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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

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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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Fleurdelise · 05/12/2016 07:47

Good luck to Rara waffle sorry to hear you're having such a hard time, I wish your husband well!

BeBeside good luck to your DS, I'm sure he'll be fine in the exam, DD managed to scare us all literally before the exam in the practice room by completely messing up her piano strong piece, myself and the teacher were so worried and then she got 28 points for it in the actual exam without making the same mistakes.

Thank you for the practical musicianship and jazz insight, I just want to see what all her options are before embarking on the dreaded theory next year.

NeverEverAnythingEver · 05/12/2016 08:00

Sorry to hear that Waffle.

drummersmum · 05/12/2016 08:06

Waffle, you've had to deal with so much lately. Best of luck to Rara! Here's to the New Year bringing much happiness

RapidlyOscillating · 05/12/2016 08:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheSecondOfHerName · 05/12/2016 08:15

Thinking of you Waffle

Greenleave · 05/12/2016 08:33

Waffle: hope MrWaffle is on a mend, such a hard time for you. Good luck to Rara with her exam.
Fleur: I would pick one of the option mentioned above that prepare for grade 6 then not take the exam, then go straight to grade 7 once theory is done. That way you have more time and 11+ is also done and dusted without her sliwing down in practical.
We have our violin lesson back again today. It was a nice, long break so I have someone looking forward to it today

Drivingmadness · 05/12/2016 08:40

Best wishes to Mr Waffle.

Green/Fleur. Maybe just my family, but I'm struggling more the year after the 10+ than the year of 10+.
DC strength is academics I suppose so didn't need too much preparation. However starting a secondary school environment at 10y has not been easy. Really struggling to fit in music practice and other things. Dc1 gave up few activities in his first year as he was just so tired. Well, dc2 was fine but dc3 is again a bit of a struggle.

Fleurdelise · 05/12/2016 09:06

Thanks for the suggestions Green & Driving.

I think the plan is to leave theory alone till next September, she still does it, but at a very slow pace, some homework here and there nowhere near where it should be.

The plan would be: grade 5 piano practical in the summer session next year, 11+ next September and then we should have the entire year 6 after the 11+ to concentrate on theory. If all goes to plan she could prepare for grade 6 piano practical and grade 5 theory at the same time and take theory a term before practical.

If the above doesn't go to plan than she can take theory whenever ready and the following piano grade after theory (grade 7 if she's there).

I was asking about jazz in particular as I think by sometimes in year 6 she could be ready maybe for grade 5 jazz on her clarinet and as her teacher teaches jazz also it may be an option if she likes it better.

Fleurdelise · 05/12/2016 09:08

*then (not than lol)

Drivingmadness · 05/12/2016 09:49

Yes, here entrance exams were not till Feb.Interested to hear others about jazz bit. Dd3 keen to go that route for piano but get the impression it's better to go the "traditional " route?...Was there not someone who mentioned (Nov thread?) there were "nearly" only adults who were there at the exam centre?

I looked on the ABRSM website for the Jazz exams, and quickly closed it. In the past I have helped her a bit for the exams , but the jazz exams are like a completely different world for me.

Icouldbeknitting · 05/12/2016 10:09

It was me at the exam centre on jazz day and during the time we were there there were two under 16s (sax) and five adults (two pianists, three sax). When DH was doing classical piano exams he was often the only adult candidate so it felt unusual to have the children outnumbered.

For anyone contemplating ABRSM jazz please do read the requirements if they are playing to the backing cd. The adults got it right, both children got it wrong and had to be bailed out by the other candidates. The centre does not provide the means of playing the CD, you have to bring along your own equipment.

Fleurdelise · 05/12/2016 10:14

Icouldbe can you please elaborate regarding the requirements? I am lost reading your post Reg the cd backing?

Sorry I know I can read on the Abrsm website but it makes more sense to hear it from somebody who experienced it.

drummersmum · 05/12/2016 10:16

For us, being in secondary meant he had the theory lesson in school, 30 min a week, which really helped.
Driving DS started jazz piano in year 8 on top of classical, so he has two piano teachers and that works really well. He doesn't do exams for it, but really enjoys it. He was asking about jazz grades the other day, I don't know if he has something in mind once classical g8 is done, but we're definitily not loking at them and not mentioning it again. He will have Gcses next year and I don't want music exams...

