March Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

Here you are - a new thread for March! I can't believe we are now up to 700+ posts each month. Thank you all.

I am Waffle, Mum to two girls. I have Goo (11), short for Kajagoogoo, which is 'short' for Kaj, which means... well, that would be telling! Her younger sister is Rara (8) - Rara is what she used to call herself when she was learning to speak. Goo plays the flute, recorder and piano. Rara plays the cello, recorder and clarinet. We have Grade 7 Flute and Grade 1 Clarinet booked for the end of this month. I think we might have Grade 3 Cello and Grade 4 Piano coming up next term. Goo is off to secondary in a few months, and I really don't know if she will ever manage to fit in her last couple of recorder exams. I'm all for saving money though.

I will try my best to read everything and follow this month. Last month's thread moved so fast!!

Moon River is a lovely choice! I love it.

I haven't asked ds to play anything particular. Somehow he gets to know those modern songs, I think from friends, school and so on, then asks me to download the music. I just randomly google them. I didn't know musicroom tells you the difficulty level - that's really good info, Fleurdelise. I may have a look next time when ds requests something.

Ineedmorepatience I missed your post that is a lovely story and you must be very proud! Well done to all of you including your teacher.

I was just wondering if miniprada has decided which piece to play for her scholar's concert, and how minigreen is getting on with her chess practice for the chess event...

Has anyone had a child successfully pass an exam with very weak scales? Violin teacher getting stressed saying that she doesn't know them at all. I'm not a musician but the starting notes seem correct. He says the patterns are wrong . Do we have a chance in hell of passing?

Ineedmorepatience what a lovely story! Huge congrats to your dd and her wonderful teacher!

se22 I have no experience with violin but with piano the examiner is not looking at the fingering but listening to it so the fingering shouldn't matter.

se22 my dd1 has (so far!) managed to get at least a merit in all her exams on oboe and sax with scales being pretty weak. She practicing a little bit more for Grade 6 oboe coming up at the end of the month, but I still despair. Just last week her teacher said that the scales were dreadful! She has so far been able to make up for it with very good marks for her pieces.

And Callme I still think that DD1 is doing well at 14 given the fact that she doesn't practice for hours and has lots of other calls on her time. She was a bit put out when DD2 got merit in Grade 4 bassoon at 9 after 18 months of playing and joined her in the same bands, but now is really supportive of her. They all find their own level with a combination of talent and commitment.

And I recently rediscovered my certificate and Mark sheet for Grade 6 piano which I passed with 104. That was a major achievement for me at the time!

Thanks all and yes we are very proud of her.

I am very behind with this thread it's been a crazy week a fantastic workshop with Alison Balsom and ds 's concert at snape maltings earlier in the week and a competition tonight. Ds was upset about the start of his piece tonight but he recovered well which is the main thing ( he just needs more practice at taking control when he's playing with an accompanist) but the rest was great. I really hate watching him play solo and am hoping it will get easier soon. Just the AYM audition to do next week and then we can relax ( a bit !!)

Thanks all, will look at Musicroom. Haven't heard of it, so hopeful it will be good

callme look there's an intermediate level sheet music here, intermediate is grade 4-6.

Trumpet that sounds like a very busy week. Glad it went well less the start, but it can all go down as experience.

Oops the link for callme

www.musicroom.com/se/id_no/01109183/details.html

Shape of You by Ed Sheehan was our latest download via Musicroom this week - there are different arrangements available by level/instrument. In our house it's become the ideal 'treat' or tonic when things are blue. I leave a copy on the piano and wait for DD to find it. It reminds me she's still little, her reaction when she finds it...the best £2.99 spent ever.

She's had a tough week so sorry all for sounding a little emotional. Music in whatever form is such a tonic to chase away a bad time, which mine, in spite of being an ok only pianist, sings away her troubles now with self accompaniment alongside a bit of Ed. Now that's an achievement.

Ealing that is the best thing about music ( in my opinion) it always makes me feel better . I am definitely going to look up music room , we definitely need some just learning for fun music here

Poor Ed. Can't spell his name without my glasses on

ealing its autocorrect, it tried to correct me with the same spelling as yours earlier.

I may give it a try and do an Ed download too, DD loves shape of you.

Thank you fleur and do take a look trumpet, I think of it a bit like 5 a day...I'll take a bit of sight-reading in whatever for I can! . completely ignoring the new recommendation for 10

Form!!!

Patience: that is such a lovely lucky match!
Love Ed, we listened to "when Christmas comes around" this Christmas.
Kutik: we cant play, it really doesnt matter as its a surprise bonus, we would never have thought. If she wants to get better then she needs help though(someone to play with, who is more advanced).

Have a lovely weekend everyone( miniPrada, happy birthday!).

Yes Greenleave it is a great match! Finding a teacher for Dd3 was no easy task when she came out of school. They are planning on playing some fun pieces now for a while and then aim for G5 next Feb. Slow and steady

Callme sorry I forgot to say hi last night and welcome to the thread. Glad you are going to stick around and btw I think grade 5 age 14 is great. as a teenager my best friend was a bit like my ds and went on to be a professional muscician I was never that good ( and at school I think I felt a bit inferior as I only had grade 5 by 15 but as waffle says actually I was doing just fine) but loved playing ( hated performing) but my love of music and playing has stayed with me though now I only really fit in singing in a community choir. These threads are great without them I wouldn't have really known about jds and nco etc and as others have said it's a lovely place to share and hear about dcs success ( and arguments over practice etc!!) as no one in my circle of friends has children who do anything as intensively as my ds and I don't like to bore them with it ( too much )

omg won't even try to make up for my absence but welcome callme, amazing patience everyone else hello! ealing sorry to hear about tough times, hope everything's uphill now
Re modern music, DS sits at piano and plays La La Land while muttering: "Pffff, they call this jazz?"
We're on survival mode overwhelmed by life and music must-do's. He played jazz last week, choral concert next week and orchestral and jazz concert the following. The black trousers we bought him for orchestra have become small in two months so M&S here we come again!!!!
Similarly, trying to convince him last night that the marimba needs to be raised at least an inch was tough but it will be done today.