Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Extra-curricular activities

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

Flip

1 2 ··· 14 15 16 ··· 39 40

Original poster

March Music Thread

999 replies

Wafflenose · 01/03/2017 07:36

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!!

OP posts:

Thread gallery

Trumpetboysmum · 12/03/2017 08:05

Kutik I'm sure that starting violin in year 1 is not too late certainly some do start earlier but if they like it and are quite musical ( and put the practice in) then I'm sure they can do well
SE mummy the Alison Balsom course was amazing what a nice and inspiring lady and it sounded fantastic. DS also really enjoyed the baroque music and met up with some other under 12 nco trumpeters so that was good. Kutik he also realised that although he only started trumpet in year 4 lots had started in year 2 or 3 and could already play piano ( which he only started last year). He's finally realised what an amazing musical journey he has been on in less than 4 years because he loves it and works hard. This was a great boost to his confidence as he was starting to worry about his audition this week. So far at least he is proof that starting age isn't everything ( though brass players tend to start late yet than strings)

violinandpiano · 12/03/2017 08:18

Thanks all of you. We maybe need a private theory teacher because my DD's theory is very behind her practise level. Now she need pass theory exam，then can enroll a grade exam. In fact she is 0 theory knowledge.

Kutik73 · 12/03/2017 08:18

Trumpet Thank you for the encouraging words. I would like to share your story with my ds. Your ds's experience would be such an inspiration for him. By the way I love Alison Balsom (who wouldn't?). What's an opportunity.

Mendingfences · 12/03/2017 08:18

kutik that sounds so well, unnecessary... and I don't know a bit smug of the keen parents. I suspect that an extra year at reception age is minor when compared to all the other factors like drive, interest, practice, good teaching, parental support etc. in terms of being 'good'.

I have however come across one situation where kids were 'pigeonholed' by how long they had been playing. In this case it was a summer music course and the kids from the city who had started playing as 4 year olds were somewhat preferentially placed compared to the kids from the surrounding districts who didn't have access to the 'mini player program' and started playing later. I don't know if the system of teaching in the city (all local authority teaching pretty much) means that how long a child has been playing as a good indication of level, but certainly in our district that isn't really the case. DD did this summer music course for 2 years with a friend but musically she really didn't get anything out of it so she didn't go back for a third year

I hope you DS isn't being exposed to too many negative comments from his friends or their parents.

Kutik73 · 12/03/2017 08:28

Re theory, I recommend to study along side practical study even if you don't need to take any theory exam.

My ds didn't do any theory until he passed G5 practical (piano). We thought it's better to have done G5 theory before 11+ preparation started, so I got a couple of books and he studied by himself. Understandingly he was quite under prepared so didn't do fantastically but managed to pass, so now there is no more pressure of G5 theory (no plan to do any practical exam at the moment, but it's nice that he can go ahead when he wants without worrying about G5 theory hurdle). Obviously there are lots of gaps in his knowledge and his approach was far from ideal, but still he learnt a lot while preparing for the exam and now very keen to study further and properly.

I think getting a theory teacher is a good idea. I didn't go for it simply because I didn't know such teacher/course exists (I learn so much since joining this thread)!

violinandpiano · 12/03/2017 08:29

Trumpetboysmum, I agree with you.
My DD start group lessons (5 pupils half hour) in year 1. I think it was just for fun, but we find she really like playing violin. From year 2 she started one to one lessons with a Suzuki teacher. She started later than other Suzuki children but progress very quick .She finished book 4 in two year. When the children is older, they can learn quicker.

Trumpetboysmum · 12/03/2017 08:33

Kutik pleased ds can be of help just ignore what the other parents say ( they are probably just trying to make themselves feel better) as from what you say I think your ds has the potential to be very good indeed and they are all still so young anyway)

Kutik73 · 12/03/2017 08:38

I suspect that an extra year at reception age is minor when compared to all the other factors like drive, interest, practice, good teaching, parental support etc. in terms of being 'good'.

I so want to agree! But yes we get this 'how long' thing quite often. It's like the second question straight after 'which grade'. It doesn't help that my ds has done no exam for his violin! But I try not to be in such a competition and am hoping my ds learns not to get affected by other's views...

Kutik73 · 12/03/2017 08:48

Trumpet, Mending and violinandpiano, thank you so much for all the positiveness. I wrote our case of starting age in reply to only's question on her ds's piano. But I ended up getting lots of encouraging words. What's a lovely thread!

stringchild · 12/03/2017 09:18

Kutik - dd also apparently started late I truly think your fellow parents are being a little over the top judging in that basis!

Thread moving too quick for me at moment but well done for Comps etc and so gal the Trumpet workshop was so good - those sorts of experience are so magical and our kids re so lucky when they get to do them 😊

drummersmum · 12/03/2017 10:29

only well, DS started piano at 3 and a half! Because the piano was in the living room, because he had been banging on it as a toddler, because DH used to put him as a baby in the sling and then sit at the piano and play, because DH could teach him and make it part of family life...so many reasons. I think by the time he was 4 DS had spent more time by the piano than the tv. I have an old video in which he is 2 and a half sitting at the piano and I am sitting by it and I'm singing Nowhere Man and he's hitting different pitches and I have to adjust my singing to whatever pitch he gives me and he's cracking up in that heart melting way toddlers crack up, laughing so much he's about to fall off the stool, and that was just one of the many hours we passed by the piano. So it was only natural to start teaching him properly.
There is no perfect age, each with their circumstances.

