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.

Actually it's very true that NCO takes lots of children of all the age groups. When I spoke to a JD, they told me there were 45 places to offer this year. But I forgot to ask if she meant it's for violin or all instruments, or for my DS's age group or again all ages. If she means in total, then 45 doesn't sound a lot. Se also said they get roughly 300 applications, so it's 1/6 chance. Does it sound the competition for JDs is fiercer than NCO? I start thinking so!

Regarding good or bad teaching in various JD, I would not personally rely on any rumors but would make my own research. Who are the people who get top places in Musician of Year? What are their musical institutions? I would go here
www.nyo.org.uk/meet-the-orchestra
and analyse student' teachers one by one, all members mention their teachers and at least half of the names can be found on the web-site of RAM, etc
For example
Click on the violin leader picture and you get this text
"My violin teacher, Remus Azoitei has been a huge inspiration. He has given me amazing advice and guidance, helping me develop my musicianship beyond just playing the violin. Thank you, Remus."
go to google and get this
www.remusazoitei.com/biomed.html
"In 2001, Remus Azoitei was appointed violin professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London, becoming the youngest ever violin professor in the history of this institution."

This is how I would approach the the problem
But I am mathematician and my approach may be ...not very conventional

On the other note, I remember in one of the old threads someone mentioned what each particular institution is good for, like one is for chamber work, another for orchestras, etc Don't remember details now but can try to find later if anyone needs it.

We have been in London during half term and watched Nutcracker. I could not stop thinking - what if one of my dc decide to become a musician? All these money and time spent only for the sake of sitting in the orchestra pit like this??? And this pit would be considered very prestigious and musician who gets into there as very lucky! And money are
Very sad...

I am very sorry for being so cynical but... the other thing to consider is a potential teacher in JD. A lot would depend on this person. Potential performing opportunities, networking in musical world, even possible solo career....
I highly recommend this book to those who would be interested in how professional music world works. Very very very much eye opening...
www.amazon.co.uk/Teaching-Genius-Dorothy-Making-Musician/dp/1574671200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484393381&sr=8-1&keywords=teaching+the+genius

Oh I know I keep trying to put ds off a musical career though he's still so young I'm pretty sure he'll change his mind, but he's enjoying his music and it's giving him loads of amazing opportunities so that's the main thing right now. As he astutely observed when he got into the NCO a musical education costs loads of money and then when you become a musician you earn nothing !!

I personally think we should help our children if music is smth they really want to do... But approach this matter with open eyes really helps.... to avoid nasty surprises and bitter disappointment later....

onlymusic, You are an amazing researcher/analyst! I think you are right, you should be after the teachers not the institutes....

Very interesting how you felt about your DCs ending up in the pit. I felt the same when my DS was more geared towards football. All the commitments, money and sacrifices are for the boy to be watched and yelled by audiences while he is playing on the pitch! But then some people may say working in an office is like working in a cage!

Kutik I'd guess that's 45 in total across all instruments - remember that many students will continue from year to year, so that'll be s new recruits, not total students.

My DD attends a conservatoire in France where entry is by audition, the number of places depends on the number of teachers for your instrument, and how many of last year's students have dropped out, been asked leave, or moved on. They establish a ranking based on auditions, and then allocate places once they know how many slots are available. I don't know how JD works but here it is obvious (based on DD's audition lol) that they are looking for potential not accomplishment.

I think committing in something with great passion is so important for children, especially in their teens. It's not only to enrich those wonderful years when they are so young and so absorbent, but also to prevent them from temptation and troubles they encounter in their teens. Whether they become a professional is not that important at this stage (of course some may set their mind up from very early age and that's totally a wonderful thing too). Many won't choose to be or even do't think to be a professional, yet they appreciate all those years they put great effort and very often they continue to enjoy the skills they gained as a high standard hobby.

Not 'prevent' but 'minimise', I should rather say.

Both my DH and I still enjoy the skills we gained from younger years and I like to give the same thing to DS. Unfortunately music is not our speciality so just started learning about the world. When DS was into sport it was easier as DH is fantastic in the area...

DS2 thought he was at training strings this morning as usual, not apparently realising he's already been promoted! Luckily his dad brought him back for an hour and then took him back for the two hour concert orchestra, or it would have been a three-hour cello marathon! I'm very proud of how much DS2 has matured musically since last Summer but clearly his listening to instruction skills could do with some work!
Fleur scales for piano seem to be some sort of monster! At grade 4 I think I have finally got the hang of the patterns but feeling very tired at thought of grade5 scales!
DS2 has chosen his final grade 4 piano piece based on feeling he is more A major than A flat major! I sort of know what he means although I did laugh when he turned the page and discovered it was three pages long - luckily there is masses of repetition.
Drummers very exciting about G8 percussion! Prada I hope you aren't doing dry January as you deserve large quantities of prosecco!

DD knows all the grade 5 scales already but she complained that she can't play them all as good, so some will be better than others. She's now been given the homework to provide a list of scales unknown as well by next lesson but the thing is, I keep thinking there is enough time till the June/July exam session so no rush.

DDs clarinet teacher confirmed she's planning for DD to take grade 3 in the summer exam session so we will have two exams in that session if all goes to plan. DD said she'll be fine.

