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Original poster

December Music Thread

604 replies

Wafflenose · 01/12/2016 10:00

A new thread for December! Musicians and parents of musicians of ALL ages and standards are very welcome! I do try to keep up with the threads, but am struggling to remember who plays what sometimes. Might it be helpful to have a different thread where we could list them all (for people that want to?)

I am Waffle, teacher of woodwind, and mum to Goo (11) - flute, recorder and piano, and Rara (8) cello, recorder and clarinet. Rara has her Grade 3 Recorder exam on Monday, and I have quite a few other pupils entered, but no other exams for us this term. Goo has had a crap time recently, with a wrist injury, mangled fingers and now new braces, so I've pretty much written off any musical progress this term. We have the music festival at the end of January, so maybe she'll be all healed and ready to move forwards in time for that!

OP posts:
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11
onlymusic · 14/12/2016 11:05

to learn that is :)

Fleurdelise · 14/12/2016 11:14

Good luck with the concerts everyone, I can't wait till DD is in the band to go to concerts Xmas Grin drummers I do hope she'll have fun this is one of the main reasons she started playing the clarinet.

only well done for doing the festival, I told DD we're not in it for the competition but for the performance benefit so I don't even hope for top places. I am not sure I get your question but in our situation yes, progress was faster when we moved to two 30 min lessons with piano as there was so much to cover and not enough time. Now we moved to a full 1 hour lesson (same time but not split in two sessions anymore) as DD can definitely concentrate for the entire lesson. To answer your question yes I think in our case progress is faster as DD would not be able to cover scales, sight reading, a bit of theory, technical exercises and around 3 pieces each time rotating them in only 30 min. Therefore she'd cover less in lessons which means that less would be assigned to practice.

And do send me the link to the video only! Can't wait, I'll watch it tonight Xmas Smile

LooseAtTheSeams · 14/12/2016 11:14

Patience wearing a bit thin - was resigned to waiting until next week for the six-week deadline and then realised music centre, which gets the results, will be closed! I have emailed abrsm and asked very politely if there's any chance they could just tell me how DS1 did as I don't want to wait until after Christmas!
The longer I don't know the more I convince myself he hasn't passed!

onlymusic · 14/12/2016 11:33

LooseAtTheSeams, hm... interesting connection between long wait and not passing Grin
I remember waiting for finals result of my professional qualification.... Some people got it at 5am, I received mine at 4pm. I must say it took me weeks to recover from that waiting....

Fleur, yes, this is what I meant about lessons, sort of... Apart from- if lesson is one hour already-would it make difference to have two lessons during the week? I mean - would it reflect in quality of playing (as opposed to quicker completion of all grades)

onlymusic · 14/12/2016 11:37

Oh, and forgot to say - I passed my exams LooseAtTheSeams :)

drummersmum · 14/12/2016 11:43

only I want to watch too...may I?

onlymusic · 14/12/2016 11:48

drummersmum, you may of course, but you have to swear that we have never met in real life Grin. I will pm you :)

Pradaqueen · 14/12/2016 12:16

Only - well done! I too would like to see the video If I may?

Re: lessons, miniprada is the only student with the Russian teacher who has 1 X 1 hr pw. According to the teacher she has progressed the most as she practices. I think a decent lesson once a week with enough time to do quality practice is more than enough. Her piano/theory lesson is 2 hrs pw which she loves.

I have had an industrious morning here and have finally got around to recovering the piano seat. Material was £2.60 in a remnant shop so I am very please with myself. Mind you it took me an hour to locate the bloody upholstery stapler in the Harry Potter cupboard Grin

December Music Thread
Fleurdelise · 14/12/2016 12:18

loose I bet it is hard to wait, I don't think it is a sign on a fail, probably just an admin issue.

only I guess it depends what you want to achieve. Personally I would have more lessons a week or extend lesson time (not over an hour at this age though) if I and the teacher would feel there isn't enough time to cover all the teaching material she has planned to. But it has to be reasonable as obviously the concept is taught but reinforced with practice at home so I can't see DD practising for 3 hours for example. Otherwise an extra lesson could be only supervised practice as if all the teaching material is done in 1 lesson the other lesson would cover the same bits but in more depth therefore practice under the supervision of the teacher. Does it make sense?

Personally I wouldn't take the second approach unless I wouldn't be able to supervise my DD's practice anymore.

Fleurdelise · 14/12/2016 12:22

Prada that is one beautiful piano!!

I agree, in our case the 1 hour lesson on piano is enough and the progress is due to practice, her teacher is happy with the progress stating is fast due to her practice and covers enough in one lesson to attribute around 1 hour practice tasks a day.

ealingwestmum · 14/12/2016 12:57

Love it Prada!

LooseAtTheSeams · 14/12/2016 13:06

Thanks all for the encouragement!! I will try and remain optimistic!
Prada the piano and seat look lovely!!! I am looking at a scene of devastation around my piano caused by bringing down stuff from a half-cleared spare room.
Our lesson time is rubbish. all the lessons are half an hour - the DCS do surprisingly well in the circumstances! Actually, you've spurred me on to see if I can extend the percussion lesson officially (we've sneaked in an extra 10 minutes unofficially this term!)

