November Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

Let's have a new thread for November... I'm not sure if the old one will last long enough. This is a place to talk about music lessons, practice, exams and anything to do with learning instruments/ singing. We have beginners and advanced players of all ages.

I am mum to two girls - Goo (newly 11) - Flute, Recorder and Piano, and Rara (8) - Cello, Recorder, and one month of Clarinet so far. She won't put the clarinet down, so I think we've found The One.

Hello all, we are at the start of the music festival 1 out of 10 classes so far. Mistakenly thought miniprada could just 'wheel out' the G5 pieces.... Won't make that mistake again Lovely any age any string instrument class G5 yesterday but was 95% cello and 5% violin. Judge was a cellist herself. Guess which instrument won? It was admittedly miniprada's worst piece which I smiled at when she described it 'as a work in progress' -she got 27/30 in the exam for it but I was quite surprised at the winner as to my (very ) untrained cellist ear did not sound the best by a long way! Anyway, another class today - as is often the case another entrant is playing the same piece and this is a G7 piece which is a tuly 'work in progress' so we'll see what happens!!

Prada - wow that is really unusual in my experience; we have never done a festival (and we do a least three if not four a year) where cellos haven't been vastly outnumbered by violins, and the adjudicator is a violinist! Def headed your way next year! Good luck for the rest of the festival.

Grade 8 drums exam done here!
Does anyone know of any festival with percussion classes?

Dd did the wind category of her festival today. Adjudicated by Paul Harris. A truly genuine and inspirational judge of the class. His passion for his instrument shone through.

Ooh SE22 - the sight reading books chap? How exciting!

No percussion at this festival sadly drummersmum.

The only percussion in our local festival is group classes.

Dd has done the festival for speaking but not played her clarinet. Is the grade 3 class for someone who is working towards grade 3?.

Woolley - it's for anyone learning /can play from the current G3 ABRSM/TRINITY syllabus.

Woolley - check the festival rules; one we do is ABSRM syllabus only; other is any syllabus at the grade or a piece of similar standard (so may be on old syllabus for example)

Yes Prada that's the one! No percussion section at this festival either

Well done, drummerboy! I can't wait to hear the result. I think it might take a good Google to find a festival for percussion. Maybe they have their own separate competitions?

I haven't been on here much for a few days. I've been busy with work, and it's sport galore for Goo this week - she is running cross country for the school tomorrow (the only sport she is ever likely to represent the school at, thankfully - I am all too familiar with netball/ basketball injuries from my own youth) and three very short house 'rugby' matches at school this week... I wish she wouldn't! Anyway, Rara's exam is in about three weeks. Two pieces are fine, one borderline, her sight reading is good, musical knowledge just has a couple of things to cover (as her aural is shocking!) and technical work just about there now. She isn't really coping with three instruments (well, she was, but at this point in the term is more tired, it's cold and dark in the mornings so she's not wanting to get up early and practise), I don't have time to teach her two, so either the recorder or clarinet is going to have to give. I think she would happily just play the recorder a bit at school and for the Festival each year, which I think Goo is going to have to do now really. Goo's flute and piano seem to be getting more serious. She will find it a wrench to not finish her recorder grades, having been playing for so long and learnt the Grade 7 pieces, but she simply doesn't have time any more. Hmm.

Fingers crossed drummers! Its nearly end of the grades!
Regarding festival: I am looking into it too. Even I know its only paying to play however its a chance for motivation to practise. This morning I nagged so hard(hasnt happen in a longggg time-more 2-3 weeks) that everyone in the house just did what they supposed to do, 8yrs old practise, 2 yrs old drawing and 30 something old tidying up, unloading few washes. Sometimes we do need to roar do we.

Grade 5, Bach Prelude is ok-ish, Am Abend fingerings are not there yet, 60s swing just learned. Never touched sight reading, havent touched aural for more than 1 month. Just learnt all majors, minors and contrary motions...the rest of scale is untouched. Its more than 2 weeks till the exam, if we
cant do it then we will cancel it, her heart is more on violin. Hopefully with the festivals next year she will feel more motivated with piano.

I'll have to call and enquire about certain classes in our festival, I think DD will enter just two classes, a sonatina and a grade 4 class.

