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!

Oh heck, what a landslide! It's not even a new video, it's from last Spring. I'll catch up with you all this afternoon, I have to do some emergency birthday present shopping this morning. I'm not linking it publicly because he's nearly 17 and close to making his way out into the big wide world but I'll send a link to everyone who has asked.

Icouldbeknitting , please send me a link too. We don't live in a very musical environment so it will be such an indulgence to see other young musician's performance.

I always enjoy children's performance of all kind. However I have recently noticed some negative views towards those adorable performers.

Some of Y6 played the piano at a school event a couple month ago. There were usually violin performance too but only piano at this event. So my friend and me were a bit disappointed but we both enjoyed listening to little pianists. However, later a parent was complaining about the piano performance and her view was it was absolutely not necessary in the event. She said she was fighting not to sleep.... She was so glad there was no violin.

Another time, quite advanced two pianists played a 4 hands piano piece together at a sting concert. They accompanied for all the young string players and showed their big piece at the end of the concert. My ds and I had never seen a 4 hand piece before so It was a true treat for us. But then again, later some parents were siting it was a total self-indulgence and complained that they were forced to listen to such a long piece after having already listened to all the violin pieces.

I understand people can have their own views but I was shocked and quite sad, especially the latter one as her dcs play string instruments (so she knows how much work those pianists had to put in). It's an environment we live sadly (so I love this thread)...

Knitting me too please

Kutik, that's a shame. Just as well the school does not listen to that kind of complaint and still lets pianists etc play.

I do agree that some concerts are too long. My sons' head of music is quite good at avoiding that but over 30 years I've certainly been at some which went on a bit too much. It is hard to get it right as head of music in a school.

kutik there's always sad people who can't find happiness in small things and small moments. Their loss.

EnormousTiger But both of them were not that long. The Y6 piano was probably 10 mins or so in total, and again the 4 hand piece was a big piece but not at all long. I don't know if school knows about the complaint as the parents were just moaning during a casual chit-chat.

Although there was an occasion when I felt I had to fight back to fell in sleep (ok, confession). I went to an violin concert. It was Suzuki, so there were so many twinklers and other same pieces repeated again and again, and it lasted over two hours with a short interval! However, for those who participated it was special, and for their parents it was their proudest moment, so I still tried to show my appreciation. I wound't like to discourage those enthusiastic littlies.

I felt shocked and sad because those parents were complaining in front of their dcs which means they probably talk like that at home too. It's alarming as those youngsters would pick up and copy their parents' attitude towards the hard-working peers. I found it's very discouraging.

Alexandra - sorry for being ambiguous. Yes was in agreement with schools spotting potential. DD is now in her third year at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

How rude of people to complain audibly. Anyway, pianos are string instruments.

I'm always embarrassing my DS by complimenting young performers if we're in close proximity even if I don't know them, on the way out of the concert. TBH I find it strange that we can sit watching people perform then ignore them on the way out.

My pet hate is speakers who talk for aaages after a long, hot concert. There's a local councillor who is famed for summarising the programme after concerts and leading another round of applause for each performer. and his jokes are awful

Agree. We've all had to fight back sleep after hearing the same piece played several times at primary school concerts. But you just do it, behave like a mensch and shut up about it.

The Suzuki concert was nothing to do with school, so those who came was there by choice. So there were no one complained and actually had a very positive atmosphere after the concert even though some were clearly quite tired

That's nice then.

Kutik our piano teacher enters as many students as possible for the duet categories (four hands on one piano). They are lovely. DS 1 and 2 did it together a few times, winning the Open cup one year, and DS2 plays with another student now, we arrange special practices. They won their age category last year and are in open this year, due to not matching the age category together.

Their teacher also launched a six hands at one piano class, that's lots of fun and requires lot of working together!

Should have explained I meant at our Festival.

Six hands at one piano! Love to see that! How many hands can play together at the maximum???

My ds played Vivaldi with his friend - one held a bow, one did the left fingers. It was a hilarious.

Should have mentioned it was on the violin! And please remove 'a' before 'hilarious'...

Kutik I think you hit the nail on the head with that last part! The standard of behaviour among parents can be shocking!
Our local primary has a Christmas concert every year and each performer must stick to a 2 minute time limit. It still lasts for 2 hours and some of the small performers go home in the interval - second half tends to be more advanced.
There was an obnoxious parent one year who answered a phone call during the concert- and made a big deal of going out of the hall just as a little child started their piece. Two good results - the evil death stares he got from everyone else and the tumultuous applause for the tiny at the end! (Luckily the tiny had been cheerfully oblivious to the phone incident!)

Dd's school organised a school music concert twice, all the parents were invited but it was made clear that only certain kids will perform (obviously only the ones who could actually play something). First year a lot of people turned up, literally it must have been the entire school and their parents, I was very worried as dd was only 6 and she has been playing for only a few months by then.

The next year the presence decreased, I think it was clear for the parents that unless they really enjoy hearing a vast range of playing instruments (from 5 yo playing a screechy violin, to one hand keyboard playing to quite advance flute and piano) it is more about the other kids seeing the performers and the performers parents.

So while we still had quite a few spectators there weren't any random sigh noises because it is too long, too hot, boring as we had the first time.

Unfortunately the school has now cancelled the music concert seeing that the kids were not taught music at school. I wonder if any parents complained that their little flowers felt left out.

DC's Junior School had/have an annual summer music concert. Only Year six are allowed to do solos, school choir, orchestra and various groups fill up the rest. It works really well.

The younger ones often do their piano duets while people are taking their seats.

Secondary school there aren't usually any solos, except at the post Festival concert when the highest placed entrant in each category plays. ( School entries only).

ICouldBeKnitting fantastic video, such a professional young musician! Thanks so much for sharing it.
Our local primary has borough service music teachers coming in so most of the kids were learning through school and the few who weren't slotted in fine!
Secondary seems to do year recitals rather than one large music concert. There is a Christmas concert for the ensemble groups and a few chosen soloists. They had a Summer one a couple of years ago but the year group ones have proved very popular and seem to have replaced it. A lot of kids are learning through the borough music service but many go to the centre rather than have their lesson at school, just to avoid missing bits. DS2 has his cello lesson at school, but in the lunch hour.

My children's father (who was head of music in a prep school for about 20 years) used to talk a lot about how to get the length right and audience numbers at school concerts. If you have a lot of children in it then obviously you get a lot in the audience. if you just have a few soloists your audience might not be big enough. If you have little ones it they shouldn't have to stay up too late so best to end earlier or go earlier.

I thought, sadly, we were nearly at th end of concernts but there seem to be more than ever at school this term for child 5 (my upper sixth former), one next week, one the week after I think and he seems to be keenly in them all despite mock A levels which is just as well as his twin isn't playing now due to tooth braces (and probably lack of interest). We are also in the same concert next month - there is a school parents' choir as indeed there was at my older son's school (different school) and we are singing Handel (my favourite composer).

Kutik I picked up an "piano ensemble" book from a charity shop - twinkle twinkle little stars etc for 6 hands. I try it with my kids now and then. It's quite fun.

Never That sounds a real fun!! I could have a go with my dh and ds too, but then I suppose it would be like this.

Loose It sounds like your local primary school has right crowd of people as the parent with a bad manner received the evil death stares from everyone and the tiny got the tumultuous applause!