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!

Well done loose!

Green, loving the pumpkin (and the fireplace!) we all watched strictly last night but agreed X factor will be won by the kid who looks like the chap from 1-D so not worth bothering with it too much.

We are doing the NCO audition on Tuesday but had a crap rehearsal yesterday so hopefully that's a good sign I'd love her to get a regional place if possible I don't think she'll be a good enough sight reader for the violin in the main orchestra as there is so much competition for violin.

Thinking of postponing g6 piano to spring term as I don't think she'll realistically be ready. We'll see how we go...still on I think for G7 violin in December but I'd rather she wait and get a solid merit the next term rather than rush. Lovely watching her play with the teacher yesterday. I love it when I go out of the room and I am not sure if it is miniprada or the teacher playing. This time last year there was a loooooooooad of difference!!

mending ANOTHER BRAVE ADULT! Because I can't keep up with everyone on this thread, I actually don't know what instrument you play and whether you're a professional or not. Please enlighten me!

Wow so many brave performers here, well done mending!

Prada I know what you mean, tonight we were at some friends and the girls (same age, 9, similar level grade 4-5) started playing the piano suddenly in a dining area and I wanted for a second to say "OK girls, stop watching other people playing on YouTube and play something yourselves" but then realised it was them playing.

Mending: very well done!
Prada: best of luck for tomorrow!

thanks guys!
drummersmum I am very very far from being professional. I play flugelhorn in a small brass ensemble where the only requirement for membership is pretty much being able to breathe/blow. Quote of the concert from a trumpeter who joined us for one rehearsal and then the concert was 'it kind of annoys me but practicing does actually help'

Thanks mending it sounds great and crazy fun!
I have a DVD at home of a film called "Mighty Wind". I think it's about an amateur brass band. Have you/anyone seen it? Is it any good?

A reminder...
www.theguardian.com/education/2016/oct/24/want-to-train-your-brain-forget-apps-learn-a-musical-instrument?CMP=share_btn_tw

Drummers really good article.

prada good luck tomorrow with the audition!

DD keeps watching this guy on YouTube he has quite a few videos including a Halloween one but this one fascinates her as the piano is opened

We had a week off both instruments last week as we were away, clarinet started up again, relatively well last night, one piece plus two half pieces sounding good. She often spends ages practicing the same very small sections. One of her pieces has a couple of very tricky slurs and she spends at least 50% of her time on that piece just on these. She has requested a sight reading session tonight, I like it when we have a bit more time in the holidays and we can spend a bit more time on having fun with it.

We are putting the bassoon together afterwards for practice, and then giving it its own bed for the week so we can leave it put together!

Does anyone know of any good Easter Music courses in the south/London? Dd has done a good one the last two years but I think she will be above the junior one she has done, but not old enough for the senior course, and as its residential wouldn't cope well with it socially either I don't think.

Good luck to miniprada and the other NCO people still to audition.

Well done to all the adult performers, I am in awe!

DS2 has submitted his NYO Inspire application, lots of written questions about why he wanted to do it, and what he hoped to get from it. It took a long time to do, but gave him some food for thought too.

I'm spending half term trying to get ahead with some Christmas stuff, as December is looking rather busy already!

I've found another advantage to playing an instrument once they are at uni (apart from the three-legged bar crawl the music society ran on Friday). DS1 has been asked to be a student mentor for our County Youth Orchestra, so he will come home for the weekend

Raspberry I really hope DD will still play while at Uni. Your DS seems to be having a great time!

Can anybody recommend a recorder beginners book? DD discovered that she can play (certain notes) a clarinet grade 1 piece on recorder and now wants a bit of guidance to transfer the skills.

Mine all used Recorders from the Beginning for both Descant and Treble, but I'm quite sure Wafflenose will be the right one to help you out!

I think a big part of keeping playing is bands/ groups. Not just school, see what's around. DS1 was used to playing with different people in different environments.

Is anyone else's DC doing a theory exam on 8 Nov? DS2 is capable of doing well (usually gets >90% on past papers) but needs to keep the momentum up and not forget everything in the coming fortnight.

He is also scheduled to do G5 clarinet in December. He is making steady progress and practising daily, but the pieces sound quite tricky.

DD is enjoying her first term playing the flute in the school's beginner orchestra and has had a couple of singing lessons (lovely voice, good ear, low confidence).

I sing in a choir and we're doing the Bach Magnificat in less than 3 weeks. This will be the first time I've performed it, and there are several sections where I've been bluffing my way through in rehearsals, so I'm planning to look at it properly this week. The tickets are up to £30, so a certain standard is expected.

Evening all,I'm after some advice please. Ds is getting ready to audition for junior guildhall (violin) and has selected and is practising his pieces. The auditions aren't till the Spring so we have time. He is doing really well on both pieces but for some reason he is struggling to keep in time. He has been practising with a metronome but still finding it tricky. The piece is a grade above where he is but he can play it and his tutor is very confident it's within his ability. Ds has Aspergers and does find it difficult to control his emotions and is at the point of giving up on the audition. If he doesn't want to do it that is fine by us but I don't want him throwing it away because he doesn't think he's good enough.