Green is your exam before or after ours on the 26th? You are right, sometimes we have to roar!

Green I don't see it as just paying to play/ perform... at £4-£7 per class, it's a super reasonable way of getting constructive feedback from a highly trained professional, and usually a little report and certificate for everyone. I have put 32 entries in for our local festival this year - my two kids, various duets, trios, ensembles, a few clarinet and recorder soloists, and Family Music!

Fleur: its after. To be honest, piano is very lonely instrument and for a nearly 9 years old recognition and fun are still the main drivers for practice. Violin gives her more fun as she plays with her friends in Orchestra and opportunity to perform in front of audiences to be recognised. Without an exam then mine would easily drop piano so I am glad there is something there.

Green - I agree with Waffle about the feedback. I have a robust child who takes constructive criticism in her stride. She is also at a school which is inherently competitive. There was more than one child on Saturday who cried because they didn't win. Festivals are no place for children who are shy or sensitive or most importantly, don't enjoy performing.

Miniprada dropped out of category yesterday to concentrate on the 4 she has today. She was knackered and not in the right frame of mind. As a parent you have to know when to say no I think. I have a feeling she will pull out of one of one category today as the piece genuinely is not ready. The other three she has a fair chance with though. We'll see.

Next week she is tackling the piano. I think we'll have to get rid of two of them as she has pretty much forgotten them. She is doing 60's swing though as it is a really lovely piece. I hope minigreen is enjoying it!

I also agree, it is far more than paying to play. I also agree it's not right for everyone, it wasn't for my DD as she grew older, despite winning. She still liked the group categories though.

One down on the G8's drummers, 2 more to go (if I remember rightly?), fingers x'd for him on fab results!

We'd love to do more festivals if time allowed. DD did a couple in junior school in her quartet and the feedback was really lovely and constructive

Quickly trying to catch up with thread!
Drummers fingers crossed for a top result, which I think it will be!
The festivals sound great and good luck to all the DCs. I definitely agree with Prada that sometimes you have to judge the moment if DCs seem to be getting exhausted - that goes for any activities.
Waffle I am not surprised Rara is a bit ground down this time of year. I have noticed it with DS2 and he only has two instruments, not three. (He said if he did a wind instrument it would be bassoon or saxophone, but I'm not exactly pushing him to decide any day soon. The practice for two instruments is demanding enough!)

Alex, will look for panda eyes ha ha ha, you prob see another match too:)
Prada: we find 60s swing is fun and quicker to learn(but not easier). I love all the 3 pieces, I dont like seeing/hearing scales and try to pretend very hard that I like them. I have a medium competitive child, she doesnt hate competition although she might not be the first to raise her hand. We havent had any competition done in the past so lets see how things changing for her. (We have Olympia chess competition coming in Dec, however year 4 and only learnt to play for more than a year and never have anyone else to play with(both of us cant play), we have set our expectation very low).
Waffle all, glad to hear that they are not just "competition", I was hoping for it too. There are about 3 happening around my area and the earliest is in April when register is happening in Jan. I dont want to think about the cost yet, if its violin then def accompaniment and its usually at least £50/hour including rehearsal on the day and waiting etc. If its piano only then it might be just the fee. Time off from work for pick and drop etc. But we are very looking forward to participating into one.

I put some students into our local festival last year for the first time and thought it was a great way to get feedback and experience without the pressure of a grade exam. The judge was very constructive and they enjoyed it despite not being confident performers in general. Compared to the price of an exam it was cheap and run on a shoe string by volunteers.

And I played piano for them without charging so they had no accompaniment expenses - that's true if you are playing a pianist it mounts up. Hoping to enter ds for under 7 strings next time, but he might have other ideas...

Green even if you postpone the piano exam your DD can still take it in March, I think the pieces are still valid till the march session. With regards to festivals I see it as an alternative to exams, DD isn't taking grade 4 but will be entered with a grade 4 level piece in that class for the benefit of performing and getting the feedback.

drummers fingers crossed for a great result!

Prada good luck with the festival, it sounds like miniprada is enjoying it and this is what matters.

Alexandra I love the panda eyes comment, that would so be me.

Dropped off my active threads list!

But I have nothing to say apart from that I too am exhausted ...

But I have plans to play some chamber music myself. V. excited.