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Extra-curricular activities

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February Music Thread

746 replies

Wafflenose · 02/02/2017 21:51

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!

OP posts:
user789653241 · 24/02/2017 21:06

Pradaqueen and Wafflenose, I received the date for exam today. Thank you both for your help.

NeverEverAnythingEver · 24/02/2017 21:19

RapidlyOscillating There are some very nice Grade 4-5 ish cello pieces. Almost everything in the Suzuki Cello book 3 is lovely. Lully's Gavotte, Bach's Gavotte, Schubert's Berceuse. Everything!

NeverEverAnythingEver · 24/02/2017 21:22

Book 4 - I've only heard the Bach Minuets and the Breval Sonata - they are fab too. More Time Pieces for Cello Vol 2 also has lots of nice pieces.

woolleybear · 24/02/2017 21:34

We decided not to go for the music scholarship for a number of reasons. For school A, she will only borderline meet the grades criteria, 4 on first instrument and 2 on second, she is just doing 3 and 1 in year 5. The other school she meets the criteria but it would seem weird to go for it at one and not the other, especially at her second choice.

I want her to do all the music stuff if she wants to, not because she is a music scholar and it is expected of her, there will plenty of opportunities to partake without being a scholar.

A scholarship won't make any difference to our ability to pay, we can't afford it without a bursary, which would just be less if we got a scholarship.

stringchild · 24/02/2017 21:39

Rapidly - have a look at the Solo Pieces for Young Cellists books if you haven't already; they have great pieces, often not on the syllabuses, so a little different. Vol 3 is probably around g5 level but they are such nice books that you can dip into a few of the volumes, and come back to the harder pieces when ready.

RapidlyOscillating · 24/02/2017 21:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NeverEverAnythingEver · 24/02/2017 21:57

Goltermann's Prelude in the More Time Pieces book is fantastic but seems to be quite hard. Shepherd's Hey is great fun.

RapidlyOscillating · 24/02/2017 21:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fleurdelise · 24/02/2017 22:00

Well done to your dd Rapidly!

Loose I didn't realise you were a teacher, hats off to you, you do inspire me.

LooseAtTheSeams · 24/02/2017 22:16

Ahh! Thought I posted on cello pieces but totally agree all of Suzuki 3 book pieces are fab!
Fleur don't be too inspired! I teach in further education and am far too fond of people on their second, third or fourth chances! At the moment I teach English literature to Access students. I do gcse tutoring and will be doing volunteer work teaching English to people in their homes who can't attend formal classes for various reasons. I have a terrible weakness for slightly naughty students! Smile

drummersmum · 24/02/2017 22:28

Rapidly very happy for your DD. Well done.
Loose DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!! You are our beacon!!!!

Kutik73 · 24/02/2017 22:32

Wafflenose , thank you for sharing your thoughts on states vs privates. My ds is a bit like Goo. I think he will be totally fine with large comprehensives. However, the OK one near us is a bit macho for ds. It's a boys school and very much sport focused. My ds is very sporty but he also loves music and other 'quieter' stuff too. He is one of those who happily plays with girls... I am really not sure what to do!

Greenleave, please accept my apology for being so nosy. I think every parent has their own worry and expectation, and just because one appears to be very advanced to others, it shouldn't mean that the parents see their child in the same way. I just wanted to point out that your dd is doing so well for her age.

Pradaqueen, my ds was (and still is) seen as a sport man at school, but his musical side is started to be noticed. The head teacher came to me after an in-school performance and suggested we should look into music scholarship. Our nearest private requires G5 minimum, but states that violin and piano (my ds's instruments) could be much higher than that. Ds would be G7 comfortably by the time of the exam so I thought he may have a chance. But after hearing stories like yours kind of put off the idea of trying. Ds has no chance against G8+! Our school's head apparently has no clue about music scholarship requirement (according to some parents), so she very likely mentioned it without much thoughts just because ds's playing standard was higher than other children at the school...

Kutik73 · 24/02/2017 22:41

I will try to visit another OK state where it's famous for its fabulous music provision. However we are not close enough so only way for ds is to apply for their music scholarship. But their audition is aural only and they don't even ask if the applicants play any musical instrument so ds doesn't really have any advantage by being able to play at fairly good standard. It's a good system for those who didn't have a chance to learn. So I know it's fair...

NeverEverAnythingEver · 24/02/2017 22:47

Loose I didn't know you are a teacher either. Smile

I think it's madness demanding G5+ for an 11yo. What are they looking for?

Kutik73 · 24/02/2017 22:51

My ds is dreaming of becoming a professional orchestral musician. My dh is very against the idea due to its instability and poor payments as well as its very slim chance to be one. Well, my ds's back up plan is to be an astronaut. Did you know they don'r earn much in spite of the demand and qualifications required? Apparently they are treated in the same way as a civil servant. So, which one will be a wise choice to aim at? Suddenly becoming a musician seems easier...