LooseAtTheSeams · 05/12/2016 10:38

Oh Waffle so sorry to hear your dh is ill and I hope he recovers quickly and is home soon. Best of luck to Rara with her exam as well.
Piano teacher is doing a small amount of theory with DS2 in each lesson. My plan is to get him to finish grade 1 book over Christmas and go straight on to grade 2, so I hope the teacher agrees! I reckon if we do it this way, by the time he's ready to take grade 5 piano he should be ready or nearly ready to take grade 5 theory and then it's out of the way for grade 6.
I think he would love to do the Jazz exam but I get the impression the difficulty level is higher! If ds2 is keen, though, I would do extra lessons for that.

Pradaqueen · 05/12/2016 10:56

for you waffle. I do hope your DH is on the mend xx

Icouldbeknitting · 05/12/2016 11:13

Fleur The instrumentalists have the option of playing to the backing tracks on the CD, being accompanied by a pianist, guitarist or the like or being accompanied by a small band. All three tunes are accompanied. In the notes at the back of the booklet with the scores in it does say "In the exam these tracks are to be played on a portable CD player provided by the candidate". The website goes into more detail about making sure the leads are long enough but basically the centre provides the power supply and that's all. Turning up with the backing CD and no means of playing it is not a good start to your exam.

Drivingmadness · 05/12/2016 11:47

hm, yes, dc1 did rockschool exam and had to bring his own stuff. But we were told about it, and centre was quite helpful. Just all the other things were so unfamiliar for us ( with dc1 not having done any other exams, jumping uprepared into grade 3, and me only familiar with classical ABRSM)

drummersmum · 05/12/2016 12:06

driving we've never had to bring anything to Rockschool except for his drum sticks and music. In g7 and 8 he brought his own bass pedal but it was not compulsory. All equipment needed to play and amplify the backing track was there... I guess it depends on the center. But they should really provide it!

Greenleave · 05/12/2016 12:15

Was thinking of electric violin and jazz piano in the past however that will be after I am sure she has learnt the basics (finish all grades) and interested in them. I think they will have more fun, better creativity although personally I only want her to try them once she has learnt the basics.
Prada: I am sorry to hear about the rehearsal melt down, we had 60sswing didnt go well in the waiting room on last Saturday too. Anxiety is hard to control isnt it. Fingers cross for the real thing.

Drivingmad: we are only year 4 now so I keep telling myself that I have time(went to friends for dinner on Sat and was told that they have 2 tutors for their yr5 boy. If I think my daughter is maths strong then the boy has always been better which makes me doubting whether I should start for 11+ from now, which will violate my principle-might have been a very out of date one that do not put any 11+ pressure on her until it is a must-which based on my calculation is spring term yr 5).

drummersmum · 05/12/2016 14:29

green even though I understand your desire not to put pressure on minigreen, if you're really considering the 11+ route, the later you leave it, the more pressure you may find yourself putting on her because of packing it in. We started in october of yr 5. This allowed us to take it easy and get him used to the routine, then very slowly intensify it towards the exams. You know your daughter best, of course. With DS it was better to make things routine over a longer period of time, and it's important for him to feel he has plenty of time to prepare for something. Also, because we did all the tutoring ourselves, we also needed the time to find out feet and learn the materials!

Drivingmadness · 05/12/2016 16:10

well, we did 10+, but yes with 2nd and 3rd child certainly easier for parents.

Hm, I seem to remember we dragged along amplifier and stuff. But few years ago so can't quite remember, and ds hated it so didn't do anymore exams. That's why I'm nor a fan of jumping straight into grade 3 as it was such a "shock" for him.

BeBesideTheSea · 05/12/2016 16:26

Well, DS is happy. He thinks it went well.

Thanks so much for your support.

PetraDelphiki · 05/12/2016 16:47

For anyone doing theory we found this book (also ingrades 1-8) which is vastly better than the abrsm book

Fleurdelise · 05/12/2016 16:57

Thank you for clarifying regarding the cd Icouldbe! A few options then that we can consider for next year.

Petra thank you for the book suggestion, does it jump straight to grade 5 level or does it gradually introduce the knowledge?

drummersmum · 05/12/2016 17:03

bebeside good to hear

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