. I am worried it will become as a bad habit in the future. Well, until later(may be 11+), for now there isnt any written exam until the next couple of years.
Se22: your daughter is at the same level and age when mine started(grade 3 piano, grade 1 violin and just 8yrs old). Its hard but in the end very enjoyable, hope she will find the same

I used to do tests at third of the given time at uni but it was because I was practicing a lot beforehand and it was literally automated.... I don't think it is necessarily lack of thinking if one does tests very quickly... I have not seen grs 4 and 5 yet but from what I saw so far I believe it can be practiced to the point of becoming automatic...

Can anyone recommend some clarinet music that is somewhere around grade 1 or 2 level? I'm getting DD the grade 2 pieces book for next term, but she's asked for something new for the holidays, and I'd like to strike while the irons hot oblige!

Music Through Time, book 1
The Really Easy Clarinet Book
What Else Can I Play? Grade 1 Clarinet (and the Grade 2 one for later)
40 Useful Tunes for Bb Clarinet Below the Break
Some of the Guest Spot series - the ABBA one might be do-able
Amazing Solos for Clarinet (some are also harder, so it will last)

Fabulous, thanks waffle, I'll have a browse!

Came across this game
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00W3SREPG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_14?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2OFGX8GPLS918
Does anyone have experience of it?