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.

Can I just say that I love reading about everyone who loves music and how they are doing. We are not surrounded by musical people (football!) and sometimes it can be a bit lonely thinking you are the only one at school who likes something different - my DS (13) likes knowing he's not the only one who loves classical music.

He took his grade 7 flute yesterday and we have just found out that he passed - huge relief as he had a mouthful of ulcers which really impacted. He will now have a fun summer and is looking forward to Grade 8...

graudoroi well done to him! Couldn't be easy with the ulcers.

loose lol your competition with your youngest. Can I ask you is your DS1 doing his grades in tuned perc specifically or in orchestral perc (tuned, snare and timpani)? DS says he wants the orchestral option but it will be more work and the sightreading can be on any of the intruments. We're new to Trinity and still getting to grips with requirements as gr8 will be his actual first exam on percussion other than drumkit. But he is adamant.

Congratulations to all young musicians who have done so well in their exams

DS1 got a prize! A letter from ABRSM awarding him a prize from a fund endowed back in the 70s for the highest mark at grade 8 piano or violin ('twas piano for him) in the county.

So pleased for him as he took grade 8 organ and piano in March and managed really good distinctions in both the day after having his car rammed by an aggressive speeder on the previous evening and he was still pretty shaken up.

The monetary prize was £12! Not a lot but the ABRSM letter means more to him.

grauduroi - I remember trying to play flute as a teenager after a visit to the dentist resulted in tooth extraction and ulcers and it makes me shudder at the thought! I am so impressed your DS passed grade 7 despite the ulcers and I hope he feels better today as well!
drummers - DS1 does abrsm percussion, which means tuned plus either timpani or snare in the exam, but never all three. The problem is that his snare drum playing is at least a grade above his xylophone. in the grade 5 exam he played distinction level snare drum and pass level xylophone. But he did pass. In a way, I'd quite like them to be separate exams like the Trinity syllabus option so you can decide when to do each one.
Very envious of your day out tomorrow, by the way, you must report back on how it went!

Wow Truffle that is amazing! Well done to you DS!

Truffle Well done to your DS!

Last lesson of the term today. How much practice will happen over the summer? They are going to have the next week off, probably.

Wow well done to everyone's DC for the great results.
All our exams are done now. DD did G1 piano on Friday and it went well from what I could hear. But the examiner asked her to do two bits of sight reading which seems odd? My initial thought was that the first went totally wrong and he was giving her a second chance but DD maintains the first was fine. We have done loads of practice on it so I would be surprised if she had gone really wrong.
DS1 said his cello G5 went 'Really badly'....he 'fluffed two pieces' and forgot his dominant seventh completely and ended his chromatic on the wrong note! SR good. Aural awful. Not only couldn't repeat the melody (expected) but fluffed the sight singing which he can usually do. I just hope he is being over dramatic and he passes. He will be devastated if not. He is another one that suffers from awful nerves. He ran through all pieces in the warm up room with teacher and they were perfect as they had been at home.
Oh well only time will tell.....and he worked so hard :-(

Congratulations with the excellent results everyone!

Trufflethewuffle, well done to your ds, few years ago dd's teacher had a student who got similar prize for the highest marks for grade 8, it was also mentioned in ABRSM magazine.

I have a question....Next year dd will have recorder lessons at school - does anyone have experience of opting out? I cannot make my mind about it, but she says "Two instruments is enough" and I sort of see her point

Suspended: good luck with your moving!
Graud: congrats on grade 7 flute. Only the last one to go!
Truffle: that is so wonderful!Especially it wasnt expected! A priceless prize!
Drummer: please let us know how it goes today!
Notbother: good luck with the results
Only: I'd say try to give it a go if she would like to pursue music, its easier for us now when they have gone through the very beginning of aural, sight reading, scales from the previous grades. I would definitely give it a go. She might take it as slow and easy as she likes as I know how busy it is with violin and piano.
I have two targets today: plan for the next piano and violin moves in terms of abrsm grades. Make up my mind about our County Orchestra and Saturday Music school(we are thinking of either French lessons or Saturday Music school)

Morning all, when are we expecting the theory results to be released?

I would guess in about a week's time, Prada. Maybe a little more.

Thanks Waffle. I'm listening to the piano lesson as we speak. Fingers healing slowly but hopefully she'll pass!

Well done to graud's DS passing flute at grade 7 with ulcers!
Well done to teuffle's DS getting the AB prize for the highest mark!

Back from the RCM percussion fest. This is our second time. If someone here doesn't like percussion that´s the place not to go! It is basically a non stop program of workshops, performances, clinics, and trade area where DS had a go at amazing tuned instruments. The drum clinic was by Dave Weckl who is huge, best drummer in the world for some, and then he played a whole concert with the RCM Big Band. There were performances by the percussion section of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the RCM Junior Ensemble, the RCM drum line and of a perc duo called Maraca2 who play on two marimbas, vibraphone, xylophone, cymbals, ets all at the same time. After 9 hours of noise I have a gigantic headache, I was looking forward to getting home, but of course what's the first thing DS does when we walk through the door? Practise marimba!

Thanks everyone - it was highest marks in the county not country! But it was 140 which I think is amazing at grade 8 piano.

Truffle forgot to say WOW!!

Just started the new scales box/jar for Trinity piano, very different from ABRSM's. A long way to go...

I haven't thought about practice over the summer ...

Drummers: wow, that is very serious and organised, what grade are these scales for?

Alex: i am sorry we chose Saturday French over music, we also had to move swimming to one of the week day evening which means we are loosing precious week day practice times too. We paid the whole year fee for French so to make sure we will stick with it, my heart keeps saying...go to Wandsworth!!! Wish we have more hours each day

I spoke to my teacher today that we might have to consider getting her a violin tutor. Its also for the sake of her piano lesson as its impossible to do both with him. He doesnt have any student learning violin either, he has all the skills and technique however at the same time experience a d teaching and practice and play the instrument are important. He agreed, he said he was about to say the same thing. The talk was like a break up talk, it was heavy. I still feel upset. However I know its time. We still have him helping with piano, hopefully we will be able to focus on piano only with him. Now, my task of finding a violin teacher begins!

green it's gr8.
Good luck with teacher hunt! My main tip would be: if you smell apathy, avoid it like hell. Doesn't matter how many music degrees they have. Enthusiasm and dedication... make a world of difference.

drummersmum, oh wow, I am impressed!

Greenleave keep forgetting to say thank you for your advice
Good luck with the teacher hunt! I would look for someone with teaching and practical experience (orchestra or solo). Ask what they play in between of exams. It is exciting but also...scary! Sooo much depends on the teacher esp with an instrument like violin where technique is paramount. Hope you will get the best one!

Drummers, thats why, no wonder they are that many! Yes, I know, thanks for your advice, I am so nervous too but then it doesnt work having himon both especially he has never had a student learning violin and he isnt playing it any more. It damages our piano lessons too as we need him to focus on it and us to work with him with a clear mind set of 1 instrument only. It will be more expensive as I will need someone to come to me so it will be 1 hr violin and 1 hr Piano each week(they dont do 30mins as it isnt worth the travelling)

(dd2 jealous, only has 30 min every 2 to 3 weeks, although may change sometime next school year)