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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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Doubleup · 02/12/2016 23:43

Waffle that could be a description of DD2! 🙂

Trumpetboysmum · 03/12/2016 07:44

And both of mine which doesn't always make for a very harmonious household !! We all like to have the last word Smile but hopefully there determination will take them far

raspberryrippleicecream · 03/12/2016 12:00

And my DD!

Poor Goo Waffle. I hope the finger gets sorted soon as well.

DS has a good number of baby teeth still at just turned 14, so I'm glad he doesnt appear to need braces. Though if he's still hanging on to them next appointment the dentist said he'd have to to a bit of checking.

Icouldbe love, love the idea of fairy lights on the instrument. Most we've managed is a bit of tinsel but am feeling very inspired.

When DD played the cello, it used to have an accessory every rehearsal

gillybeanz · 03/12/2016 12:04

Waffle, that's exactly what dd was like until this year.
I think the teen years will be better for you, if dd is anything to go by.
She is still like this a bit as it's her personality, but she has got so much better with a bit of maturity.

Fleurdelise · 03/12/2016 12:10

Well DD is part of the big group of stubborn and determined children also!

Can somebody clarify what are the alternatives to grade 5 theory and what it entails? Just thinking about it...

gillybeanz · 03/12/2016 12:11

I thought some of you brass players or Jazzers might like this bit of fun for a saturday afternoon Grin
I just find it so silly and great.

Greenleave · 03/12/2016 13:15

Gilly, thanks for the link, will browse once I got home. Dreadful thinking of teen time too.
We had a go in the waiting room however 60s swing didnt go as well as at home. Nervous!!!
If its a fail or a pass then we will do grade 6 this Summer and will treat it with respect, not 3 months practice!

Someone just came back and said scales didnt go too well. We thought we know them all a week ago. Well, lessons learnt.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 03/12/2016 13:33

She's astonishing, Green. My kids that practise well usually take 18 months to Grade 6, and the others take 2+ years!

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Greenleave · 03/12/2016 13:42

Actually it wasnt the scales it was arpeggios where we didnt know we have to play them hands separate. We never told that hands seperate are required(Russian teacher here who isnt most familiar with abrsm). Will read the syllabus requirements next time.

Greenleave · 03/12/2016 13:44

Waffle: we were told by both piano and violin teachers that I have someone who could learn things real fast. Doesnt mean she is talented or near in any sense however we do find its easy with learning.

2ndSopranos · 03/12/2016 14:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 03/12/2016 15:09

Green I don't see the difference between being talented and learning fast, really? I believe that in all but a few very rare cases, talent actually = ability to learn/ perfect things fast, hard work and good teaching.

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Fleurdelise · 03/12/2016 15:13

Well done for the piano exams Green and 2ndSopranos!

Pradaqueen · 03/12/2016 15:44

Well done minigreen! We also have a fast learner here who says the same things re:scales 'I know them' etc. We'll also see....!!

Waffle, hope the braces are doing better today!

Icouldbeknitting · 03/12/2016 16:47

DS managed a performance (and a solo) with fairy lights on two instruments last night, it was all fine so I'm glad that I kept my mouth shut. That meant the lights were still in place for music centre this morning and he came away with a selection box for most festive player. It was Christmas jumper day so there was a lot of festive about but he had lights and a jumper. The batteries are on charge now because if it's a Saturday in December then there must be a concert tonight.

Raspberry Ds held onto one of his baby teeth for the longest time, he was certainly 13 and could have been 15. The dentist said that if it was still there at the following appointment then something would have to be done and maybe DS would like to wiggle it a bit in the meantime. It was still there six months later so I was expecting a second appointment for removal - the dentist did no more than flick it with his finger and out it came. DS didn't even notice.

Green when DS did G1 brass the booking clerk asked him about lip flexibility exercises and got a blank look. DS had all of ten minutes to prepare an exercise because that was the first we'd heard about them. After that I became very familiar with the syllabus.

