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.

Of all books I have been told "my musictheory"is the easiest to read. The abrsm is for practising and the pink book eventually was the one she referred to when she was stuck(however this is a child who doesnt mind unusual "dry"read who loves things like the quantum of the universe books and talks about black hole, white hole, worm hole the whole holiday trip---it bored us to death as we both have no idea about physics).

P/s: I am happy for you to borrow all these books if you need them, please let me know.

Thank you! We are already using Lina Ng books but I need to fast track and move to something more compact I think, that DD can read as a guide and then do the previous test papers. I thought there could be an alternative to the pink ABRSM guide to music theory book.

Has anybody tried Paul Harris ones? Tempted to get one.

We had violin practice tonight as it hasnt been happening during the day. I havent checked with my new teacher if she has decided for a violin exam this term. Without an exam, mine could be easily lost her motivation.

Thank you for the offer Green but we are at the opposite side of London from you. I was in the area on New Years Eve though

Yoarchie have you got a couple of pictures from your book please that you could post here? I heard of Ying Ying Ng books before but I don't know if they are the same as Lina NG.

These are all that we got, didnt read them all though, I believe she needed something in the blue book. We read the pink once, then pass g5 theory for chords section for couple of times then theory time once. She although referred back to the pink book for anything she got wrong and read that particular section only. We bought my musictheory too late and with only more than 2 months preparation we werent be able to do all mocks. I remember I wanted to save 2015 mocks till last however decided not to do anything at the final week.

This is all good to know. Ds has separate theory lessons (to his practical I mean). He is currently on the ABRSM grade 3 book and progressing pretty fast. He needs to really get up to grade 5 but Spring 😱. His teacher seems to be on the case though.

Do you want the inside photographed? I will take the photo but haven't posted a photo before so it could be tricky!

Mocks meant past papers(in my head they were mocks). Past papers are available on amazon(was told here by Howabout I think).

Here goes
Interior photos from G3

Disorganised: its great that your teacher is also on theory. We have a wonderful(Russian) teacher who although isn't familiar with abrsm especially theory. He could still explain terminology. He helped to mark some past papers however she marked herself mostly with the answer books. Without this thread then we would never heard of theory or know how to get the materials.

Thank you both! Really helpful! I think I'll try and move to Ying Ying Ng for grade 3 and buy the pink book also so she can start learning the foreign terms which I understand are at the end of the pink book and see if she fancies reading it maybe it sticks.

She'll need theory grade 5 by this time next year so I would assume it is doable once we put our mind to it.

Forgot to say she's at the end of grade 2 book but I feel we need to start putting more effort so she can do grade 3 till September and after the secondary entrance exam (which is beginning of Sept) we can push to cover grade 4 and 5 for the spring theory session.

These recommendations are great even though the plan is to do trinity grade 7 ( as the whole music thing took us by suprprise and we had no theory plan in place ) I still would like ds to cover the theory work so that he can take the exam at some point really wish we had had a plan though as fitting it in with high school homework will be difficult

It's good to do theory anyway. It's useful for GCSE and some schools use it as an entry criteria for A level music (ours does) - but I know that's a long way off! I think DS1 is more geared towards maths and computing when the time comes but will carry on with music lessons outside school.
Piano lesson will start next week after all and it's probably just as well because DS2 hasn't done the small amoujt of theory he was set as homework! I also have theory homework to do for Monday.

I'm late to the party as usual. DS is 16 and a brass player, expects excellent results without having to practise and is instrument shopping. Normal routine kicks off this week with band practise, music centre on Saturday and music lessons starting next week.

I could do with a good dose of normal routine because it seems so long since we had any.

OH, new thread! Thanks Waffle x It will be very useful as a guide to who's playing what which I tend to muddle up.
DS (Y10) plays drum kit (finished grades and is exam free now :)
piano (g8 exam in the summer) and tuned/orchestral percussion (g8 exam in March or summer depending on teacher's decision soon). IGCSE Spanish mock next week as he's taking it a year early. So yeah, pretty full on re exams. The term is also full with two school competitions, an audition for the NYJC summer school, a Ronnie Scots gig and an Easter residential course finishing with a concert at the Royal Festival Hall playing Mahler's 5th, Prokofiev's piano 2nd, plus the Montagues v Capulets suite. It's bound to be a great night and tickets are available by the way!!! Hint hint
I hope everyone had a productive restful break. Fleur I don't envy you with GCSEs looming, remember mocks are always usually marked down, that's what I've heard...

Gilly maybe your DD would be interested in the NYJC jazz summer school?

Thank you all for all the sympathy regarding DS's GCSEs, I can't wait till June to get it out of the way.

We had the first piano lesson this year, DD was obviously not in the right frame of mind as she kept being distracted while the teacher was obviously in a great energetic mood where she wasn't letting anything go, spent 45 min on one festival piece.

I could have killed DD honestly I don't know where the teacher has all this patience from...

drummers I feel tired only reading all your DS's projects. Good luck with all of them he must be very motivated.

Hi all, just received my dd grade 2 piano result finally and she scored 127 merit.
I am so proud of her.

Great news goodbye kitty

Thank you Trumpetboysmum.

Woo Hoo!! Well done Goodbyekitty's dd!!

Very nice mini goodbyekitty !

Attention violinists:

Royal Academy Music ‏@RoyalAcadMusic 5h5 hours ago
Exciting news! @NickyBenedetti’s masterclass will be on Facebook Live. Join in here bit.ly/2jbVOuT 7.45pm (UK) Tue 10 Jan.

Well done mini kitty! Fantastic news!

Drummers I have just seen that on FB and I love Nicola Benedetti, planning to tune in (if I don't forget)