October Music and Musicians Thread

[Wafflenose]

I thought I would start a new thread, as September's is looking unlikely to last for another month.

The music threads are open to all musicians and parents of musicians, no matter what their age or level might be. We have quite a few kids on here who are very serious about music, and plenty who do it as one of many hobbies.

For anyone who's new, I am a teacher of woodwind, and mum to two girls. Goo (10) plays the flute and recorder to a similar level (Grade 7 on both), and started the piano in April - she won't be doing exams on that. She is hardworking, committed, highly strung, and a stubborn little madam. Rara is 8 and far more laid back. She is taking Grade 3 Recorder this term, is a little behind that on the cello, and just this week started learning the clarinet. I don't suppose she will carry on with three instruments in the long term, but we'll wait and see which she loves!

Never ever, we do the same! We also listen to the pieces by professionals a lot, that way they know the accompaniment really well.

Been away for a few days - doing practise of course, just for a change of scenery. Both kids are thoroughly fed up of playing their scales and pieces.

All I tell them is it will be worth it.

Just finished our first bassoon practice since the lesson on Tuesday. Dd has been instructed to practice 4 notes, and to work on the first two pieces in her book. All fine, but dd wanted to do more, and she worked her way through the book to some simple tunes, Merrily we roll along etc.

This has never been a problem with clarinet lessons, her teacher has always been thrilled if she has worked on other stuff but I'm a bit concerned about how this will work with bassoon with it being a group lesson. It is nearly three weeks til the next lesson so lots of practice time to forge ahead, do I just hope everyone else does the same.

Was a bit weird going straight from that to Carol from Five Bagatelles but dd found it ok practicing one after the other which is good.

My poor neighbours, she is teaching herself ukulele from the internet so they have had nearly two hours of noise...

Breaking news.... Miniprada also surprised us all by passing the super selective with a comparatively better score than the 11+ result earlier this week. Very proud and now we have 3/3 for schools applied for

Well done MiniPrada! Does that bring big decisions? Nice to have the choice I guess.

Many congratulations Prada, miniPrada has done so well! I will need your advice soon.

Well done again, MiniPrada!
Woolley your DD sounds like she's really taken to bassoon! I wouldn't worry about going too far ahead of the group - possibly the others are doing the same as they have committed to it. If not, I am sure the teacher will work something out. Ukelele sounds fun, too - hope the neighbours appreciate it!

Well done miniprada! Great results!

Busy times in our household, struggling to fit everything in, music, academics and so on. Considered a tutor for a bit but realised that we will not gain more time so the restrains will be the same.

Well done miniprada.

Goo is quite a bit better, managed to practise the piano for the first time in a week, and is going to play one tiny 12-minute house football game today. She's had very little exercise since her injury, so is bouncing off the walls. We will attempt a flute lesson tonight and see how it goes... if she can't play much, she will have to start on the Grade 7 aural tests, won't she? (evil cackle!)

Thank you all. Choice theoretically possible but as an out of catchment application it is now a game of numbers. A child in catchment can score less (by quite a distance) and get a place ahead of her. So we'll see what comes out in the wash...

She's away at a netball tournament weekend this weekend so just waiting for the inevitable broken finger call before the NCO auditions...😱😱😱😱

Congratulations Prada, it's good to have a real choice, even better to have a solid Plan B.

Waffle I'm glad that she's feeling better.

Waffle so glad to hear Goo is feeling better - and I like your evil plan!

Great news Prada - mini has done very well, hasn't she?

DD has been offered a place in NYHO so she's very happy. NCO next week - she's seriously chilled about that after her cheery experience last year. Then back to the 11+ work-grindstone thereafter ....

I share your 11+ pain TRL!

I have to say I went against all advice to scale back on extra curricular activities like music and Spanish as it was always my feeling that these pursuits would maybe give her the edge over other more 'scholarly candidates' so we'll see. Most importantly my child is happy and not stressed out. It is much better to take a long leisurely run up than a mad dash at the end.

Prada what a great result!
We had a smilar issue with distance to school counting against us for the superselective. It's a funny one, "your child has passed but may not get a place". Fingers crossed for miniPrada! The indies should be a walk in the park now as they really care about all the extacurricular she already brings with her!

