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.

Wanted to say many congratulations to drummers son, that is an amazing result!

Fantastic result drummer

Thank you! Happy weekend everyone

DS1 (17 year 13) had until the 1st to decide whether to do grade 8 electric guitar (Rock Guitar).

Oh wow, fantastic news drummersmum!
(love " Drummersmum drummer"!)

drummersmum wow that's fab! I guess he must be one of those incredible drummers that plays things with four limbs that ought only be achievable by an octopus . DD's guitar teacher who is a pro Jazz musician plays in a band with a drummer like that. Awesome to watch! You need to post a video of your DS doing a drum solo.

Yay! Just saw the news - fantastic result drummersmum! He really deserved it, well done! 😀🏆

As for DD we are in build-up mode to her concert (supporting a well known artist at a gig in December). Had to provide photos and a biography for the publicity materials, all at very short notice.

I do wonder how she ended up getting asked - did they have someone else pull out? It's a bit surreal - the tour includes dates all over North America, at the Bataclan in Paris etc - obviously DD is only supporting one local date but even so it's a bit weird.

Congratulations miniDrummers! (I suspect he's not that mini though ...)

And good luck miniMisti! (I also suspect she's not that mini either ...)

Mine are still mini even though one of them is taller than me. ;)

DD is (just) taller than me but she has long since reached her adult height and she will be forever mini ;)

Annoyingly for her (she complains about her short legs), her brother while not unusually tall - 5'7 at 13 - has ridiculously long legs for his height.

Is anyone else's teenage musician annoyingly vague? DD is doing a piano competition this year but has no idea what, when or where. She has to do a programme of 12-14 minutes - she has one piece (Chopin nocturne in E minor op posth 72), is learning a second (Debussy Arabesque No 1) which together will last 10 mins, so she needs a modern (20th century) piece of 4 mins max.

Anyone have any bright ideas? She is a romantic not a showy pianist (not enough technique for showy - she only has 2 years of piano - and her taste does not run to aggressive or dissonant styles). She is thinking of the famous Michael Nyman piece from the film The Piano, but not sure they want film music. Any ideas gratefully received. Ideally it would be a bit less difficult or at least shorter than the Debussy.

Thinking about it maybe she could do Joplin's Bethena waltz which she half-learnt as a beginner. She should find that easy now. But I would be hugely grateful for any other ideas.

Wow drummers congrats! I want to see the drummer boy, would he allow you to film him? He must be amazing!

Misti good luck with the concert!

Congratulations drummers, great result.

Mistigiri what a great opportunity for your DD! They must've heard her play somewhere?
Re her third piano piece, DS is now playing a XX century piece by Finnish composer Heino Kaski called "Nacht am Seestrand": It's very lirical and gives a lot of opportunity for expression. The only thing is that it may not be very contrasted with the other two if she wishes to add contrast.
Kavalvesky's Prelude op38 n.2 would be a huge contrast and a showy pieces for a finale, it's considered Grade7 (this link will take you straight to min 1:55 when the n.2 prelude starts:

Ah Fleur and mistigiri thank you guys, drummer boy allows filming but probably not hanging the film on a public forum where his mum has said all sort of things about him without him knowing So if I get to steal some footage I may just pm it if people don't mind. I also love seeing all the DC in this forum play and don't mind if someone pm's me a link by the way!!!

mistigiri the URL to Kavalevsky didn't work at time so you need to forward to 1:55.

drummersmum I just played her that Kaski piece and she loves it! Thank you! The other piece got a less good reception - "I'll never be able to play that" .

She will see what her teacher thinks. She has literally not a hope of winning anything, it's just for the experience, so I'm not sure that having a varied programme is especially important. More important that she enjoys playing especially this year when she is so busy. The Schubert impromptu (which she does not especially like) has been a bit of an uphill drag - it sounds amazing but she will never love playing it.

to your son drummers!

Drummers please add me to the always subscriber to your PMs with your DS playing. Also the other DCs, I'd love to see them perform so if not happy to post here please PM me links.

We're at the exam centre now waiting for DD to enter

Good luck fleur!

Done, thanks drummers!

Her piano teacher came out very pleased after the two piece, she said she did great. The exam was moderated though so from what I understand they are a bit mean with the marks when moderation is going on. Her teacher did s mock this morning and said she was expecting distinction but we'll see.

Best of luck Fleur, we are next week. The exam taker is down with a cold so in bed for a blessed mid day nap now, I am trying (very hard) not to think about it.
Stringchild and all nco(s): we know our fate so luckily both of us dont think about it at all. She completely forgot that she hasnt got a result. We will try again next year though, will work for it properly. I am so looking forward to the piano exam to be over so I could start with violin again, we have been switching teachers, taking time off for the last 4 months

Well done, Mini Fleur! Maybe that will be us next term - Rara and her BFF are currently learning their scales. Rara is nearly there! From experience, they don't seem to be mean with marks when moderating - they are more likely to be absolutely spot on, especially as there will be two of them. They will be checking that the examiner's average marks tie in with the national average and so on, so they absolutely HAVE to do it by the book. The marking criteria are published for all to see, and they must be seen to be following them. So I expect the teacher could mark it accurately herself, and it shouldn't be far wrong!

Yes I totally second Waffle's comment - moderation is about checking the marking scheme is being followed, nothing to do with meanness or otherwise with marks. Haven't managed to check in here much but have been following. We have turned a corner with ds1 and his bass as he now not only can play his orchestra parts for his Saturday orchestra but actually is starting to enjoy it and not be terrified. Hoping we get to the concert without him getting ill and he gets to enjoy the fruits of his labours. Sadly he currently seems to have given up the recorder though, as he's been having singing lessons and hasn't been able to keep up with practicing. Congratulations on the fab exam results I have read about on here from drummersmum and others.