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!

Minstrel just have fun! And read the syllabus... all classes have a time limit, which includes announcing the pieces, some have age limits, some stipulate one piece, two contrasting ones or a set piece!

Thank you! I'm nervous we might have got the length of the pieces wrong. Teacher said to try and estimate as closely as possible! (I might enter myself next year as a practise run for my diploma!).

stringchild when he first had the braces fitted he was in a lot of discomfort and could only play for a minute or two at a time. He has now built up to 20-25 minutes, a bit less if he's just had them adjusted. He has an adjustment this week, so I must remember to schedule the next one after the exam, not just before.
He also currently has bands connecting upper and lower jaw, bless him.

Minstrel I second just enjoy it.

Top ti would be to make sure you have your adjudicators' copy of the music, it's awful when people turn up without it.

Someone has to explain to me about this festival business. Maybe it's a non-UK born thing but I thought festivals were places you went to listen to music, not compete? And what do you mean by classes, are they classes or competitions? Sorry, I'm really lost and never had DS doing anything like this. How many festivals are there?

I don't know how to make clicky links on my phone, but this website might help.

www.federationoffestivals.org.uk

Basically they are all over the country, from small to big.

Classes means the different categories of competition.

At the end of each class, an adjudicator gives hopefully positive and constructive feedback about your performance. You get a mark. Depending on the Festival there might be medals, cups, certificates.

Look at that, a clicky link!

Thanks a lot raspberry I will have a look.

I was as confused as you drummers until I looked into it and where I am coming from we'd call them competitions. From what I understand not all classes are competitive but some are. DD will (hopefully) do one in Jan/Feb and if she likes it there is another one in the area in May.

Anybody knows what "closed classes" are? Is it only by invite or something?

I thought "open" means professionals are allowed, so "closed" probably means amateurs only?

(Disclaimer: I've never heard of these things before and all I know is from a quick look earlier this morning. Turns out there are a few near us...)

Goo has had massive turquoise blocks braces for 8 months. I am astonished that she can speak with them in. Apparently she will be finished with them next month, so train tracks will follow on November 30th. She won't be the first child in her class to get train tracks, but she's the only one that's got to have both! The blocks have to be done at precisely the right moment, when they are growing fast but just before the jaw stops growing.

❤️ to everyone who has braces, we will soon be joining you too!

Raspberry: thanks so much for sending the clicky link. There are so much else happening near us too and the best thing is many of them are non-selective which is great for beginners like us who'd like to have a stage performance experience

NeverEver you are right, I've read the rules again, closed means (in our festival) that you couldn't have won a piano competition in any festival in the last 5 years. From what I can gather each festival has a different "closed" rule but essentially they are trying to prevent "professionals" or on their way to become professionals.

Open in our Festival is for anyone who doesn't make their living from that instrument. They are all a bit different. Ours also doesn't penalise for winning previously. You need to check the syllabus very carefully.

There will be other competitions too, we have a Young Musician near us that isn't affiliated to the Federation.

I'm not keen on them being called competitions. Locally ours encourage lots of taking part to perform and listen to others. The Junior Schools Choir has about 16 choirs, increases every year, and over 700 KS2 children take part. Many, many of those children wouldn't get a similar performance opportunity.

DS has done several competitions and one festival. The competitions have had a clear finishing ranking with an individual points score and there is most certainly a winner in each category. The festival was judged against a scoresheet, in each category there could have been several platinum awards or none at all because the entrants weren't being judged against each other but against the mark scheme.

I was massively thankful on the dentist visit where the dentist commented on DS's lovely straight teeth which would need no work at all. There was some celebrating in the Icouldbe household that night.

Had a massive row with DS - he got really upset because I kept telling him to practise slow, as his teacher instructed... I sometimes wonder why we do this...

Neverever I've just had exactly the same row. He's practised with a metronome but really struggled for some reason. Then he got all hysterical and threatened to give it all up. He was being a proper diva! As you say,I wonder why we put ourselves through it!!

Good evening ladies!

Well NCO is over but did not go swimmingly with a false start in the first piece and a falter on the second. Sight reading sounded ok I think but who knows? Our piano teacher was accompanying and she seemed to think all ok but I'm not so sure. She gave it her best and good practice for the indie school auditions. Few tears after though 😢

She is doing a local music festival over two weekends in November so we'll see how that goes completely agree that it should read 'competition' as not much 'festival' stuff at this one!!

Hope everyone is enjoying the half term. More exam prep here 😬😬😬😬😬

Ha Ha nevereverI just told DS he was playing the Mozart piano sonata too forte. He gave me a look but restrained himself and then blamed our piano the cheeky monkey.

disorganised DS was also upset because I wheeled out the metronome - I said that if he can't hear that he is not slowing down then he will need a metronome to tell him to slow down. He slowed down.

drummers We had Thumping Bach.

Prada: its over now so you can only focus on the Indie entrance now, fingers crossed for mid Dec result!

Never: I thought it only happens with girls and boys usually have the go for it attitude. And I have a princess at home too, what I am mad about most is her dad always is on her side awggg! What happened to us that since our neighbor complained that she doesnt fancy the piano noise after 7.30, I literally don't listen to her playing as much. We have our ear phones on occasionally though(silent system where there 2 ear phones can be plugged at once)

Hi all, I am with my silly questions again....
Christmas is not far away-are you planning any presents to music teachers?

Neverever we too had melt down - in our case some complex fingering which required fingers on multiple strings.
Prada we too are doing a festival over two weekends in November. does it begin with a b by any chance?

It must have been something in the air as we had a row tonight also, ours was about counting. Honestly she drove me mad, I could hear all the minims and quavers held for the same value and she was getting angry that she couldn't keep up with the cd (clarinet). And when I point it out she's the one who's stroppy! The lack of counting drives me mad.

Only yes, I alway get the piano teacher some chocolate but this year I plan to give it more thought, found some music notes pencils, rubbers and some other stationery music related for both teachers. Plus a card and some chocolate.