Drivingmadness · 03/12/2016 17:05

O well, I took dc3 to a recorder exam without her having had lessons by a music teacher. Only few weeks before the exam realised I had told her to learn the wrong scales. Anyway, now has a real teacher....

raspberryrippleicecream · 03/12/2016 17:41

Another one who recommends checking the syllabus. I asked DD about her bowing exercise for Grade 2 violin the week before the exam, and she assured me they weren't doing it. I queried it with the violin teacher, who also said they weren't, buy DD could practice it 'in case'. It was part of the syllabus and DD did it in her exam!

He had an x-ray time before last , Icouldbe and all the adult teeth were there, so hopefully nothing more than flicking will be needed.

I hear you about December concerts, if the day ends in a Y there's a concert in this house!

LooseAtTheSeams · 03/12/2016 18:02

Driving I admire your style! Green and 2ndSopranos I am sure the Minis have done great!
I'm flinching slightly at the mention of teeth. I had milk teeth for so long they caused all kinds of problems - ended up with the dentist having to remove the remaining ones for my own good. It was very painful! I then Refused to have braces because of the trauma but I do regret my teenage cowardice!
Nice day today. DS1's grade 8 bass book as requested by teacher arrived at midday. I called up the stairs having not seen him at all and heard strange commotion as DS1 emerged in t-shirt and pyjamas, scuttled down the stairs, grabbed the book and scampered upstairs again.
About half an hour later I am actually invited into his lair to hear downloaded versions of the pieces and then I was shown YouTube clips of one of his favourite bass players! Clearly I've done something right...
We went to the music service afternoon concert. Marching band sounded great (though DS1 typically critical of own performance) and DS2's cello teacher said lots of nice things about him as we were heading out, at which point he handed over her Christmas present! He was meant to do that at the beginning!
As far as stubborn is concerned, DS2 wrote the handbook by the way!

raspberryrippleicecream · 03/12/2016 18:08

Ahhh Loose I preferred Icoulds teeth tale of flicking them out!

Greenleave · 03/12/2016 18:50

We only had 8 adult teeth so there is time.
Yes, basic thing as reading the syllabus as it could change yearly. I am feeling better that it was t just me. She came down and said, scales wasnt good mom, I was asked to play 3 arpeggios with left hands and I was "what is this? I have never done it". To my teacher defence, he did occasionally says plays scales hands seperate then join, slow then normal. However we were never told that playing 1 hand for arpeggios was a requirement. 60s swing was ok at home, will figuring out youtube once I got home(at friends for dinner now), it was broken in the waiting room although she said it wasnt as bad in the exam. Pedals, 3 distinct voices for Am Abend were obeyed. Prelude was in tempo. Well, for 3 months learning it , 1.5months was for scales and we thought we learnt them all.

Fleurdelise · 03/12/2016 19:33

Green I'm sure she'll do just fine, I wouldn't worry. The waiting game starts now Smile

Eroica · 03/12/2016 23:44

A question for drummersmum- are there any inexpensive but decent enough drum kits you could recommend? DD wants to do drums next... Hmm

Not sure DH is entirely on board, but she seems very keen, and we haven't sorted anything for Christmas yet!

drummersmum · 04/12/2016 11:29

eroica electronic or acoustic?
green sounds like it'll be a good result.

LooseAtTheSeams · 04/12/2016 11:33

Green I'm also surprised they asked for just left hand - yes, OK, it is in the small print but everyone expects to be asked to play the arpeggios hands together! i imagine she did them fine. I'm just so impressed she could learn pieces and scales that quickly.

Greenleave · 04/12/2016 11:34

Drummers: trying to hide my bitter and worry of failure here!!!

Just wrote to our teacher and asked for the whole Dec off from piano. Will plan for next year during the holiday. Festivals to play variety of pieces, dictations(hear a piece then write down) similar to what we did in the summer for aural. Will pick up long forgotten violin too.

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