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.

Oh Raspberry, that is a greatvalue trip. I am scared of thinking about secondary school trips and seasonal music trips but I know these will benefit them to no end

They bag pack and do some paid gigs around Christmas time (shopping centre) which, otherwise it would be a bit more.

They have a great time.

DS2 did a choir trip with Cathedral Choir to Latvia, which was amazing.

Wasnt she going to do Grade 1 when Goo did her exam? I'm glad it's not just me that has completely blank bits

CeeBeeBee I would also like to congratulate your dd
(sorry, meant to do it before but forgot)

CeeBeeBee these books seem to be very child friendly (there are some mistypes in answers though)
www.amazon.co.uk/All---One-Grade-Music-Theory/dp/0956199488/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469005169&sr=8-1&keywords=all+in+one+music+theory
answers
www.amazon.co.uk/Answer-Book-All-One-Grade/dp/0956199496/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51hGgisoxNL&dpSrc=sims&preST=AC_UL160_SR116%2C160&psc=1&refRID=P4W88ETPDZGM72A6YB5M

dd liked these series too (I would not call it particularly child friendly though but she says these books easier than abrsm books - perhaps because I only let her do them after she finishes abrsm books :))

All of a sudden one of dd's teachers started to talk about practical musicianship exam, whilst the other one said that it would require the good knowledge of theory anyway so no really point in doing it. I said -do whatever you want but don't upset one another . The one who is thinking about PM exam said that composing required in theory grade 5 is too complicated or smth like that?
Will need to decide whose ideas I am to support

Hello! Been away.

Absolutely no music practice here the past two weeks.

DD just got back from her music camp yesterday. End of camp show was outdoors in a heatwave, don't think I have ever been hotter.

She played mostly bass and a bit of sax. Her bass playing looks amazing now! Her group had a very talented young multi-instrumentalist working with them as group leader, he plays pretty much any instrument you can mention and is a maths genius too. Some are born not made.

The other group members were interesting musicians too: they had a cellist that they managed to integrate into some very convincing instrumental dance music.

On a personal note she kissed and made up with her rich Parisien boyfriend from last year so she is getting a free holiday on the Ile de Noirmoutier. All right for some . We are going to a music festival in the UK together then she will fly to Nantes on her own. Seems crazy that I have a child old enough for this.

Aaaah, Mistigri, how romantic
I am terrified to think that one day my children will be kissing someone else but me

teacher and raspberry, great news you way!
DS also fiished his music camp yesterday with a performance with his jazz group that literally left us all speechless because it was a whole other level (they were doing jazz funk fusion for the first time). If I had had to pay money to see them I would've been happy. We all felt very proud

This summer thread is surreal - so many friendships and achievement highs from your children's music! A friend of my DD's asked her the other day if she ever got sick of her mother making her go to summer music school and tours, when she could be chilling at home watching hours Netflix...

I think it was met with some diplomatic answer . Not to say there is not a fair consumption of trash TV to balance t'other...

Jazz funk fusion Drummersmum - sounds just amazing!

ealingwestmum . They just don't know, do they?

I've been music sheet shopping - went to the Schott Music shop and then the Yamaha shop in central London...

All those pianos ... But still not too impressed with the clavinovas... Even the hybrid piano they had was a tiny one. But I didn't go to the show room upstairs. Will do it next time when I'm less laden.

Yes raspberry we were thinking about it, but I still don't recall the practice paper. Grade 1 book is mostly revision, but she doesn't know her key signatures, so still needs to do it.

Jazz funk is absolutely my thing drummers sounds great. Just picked up the trumpet from a gig with the band in the park. I had to park the car miles away because it was so busy and I thought I was lost. Was great to be able to follow the sound of the band.

The gig list now includes clothes pegs

DD1 sits next to the boy in the band who is a teenager like her. I am sure they are great PR for attracting young players but they never ever actually say anything to each other.

ealingwest I would've loved hearing that diplomatic answer...
Older generation neighbour the other day said it was good DS had a passion at his age because "it keeps them off the streets". She doesn't realize it's not like that anymore. These days, it keeps them off the computer! The streets at least were a life lesson, and they actually physically moved and talked to each other.

they never ever actually say anything to each other. Oh yes howabout, sounds familiar

This summer thread is surreal - so many friendships and achievement highs from your children's music! A friend of my DD's asked her the other day if she ever got sick of her mother making her go to summer music school and tours, when she could be chilling at home watching hours Netflix...

DD hates being at home, she gets bored and due to not being at a local school, most of her friends are at least an hour's bus ride away - there are about 4 scheduled bus services a day from our "one-goat town" (as DH calls it ) and no train station.

It has to be said that the music camp DD does is more about hanging out with other teens than serious music tuition, although DD does seem to have made major progress on the bass this time - even though it is actually not one of her current instruments . Bass plays to all of her strengths as a guitarist - rhythm, RH fingerwork, theoretical knowledge - and I'm tempted to say she's now as good a bassist as she is a guitarist.

drummersmum that is so true! DS occasionally heads out with some friends but mostly our conversations revolve around his constant need to raid the kitchen and his constant desire to be on the computer. He did a huge amount of music practice today to avoid his art homework!
That said, DH commented earlier on all the people roaming around with phones looking for Pokemon. I said it was apparently getting kids back out on the streets. DH said these weren't kids, they were definitely adults!

Mistigri, I agree with the motivation behind summer camps/schools. The serious music is a lovely by-product of being there for 5 days, but it's the teenage interaction mine looks forward to each year. At school, she hasn't quite managed to bond with children enough where they want to socialise with her outside. Her schedule doesn't help either.

And we do notice a difference after in her playing - the condensed learning of repertoire resulting in a end of course concert somehow works, maybe as they are all in the same boat?

Your DD sounds like she's really finding her groove across her array of instruments, they are all having a positive effect on each other!

ealing the friendships they make while doing camps are lovely aren't they? DD has friends all over france now, that she keeps in touch with and usually sees once or twice a year (she also does a week at Easter). She had few close friendships in junior high, but she does now have a close friendship group at school, since she started in a specialist language programme. She has found she has a particular affinity for other teens of mixed nationality. Actually this has been true of music camp too as her three best friends (apart from Parisien boyfriend) are American, Dutch and Spanish. She and her best girlfriend talk in Spanish when they don't want the other teens on the camp overhearing .

Enjoy that awkwardness for now howabout and drummersmum, and then update us on how that's going in a year's time.

I'll try to persuade DS1 to go on a music camp next summer.