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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

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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:
onlymusic · 07/02/2017 23:16

Happy birthday Trumpetboy! Cake

I have few friends whose dc are doing music but practice on their own (various reasons, parents cannot/dont' want to be involved, etc). None of them sit exams yet (started 2-3 years ago, 8yo).
I hate to practice with my children but I cannot see how they would manage without me. They just would not bother to put a slightest effort and would shortcut whatever is possible.

LooseAtTheSeams · 07/02/2017 23:20

Bit late but I hope Trumpetboy had a very happy birthday! DS2 is 12 a week on Friday so not far behind!
He managed to break one of the strings on the new cello (really did need restringing, though!) so his cello teacher let him play her lovely cello in his lesson rather than the hire one, which is too small and sounds pants in comparison!

onlymusic · 07/02/2017 23:26

Kutik interestingly just spoke to dc's teacher about musical abilities today.
He mentioned one of his students in the past made it into music but it was always clear that something was lacking. I know couple of girls who are the same age as my dd and play violin quite well for their age, but - they all play very differently. One girl is particularly advanced in terms of complexity of pieces (Suzuki) but as far as I am concerned she is the least able of all three. Something is just lacking. Some natural flow I would say. I can almost feel that every note comes from her head. The other one is the least advanced grades wise but she sounds more natural than the advanced girl. And mine is the best of course GrinGrinGrin
Therefore without seeing the children, I think grades are a bit meaningless information from point of view of deciding who is the most suitable candidate for JD....

se22mother · 08/02/2017 05:53

Only I was having a similar conversation in rl a couple of days ago about how it isn't the complexity of the piece but something else that makes it wow

NeverEverAnythingEver · 08/02/2017 07:34

Thanks for the reassurance waffle Smile

I don't know what the teacher expects ...

LooseAtTheSeams · 08/02/2017 07:57

Never I do the same as you with DS2. If I didn't, he would happily play his instruments but not do the bits that he was meant to focus on I.e. the tricky stuff. DS1 practises on his own but his xylophone teacher has become a lot more active in explaining how to practise and as the lesson is about an hour a week anyway I think he has enough input at his age. I shall be insisting on a demo over half term, though!

Fleurdelise · 08/02/2017 08:31

Happy belated birthday wishes to trumpetboy!

Nothing new here, just popped on the thread to say hello.

No JD in this house, it may sound stupid but I really like DD's teachers so I don't want her to move just yet. She's also quite young so I think it would be too early to focus in one direction even though currently music seems to be higher than academics in terms of the effort put in.

Festival next week for piano DD's pieces go from sounding beautiful to sounding dreadful depending on the day. Grin I hope she'll have a "sounding beautiful" day when the festival comes around.

Still playing a lot of high notes pieces on the clarinet which make me want to move home during practice time but with the new reeds/mouthpiece/ligature combination the squeaks are very rare.

Fleurdelise · 08/02/2017 08:37

Never I sit with DD during music practice as if I don't she just plays through the pieces and off she goes. So I take the notes written by the teacher and start prompting her "bar X, play it again slowly, no don't start the whole piece again, just bar X" or "don't forget your slurs, you didn't count that one as it doesn't sound right" more so in pieces I recognise. She does some Disney pieces on clarinet at the moment and one of them is unrecognisable due to no counting. I allowed her to play it like that for two practice sessions as I wanted her to learn the notes but last night I stopped her and asked her to clap it, count it loud first etc. It sounded much better by the end.

I am probably over invested but I do think up to a certain age some dcs need a bit of reminding of how to practice.

NeverEverAnythingEver · 08/02/2017 08:38

" ...make me want to move home during practice time ..."

Yes. I sometimes intervene for my own sanity. The insistent of playing fast and loud tricky passages at full speed and volume and hitting a brick wall always at the same place but not stopping. Over and over again. AAARRRGGGHHH.

se22mother · 08/02/2017 08:42

Never so true ....Grin

Kutik73 · 08/02/2017 09:51

NeverEverAnythingEver, why didn't you want your ds to do too much music at school? I thought it would make our life a lot easier if they do some at school. Anyway how nice to hear he does lots music during school time now. My ds's primary school is not particularly musical, but at least they have a school choir and they perform at quite nice venues/events through a year. The non-musical secondary I mentioned has no band, no orchestra, no choir - seriously ZERO music. Their focus is sport really. Anyway, is there any strong reason why you are DEFINITELY NOT applying for JD?

raspberryrippleicecream, so envious to hear that you've never had a problem fitting in music. But how do you find time for your ds2 to practise all three instruments without a struggle while he has such a busy schedule? He sounds even busier than my ds (and frustratingly mine is busy mostly for non-musical commitments). You must be very well organised!

Kutik73 · 08/02/2017 10:20

I met a teacher who helped some of her pupils prepare for JD auditions. They were all successful so she doesn't teach them any more but still keep in touch with the parents and see the pupils at events and concerts. She criticised JD by saying the pupils seemed to be overloaded with lots of music without working on more important technical issues. She noticed many faults in their posture, their left hand, their bowing, intonation, and so on. She later added that she was not criticising JD itself, but it wound't mean that all the teachers were great just because they were at JD.

