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Extra-curricular activities

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

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:
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Doubleup · 14/03/2017 08:19

DD1 has done every grade on oboe - generally one every 2 or 3 terms, but skipped straight to Grade 4 on sax after 4 terms. DD2 is plodding through guitar grades slowly, but that is on a group lesson at school that has been constantly chopping and changing regarding who she is with and the teacher. Teacher now wants her to do individual lessons as he says he can't pair her with anyone, so that may focus her more. To be fair, when she took up bassoon, that took most of her focus and went from starting to grade 4 in 4 and a half terms. Now apparently working towards grade 7 having skipped the grades in between. Not sure I agree entirely, but her teacher is quite a force to be reckoned with!

Original poster
Wafflenose · 14/03/2017 09:07

I think 2nd and 3rd instruments are a different matter entirely. I had a boy do Grade 4 clarinet in less than a year once, but he was already Grade 7 Saxophone and Piano. I took up the saxophone on March 13th one year, and took Grade 5 on June 22nd, but I had a music degree etc.

OP posts:
Trumpetboysmum · 14/03/2017 09:48

That's still good going waffle Smile I agree though ds seems to be getting on much quicker with the piano even with the addition of the bass clef. I do sometimes wish though that I had put my foot down and insisted that we slowed the pace with ds and his trumpet. I think he's really feeling the pressure at the minute ( I know I am!!) and part of that I think comes from people having really high expectations of him when he is still really inexperienced with lots of gaps to fill. I was hoping that next term he could just focus on playing for the love of it but there were discussions about grade 7 yesterday ( sigh) I'm hoping to hold out till the autumn term we shall see ..

Fleurdelise · 14/03/2017 10:13

We are feeling under pressure regarding piano here too, I feel dd could have done with another term on piano grade 5 prep as she focused on the festival and ignored a lot of the other work.

Personally I would postpone but she's already working heavily on the 3 exam pieces, scales, sight reading and I feel I cannot (and neither can she) play these pieces on and on till November. We could of course slow down and introduce new pieces but her teacher is adamant that June is fine and it gives us enough time.

I had to have a chat with dd last night to ask her to really focus as it is one of those situations where she needs to work hard and get it out of the way. Two of the pieces are really hard, lots of stretches and different voices, at least the third one is quite straight forward she learn half of it in a week.

On clarinet we'll plod along, I know the teacher would like her to do grade 3 in the summer but she only started one piece, still doing plenty of studies and Disney songs so we won't push for it, if it happens naturally fine, otherwise she can do it in November.

Kutik73 · 14/03/2017 10:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MidLifeCrisis007 · 14/03/2017 10:29

My 3 DCs are all doing music exams this week starting with DS1 today. (grade 7 oboe - today, grade 5 oboe - tomorrow, grade 3 piano - Saturday).

I shall look like the Venus Di Milo by the weekend!

NeverEverAnythingEver · 14/03/2017 10:32

MidLifeCrisis Good luck with all the exams!

DS2 did a drums exam a couple of weeks ago. DS1 talked about wanting to do a cello exam. (I hope he's forgotten - I'm not keen on exams!) Other than that nothing. Bliss!

NeverEverAnythingEver · 14/03/2017 10:33

I'm not entirely sure about which instrument is 1st or 2nd or 3rd... But I know how much I'm paying for which lessons. Wink

Kutik73 · 14/03/2017 10:36

I think it depends on what the audition is for. Perhaps having two instruments at a good standard will be well received for secondary school. But we are taking about an orchestra and jds. Obviously piano is not required at all for the orchestra. And a jd was also very clear that they only care the standard of the 1st really, although happy to see other studies.

Sorry I'm having a worrying moment. I was told that no audition would be waste whatever the outcome. Basically any performing opportunity with feedback. I'll take the words so go for it and enjoy the special experience!

MidLifeCrisis007 , that sounds more than handful to me! Good luck!

Trumpetboysmum · 14/03/2017 10:38

Not sure how you decide kutik I guess when they are young probably first is that which they are most advanced on and then it will just sort of work itself out ( natural ability and the amount of effort they put in) good luck with your week mid life Smile sometimes it's just good to come on here I feel like I'm not the only one going mad I keep telling myself it's only 2 more days then we can relax a bit I really don't care whether he gets a place following his audition or not , I just don't want it to be a negative experience ( I'm hoping he can see the positives whatever happens)

Kutik73 · 14/03/2017 10:54

I really don't care whether he gets a place following his audition or not , I just don't want it to be a negative experience ( I'm hoping he can see the positives whatever happens)

I'm totally with you, Trumpet. Smile

Fleurdelise · 14/03/2017 10:54

Good luck with the exams MidLife it does sound like a full on week!

In our case dd's first instrument is clearly piano, she did 3 years of it solidly without another instrument. Clarinet is catching up but currently if we have a busy day or stressful time piano practice gets done while clarinet is left aside. So I guess is the instrument that gets more focus.

Kutik73 · 14/03/2017 11:03

Ds did clarinet for a year at school. He loved it and wants me to get one for his birthday. But I'm very reluctant... I may be repeating the same mistake (I was very reluctant with violin so made him wait and now regret a bit). But really cannot see any spare time for it...