Kutik73 · 24/02/2017 23:05

When my ds was just plonking the piano, a boy we knew passed G8 with distinction in Year 6. I thought WOW back then. However I have seen quite a few children like that since so learnt that it's not unrealistic to achieve. I wouldn't agree with demanding G5 for an 11 yo, but there are so many children who easily qualify the requirement. Well, I didn't expect my ds reaches G5 in Y4 so I am very pleased with his progress. But, how competitive the world we live!

I heard abrsm quality was much higher in the past - G5 piece in the past is listed in G7 now and so on). Is it true?

Fleurdelise · 24/02/2017 23:20

From what I know not many schools are asking for grades. They are looking for a certain level and musicality, not many schools actually want to see a grade X certificate.

I think the "your child needs to be grade X by 11" conversation is deceiving, some parents will do their best to fast track to grades under the impression this is what it is required. When in reality there are lots of grade 7s on paper who may not get it because all they played in their musical career is 3x X graded pieces. I know a teacher in our area that literally asks her pupils to bring the next grade book after they finished the exam.

On the other hand there are kids that never took an exam or only took the odd one on their journey which gave them the time to explore a variety of music and become proficient, they are the ones that would get scholarships.

Dd would probably get grade 6/7 piano by end of primary but grades were never our main aim. I only see them as a tool in her music education, she learns so much music outside the 3 exams pieces that the exam is just a little stop on her music path.

I also don't tend to focus on what she wants to become in life. She's only 9. She's asked to be a vet, a pianist, a nurse now she wants to be an architect. If I'd set my heart on every time she gets a new profession in mind I'd be disappointed every 2 months. What I focus on however is trying to give her life lasting skills such as reading music, sit down at a piano to play something.

LooseAtTheSeams · 24/02/2017 23:20

Can I just say that the most fantastic thing about being a child is that astronaut is the backup plan! Smile
And no, i won't give up the piano lessons - I think they've just been put into perspective!

Fleurdelise · 24/02/2017 23:33

Kutik the same pieces will come around from time to time on the Abrsm syllabus at different grades. While the piece is the same the requirements at different grades are complex, you could see a piece set at grade 3 and the same piece was a grade 5 a few years ago, what the examiner is looking for at grade 3 is very different that at grade 5.

Dd did a piece like that for grade 3 (her teacher said it was grade 5 if played to that level).

Fleurdelise · 24/02/2017 23:34

Loose I agree, beautiful dreams. As I said dd is on the architecture path apparently. Can I just say (please don't tell her) she isn't great at drawing at all? But she sees nothing wrong Smile I love her for her big dreams.

NeverEverAnythingEver · 24/02/2017 23:35

Loose Don't give up the piano lessons!

So whether ABRSM pieces are harder in the olden days:

I found somewhere on the internet Grin lists A and B for 1983, Grade 6 piano:

List A
Bach, Prelude in F, BWV 928
Mozart, Sonata in D, K. 284: 2nd mvt.
Bruch, Impromptu, Op. 12 no. 3
Ian Lake, The Milky Way

List B
Galuppi, Sonata in D, Op. 1 no. 4: 1st mvt.
Haydn, Sonata in G, Hob. XVI/6: 4th mvt.
Granados, Vals Poetico No. 6
Lennox Berkeley, Andante from Five Short Pieces, Op. 4

You can compare that with the 2017 lists. Grin For example, I would say the Bach Prelude (1983) is harder than the Bach Invention (2017), and the Mozart sonata (1983) is harder than the Mozart Rondo (2017), but there probably isn't much in it. The Granados sounds easier than the 2017 Skryabin (but almost anything sounds easier than Skryabin), and I guess it also depends on the recording you hear.

So the conclusion, from a very naive experiment, is that I don't know! Grin Grin

NeverEverAnythingEver · 24/02/2017 23:36

You can't rely on what kids say about what they want to be. Sometimes they want to be unicorns ...

Doubleup · 24/02/2017 23:39

So proud of DD1 today. I don't know how she managed to keep her composure, but she played beautifully at her grandfather's funeral today. Gabriel's Oboe from The Mission soundtrack - perfect for the setting. He would have been so proud.

Kutik73 · 24/02/2017 23:52

Fleurdelise, sorry I didn't explain well I suppose. Passing exams are least concerns for me. The private school I mentioned doesn't ask "certificate" but "playing standard". My DS will be comfortably playing g7 "standard" ( not that he would take the exam - he is not exam focused so he only took 3 in the past for piano and none for violin), and he will face to those who are g8+ "standard". So I was talking about kids who are really at the standard not someone who rushed to conqueror higher exams.

Kutik73 · 24/02/2017 23:55

Loose, Ds's actual words were "I don't mind becoming an astronaut if not a musician". Year, so he DOESN'T mind, apparently... So nice to be an 9 years old.

Never, wow, thank you so much for the fabulously quick research and pro-analysis! Very interesting to compare like that.