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.

Waffle when Ds was much younger his teacher suggested looking at a specialist music school or JD. We didn't, he was very young and it seemed to be a big step to be taking. He looked at JD more recently and backed out once he realised it would mean saying goodbye to Saturday. Music is a big thing in his life but it's not the only thing. I am happier now with the decisions we took when he was ten than I was at the time.

We have no grammar schools in our area but we have very good state schools so we are very lucky. :)

drummer You have just reminded me that it's been a long time since I've been offered fried eggs for breakfast by DS2. Must remind him so he doesn't forget how to do it. Took me hours of heart attack teaching and supervising him when he was younger.

Wow, page 4 on November 2nd... very glad I started a new thread now.

Loose that's exactly it, I am wondering 'what if' even when I'm happy with what I've got! We moved to this house long before Goo was born, partly because we fell in love with the house (really quirky little cottage, perfect for artistic types) and partly to get any future children of ours into this secondary school. I now know that's slightly crazy!

I think that part of me would like the reassurance that she's firmly on the right track/ good enough to pursue music professionally IF that's what she wants. I know that getting a music scholarship or place at music school isn't necessarily the best indicator of that, but it's one indicator. It would be good just to get some objective feedback I suppose, but we don't get much of that because she is very resistant to playing solo now, and getting worse. Flute teacher just raves about her, piano teacher is more muted in her praise, but has called Goo 'unusual' and says she is 13 really!

Icould hugs, I hope that's true for us later on, as well.
Never same here.
drummers I am so impressed!

Mmmm neverever I may make that the next one.

I think the desire to attend specialist school has to come in a big measure from the child. When DH was young he was encouraged by his cello teacher to apply to the Menuhin school. He really thought about it but he loved his school at the time, his friends and he was very academic and not ready to dedicate the hours a day.

Waffle have you considered Saturday JD or are you too far? Just a reminder that a few recent BBC young musician winners (the two cellists) were attending regular comprehensives and church schools. But they all attended Saturday school though.

Drummers - some of the category finalists also did JD and non-music school; in fact we know one and he (not cello) and his siblings are inspirational in how they have transitioned to the 'professional' world. Hence my baby steps and it is entirely possible we will put the whole thought on pause for a few years (maybe forever...?)

Too far, I think our nearest would be Cardiff (if they do such a thing) which is a couple of hours away. We do South West Music School, but at the moment it's only one day every half term.

On a slightly different topic, Rara is surprising me! This morning, she was saying, "Pleeease can I go on to the next stage of the book? I've played this stage three times and I can do it with no mistakes... look..." and demonstrating. When I said no, she can't reach the note properly and I don't want her to hurt herself, she found another stage she can do instead, took it upon herself to learn the new note and key signature, and was keen to show me she could do it! She's normally quite laid back, but is clearly a girl on a mission!

drummers I am impressed with your dinner offer, I wish mine would give me a break from cooking once a week.

Waffle Rara obviously found her instrument. It must be so satisfying seeing how motivated she is.

On the subject of schools we are lucky to have DS in a selective school which would qualify DD to go in on sibling rule. They have fantastic music opportunities. That doesn't mean there isn't a even better selective school in the area, DD will try for it as the music department is even better, but I will not lose sleep if she doesn't get in.

Practising: we all get home around 6,30-7 three days a week and at 3,30 two days a week. DD is with my ILs which means all she does is play between 4 and 6pm those three days. When we get home we have dinner, then 20 min some academic stuff (school homework or extra) and from 8-9 is music practice. Sometimes we don't do the academic stuff so she can have a more focused music practice if I feel there is a need for it and I am tired and can't be bothered to do extra maths with her Normally she's in bed at 9ish and reads for 10-15 min then goes down like a log.

Her bedtime is getting later and later but to be honest she wakes up at 7 every morning without any prompting and she reads for a bit again so I am not worried.

Welcome all new people!

my dd wanted to go to music school so she went in for an advice audition last May and she was offered a place at a specialist music school. She was pretty clear that she wanted to go and wanted to immerse herself in music.
So we made the move so she could be closer to school and to be a day pupil.
She absolutely loves it, she's gone from hating school to loving it (although she doesn't see it as school).
I think an advice audition is always handy for feedback even if the child (or parent has doubts) is not interested in attending music school.
I also think that the child will know whether the environment is right for them and the schools are pretty good at weeding out children who aren't completely passionate about music.

Drummersmum - I'd love a thoughtful child who can make dinner! Mine can all use the microwave and the toaster .

Good luck hunting for the right JD/music school everyone. I agree it is difficult to predict these things as miniprada only showed potential at the end of year4 when we changed piano and violin teachers and then she flew.At the moment miniprada wakes at 6.30 and I've cured the luxurious shower issue by leaving an alarm on my phone which is set for 6.45 in her bathroom by which time she should be downstairs for breakfast with the phone. she then fits an hour of practice in every day bar the weekend when we might do more on Sundays and little on Saturday as she has a two hour piano/theory lesson. She has an hour lesson on the violin per week also.