Kutik73 · 14/03/2017 11:12

I have a friend who home-ed her boy. He can try everything and pursue them as much as he wants as he has plenty time. He does lots of music and academic stuff. I'm afraid ds is not like him so has to give up clarinet for now. I made him give up harp and trumpet in the past... He gazes with admiration at those children in an orchestra who play the instruments he is so keen to learn. He also likes to learn viola which may be considered...

Kutik73 · 14/03/2017 11:20

Oh and, showing ds minidrummer's clip was a mistake... He was so cool in the video. Ds looked at me with shining eyes and I was like, 'oh, no no, no....'. Grin

Original poster
Wafflenose · 14/03/2017 11:25

Goo's first instrument was recorder, and it was in the lead until a few months ago. She started that at 3 years old, added the flute at 6, and I remember her doing Grade 5 Recorder and Grade 2 Flute around the same time. The difference now is that she has expensive, government funded lessons on the flute and we don't make much time for recorder, so flute has caught up. We had to officially change the paper work last term and list it 1st to keep her funding. So we currently have Flute 1st, Recorder 2nd, Piano 3rd... and the only reason she is planning to finish her recorder grades is to keep the grant people happy!

OP posts:
Greenleave · 14/03/2017 12:02

Yes, I showed my daughter "mini"Drummer'video and I got someone watched it with an intense interest.

We were so bored more than a year ago that we moaned all the time, now we are so so busy that we cant do everything we need to and we moan. My 9 yrs old had the whole Sunday morning and evening drawing. I must say when she started(oil painting on an A3) it looks ridiculous, just pitted black of paint everywhere some places more, some places less and I was thinking, oh god, no music practice for...THIS, really. Then in the evening, after another ...2 hour the painting was finished then actually it made sense, she was painting a full moon night in the winter where all the branches become visible in the water and the reflection from the moon light look real and pretty. So, it was worth it(the whole day).

Last night she was on this book(level 4, equivalent of g5-g6)

March Music Thread
Drivingmadness · 14/03/2017 12:09

"first" instrumetn is the one that was started first. But also the one that will be practised most, will be played even if there are only 5 or 10 min spare before going somewhere.

Drivingmadness · 14/03/2017 12:15

wafflenose, what's your experience of recorder days with NYRO.?

Helenluvsrob · 14/03/2017 12:19

Driving I might be able to help too dd 2 is a Nyro veteran - been going for years.

Fleurdelise · 14/03/2017 12:20

Dd wants singing lessons. She has a beautiful voice and she's part of the school choir but she's not confident enough to stand up in front of people and sing. Not sure where to find something and what. I said I'll look into it but not willing to add an extra individual lesson just yet.

violinandpiano · 14/03/2017 12:29

I always say my DD gets two 1st instruments and want her choose one as 2nd. Both started together, similar level, similar practise time. It is very hard to practise both in one day if she has after school club.

ealingwestmum · 14/03/2017 12:30

Lots of you with children about to undertake exams/auditions for JDs etc..good luck to you all, MidLife, that's one hell of a week!

Thanks to all for last week's wobble. All good again, it's amazing how a bit of sun can uplift spirits. We've had lots of 05.45 singing in the shower (G5 next week). I hadn't the heart to tell her to stop and think of the neighbours, although I think my hubby got a bit embarrassed on the tube platform, even with only a few commuters around so early!

She's also got a heavy couple of weeks concert wise, on top of participating for the first time in county championships with her swimming in 2 weeks. A year ago she was nowhere near qualification, what a difference a bit of focus and determination makes.

Green, we talk frequently if her time was shifted from training to music practice. I hear so many parents say, when their child gives up/doesn't enjoy their activity with a but it's such a waste, so many years spent investing in x,y or z. But the reality is, is it really, when they feel so much more passionate about something else, even if they may not be naturally gifted or great at it? I have learned to relax so much more in senior school to let her dictate her interests, but support her more on the time management (because she's still rubbish at this), and negotiate the juggling on clashes. This way, whilst she may be resigned that the days of solo work are over because you just can't wing it on limited practice time at higher levels, this is offset by the contribution to wider ensembles, orchestra etc that still keep the musicality and development strong. And more importantly, the community benefits that can be so different to their other social groups.

It's great that your daughter has a creative pull to her complement her strong academic skills, artists never like to work against a clock, takes all the fun out it Grin

ealingwestmum · 14/03/2017 12:38

fleur, we had never considered singing before, DD only took it up as part of her free lesson allocation with her scholarship and I wasn't prepared to consider a 3rd instrument at the time. Had done choir at junior, had an ok voice but nothing special.

From Y7 I have been amazed at how singing training is more complex than I thought, and that surprisingly, those children who also took up singing all had the ability after 2 terms to stand up and sing solo in a concert. Beautifully. Feel so bad that I pooh poohed it as a non-instrument...I now know better!

ealingwestmum · 14/03/2017 12:41

I forgot to add, that even if you don't introduce it formally now, it's quite normal for those to start from senior school and go straight into G4 (I think G5 for boys before their voice breaks), as your DD will have had plenty of music experience. Or not do exams at all but just go for voice training...