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.

I think they'll be OK, they are usually supportive. He had a half day yesterday to sing in the Cathedral Judges Service.

I'm browsing tshirts for Christmas presents and I thought the slogan "Education is important but trombone is importanter" might not be the most diplomatic choice for the next non-uniform day!

Thanks for the tshirt mention - I have one (not that one but close) in my basket now.

I like that t-shirt slogan! Where can I find it?

Well done raspberry! Sounds great.

Onlymusic - I leave entrance for exams up to the teacher and miniprada.

Love the t shirt slogan!

It was on Amazon never. Try looking for 'trombone tshirts'. I'll have a look again later and see if I can link

Struggling to link but the company is Always Awesome Music

I looked on Amazon and quoted the "Education is.." line. What I finished up with was a tshirt from the line up at the bottom of the page.

Thanks! Found it!

Off to parents evening - fortunately they usually have and DH is driving .

Raspberry: many congrations to your son, such a wonderful news!

raspberry very happy for your DS2. It was us who applied to the London day. Haven't heard yet.
shaky my thoughts with all of you.
mending

neverever if space and noise are an issue then electronic kit is a good option till a certain level although it's good to have the lessons on acoustic. Is that possible ? How old is he again sorry this thread is like the extended family you can't keep up with!

Thank you everyone, it is quite lovely to hear about all the positive stuff going on in the world of musical kids, and also cool T-shirts

I'm beginning to get a clearer picture of our situation, and well, its not pretty...

Perhaps I could set the kids up busking in front of the council offices to raise funds to cover the cost of their lessons

drummers The plan is that he will play the drum kit at secondary school and drive them mad there. He's Yr6.

But we really have no space.

Mending - no private teachers? Where do adults have lessons then?

the only adult I know having lessons gets them at the district music service. we seriously live in the back of beyond, and because there is basically no demand for private (because of the district schools...) its not exactly a flourishing market.....

Moving has been suggested as one way to solve the problem

neverever good plan

I can't keep up!!!

Congrats and well done to your DS Raspberry!

Mending I hope you find a solution without moving house.

Love the t-shirt, tempted to buy one for DCs as a Christmas present, found one with education is important but playing computer games is importerer for DS.

Fleur that last T shirt slogan would be very pertinent to DS1!! The list of things that have to be done before he's allowed to play a game is getting longer and longer.
I'm a big fan of the music-themed T shirt as Christmas stocking filler! In fact I had to replace a Mr Bassist T shirt with an extra birthday one as it was too small!
Mending just caught up - that all sounds awful. I hope they reconsider.
Today's musical challenge is playing my third piano piece hands together slowly and accurately and my second piece very fast and accurately. I feel a certain sense of impending failure but will persevere!
Never I like your plan with the drumkit!

Late coming to this thread...DD has just done her grade 1 flute so I am celebrating not having to listen to those set pieces ever again!

NeverEverAnythingEver we asked our flute teacher for suggestions re getting a flute (and she recommended the people that service hers).

We ended up with a secondhand Yamaha 211sii for £300 that they had just refurbed (exc condition). It sounds soooo much nicer than the one we'd been borrowing that was forever getting keys stuck.

I'm not sure if it will help you, but when I was doing my extensive googling I stumbled across the "Take it Away" (loan) and "Assisted Instrument Purchase" (VAT free) scheme for LEA schools

Loose good to see I am not the only one feeling like chucking the console out the window. I now get the "I have revised while you weren't home therefore you couldn't see it so it is ok for me to play on the console all evening" from DS.

Good luck with your challenge Loose!

Welcome Madcats!

Thanks Madcats!

Hello Madcats - such a relief when exams are over!
Fleur thanks! Well, played the slow,piece through without too many fingering errors so quite happy with that but still gearing myself up for fast one! Quick cuppa and then I will have a go! (Hoping caffeine helps...)
Re gaming - I wouldn't mind but he's got very good at ignoring me while playing! The really positive side is that music at least focuses some of his leisure time on something else, but I worry that he just uses so much available time on whatever game it is. I don't envy you having year 11 to deal with especially given all the uncertainty over the new maths and English grades. and