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.

Ealing: wrote a very long note on what you said(basically agree with you) and now reread it and it wasnt posted, not too sure why.
Kutik: mine isnt a musical component(yet), she doesnt have her heart to it as much or more she doesnt have a heart for anything(yet). We are only doing music for fun and so much appreciated the fun/upside music has given us. Saturday school is def not an option (Neither music scholarship in the future). This can change in the future, by then hopefully I dont have to remind(or rather shout) her to get some practising done.

Hahaha, and I have a 141cm girl too, still debating what to do with this shocked news. I might still keep it.

Mmmm... I remember when the boy we know got in JD, I thought, wow, how could he know that's what he wants at such a young age - he must be very mature. At the time, my DS looked and behaved like a monkey (primitive, should I say?).

However, suddenly all changed last year. When DS decided to take Grade 5 piano, I thought, no way he could answer the musical features questions (too deep and advanced for my simple headed boy). When he decided to take Grade 5 theory, I thought, no way he could compose or write music neatly (still hadn't got a pen licence at school!). But he did all fine. And now, he talks like the boy who I once thought was a very different kind from mine. I didn't expect this.

However, DS's playing standard is nowhere near to the boy I mentioned above. I mean, I admire DS's achievements of course, but JD seems a totally different league. Isn't it for very gifted children??

So I am a bit torn whether I should embrace his enthusiasm and encourage him to go for it, or guide him to more normal (?), safe direction (keep being an all-rounder and just enjoy music for fun). My DS is so confident for the reason I don't know. I fear his confidence may be shuttered if I let him throw in the situation where he is driving himself in.

Kutik, if that was what my child wants I would support her with all my heart, for music, its mostly gains especially they are not serious with academic yet(may be until secondary). He can always drop it later is he chooses to do so. I will leave room to all experienced and knowledgable people here to answer your questions on info about JD. Good luck with all and glad you joined us.

Kutik73, to encourage you a bit, I seriously consider JD (ha-ha, yes, I, as no democracy in our household :)), but after some consideration I decided she is not doing it before 11yo which is in 2019 because of 1) maturity issues 2) current teaching arrangements are so good that it would be insane to change them. Otherwise she could try now as she satisfies entry requirements for primary department in RAM. Friend of mine also wants to send her dc to one of the colleges (btw, it is London we are talking about, right?) and I constantly hear these stories about super talented children... Perhaps I am over confident but they don't bother me at all . I don't really believe in someone being "better" or "worse", I believe there are some requirements and musical qualities they are looking for and that examiners are experienced enough to see those qualities in children if children posses them. And if not - then it is not the right place to be :). Apart from playing there is also aural part and I know dozens of children who are excellent players but who don't have that natural aural ability for example :)
It is just a matter of "go and see" :)

Kutik I think we always tend to be more critical and minimise our dcs achievements compared to others. But we need to be careful not to voice it out to them. When DD was 7 taking grade 1 piano I thought grade 3 is an amazing achievement. When DD was 8 and took grade 3 piano, while I was proud of her, the goal moved and I thought grade 5 is amazing. Now taking grade 5 at 9, starting another instrument and doing grade 1 after only 12 lessons (she counted them) it starting to become serious. However I do wonder if after grade 5 I will look towards the next achievement with higher admiration.

Is your DS Year 4 or 5 Kutik? I am amazed how tall your kids are, mine is only around 133-135cm at the age of 9.

Kutik - I think you are worrying a bit too much. Going to a JD doesn't mean he can't still enjoy a lot of other things and it is not putting him down a musical path to the exclusion of everything else. Different if you were thinking about a specialist music school such as Purcell or Chethams where sport is minimal and almost everybody follows a music route from 18.

Greenleave it just occurred to me, thanks to you.... We are waiting for our 3/4 to arrive, but my worry is that having it for 1.5 months max before the exam will not make any good.... How about yours? What does your teacher say, if anything :)? I just raised this question with the teacher he reckons it is not a good idea to change violins so short before the exam, but once I started to think about it I cannot stop :)

Oh and we have one of the known music schools on our door step but I am still not convinced DD is 1) ready for it 2) mature enough to make such a decision at such an early age.

I am not sure I am ready to give up on academics (more or less, I know the also study academic subjects), I'll go through the state secondary schools admission and she can decide later.

Thanks for your thoughts Fleurdelise. Deep in my heart I think it would be better to leave everything till summer, but this current syllabus.... Oh, it just drives me mad, don't like a single piece from there....

Fleurdelise mine is 135 and she turned 9 less then 2 weeks ago

I know what you mean DD still didn't chose one of the pieces for grade 5 piano, they feel too... new, but listening to them helps and they grow on you. She loves her summertime choice even though she only learnt 3 rows of the music, and the B piece, it is the A that makes us struggle.

She'll do it after the festival though, until February we concentrate on the three festival pieces. (And scales. And sight reading, studies . Oh and clarinet)

only your DD did look about the same size as DD in the video.

Thank you so much for your kind words. I am so glad to join here!

By the way, I am not that worried about life at JD. I would be over the moon if he gets in as I know how badly he wants to go. And as some say, if it becomes unsuitable to him, he can always stop or re-consider the situation.

I am more worried about the audition process. He seems to believe in himself so much, if he couldn't get in, his confidence may be crashed... So thinking if I should encourage him or gently guide him not to do it!

Oh, just remembered.... One of the girls in dd's class (year 4) is the same height as ds5.... and he is not even tall comparing to other children of the same age!

Summertime is one of my favorite pieces!
New challenge then, to sit grade 5 piano whilst current syllabus is still in force :)

Fleurdelise, I feel totally embarrassed now, I completely forgot that I sent that video

Why embarrassed? You should be proud!

YOU have two years on this Syllabus for piano so plenty of time.

Oh and I need DD to take grade 3 clarinet this year as summertime is on the list and the syllabus will change from next year. DD insists she'll do the same piece for both exams.

Fleurdelise - DS is Year 5, summer born. He is the taller end in his class but not the tallest.

kutik it's not quite the same, but when DS2 was 9 (Y4) he asked to be a Cathedral Chorister, out of nowhere really. Musical child, older siblings all playing instruments for fun. We resisted for a bit because it was such a huge commitment and would impact on us all as a family, but in the end he went for it and has had an amazing time. (Not attached to a school so lots of transporting).

But it's not as if you are signing him up for life, he can try and see if it's for him.

Kutik Sam's here DD is August born year 5.

Right off to bed now waiting for the snow.

Same not Sam. I don't know who Sam is.

Kutik - one other thing, when assessing levels required for JD and grades more generally remember that distinctions are important (or at least being at distinction level). There is a huge difference between scraping a a pass by 1 or 2 marks and getting 95% and high distinction - my kids have done both :) Some teachers and parents seem to want to get the higher grade as long as they pass and others (generally the better ones I have come to realise) wait until there is a good chance of a distinction.

raspberryrippleicecream: Interestingly we did consider a choir school before summer. The opportunity came in at the last minute. A music teacher played this whole thing very actively so things moved very quickly. But in the end we didn't take it. The school was very academic so we were tempted, but it was full boarding, and we also thought DS was more of an instrumentalist than a chorister. But now, he sings a lot (he was not like that before summer!).

Fleur, I'm sure she'll be ready for Grade 3 this year, if not she can do Trinity Jazz Clarinet Grade 7, Summertime is on list for that!