Other than all the usual support and stuff I'm not sure how else to help him/encourage him as I'm not especially musical.

Can anyone help?

A question for woodwind players/teachers: I sometimes hear DS2 sucking the moisture/condensation up through the clarinet. He even does it in the middle of a piece (in the rests). Is this normal? It sounds rather unpleasant.

Fleur Recorder From the Beginning is right - book 1 and 2 should keep her going for a few weeks. Book 3 takes them virtually to Grade 3 and gets hard too quickly, so I supplement at that point.

disorganisedmummy I'm sure he will be fine as it's so far away, but make sure he plays lots of fun stuff as well, while he masters the difficult piece. I usually advise people to go down a grade for auditions - so if he's Grade 5, for example, play a Grade 4 piece as if he's Grade 6. Sound advice given to me by someone immensely more experienced - I didn't like it at first, and others on here don't like it either - but true musicality shines through regardless of what they play, and sometimes more readily with something relatively simple. You might find it makes the difference between him wanting to throw in the towel, and not. Or he might suddenly decide that he's not going to be defeated by the piece! It's been invaluable advice for my daughter Goo, who's very able but thinks she's useless and constantly needs her ego massaging! Anyhow, that advice is worth what you paid for it (nothing!) so use it, or not!!

TheSecond it's just a bit of a weird habit, and yes, other kids do it. It has no effect whatsoever on the clarinet though (unlike the recorder) so I'd encourage him to wipe the reed instead!

Rara is currently trying to learn a Tarantella on the cello, and a suitably spooky clarinet piece, to share with you all in time for Halloween. Watch this space!

TheSecondOfHerName

If any of my students did this I'd try to get them not to do it. I do have one who insists on wiping his face on his shirt every time there is a long enough rest though.

It shouldn't be excessively watery in there anyway, but I would just wipe the reed/mouthpiece tip gently with fingers if need be.

My recorder teacher however did always made me suck up any extra water that was blocking the mouthpiece when there wasn't enough time to clear it the proper way, it always made me feel a bit yucky.

Disorganised - is DS getting much chance to play with an accompanist? If not, it may help to slot some regular sessions in rather than just closer to the time. We are just starting to do this for DD as otherwise she never plays with a piano until right before an exam or concert, and that really isn't enough when they start playing more complex pieces. But i agree to start other stuff/have fun pieces on the go, or the pieces will go stale and start to become a battle (in this house anyway!)

Waffle - the Squire one? That is fast and tricky!

The Second - DD does that too sometimes...gruesome; esp now she has braces as there is even more 'wet' than usual

Prada - good luck tomorrow!

Thank you all! Waffle is the book suitable for soprano recorder? I have one since my DS was about 6 and DD got hold of it tonight, I have to say it is so high that it drives me a bit nuts. Hopefully with the book she'll sound better.

DD sucks on the reed of the clarinet.

Waffle is Rara learning the one in the clarinet basics? There is one we're doing this week quite spooky but she forgot the cd at her teacher so no accompaniment.

Thank you andantecantabile and stringchild
He was always a droolier-than-average child (I thought it was maybe related to the ASD or the hypermobility) but he has only been doing the sucking-up-moisture thing since his braces were put on in April, so hopefully it's temporary. I just hope that this term's examiner isn't too grossed out by it.

I really don't think you can drool down there... it's all condensation usually!

Fleur Yes, books 1-3 are for descant (soprano) and there is a combined book for treble. And yes Rara is using my favourite clarinet tutor, which you mentioned. I'm going to write my own once I retire, though.

stringchild she's not that good... it's the Earnshaw one. It has been set for Grade 3 in the past. In fact, we are going through a phase of being stuck at Grade 3 - Rara on the recorder and cello (the latter is likely to be around this level for a long, long time!) and Goo on the piano! The only exam we have coming up is Rara's recorder though. She isn't sure about doing any more on the cello, or any at all on the clarinet.

TheSecond DS1 is doing the grade 5 exam on Nov 8 as well. He really needs to revise German musical terms though.
Good luck to Miniprada for tomorrow!

Ha, one German word came up on the March exam paper. Goo hadn't had time to learn them, so guessed... wrong.

TheSecond - are you are in braces zone as well? we just had a nightmare 3 weeks where dd hasn't been able to practice much at all, as the braces were tightened and the teeth moved so quickly and were so sensitive/painful she didn't eat for 4 days, and couldn't bear the pain of the clarinet. Has finally settled but big lesson learnt to not time the future tightenings with exams/auditions etc. Shame as she had no pain/problems up until now.

Waffle - i think all the Tarantellas we have come across (incl on clarinet) are pretty fiendish!

Hi, DD (10) has, at suggestion of teacher, entered a music festival. First time, never done this before. Not sure what to expect, especially in adjucation room. She is entering on violin, 2 sections - 10 and under competitive and a Junior Recital class. Anybody got any useful tips please, dos and don'ts, what to watch out for? Many thanks.