Doubleup · 14/12/2016 14:22

Both DC have 30 min lessons and then each do two music service ensembles. Has done wonders for their sight reading! DD1 also does orchestra and concert band at school and a sax group, so lots of playing if not always as much practice as would be liked!😕

Pradaqueen · 14/12/2016 15:27

Aww thank you everyone. Only taken me nearly 3 Christmases to get round to doing it. The piano was a fab eBay find 3 years ago and was miniprada's Christmas present when we moved to a house big enough for a baby grand. Turns out baby grands are cheaper second hand as they are a bit cumbersome (to say the least) in a room. She did wonder how Father Christmas got it down the chimney though Wink

Icouldbeknitting · 14/12/2016 15:42

DS has an hour's lesson but it takes us forty minutes to get there so a half hour would be silly. He doesn't always go every week because if he's not going to have three good practice sessions in between the lessons then there's no point, you need to do your homework. At this time of year he's going every two weeks, when things are quieter it could be every week.

Prada we have the twin to your seat but in all black. I wish we had space for the twin to your piano as well but the dining table would have to go.

I would like to give a countdown to the last performance here but I honestly don't have a clue. The last one is Christmas Eve and there are several left and that's as far as I'm going. DS will have played Friday - Wednesday, we are all looking forward to a quiet Thursday night in.

drummersmum · 14/12/2016 15:56

Prada thanks for pic, the piano is fab and very fitting for someone who wears Prada Wink I have to say, what got my heart racing was the wallpaper, where did you get it!!?

Re lessons DS has 3 lessons a week, each lasting 1 hour. Jazz piano is 45min every other week. I'd say 1 hour makes a huge difference.

Fleurdelise · 14/12/2016 16:01

Prada I've obviously missed the point about the piano stool, beautiful also, but I do love a white piano. What make is it? And how did Father Christmas get it down the chimney? Xmas Grin

only I listened to the minionly in my lunch break and I think she is amazing! Hand on heart she is soooo good!

LooseAtTheSeams · 14/12/2016 16:06

Aargh! Abrsm says they can only give the result to the music Centre (I.e. Not random woman who claims to be candidate's mother, fair enough!) but they are posting the results out now so I reckon I should hear by Friday!
Also, have got 45 minute percussion lesson sorted!

Pradaqueen · 14/12/2016 16:16

Fleur - I was mentioning I'd re- covered the piano stool this morning. The pic is the fruits of my labour Wink there really was no need for the chimney, I just put a dust sheet over it and the child did not notice the massive thing in the study between Dec 21 and Dec 25 Grin in all fairness to her we did have eleventy billion workmen here at the time so covered up furniture was not unusual! It's a challen and 'tis lovely.

Drummersmum - the wallpaper was the first thing I chose for the house that is not white... It's from Osborne and Little (we all have to subsidise poor George now he's lost his big job at the exchequer Wink). I luffs it very much although it's faded somewhat in the sunlight.

Paulweller11 · 14/12/2016 17:29

My 9 yr old has a white electric violin, made by Bridge Violins- it's a 3/4.
She doesn't play on it much though, but she will occasionally play more pop/rock stuff on it.
Sounds good though.

Paulweller11 · 14/12/2016 17:37

Here it is. So pretty

December Music Thread
Doubleup · 14/12/2016 17:48

Loose - hope you hear the result soon!

We have to wait now until DD1 has been back at school for a week to get G5 sax result! Frustrating since I know the school will have the results by now. ☹

Original poster
Wafflenose · 14/12/2016 19:47

Three carol services today! They mostly went well.

Rara has learned her grade 1 clarinet scales, and can now manage the two lowest notes. She has decided to drop recorder (except for helping out a bit at school, and the music festival) to do more clarinet.

Scarlet fever is doing the rounds at school, and it looks like Goo might have a mild case. DH genuinely doesn't understand why I feel upset, tired and wrung out! I've had a spectacularly crap term at work, two chest infections (this one took 4 weeks to recover from), he ended up in hospital with pneumonia and sepsis and is far from well, I have nursed Goo through her wrist injury, possible broken fingers, braces and now this. Rara is playing up because she wants attention, I am trying to write reports, and feel like I'm about to snap.

OP posts:
stringchild · 14/12/2016 20:48

Oh Waffle - that is a lot of stuff in one term, and now at the busiest time too. DD had scarlet fever a few years ago and ended up in hospital where they took an age to diagnose it as was pretty rare at that point -- am sure you know all the advice about keeping the fever down etc.

So some of you obviously have presents under control - i don't! so any ideas for something musical for DD....?

Fleurdelise · 14/12/2016 21:00

Oooohhh I love the white violin also! I just love white instruments Xmas Grin

Waffle you must be exhausted! Not long now, hang in there!

string I got a few "fun" music books for DD, mainly Disney as a stocking filler. She wanted a new piano stool but it isn't going to happen, nothing wrong with her current one.