Respect all these early risers! We can't do it, won't do it. It's 7am here for the two males and 7:15 for the queen of the house who gets orange juice pressed by royal consort because she would press an onion and not realize. Le Dauphin leaves for school at 7:50 by which time queen needs intravenous caffeine. Even if we went for it, we're in a terraced house and can't make music before 8am.

DS2 gets up at 7 and sometimes manages a bit of piano practice before school. DS1 has to be lured down with breakfast although I have heard some quiet bass practice after that! He has two music lessons tonight and two school tests to revise for and has eaten all the snacks in the kitchen already...

Paul

Hogwarts for musicians
That's what my dd calls her school. I can remember when she started and she told all her friends that it was music with extra curricular Maths, Eng, Science, etc.

Definitely Gilly!
I'm glad I went with what she wanted to do, but then there was never much doubt.

I totally agree with the decision for specialist music school/ JD really does have to come from the child.
Sometimes I wonder how dd manages the workload and the long days, her timetable reads like boot camp, but they do get good breaks.
It's not for everyone and many musicians never attend such a school, it isn't necessary.
I'm happy with the all round education she gets even though it's the minimum acceptable to cover the nc.
We knew this when we signed up, so have no regrets at all.
It isn't the place if they enjoy PE as too few children in each year to form teams and there is no time for extra curricular activities because they need down time. We also knew this when we signed up.

If anybody is ever interested I will gladly pm her time table and will also ask for friends 6th form, if anyone is just interested in these years.

Smiling at "hogwarts school and school but not a school":))

Hahaha, so it isnt just us, phew! I dont think she actually brushes her teeth neither needs the loo that long(she doesnt clean her teeth properly either and once a week I have to wash her hair because she doesnt do it properly during the week- imagine you stand in a shower for a very longgggg time then when its finished your back is still completely dry if you know what I mean). And staring at the mirror or staring at anything for long time aimlessly is so typical(and I dont even have a girly girl as she doesnt care about "the look"-yet). Sometimes I think of sending her to a camp where her day is packed and there isnt for these wasted private time in life...

Drummersmum- I agree about neighbours. We are lucky to be very remote at the moment. We are looking for a second London property (it won't be detached!) if miniprada chooses the London indie option and I have been thinking about what we would do about early morning practicing!!

Loose and other cello moms (and violins too?) _ DD has spent a happy hour this evening trying to get an even 32 notes to a single bow for Donkey and Driver....endless amusement and well worth a go for a laugh if you feel tempted to put it their way :)

Evening all, can I pop in and ask a question or 2?

DD1 is just 8 and has been singing for a while and her teacher has just entered her for an Eisteddfod - I have no idea wheat to expect at all and DD is just floating on not worried about her pieces at all. She is singing in 2 classes but other than that I am clueless as to what to do/expect on the day. Anyone with any tips?

DD's school have just started an orchestra this term and though they are lowish on numbers at the moment (12-15) the standard is good, apart from one new violinist and a grade 1 flute they are all grade 3 or above.

I'm watching with interest regarding secondary school as we will be facing this next year. The state school we would prefer has an excellent senior wind band that tours the country, we have a family friend who is 17 and the lead clarinet in it, dd wants to take her place in a few years. We have watched them perform and you can tell the enthusiasm of the teacher is totally infectious.

The majority of dd's friends will be taking the independent route which we will also consider but it will be dependent on us getting a bursary.

We are still looking for outside school music. DD currently plays in a junior wind band but is hoping next term to be able to move up to the senior band with her clarinet and play bassoon in the junior one, we shall see as it will mean 3.5 hours of playing straight after an hour of school orchestra. We found a great new band at the start of term but it didn't finish til 9.15 and was a little way from home so was just too much of a late night for both of us. We also got offered a place for bassoon at a music school last September and decided not to take it as we didn't want to dedicate 9-1 every Saturday morning with no input into her main instrument.

Stringchild that's amazing! I definitely want to get DS2 trying it! He had a choice last night - practice one instrument playing all his new and more difficult pieces and write his music essay (due Friday) or both instruments and write the essay tonight. I was at college but DH reports a solid 35 minutes on each instrument. Obviously preferable to writing an essay!
Grumpy teenager much more cheerful this morning after coming home in a mood yesterday because he was covered in ink after his pen "exploded". I think his music lessons were a welcome distraction!
Waffle I am so impressed with Rara - she really has found her instrument! And MiniWoolleybear seems to be racing along with the bassoon!

Two grade 8 exams done.
Stress lifting from household.
Phew! I need a stiff drink!

We had a stroppy evening last night sight reading related. I feel bad now it is just that I lost it with the lack of concentration. She was playing the the hands wrong in one of the exercises, playing the left hand in her right one and the right in her left. She was obviously tired but so was I.

Hopefully I'll make it up tonight and stop nagging.

Gherkins I have absolutely no idea about Eisteddfod! Hopefully someone here would know.

shaky That must be such a relief!

No tantrums here the past two days, for a change!