This may not be the case for stringchild. But I wondered what made you think of changing JD so asked. I suppose there are lots things to consider. I hope your dd will be settled at the right teachers at the next JD.

Kutik73 · 08/02/2017 10:27

I do understand what onlymusic and se22mother are saying. The spark or natural flow or whatever you call it in children's performance. I feel it in my ds's performance too. But a problem is, I may not be qualified to judge him properly as I probably wear rosy glasses (custom made by parents)!

NeverEverAnythingEver · 08/02/2017 10:39

Kutik I didn't want DS to be too immersed in school and forget that there are other things outside school. I guess I don't want some sort of institutional brain-washing - "my school is the best" type thing, which is not nice, but worse still - "everyone else's school is rubbish". When you talk to parents or children from other schools you realise that not everyone does things the same way, not everyone has the same priorities. And you also want the attitude that not all learning comes from school. I want him to retain this perspective.

But as it is he does plenty of stuff outside school ...

NeverEverAnythingEver · 08/02/2017 10:41

As for JD - I don't think we are that committed. Grin We already spend half a day at Saturday music school, but I seriously doubt if DS is committed enough to spend an hour practising one instrument everyday.

We'll think about music camp though.

MirandaWest · 08/02/2017 10:57

I like reading these threads although never really feel quite like the musical achievements of my DC are quite up to its standard Grin

DD is 11 and in year 6 and will be doing flute grade 2 in March/April. Also sings in a local choir and has started singing lessons.

DS is 13 and in year 8. Hasn't done any exams but is pretty good at guitar (mostly electric although has a growing collection). He's recently started piano lessons - not sure exactly what he does but is more on the generally playing rather than note bashing and this suits his musical way of life well. He is probably the opposite of me in musical terms - very instinctive whereas I tend to cling to the notes Grin

His secondary school was in the Tatler state schools for 2016 - he seems happy there and does some sport and some music. DD will be going there in September (as long as I didn't make any mistakes in the application form)

Kutik73 · 08/02/2017 12:14

NeverEverAnythingEver, interesting to see your views on how much to commit in school life. I do understand your point, and actually I felt like that at the beginning of my DS's school career (primary school!). I wanted him to have wider social experience so that he knew school was not everything. Now he is Year 5, and does excellently at whatever he put his foot in (as he is naturally quite able and also quite focused once he sets his mind up), but none of them doesn't belong to school so naturally there is no much opportunity for him to show that at school (though school knows his achievements outside of school). He is fine with it. But I sometimes wonder he would enjoy his school life more if he had a place or chance to shine there (at the moment all the exciting things happen outside). So I was kind of hoping he would be more involved in activities school offers instead of spending lots of time on out-side ones once he moves to secondary. But I guess it's all about a healthy balance...

MirandaWest - welcome, and so envious that you live close enough to the school listed in the Tatler list!

Kutik73 · 08/02/2017 12:21

My ds occasionally feels a tiny bit isolated as he doesn't take part at school activities. However, outside activities provide more quality (in our case), and as he has been brought up this way, he wouldn't fit in school ones now. So, I am hoping him to go to secondary where they can provide quality extra curricular so ds can spend his time there rather than outside all the time...

ealingwestmum · 08/02/2017 12:35

hello Miranda I like these threads too, because it's inclusive to all music levels, so welcome!

NeverEverAnythingEver · 08/02/2017 13:46

Kutik I see what you mean. They know about DS1 and DS2 in the primary school. Wink In secondary (which is more than 4 times bigger) DS1 has already made his mark, I think, though I think he's comfortable to be known as being able rather than to be in the limelight.

My secondary school career consist of keeping my head down and doing whatever I like because no one noticed me ... Grin

LooseAtTheSeams · 08/02/2017 15:11

Miranda don't worry, my two are older than yours and just play for the enjoyment! Mind you, it's proving to be a time-consuming hobby!
I think all the state secondaries where I live have good music lessons as part of the curriculum but pretty mediocre extra curricular - with the possible exception of one school. Our borough is, however, a music hub and there seems to be good cooperation between the hub and the schools. In my experience, kids all meet up at the borough ensembles regardless of which school and get along really well. Neither of mine likes to be singled out for attention at school (I was the same!) so this works well and they benefit. I know some local dcs also do JD but I don't think either of mine know such things exist, let alone plan to audition!
I will look around at Summer holiday opportunities, especially as older ds gets to go on tour and the younger doesn't because they don't take a strings group, even a senior one. It would be nice for him to have something to himself.

AlexandraLeaving · 08/02/2017 18:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Trumpetboysmum · 08/02/2017 21:01

Many thanks for trumpet boy's birthday wishes.
I am trying to reduce my input into ds's practice now that he's in year 7also I can't face the " but you don't know how to play the trumpet " type arguments but I still step in from time to time to make him practice properly !!
Welcome Miranda
Nearly at half term everyone Smile

Fleurdelise · 08/02/2017 21:14

Welcome Miranda!

Alexandra wow that is an impressive amount of music time!

LooseAtTheSeams · 08/02/2017 21:31

Alexandra I think he definitely deserves a break at half term! That's a heavy lesson schedule!
I'm trying to keep an eye on the music/gcse balance at the moment. Ds1 seems to be ok but he has got exams in March. I am steeling myself for the revision conversation.

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