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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:
LooseAtTheSeams · 27/02/2017 13:36

Prada what fantastic news - congratulations to your dd! Very much deserved after all that hard work!

Fleurdelise · 27/02/2017 14:17

Fantastic news Prada, congratulations!

Good luck cingo I'm sure it will turn out just fine if the material is known.

Pradaqueen · 27/02/2017 14:35

Good luck cingo! Miniprada failed it once then decided to retake it to get a distinction so I'm glad we left that exam behind last year!!

Thanks everyone for the good wishes. Kutik - minikutik does seem ready for the challenge Grin

Icouldbeknitting · 27/02/2017 14:36

Congratulations to miniPrada, what a great start to school life.

I know it's hard but try to ignore the discussion if it is souring the experience for you. It's not often that you can manage to convince someone on the internet that they are wrong and unless you are in charge of admissions at the school you are not responsible for the policy or how it was communicated. Enjoy your moment, you've done enough running around this year and this is the payoff for your efforts.

cingolimama · 27/02/2017 14:44

Thanks for the luck, people! What a lovely thread this is.

drummersmum · 27/02/2017 14:47

Prada great news!!!! Star Star
I see now that every school has very different information in terms of teachers on their websites. Parents evening is speed dating in every school I'm afraid.

Greenleave · 27/02/2017 17:32

Oh Prada, I am so happy for you and miniPrada.

stringchild · 27/02/2017 17:32

Congrats to MiniPrada - what a lovely extra surprise!

raspberryrippleicecream · 27/02/2017 18:20

Congrats to Miniprada, lovely need.

Cingolimama I'm sure she'll be fine, exams seem to concentrate the mind
I made DS2 stay the whole 2 hours so he knew there was no point rushing. He and our teachers other student were the only 2 left at the end.

LooseAtTheSeams · 27/02/2017 18:47

Cingo I am sure she'll be fine! DS1 rushed through, escaped at first opportunity and still passed so I'm confident your dd will do much better than that. Smile

Kutik73 · 27/02/2017 18:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EnormousTiger · 27/02/2017 18:56

Kut, it can be confusing. It is one reason why I made the twins do grades 1, 2 and 3 before 5 so they just got used to turning, up being timed in an exam (there were not many school exams for them even at age 7/8 etc).

Good luck to everyone doing exams. One of my twins did grade 5 theory 3 times (passed 3rd time).

Kutik73 · 27/02/2017 20:18

Enormous Yes I totally agree. It was his very first time to sit such an exam and he was so unprepared! I saw some of you on this thread had the same approach as Enormous like introducing G3 prior to G5. It's very sensible (and kinder to the child).

Greenleave · 27/02/2017 20:49

We loved theory the most, it didnt take us long to study from Zero and got a distinction(only grade 3 on piano and g1 on violin and she was yr3). We wished practical was the same as it is so far the thing we worked on hardest. The whole lesson today was only on the rythm and counting beats...there is a child who could play the piece perfectly right with perfectly wrong rythm....sigh!

Kutik73 · 27/02/2017 20:53

Green This means your DD was smarter than me already when she was only 7/8 yo! I thought I would try together with DS but quickly got stuck so left all to DS to cope alone!

Greenleave · 27/02/2017 21:12

She is def better than me as I have no idea, neither my husband. There were 2 things that helped her during her 3 months(ish) studying theory: she doesnt mind reading (boring/dry) material(she is into all the quantum of physics quirky books)and read/reread the pink book and she is good with mental maths. I remembered we were more struggling with skipping g2 violin and jumped to g3 at the end. My violin/piano teacher is a Russian who studied music in do re mi so he wasnt most familiar with abrsm theory. He although explained the difficult terms. We bought loads of past papers and had to do the g5 practice book twice(however only redid the bits she wasnt good at). We didnt do loads of g5 past papers mainly because we solidly had above 90% and needed time for violin. That was her first ever written exam.

Kutik73 · 27/02/2017 21:31

My DS studied all by himself for a very short period too but it was just last term so y5 not y3! By the way we are a family of chess and space lovers (we have a chess championship nights and host a star gazing party where we spot some planets and stars and do quiz and a bit of knowledgeable speech and so on- my job is baking star shaped cookies and play David Bowie cds). Your DD may enjoy a visit one day!?

Greenleave · 27/02/2017 21:48

Oh nice Kutik, your son can then teach her as we both cant play. I have this one nearly finished now on the sofa today

February Music Thread
Kutik73 · 27/02/2017 21:54

I suppose your DD could beat all of us! My DS wants to be an astronaut if not successful as a musician (please don't laugh as he is serious in his tiny 9 yo brain). He loved uncle Albert series when he was Y3-4ish. But I guess your DD is probably reading real books about space...

Greenleave · 27/02/2017 22:08

To avoid her spending time googling then I have to buy books, she could burry herself into them while I am wrestling the (terrible two) sister to bed, she chose these books though.

To you all, any of your children who is still counting beats and clapping hands during lessons. I was home slight earlier today so could see the whole lessons was her learning counting the rhythm, clapping and playing a note all over again( that "note" wasn't in the piecies she is on). I thought we should have done with this basic for now(or its only her).

NeverEverAnythingEver · 27/02/2017 23:06

Oh no Green, you never stop learning to count and clap ... DS2 massacred his rhythm today and had to stop and stamp beats. I frequently have to do that myself just to make sure I get them all correct.

Fleurdelise · 28/02/2017 07:41

Clapping and counting and even walking the garden here a few months ago to understand the beats once. Grin

Greenleave · 28/02/2017 08:48

So glad we are not alone, in fact I recall almost all the lessons she was struggling with counting the beats and working on the rhythm. I was constantly told that she needs to work on the rhythm the most (along with the fact that we are not doing well with aural). We are working on the pedalling technique too. I have a squeaky chair and we were told that until its no long squeaky then we are good with the pedals :)

LooseAtTheSeams · 28/02/2017 09:04

Ah, sympathise with the pedalling Green - it takes a bit of coordination! Squeaky chair is quite useful in that case!

rogueantimatter · 28/02/2017 09:28

Prada congratulations to miniPrada. What an achievement. Very exciting.

Kutik - I don't have any info about the London JDs. But if this is any help at all.... the feeling among the pupils at DS specialist school about the London conservatoires is that RCM and RAM are the most prestigious. However they seem to think that Guildhall is best for wind instruments. For some reason none of them seem to go to Trinity. You might be able to get a private taster lesson with some of the junior teachers to get a feeling for the individual teachers.