January Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

Happy New Year!

Sorry I'm a bit late starting this thread - I've been away for a few days without internet access. Anyway, this is our monthly thread for musicians and parents of musicians of all ages and all abilities. It's a great place to chat, or to ask questions about lessons, practice, exams, auditions or anything music-related.

I have two DDs: Goo (11 and in Year 6) who plays the flute, recorder and piano, and Rara (8 and in Year 4) who plays the cello, recorder and clarinet. I think we have Grade 7 Flute and Grade 1 Clarinet coming up this term, and also the local music festival and Junior Young Musician competition for Goo. Grade 7 Recorder and Grade 3 Cello are tentatively pencilled in for the summer, but we'll think about those nearer the time. Goo is also in NCO, and lives for it... it's all she talks about, she loves writing to and texting all the friends she's made there, and she is in Under 12s this year. I am a teacher of woodwind and have a little clarinetist who's just got into Under 10s. I hope to have a few more trying out next time.

kutic we didn't have the school issue, which made it easier. On the other hand we have all the transporting!

I wouldn't have said DS was a singer either (he played/plays piano, trombone and clarinet), turned out he was!

Fleur thank you!
hertsandessex interesting point about marking....What do you think difference be between a "pass" child and a "distinction" child?

Kutik73 fantastic results! Dd is clearly not a pianist, she got distinction for her last piano exam, just, but I am 100% sure it was just luck....Don't think she will ever repeat it. Pieces will always fail her-too much body control....
Saying that we are starting OT soon, who knows, may be it will transform her into Kissin one day (why Kissin? because he was mentioned here few days ago :))

Sorry to machine gun DS's musical history. But he asks me every day if I have filled an application for JD and I am running out of my excuse why I haven't done yet. I am hesitating as I am not sure if he is ready. Mentally he is ready, I know. He will cope with the long hours and weekly commitments (he already has serious commitments on Saturday since 3, so he is used to it). But I am not sure if his playing standard meets the requirement and that he has a good chance to be accepted... If waiting one more year is better, then I am going to tell him so...

onlymusic: DS wanting to audition with violin makes me unable to decide things as I don't have any paper to prove he has reached a decent standard! So basically I am sending him to a huge challenge without any proof... Hard. By the way, I loved Kissin when I was a child. I though he was incredibly handsome!

We were told that we could carry on with this 1/2 for another year or so then move straight to the full. I like that idea because it is easy for me, I wont have to do anything. She didnt mention if she needs time to adjust to the new violin as she said straight away that it is too big. We have done scales, most menory by heart, aural has been practising via piano lessons, sight reading isnt too bad so it is only the 3 pieces. We havent had our routine set up after the holiday yet. I have taken a complete break from facebook and/or others and still so tight with time. I might have to take some break from here for short time just to find my feet. If only I could afford a nanny to pick and drop the kids to anywhere and available 24/24, a financial advisor who knows my financial in and out and can read my mind, a house keeper who keeps and clean and cooks.

Kutik - he can always audition on both and then work through with the JD whether it should be joint 1st studies, or one 1st and one 2nd. We did this and DD is joint 1st studies - but it is a heavy burden so i may persuade her to move one down to 2nd study in sept (ever hopeful)......

and no no need to take an exam before JD audition (but why not ask them to assure yourself?) - they have lots of children who haven't taken exams; playing standard/passion/commitment are important

It would be a long time till DD will be grade 7 clarinet but grade 3 this year should be achievable considering she learnt it already albeit not exam standard but she can play it.

stringchild - The boy I know started JD with a joint 1st study but I heard he moved one down to 2nd study from the 3rd year. He has a music scholarship at a very academic school and he does sports just like my DS so has lots of commitment during weekdays. His instruments are piano and violin (again, just like my DS), and those two needs hours of practice... He is the most dedicated child I know, so if he struggled, I believe there is no chance DS can handle a joint study option! Plus, DS likes to keep other activities outside of music so we need a sensible plan. Anyway DS always makes it clear that violin is his instrument so we just focus on the instrument he loves. However, my concern is, his piano sounds better on paper so he may have less chance to win a place with violin alone! For me, his violin sounds wonderful, but then I always thought so even when he was learning open E with lots of noises when he just started so I certainly wear rosy glasses!

so DD has decided to do a music competition next month - we have three weeks to pull together the programme....but of course we also need a proper dress if she gets into the final (big evening event); we can't leave the dress until we see if she gets in, as its the day after the rounds. Any ideas for a bit special concert dresses for a tall yr6 girl (and its cello - so v big/wide skirt needed)?? and one that can be used elsewhere when she doesn't make the final....and thus also not too expensive at all is important...

