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.

Following her lesson this week I printed this out for DD www.throwcase.com/2014/10/27/student-has-amazing-breakthrough-by-doing-what-teacher-says/
Admittedly she has been practising much more diligently since the lesson (it is more the quality than the quantity that is the issue!) but I will file this as I'm sure it will need to come out again soon!!

Love it hapsburg

hapsburg I love that website thanks!
loose happy birthday to DS1 . DS' birthday is early next week. I didn't realize they were so close in age.
DS presents list this year:

• a whole new set of mallets (marimba, timpani and xylophone) and drum sticks from us.
• a new ride cymbal from grandparents set 1
• a drumming 1-2-1 masterclass with chosen jazz drummer from grandparents set 2.

Drummer - great presents esp from the masterclass!

For stationery addicts I recommend cult pens website...nothing to do with music but very lovely!

hapsburg

Harpburg: ha ha ha

This is what I got today(bonus with a new diary), hopefully more practice tonight!

Just popping in to quickly wish happy birthday to your DS Loose! didn't read anything else so I'll catch up on the thread tomorrow.

It seems like it is virtually impossible to keep up with this thread! It is moving too fast

Meantime, I was reading one of the violin groups on fb and came across mentioning of Paul Harris (remember the books like "Improve your sight reading"/"Improve your scales", etc?). He has some other interesting titles.... The whole lot can be found here
www.amazon.co.uk/Paul-Harris/e/B0034OM8IQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

but some of the books that caught my attention are

Improve Your Theory! Grade 5
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0571538657/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

The Virtuoso Teacher
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/057153676X/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

The Practice Process
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0571538339/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

Simultaneous Learning
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0571538681/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

This book may be of some interest to disorganisedmummy
Music, Language and Autism: Exceptional Strategies for Exceptional Minds
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1849051976/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_12?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE
I looked at preview-apparently 1 in 20 autistic children has perfect pitch, which is much higher than in general population. The author of the book is a piano teacher and specialist in teaching children with special needs, particularly blind.

And finally, should I ask Father Christmas for this book?.... Content seem quite interesting, but the price

Oops, forgot the link
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0198744447/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_13?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

I ended up teaching cursive to the children at home, as they weren't taught it at school. They both write in cartridge pen too - and it looks beautiful. No cartridge pen refills here so we have to send back to the UK for them!

I'm very stuck for Christmas present ideas this year for them both. Are there any fab mail order places in the UK that do music themed gifts? Or Doctor who?

I seem to spend an inoderinate amount on pencils. We use them for music so they get spread far and wide - and the dog loves to chew any he can find!

I bought DS a 0.6mm propelling pencil with 2B leads several years ago for Christmas and so far he's not left it on a stand somewhere. I bought spare leads and spare erasers at the same time in the knowledge that I'd be good for years providing that he didn't lose it. It's his special pencil and that's why he's hung onto it this long.

Shakey you can refill cartridges from bottled ink if you can get hold of a blunt ended syringe (ebay worked for me).

Only thanks so much for the link for that book. I may well treat myself to that as it looks fascinating. I also have aspergers though sadly not musically talented like ds although I sing in a choir. I will reply to your pm I promise!

icouldbeknitting thanks - I didn't know that.
The Paul Harris improve your sight reading book is great. It was very helpful for preparing for sightreading. Her teacher used the ABRSM specimen tests and it allowed me to work slowly through the Harris book at home. I'm now looking for another book that could be used like that.

The sight reading book looks like it would be good for dd, I don't think it will ever be her strong point, she can do it perfectly well but generally chooses not too...

First theory lesson for her today and she really enjoyed it, did her homework for it as soon as we got in tonight even though Friday is generally a homework/practice free zone!

She has the opportunity to perform one of her grade 3 pieces at a school event in December so that will be a good confidence boost with it I hope.

School Head of Music has given me copies of some videos she took of Goo in assembly recently. You've seen a recent Rara video, but never a Goo Flute video, so here you go... some crap pianist was totally mangling the piano part though. You have been warned.

I can't watch the video:-(
I wonder why? Whether it's because I'm not in the UK?
It's such a shame as I'm a flautist and know the piece really well. I was looking forward to hearing it.

I can get any sound either

I can play it with sound..... have no idea about flautists though, but she sounds great.

Its such a fun, lovely piece, I feel like I am dancing on a countryside road even I have no idea about flute neither this piece. Its lovely, thanks so much for sharing Waffle!

Hmm, that's weird...

That's lovely Waffle. Goo is amazing.

I know lots of Rutter's choral work through DS2, nice to hear something different if his.

(Obviously I was the crap pianist... I wouldn't be so mean about anyone else attempting it!)

Goo played it slightly faster and better for her audition the same day, and her flute teacher managed to mess up the last line too (so she says), so I am in good company.

Goo is amazing! Wow!

We're using the Paul Harris improve sight reading in piano and improve your scales in clarinet.

Sounds fab. Thanks for sharing waffle