To us, too early to even think of gcse not mentioning A level then Univ then a career which could even be changed in one's life. Any skill will enrich one's life, so if we could afford it(not financially, time, emotionally) and the child is comitted and wanted to pursue then why questioning. I agree that musician pay is lower than other profession if at a comparable level although most musician loves music while not many people love their job. If you live in London the fee is £40-50/hr tutor. Having 10 pupils meaning it could be easily £1500/month top up with other permanent income. Some music teachers in my area teach music at home and they are usually fully booked 8hrs/day for both weekend days not mentioning during the week. The fee is slightly lower because the pupils come to them.
We underestimated grade 5 piano scales mainly because we were too ignorance. We prepared for it within only 3.5 months and we were extremely slow/lazy/skipped lesson the first month. Most of the last 2 months were on scales because she didnt like it so it even felt harder. We love learning the pieces and it wasnt a problem at all however to her scales are too boring. We have learnt the lesson now and even not planning for any exam I could see our teacher give her scale to learn each week now. There hasnt been any practising happening this week yet, hopefully we will be able to catch up with some this weekend.

DD's clarinet teacher's husband plays with the West End orchestra and he gets to tour the world and has great fun from what I have heard.

Anyway too early for me to think if DD will follow a musical career or not. At the moment ideally she should be her best at everything she does and have a wider range of skills. Later on she can make her decision, I won't discourage or encourage music, it'll be her choice.

Oh and DD never takes a break from scales since she started it she's meant to keep them going and then add to them the new requirement for the next exam when she's approaching another exam. She never skipped scales from a certain grade even if skipping the grade. So she now skipped grade 4 exam but still covered the scales requirements for grade 4 before moving to grade 5.

Ha-ha, thank you Kutik73. With football at least you have a chance of a decent pay (I guess?)
Just to clarify, I am not talking from point of view of a parent building career path for his/her dc, but I find it very helpful to understand what music career is all about in case they decide to go ahead with it. From point of view of just a childhood activity I think it is a marvelous thing to do.

Greenleave, is £40-£50 fee for coming teachers? Add their basic career hours+ travelling costs/time+ remember, some people prefer to have lessons only during school time which is only 36 weeks/year.... It is exhausting work without being a musician, let alone on top of it.... Income is unstable, there will be cancellations, time needed to prepare for the lesson not to mention that pros need hours of practice for their "main" jobs.... And then jealousy and rivalry in musical circles....
Honestly, looks like it is not worth it :) City is a safer option :)

Fleurdelise, teacher's husband has great fun, how about his wife and the rest of the family? Do they like him been away? :)
Dd's teacher also plays at West End and likes it but according to him, he would not teach if he didn't need to. And yet he is teaching at private school which I guess times easier than private lessons, he only has very few private lesson, probably about 3 including us

onlymusic - From my point of views, football career is worse than music, money and security wise! There are zillion footballer wanna-be and their career could end even before they reach 20 yrs old or much worse in mid 30's then what do they do after that? Not all of them earn enough money to have invested in properties and so on while they are still active as a footballer... Whereas, If you really like to have a career in music, and if you are not trying to be the next Nicola B and are happy to have a relatively humble and modest life, I suppose it's achievable (me think).

My DS's piano teacher charges fixed rate monthly. So we always pay the same amount no matter how many lessons we had in a month. Sometimes we have 5 lessons, sometimes only a couple a month as there is no lesson during school holidays. So the teacher gets relatively secure income through a year (no sudden income drop in a particular month due to the cancellation made by pupils).

Well done Second.

Good for your DD Woolley, I'm sure she's up for the challenge.

Sitting in the Cathedral while DS2 has his first proper organ Lesson. It's a very public place to be learning!

I was just thinking a sports career of any kind can be cut off very quickly due to injury. My dcs won't be doing music as a career unless the rock band superstardom fantasy comes true but I do believe their enthusiasm for music has brought benefits in all kinds of ways - social skills, concentration, not going off the rails! My BiL got grade 8 distinction in violin years ago but had no interest in going further. However, he played for years in an excellent amateur orchestra and still plays in a string quartet. He opted for the high-powered city career but kept his music going as well.

As with skipping grade (piano), my DS took G1, 3 and 5 only by skipping G2 and 4. He studied all the scales for G2 and some exam pieces, but didn't do anything for G4. The teacher said it's repetitive so all G4 scales would be covered in G5 so no need to go through specifically for G4. Obviously he did play lots of G3-5 standard pieces before taking G5 but not particularly exam pieces (Burgmuller, Sonatina Album, Czerny, some Mozart pieces...).

Raspberry: my teacher also plays organ, he learnt it himself after finished his time with RSM. I dont have any belief although anytime we visit a cathedral, we love to be able to hear organ playing, its the most powerful instrument in my opinion.

only I think when you marry a musician you need to accept it may come down to travelling and so on. Regardless if they become concert pianists for example or sitting in a pit as a theatre orchestra player.

I think each teacher has their own thinking behind scales, DD's teacher wanted the grade 5 scales to appear easy to DD by just adding the new requirements on top of the previous grades rather than learning them from scratch, I am sure there isn't a right or wrong answer.

We just got 3/4 violin....
Looks like our new Gliga is going to be made from scratch which takes ages... Therefore we decided to buy a spare one on ebay, I spotted one today and we already collected it :)))