Waffle it sounds as if Goo's really on the recovery. That's great.

Prada there's always quite a bit of shuffling round on waiting lists as well between March and August, so don't worry if you go on the waiting list for a bit.
I bought DS2 some more piano music for pieces on the C list for grade 4 as he finished Bow Chicka Wow Wow! He has two more pieces on the go now and I am listening carefully in his lessons in the hope that one day I can play them, too. There's Kabalevsky In the Gymnasium and Foreign Correspondent by Elissa Milne. I like the look of her Pepperbox Jazz book. His teacher wanted him to play more pieces so he can choose the ones he likes best for the exam. I think this is a great idea; although it's a bit expensive buying more books, he will definitely benefit from more variety!

Clarinet lesson this morning, DD practised more last week and we can see this in her lesson. Her teacher just said how impressed she is, checked her practice book and went "ah, you have practised more".

Apparently she's almost ready for the exam, she'd pass or merit if the exam would be tomorrow so plenty of time to aim for merit/distinction.

No discussions of piano exams at all, still going through repertoire, scales and sight reading. Which is good as I can see such a difference in DD enjoying playing different styles and the way she is taught technique is so detailed. She will do a competition in January, haven't decided the classes yet.

Waffle what do you do when your pupils refuse to sing in the lesson when doing aural practice? DD is refusing completely to sing, her teacher moved on but I guess is annoying...

Fleur I get them to hum or whistle, or I do it with them. I've been known to get parents who claim to be unmusical (and there is no such thing!) to join in too, and raise a smile from the child. If all else fails, I'll say "OK, but you need to do it on the day - and you will never see the examiner again" and stress that vocal quality is NOT being assessed, just the ability to parrot back. I've never had a refuser in the actual exam, but it's only worth 4/150 marks anyway, so wouldn't matter too much.

Goo's teacher wants this week's audition reinstated. Goo wants to leave it where it is. Teacher can only do the local one, this week. If we keep the later date, I'll have to drive 100 miles, and play for her, so we've both explained that she can't have everything she wants. Apparently her pieces are sounding fresh and great after a week off (!!) but teacher has been known to take risks with things like exam entries. Goo responds well to a bit of risk, and is well known for winging it, so I really don't know. I guess I'll ring them on Monday morning and see where things stand.

looseattheseams, what about the c piece The Penguin? dd2 is drooling over it!!
dd2 has just mentioned doing the jazz exams, but as a foreigner who never did any exams and a dd1 who , like me isn't into jazz, it's completely unknown territory (and actually don't really like jazz.........).
Will have to d/w her teacher I suppose.

Thank you Waffle DD's teacher tried all she could, she sang together and so on, DD said she'd do it with her piano teacher because she's known her for 3 years. We've agreed that the piano teacher will cover a bit before the exam and we'll also do it on the app and DD promised she will do it in exam, she was just too embarrassed to do it in front of the clarinet teacher. Silly really but there you go.

I hope you convinced Goo to audition this week seeing that she is ready.

Ah, just realised it's the Grade 1 aural! She has done that before, in any case. So no practice needed, really truly! I'd leave her to it... she'll just have to do it on the day!

Goo auditioning this week depends whether they still have her slot! I wanted them to keep it open in case she was better in time, but they insisted on putting it back by 11 days!

Ooh driving I like the Penguin as well! I like jazz and so does DS2 but I think the Jazz exams are harder for each grade than the usual ones. If he wants to do jazz grades later, it might well mean finding a different teacher so at the moment I'm not looking at them. Maybe for me later on...
Fleur that's funny, DS2 won't sing for his piano teacher although seems to agree to do it for the cello teacher. No idea why!

Yes she's done it before and got full marks in grade 1 it is just to remind her so she doesn't get confused as grade 3-5 is harder so she might get herself in a middle thinking it is harder than it is really.

I hope they still have Goo's slot!

Loose yes very silly, she does it with the piano teacher even though the clarinet teacher is much more...inviting, she is able to act silly with her and less strict than the piano teacher so you would believe she is more at ease with her. Maybe she wants to do it with her piano teacher because she's more strict and she doesn't really take no for an answer. I don't know.

*muddle not middle