Kutik, could you email / phone whichever JD you're after, and see if it's possible to fit in a pre-audition before the closing date for next September's applications? That way you'd get some advice from the teachers there about whether he's the required standard for his age and where he should concentrate his practice so that he gives his best possible audition when the time comes. They may talk him through Joint vs 1st/2nd study then as well.

TRL - the JD my DS wants to go doesn't run a pre-audition. However, the other one does. So I am going to book one with them. I assume JDs in London look for similar standard so a JD's feedback can be applied to the other one? I also found a music centre nearby. They run half day Saturday course so less committed than JD and the programme seems similar (musicianship, choir, theory...). They don't require auditions. I may consider this one, though not sure the quality (at least I know JD provides quality lessons...).

stringchild - How about a layered organdy long skirt dress (like a ballerina)? Pale coloured organdy looks so pretty (I have a pink one, yes for myself!) but black or navy looks nice too for more grown-up look. The big see-through material around cello looks so elegant (as it's not very obvious that the legs are actually wide open!). I wear my pink one for concerts, night-out, or just when I feel like satisfying my girly side! I mostly use online for shopping. I needed a few winter clothes for some occasions so ordered A LOT in different sizes and colours, tried them out at home, then selected which one to keep and returned the rest. ASOS, for instance, offer free delivery and return, so pain free. Maybe you can browse with your DD?

Oh thanks Kutik - sounds great! Btw did loves jd. She started in sept when she went into yr6 so guess same as your dd. I would do they're-audition and/oraudition and talk to them but he sounds on track ( be warned quite often violins and pianos often have two rounds of auditions as so many apply 😏)

I suppose I will see how things go at a pre-audition session at the other JD, then decide what to do next. There seems to be still plenty time till the deadline of the application.

However, I have one more question! What do you think the current teacher normally think of their pupils trying for JD? I imagine it may be a mixed feeling as they would be happy for the pupils to be so committed yet they may lose the one if they are successful.

NCO challenge was suggested by the teacher and he organised everything for DS (application, arranging a pianist, taking him to the audition), so I didn't get involved much. However, this JD idea came from DS, not from the teacher, so I will be the one who arrange things. I haven't told the teacher yet. I am not sure how he feels. When the super talented boy I was talking about got in JD, he appeared to be a bit bitter about it...

I think requirements are a bit different to different JD.

RAM primary department is 8-12 yo and they want ABRSM grade 4 or 5 distinction or equivalent on their principal instrument

RCM (from 8yo)- "if you’re 11 or younger your first study will need to be at least Grade 5 level when you join the Department...If you’re older than 11 then we will obviously expect you to be more advanced (our sixth formers are almost always at/beyond Grade 8 standard)"

Trinity (10-19yo) - could not see any requirements

Guildhall - Grade 5 distinction at the age of 10 or Grade 8 distinction by the age of 16 (pretty normal requirement at 16?)

Whilst grades they want are the same age would vary... interesting....

Our current teacher had student (or -s? not sure) in JD, but I believe they went there at 11ish yo and by that time they were done with grades. But wherever I discussed this question with teachers they were very supportive and encouraging, so I personally don't anticipate any problem with teachers should I decide to go ahead.

A good teacher will be really supportive, knowing there's more value for the child to be potentially gained beyond their own individual input. Our junior violin teacher suggested JD route, and was disappointed that DD had other 'stuff' competing with her attention

There's no barriers to entering and not succeeding (though with your son that may be unlikely)! Resilience and failure to try again are valuable lessons in themselves...

And I wouldn't compare him to your friend's boy. Sometimes they can surprise you on how focused they can be when wanting something so badly - individuality is an asset!

I think where relationships with a teacher are good and teacher is very involved it is inevitable that teacher will be upset that student leaves.... I remember I had a conversation with one of the teachers who said that private lessons are only business even though when some students are leaving it is heartbreaking....

Kutik if the teacher is good (and I'm inclined to think s/he must be) then I imagine they know that a student as able as your son will move on sooner rather than later :)

DS's violin teacher is lovely but quite peculiar. DS's piano teacher is not particularly exam oriented, but covers all the syllabus, so currently DS is learning G7 scales and arpeggios and study some G6 standard pieces (not exam pieces). On the other hand, the violin teacher teaches only ONE scale. He did showed other scales when it was relevant to the pieces DS was learning, but doesn't ask DS to practice them. He only ask DS to practice diligently one scale, 3 octaves, one looooong note a bow, then up to 24 notes a bow, and also double stops. So..., DS plays some hard pieces yet he can't play all the scales for G5!

I mean...., I've never bought a scale book for violin, so no clue how many scales in G5! So when people ask me his playing standard, I don't know if I can say he is G5 standard just because he plays the pieces of the standard comfortably.