February Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

Overdue again, this time due to our local music festival. I put in 32 entries, and am now finished for this year, but haven't had a lot of sleep recently!

I am a teacher of woodwind - mostly recorder and clarinet at the moment - and have two DDs. Goo (short for Kajagoogoo in case anyone was wondering - and no, that isn't her actual name!!) is 11 and plays the flute, recorder and piano. Rara is 8 and plays the cello, recorder and clarinet. We are heading towards a half size cello soon, and I think we might have found a suitable one. We're going to try it out this weekend.

The girls have been entered for Grade 7 Flute and Grade 1 Clarinet this term, and I am really regretting it, as they are so under-prepared. But hopefully after a slightly quieter weekend, we can all get back on track.

Please jump right in, ask questions, moan about practice/ scales/ attitude, tell us about your DCs or your own learning... and new members/ beginners are always welcome!

Just spoke to dd's teacher-one of the tricks he said is to listen to piano music rather than orchestral music as it sounds very different and it will be piano during exam obviously. He said he will e-mail me some information too, and hapsburg very kindly shared some notes, perhaps she can help Fleur?
Fleaur, would you please remind me - do your dd take exam this term too? I am getting very nervous and feel that it was a silly idea not to do it at summer :)

violinandpiano this is the best place I know, it's the Ealing/Acton place mentioned above: www.matthewcoltman.com/about.html

Did anyone see Sheku playing at the Bafta ceremony?

Only no, not this term, next term is grade 5. But I read about the aural test and I am a bit worried...

Hapsburg sent me the message and it really sounds great at least we know where to start.

Interesting to hear so many people suggesting violin/viola, I had wondered about violin as a smaller string option but hadn't considered viola! I played oboe very very badly a long time ago and have forgotten nearly all of it now I think, but I get the impression it's better waiting until they're older with woodwind. The whole music thing happened by accident, I'd bought a second hand piano to learn to play myself and she got interested. I didnt mean to start her this early! So inspired hearing about others on this thread, your Dcs all sound incredibly talented!

Talking about viola... I have heard some teachers teach both violin and viola and recommend to learn both. I asked our teacher and he was not very keen on dd learning viola. The argument he used was that physically it would not suit her (she is relatively tall relatively slim and has long thin fingers). Saying that teacher has very similar complection, so may be he knows from his own experience .))

only it will be all right, the periods are less clear when it's all on the piano, needs lots of listening practice
We're enjoying the Trinity aural for the first time, different and no sight-singing! It's lucky both orchestral percussion and piano exams will be with Trinity, so it's the same aural for both. Waiting on exam date here... (for orchestral percussion).

Delphine you are probably right about woodwind having to start a little later. I think that they need to have their adult front teeth in - 4 top and bottom. You could always consider bassoon at that time. My dd started at 8 on a mini bassoon.

A boy I know who goes to RAM primary told me he and other little violinists were being given FREE viola lessons. They were also given FREE rental violas for home for practice. It sounds like decent violists are seriously in need??

My ds went to a music workshop yesterday and met a 8 years old who had finished all Suzuki books (10 books) and now switched to conqueror ABRSM exams. He has done g5 and now preparing for g7.... He was a first violinist in the workshop which was originally targeted secondary school children.... I haven't heard him playing so I don't know the quality but still pretty impressive....

I mentioned 'quality' as Suzuki kids in general tend to play more advanced pieces than their 'real' ability. There are amazing violinists who were trained in Suzuki method but then there are plenty 'advanced' Suzuki violinists who sound a serious need of basic practice. I think it's due to how the teachers teach them rather than which 'method' though.

I know a string player who teaches the suzuki method. She said, as you expect, that there are good and bad players in any teaching approach, but she said you'd probably be more likely to hear a very young suzuki violinist play a Mozart concerto than one taught in the "traditional" method ...

