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!

Hi all have just joined mumsnet.
I have been asked to join this music thread by Fleurdelise who replied my post earlier this morning.
I have 2 children, ds 9yr who has been playing the piano since 5yr, and dd 6yr old playing the piano since Oct last year and has just taken her grade 2 exam.
My son took his grade 1 after 2 years.
Is she musically gifted or is she relying on good memory?

Well done to your children Goodbye. My son was quite lazy and hated doing exams. He stopped at G5 although he could have done much more. He has an excellent ear and can listen to anything on YouTube and then play it will all the correct chords etc. My daughter ploughed through exams, but doesn't have the natural talent that he does..

I have learned from friends that some children who do well in exams peak early and then fade away.

However for your daughter to do G2 at age 6 after just over a year does seem rather exceptional - well done

Welcome Kitty! Your DD does sound very talented but is maybe a question for her teacher? What does he/she say?

If anyone wants to see a short video montage of DD's concert I'm happy to PM a link. It was shot by a friend - I didn't do any video during the concert because DD hates me doing the "mum thing" in front of her friends (and because the venue was packed and I'm short lol).

Green re tutoring, remember that if everyone tutors it resets the baseline. You may get away without with a very bright kid, but even bright kids benefit from knowing what to expect. DD is in a class this year with a super-bright kid - he is 14 and top of a very selective Y12 class - who is brilliant at everything but doesn't really work. DD has recently started getting better marks than him in maths and physics not because she is a better mathematician but because she does the work - what this means is that she is fast and accurate (because the skills are becoming automatic) and that matters in a test situation.

kittymum welcome! Your question is actually quite hard to answer because it depends what you mean by gifted - there are different types of musical talent and also it depends where you draw the line. I'd say that G2 that quickly and that young is pretty unusual, but doesn't necessarily tell you where she will end up going, because so much depends on motivation and perseverance once they hit 10-11 and then the teenage years. (My DD dropped her first instrument by the beginning of secondary school, and actually stopped playing music completely for a while before taking up several new instruments as a teenager.)

It's a pretty damn good start though - maybe she will end up like the genius pianist kid at DD's music school, who at last summer's concert played one of the harder Chopin etudes and a piece by Liszt while barely able to reach the pedals!!! (he's 9/10, but short for his age). He's gone off to study with a concert pianist now.

Loose I'm not sure how old your ds is I got an email from the national youth jazz collective yesterday they run an amazing auditioned summer course which I think is probably suitable from mid teens up. Ds isn't ready for that yet but is doing a year long non auditioned course with them at the moment it's great. If your ds doesn't want to audition or is younger the brass academy are also running percussion courses during the Easter and summer holidays ds went on one earlier this year not jazz ( and not cheap)

but great sorry posted too soon

Thank you for all replies.
I really should ask her teacher if she is musically talented, but he has taught my son for over 4 yrs now and because I don't play the piano myself I normally leave things up to him.
He is trying to find suitable songs for her as she is a tiny 6, so therefore has tiny hands and she she hasn't even used the pedals yet as she cannot reach them.
Exam out of the way she is now learning Pam Wedgwoods Summer Song and Christmas carols.
To be honest we only did the exam because she wanted an certificate and was shocked when the teacher wanted to enter her for G2 as my son took his G1 after 2 yrs.
We only practice up to 20 mins max per day and some days we don't because she doesn't feel like it.
The same with her brother.
It will be interesting to see how she did in her exam as she came out in smiles and said she enjoyed it?

DS2 has his Grade 5 clarinet exam on Monday.

He has worked really hard towards this exam, so I'm feeling quite nervous for him.

drummersmum at the risk of outing myself I teach in the college where the rhythm studio is based! I didn't realise they were there in the Summer holidays! Definitely will look into it - DS1 loves jazz funk! Many thanks!

For courses dd is doing this www.brass-academy.co.uk/ in the summer - despite the name it also has percussion!!!

She did it last year having had all of 4 cornet lessons before and loved it!

The Second best of luck to your DS, I hope it goes really well for him!
Trumpetboysmum that looks incredible. DS is definitely old enough but whether he's ready for it is another matter. On the other hand, just putting together an audition would be a learning experience for him.
drummersmum I meant to add thanks for the warning about Guildhall. It's ok to take a bass guitar on the Northern Line but I think the drum kit would never make it!

Petra that looks great, thanks! DS1 has a friend who plays trombone who might like this as well.

Loose if he's not ready or doesn't want to audition and you are close to London then the courses that they run at kings place are also great. think you would have to wait till September now though . ds is going to his second one tomorrow he only plays with the beginners as he hasn't done much jazz before ( not that they are really beginners at all) but the older teenagers who go are amazing I'm looking forward to tomorrow's concert already

Well done to Kittymum's DD - it's a great start. I know of a little boy who was 6 in September and has Grade 2 piano with distinction... and there is an older British girl who only dropped a handful of marks in her Grade 8 when she was 7 years old. So it depends how gifted you mean really! It sounds like your DD is very good, and most importantly enjoys it, though.

Goo was worse this morning - no energy, temperature of 40.1C, threw up once, and she hasn't eaten anything today. But her temperature is now normal, she's drinking and taking meds, playing and laughing with Rara. Weird!

Trumpets/Boy - dd has done workshops with NYJC this year and will do 4 next year hopefully; not old enough for summer school but has loved the experience to date.

Kitty - well done to your little one. We also know some amazingly advanced pianists - think of diploma at 8 or 9; but I think you can be gifted without having done that.

Waffle - sounds like you are on the road to recovery in your house?
So we went to Woodbridge violins today and I have a viola for me for xmas😳 So any v b easy beginner book recommendations much welcomed!

Ooh string - did you love it? It's like Olivander's wand shop....!

Prada - yes I did. Bit of a surprise purchase but I am committed to getting to whatever lowly grade I need to join the easiest community orchestra I can find by the time I retire

My little percussionist might be doing Easter course, at Purcell?
Haven't booked it yet though.

Aw, Waffle the poor child has had a bad bout of illness, from the sounds of it. I hope she is better soon.

Paul
She'll enjoy the Easter course and will give her a taste of what her sister is doing .

Trumpet
Our very good friends run NYJO and the younger collective, it's a great experience for them.
Too far away for us atm and doesn't tie in with school, but sometimes dd gets a free visit from some of them, if they can tie in with some work up here.
If you are near London and can spare the time and commitment an absolutely brilliant start to a professional career.

it was great last year Paulweller lots of music and also lots of time for sports and games and all of the tutors were fab ds would definitely have gone back but he's got an nco course instead now

Yes I think she will really like it Gillybeanz.
She'll probably have to do the residential, but I think she would be fine with it.

Sounds great trumpet boys-mum
Congrats on NCO

I took a deep breath and left the house at nearly 2pm and drove nearly 140miles on a misty and foggy day too despite the fact that I have never been on the motorway by myself ever(luckily she had a long nap in the car so wasnt witnessing my driving as much on the way there). We ended up with a full size as R said that it shouldnt be too big for her. The service was outstanding.

Misti: I am truly happy for you! Hope there are many more to come!
String: its a shame we didnt bump into each other today, admittedly I had a very long/late drive so was the last one for the day.

Full size violin???? Wow!!!