LooseAtTheSeams · 12/03/2017 10:42

I think with lessons you start when a child is ready to learn and wants to do it. If they can learn a bit at home with mum or dad, that's a nice way to start. (Rather like reading. DH cried because he couldn't read when he was 3 so his DM taught him before he went to school. I wasn't bothered until I got to school but learned very fast once I got going! One age was right for him; another was right for me.)
I can't remember now but have a vague idea lessons at local school are generally from year 2 onwards so anyone starting younger started somewhere else!

Kutik73 · 12/03/2017 10:45

How cute, drummer! And how lucky he is to have been exposed to music so early so young! I can see how natural it was with him.

Another shocking confession (to some people), we even didn't have proper piano until quite recently (we finally bought one last September). We had been told by others so many times how important to have one at home, and I can see why now. I'm a slow learner..., but I'm learning at least and want to learn...

Kutik73 · 12/03/2017 10:48

Wait, no it was in October. It's been here for four months only but feel like we always own it!

Kutik73 · 12/03/2017 10:54

Loose, my ds didn't start reading before school too. Partly because English is not his first language, but also he was not particularly hungry to learn alphabets. He caught up quickly and now in the top set. Hopefully the same thing happen in music (be able to catch up with others who started early).

drummersmum · 12/03/2017 10:54

If they can learn a bit at home with mum or dad, that's a nice way to start Yes, in fact we went to see a Russian teacher to make sure his hands were ready. She said yes, and I can start teaching him now. We thought... hmmm... maybe try a couple of lessons and see how it goes then. At the end of the second lesson DS came out with tears in his eyes. We stopped it immediately and DH took charge. Ha ha we usually joke that was the end of his concert pianist career

The age question comes up very often on MN! Only your DS sounds as he's ready to go! If it wasn't because of the exam culture in this country parents wouldn't be so scared to start early I think... But starting doesn't mean starting exams at all.

drummersmum · 12/03/2017 10:59

Ah Kutik I don't know if it was natural or DH and I are such melomaniacs that poor chap was subjected to an overdose
I have pm you about jd.

Kutik73 · 12/03/2017 11:08

drummer pm-ed you back.

Icouldbeknitting · 12/03/2017 11:10

DS will have been playing for ten years come October. In some ways it feels like an age but in my mind I can still see the form he brought home from school and the essay I wrote on the bottom pleading for something other than a cornet, trumpet or tuba.

Today he has gone off with a packed lunch to a Music For Youth regional festival. It's the first time music centre have entered this so it's something different for him. It will be another two hours in mum's musical taxi for me today - I cannot wait for him to be able to drive himself to things.

drummersmum · 12/03/2017 11:11

My favorite quote:

"Without music, life would be a mistake"
Nietzsche

LooseAtTheSeams · 12/03/2017 11:31

I suspect hearing music played at home and even better seeing parents enjoying it gets the toddler mind whirring and the little fingers itching to play!
I have a very cute photo of DS2 as a baby sitting on a piano stool 'playing' grandad's piano! Good job it wasn't a video as the sound he made was quite mad!
Kutik - my dcs were articulate toddlers and loved telling and hearing stories but they didn't care about reading before school either! It was a few more years until they could be bothered to write anything down. Given the option, DS1 would do the art homework rather than write anything. And I let them watch television! Despite this, they are both very good at English, so no harm done!

LooseAtTheSeams · 12/03/2017 11:35

Icouldbeknitting Music For Youth was the festival we did yesterday - bet your DS has a great time! The one we went to was very friendly.
DS2 claimed to want to learn the tuba but since lugging a full-size cello around has proved to be more effort than he bargained for, I think he's gone off the idea of another heavy instrument!

Fleurdelise · 12/03/2017 11:56

Only dd started piano 2 weeks after turning 6. A friend's dd started at five and while I was tempted to start dd earlier I didn't feel dd was ready for formal lessons just yet. We then did a trial lesson with our teacher as she wanted to asses her attention span, she decided she's ready for 30 min lessons and there we are 3 and a half years later.

onlymusic · 12/03/2017 13:23

Thank you all for replies!

drummers this is a very sweet story!

Fleur, dd also started piano lessons at 4.3 but in retrospective I see that we could easily wait - her progress was very quick in a first year or two - as a result few years later she just stalled (as far as I am concerned-at least children who started later made similar if not better progress. I know now that there were objective reasons for this too, like motor problems, however... Mentally she is up to the task, but physically - I feel this is where problem is)

kutik, both of mine started violin in a region of 5yo (in fact ds started slightly earlier than dd), I was going to start ds later but teacher said that there is no reason to wait. But piano.... I hear these endless stories about children starting later and doing the same progress as early starters.... And yes, I agree, if your ds is very able it does not count if he started a bit later (dc's teacher started at 7 and he is a pro musician), but as a rule of thumb I would also recommend to start at 4-5yo (generically :)))).

The fact that ds ASKED me for piano lessons does not bother me - he was asking for violin lesson since 2yo (his sister is a huge role model for him) but when he started he had enough after few lessons. he said "I thought it was going to be easy". But I can see that he is reasonably able, not as bright as his sister, but still bright and wherever "genius" is missing he compensates it with an effort (what dd is totally lacking)

stringchild · 12/03/2017 14:38

Hi Drummers and Kutik have pm'd you both with our slot

Flip

1 2 ··· 14 15 16 ··· 39 40