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.

Have not read all the answers yet, but ....Rapidly we have different teachers for each instrument. Now, when we are well into music and I know it is not going to be just few grades for fun but dd will complete all 8 grades no matter what, I am very serious about teachers. I would not go to a teacher who is teaching two very different instruments like violin and flute, piano and cello, etc. Not for higher grades anyway. Dd is doing violin and piano, for the instruments like these two I would also look for a professional musician teacher when at higher grades.

Rapidly DS has 4 different teachers: orchestral percussion, drum kit, classical piano and jazz piano. I think Green had the same teacher for piano and violin for a while and it didn't work that well -- sorry green if I got this wrong. I always advocate separate teachers if possible so you keep a balance between the instruments.
His first drums teacher was a guitarist who could play drums. However, after g5 she said "I can't teach him anymore". We then changed to a prof drummer. Students are a great option to start with, but they will always have less years and experience teaching of course.

Wow Waffle! That is an impressive list! Surely the festival will also award you the best teacher entering students award!

I think the problem with having the same teacher for two instruments besides the experience (DD's piano teacher studied violin and piano at RCM so she teaches both) is the fact that you could end up with more emphasis on one instrument in the other's detriment, more so during exams, festivals etc. I know for sure if DD would have had violin lessons with her piano teacher she would have turned the violin lesson into piano focused lesson now as she has the festival and two graded pieces started so it is a lot to cover.

Like that we either get extra time if needed (she was talking about adding a Sunday lesson here and there) but the clarinet teaching keeps going.

They both look exhausted, Rara is in Brownie stuff and Goo in sports kit, so will take photos tomorrow. I don't know how many medals we have as a family - it must be about 20!

Wow that's impressive waffle you definitely deserve a rest this weekend !!

well done Family Waffle!

Still havent been able to speak to my neighbor and its distracted me to no end. I have posted in AIBU goping to hear non-musically family side of experience/opinion and the best advice was still from here(Alex and you all). The first time I wanted to move so badly, we have invested in this house with great care(means quality and money), its sad and stressful.(or it has been so stressful for me with anything and I just need to go away and calm myself alittle).

Just catch up with the thread very very quickly and wanted to wish miniPrada, mini TRL the best for secondary school results(sorry I thought I have missed someone else however cant figure out).
Waffle, wow, however I am not surprise, Goo is very good, Rara could win anything with her beautiful smile and most importantly they have you.

Wanted to say that Drummers was correct. Our piano teacher also taught my daughter violin and we had to seperate them now(it was ok at the beginning level). I still havent found my feet with our new violin teacher yet, it takes time I reckon.

Only, we are doing ok with grade 5 violin I think(among many others not so ok things), we have done half of Allegro, Rondino and just finished Intermezzo. She loves Intermezzo.

Waffle, amazing results!

Greenleave, oh finally, someone to discuss violin exam :) We are also doing allegro, an then the holy boy and bathwater blues. I have been told no to rondino as not enough time to learn fingering
Tried aural on ipad and music periods are just a disaster! Grrr

We havent been on aural and sight reading. Scales are very slowly learnt. Allegro is lovely!
(I have to say we are no where near your quality Only...we are ashamed to admit that we dont practise as we should do. I have never bribed, I am thinling we need it now)

Talking about teachers-we changed quite a few of them. What is the most annoying is that it seems like there is no standard in teaching at all. We always end up with previous teacher methods being criticised (often fairly), re-learning and basically spending a lot of time on something that could be done well from the beginning if I knew more about music lessons. The best teacher we had was the teacher I found myself rather than by recommendation. But it takes experience.... time.... and a lot of money!

Greenleave, we didn't have piano for almost half an year now! So.... quality is something very questionable in our case....

Btw, need to moan a bit. Had a disastrous lesson the other day (dd not concentrating at all) and the teacher was furious with dd and me for not being well prepared, dd not following his instructions, me not checking her following his instructions, and exam being not far away . I had impression that he was going to give us a notice (fortunately not)! Don't remember when I was told off like that (a bit fair to be honest). His excuse was that he is too worried about exam and he does not want me to blame him if results are not good (as if I would dare!)
Have anyone being ever told off by the music teachers or am I the only lucky one?

Green I love " Goo is very good, Rara could win anything with her beautiful smile" - ha ha, that's about right!

This week has taught me a few things:
1 Sleep is overrated.
2 I think 25 items would have been optimal. 32 stretched me too thin. It won't happen again though - Goo will move up to 12 years & Under next time, and probably won't play up a class any more. Rara isn't the right standard to play up a class, so the amount of categories on offer will decrease from now on.
3 Goo and I can get away without practising, well she can more than me. Rara and DH can't!

Congratulations waffle-family.

Green I thought lady next door to us would be beating down the door today over scales/anger

Does anyone know when Abrsm release dates for this sitting?

ABRSM will usually send you your date 3-4 weeks in advance. So if you haven't heard anything yet, that's probably good news!

New thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/extra_curricular_activities/2844729-February-Music-Thread?watched=1

Thanks waffle, yes good news as with a clarinet exam in a couple of weeks and a dance exam we are hoping for as much spacing as we can before the violin exam. Trying to minimise stress and arguments in what is shaping up to be a crazy term.

only I always think I'm going to be told off by DC's teachers but it hasn't happened yet, thank goodness. I think it's only half fair when the DC are small but I reckon when they get to about 10 they must take more than half the responsibility... What I do is to ask them what they've got to do, right after the lesson - so they don't forget, even if it's written down. Then I might or might not remind them throughout the week - FFS I've got a a life to live myself...

Never - sounds like you're living my life!