December Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

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!

Wool: I didnt remember that you are on 11+ next year too. Sounds like a good plan to me.
Drummers: with this work ethics he will go real far whatever he chooses to pursue. Yes, we live in Richmond so need to do look into it today or tomorrow(have been so "busy" with Xmas drinks/after work). Thinking of Hounslow, Kingston and westlondon ones too. We are on piano break now so no plan yet. I am sure with only the pieces then I wont have tantrums.
Fleur: thinking of bringing the violin with us so we could have 15mins scales each day although this summer we brought the violin with us and after nearly 3 weeks it wasnt touched so still thinking.

Flurdelise re clarinet tuning. If you are playing with others it is worth warming up and then checking you are " in the ball park" of sounding the same , but like pretty much all instruments bar piano/tuned percussion tuning is a matter of ear and technique. Every fingering can have at least a 1/4 tone adjustment and often more!

The technicalities are too much for my pea brain at the moment but particularly when playing solo the importance is the way things sound. Some intervals are better blown a bit sharp or flat depending it you come down to them or go up. Children are rarely taught to think about this unless they are singers or have very special teachers. The more " ordinary" ones will teach " those fingers and blow for a g" without the " blow and listen and think if t sounds right" bit.

Hope that makes sense!

For instance DS was learning about microtones on the recorder by age 11, he just had the ear for it and could do it.,

Waffle I hope you finish school soon. You have my total sympathy about the concert overload. DH has had the year 2 and 3 musical production. then a whole school carol service in the cathedral (bloody lovely it was too)and on Tue the year 3-6 Xmas concert!

I'm in concert attendance overload but loving it really. DD2 did Sat am mine pie concert ( music service), Monday school concert (the last Xmas one sob!) and we are into the chaos of being head chorister and being needed for girls services and schola ones ( the senior girls+men, only max 6 girls).

Oh and DH sang The Messiah On Fri and has a Gubbay thing at the weekend!

Raspberry did your DS voice recover ? hope he gets a last treble Christmas . DS managed the Once in Royal solo at 11 at school and the next year was singing bass!

Thanks Helen and Wombat! I will just deliver the news to DD and try to explain a bit but the main message will be "unless it sounds wrong don't worry about it." I didn't explain her transposition much either, just told her that a C on the clarinet is in fact a B flat, she looked at me like I am mad and left it there.

With tuning her piano teacher said to her before the exam "right, let's tune in the clarinet" and DD looked at her like she's mad (yeah, she does that a lot) so I decided to look into it to try and explain.

Wombat good luck with the exam tomorrow! I am sure he'll be fine.

I'm not into posting achievements of children on facebook, but desperate to share the good news in our house today - DD got distinction (142/150) in grade 4 cello. She did grade 1 just 18 months ago and had to miss lessons for 5 months this year. She struggled with the aural so thank you to those on here who helped out and gave advice, particularly with describing the character of the piece.

Great news spaghetti, that's a tremendous result!

That's fantastic news spaghetti! What an amazing result!

I know what you mean spaghettihoopsagain. Well done to your DD. That's a fantastic achievement!

Wow spaghetti I'm very very impressed! Tremendous improvement if she only did grade 1 18 months ago!

Spaghetti, that is an amazing result, you have shared to the right group

Misti is your DD's concert tonight? I think I have just seen on FB who she's opening for, wow, she's on her way to fame! Good luck!

Spaghetti I am in awe!!! Fantastic achievement!

Still no piano exam result. Should have been by yesterday, so obviously delayed for some reason, I know someone with a different teacher waiting for Grade 5 so we aren't the only one.

Unfortunately our piano teacher has now gone away with limited wifi, do we may not get the result til next week anyway.

Helen he has recovered, and sang the 'Once in Royal' solo at two school services today, although not ones I could attend. His singing teacher said tonight his voice is very tired and he had to rest it this evening.

He is being valedicted in January, and will move to singing alto in the Youth Choir until such time as his voice changes.

raspberry I don't know if you've seen the update on ABRSM website, they vouch to issue all results by next Friday for exams taken between 28th November and 3rd December.

Thanks Fleur. As the teacher is away it's kind of immaterial now til she gets back!

Sorry, that sounded rude, I meant we aren't thinking about it til next week as we won't know anyway!

Hi, all.
This thread moves so fast, I can't keep up with it now
Last concert tomorrow, I've taken the night off to watch and I saw two last weekend. She's doing something really special, but can't say as don't want to spoil for another on here So guess who, because very small will be there very early for seats. Dh will insist on splitting up and sitting at the back as he is very tall and hates being front or even middle. Arghhhhh! I guess you would feel bad though.

Looking forward to dd coming home and a Christmas with all 3 dc and their fiance/gf too.

I know some are waiting on results, good luck.
Hope all the dc concerts go well, too.

Well done Spaghetti!

Amazing result mini Spaghetti!

Raspberry hope you hear soon. Hopefully once the teacher is back she'll have the results waiting.

Wombat good luck for today, let us know how he got on!

Fantastic spaguetti, such good progress, your DD has really found her instrument.

Aahhhh! Having a mad time over here.....DD's bow has broken AGAIN, second time in two weeks. Add to that a completely blocked ear and flu with a fever, and NYO preparation is not going well....

Great news spaghetti fab result

DS's clarinet exam is done and dusted. He came out smiling and thinks he's done "quite well" so I'm crossing my fingers and toes. He made me put a blanket over the clarinet in the car so it wouldn't get too cold.

Thanks everyone - will pass on the congrats!