I am a great fan of the Suzuki method (though I'm taught in the "traditional" method" and I teach my children in a hybrid way in the beginning). But I guess there are good and bad Suzuki teachers too.

drummers hope you hear soon about the exam date and good luck! DS1 definitely not doing grade 6 percussion this term and I'm not sure about next term - unless he's really ready. I'd prefer if he did Trinity as I think the aural section is better for him but we seem to be on an abrsm path at the moment. Maybe we can switch for the final grades, I don't know.

We are going down the trinity route for grade 7 ( I think) ds's teacher isn't a fan of Abrsm at grade 7/ 8 he thinks the aural tests are ridiculously difficult though ds won't be allowed to sit grade 8 for some time yet ( year 9 or 10) even if he can play the pieces, which he is sort of starting to learn already. his teacher thinks there's no point in rushing and it's better to wait. Ds doesn't completely agree with this as he's sooo competitive and would like to do grade 8 sooner rather than later I'm with his teacher on this one and don't mind which board he sits as long as there's an app/ material to help with the aural I just can't face the stress

Trumpet I know just how you feel about the aural!! I think to be fair parental stress levels should be taken into account. Both my DCs dislike the singing part and moan about it. Ds2 who moans more has actually done ok in it so far but I suspect grade 5 will be his limit!
I was talking to a cellist friend about viola - she said it's not a good second instrument for a cellist because the finger spacing is so different and she thinks cellists transfer more easily to double bass. I am not mentioning double bass to ds2. If he takes an interest that's fine (and his teacher plays both) but he's the one who would be lugging it around!

DD's teacher told us not to think of starting another string instrument until her cello bow hold had been fixed/secure for a number of years.....so am not sure she will ever be able to start a new one on that basis :) Does anyone else's cello child regularly re-invent a perfectly good bow hold for something weird and not so wonderful?

Stringchild the bow hold is looking ok at this stage but that may well be luck. I think we've only just got to the point where I can stop muttering 'elbow' during practice as well!

I agreed with the opinion above-there are good and bad students and teachers in every method, including Suzuki. The child who did all 10 books (are there 10 books???) by 8yo is clearly quite bright anyway so no surprise he is preparing for grade 7. Saying that, I know one Suzuki family and mum of the kid reckons that kid can take whatever grade no problem. The truth is - she is judging on kid's ability to play complicated Suzuki pieces but there are aural/sight reading/scales parts too and they are more tricky and not less indicative of musical ability than just playing pieces.
There is also an opinion form one of our teachers in the past - what is the point to rush through the grades if you don't aim for distinction? It is disputable but I can see her point...

stringchild, dd is 9 and last year I was seriously considering cello lessons at school for social reasons. Her teacher was quite adamant that she must not for the very same reasons your dd's teacher gave you....
Oh, well... no cello and no viola then....
Recorder is fine though :)

Btw, I know 8yo grade 7 cellist (traditional method) - this is very impressive! And yes, clearly this child is very bright too (I remember Waffle was saying smth about cognitive abilities in relation to music, but forgot what it was...) Saying that, this child's family are professional musicians....

Came across this article
Only 3% of British Concert-Goers Consider Playing the Violin to Be Manly

theviolinchannel.com/3-british-concert-goers-consider-playing-violin-manly/?utm_source=FEBRUARY+13TH+2017+NEWS&utm_campaign=NEWS+14TH&utm_medium=email

Only music & Drummermum, thanks for your advise. Very helpful.

Loose - don't be lulled ... just when you think it is sorted...that's when they spend hours secretly working on a new variation 😀

It's interesting to know what other people find tricky in exams. My ds's piano teacher doesn't cover aural and sight-reading during lessons. Mostly pieces, then sometimes scales... However it's never been a problem as my ds does well both in aural and sight-reading. He actually likes them! I think his weak point is scale. He doesn't enjoy scales and makes mistakes and doesn't even bother to correct the mistakes....

My DD has learned violin for 2.5 years. The JD encourage all violinist to try viola lessons, so they provide free group lesson. My DD really enjoy these lessons.