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Extra-curricular activities

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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!!

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Original poster
Wafflenose · 22/03/2017 16:09

My music delivery just arrived (a John Pitts recorder book for a new beginner, Godard Suite for Goo, What Else Can I Play? for Rara) and with it I'd decided to pick up the Grade 2 clarinet book. Clearly she won't be doing it yet (!) but there's a piece in there that she LOVES and really wanted to play, and I couldn't find my copy. I am amazed to find that she can probably already manage most of them - she just needs to get better acquainted with B in the middle register, and learn the odd sharp and flat here and there. She is playing so much at the moment that I think I'm inclined to let her have her fun with other books, after her exam on Monday, maybe play the pieces in the Grade 2 book, then simply move on. Scales wise, though, it's a huge jump to Grade 3.

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Helenluvsrob · 22/03/2017 16:21

Huge congrats to master raspberry!

Raspb I totally agree re Easter being as bad ( if not worse) than Xmas. We start the " big music" on 1/4 with st matthew passion ( I think 3/5 or 4/5 of the family are singing in ) so I get to sit with eldest slightly baffled Aussie boyfriend 😄

Didn't tell you, did my second university chorus concert if Saturday. That was fab!

And the agonies of the a2 composition continue...

2ndSopranos · 22/03/2017 16:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

drummersmum · 22/03/2017 16:31

waffle you're wise beyond your age

Pradaqueen · 22/03/2017 16:54

Well done mini raspberry! And to all other success on this thread. Green - I am intrigued by Ortho K so off to google. I am extremely myopic so I am obsessed with miniprada's eyesight which is super at the moment. G6 piano next week. I'd be gobsmacked if she gets anything better than a pass. Still refusing to knuckle down to sight reading (which is frankly) dreadful or aural (even worse) and only plays the scales 'she likes' so Ta ta B flat minor...Hmm pieces are adequate. I might get her to reimburse the entry fee if she fails Grin that might concentrate her mind when there is no money left for Victoria's Secret pink stuff or body shop....Shock

Original poster
Wafflenose · 22/03/2017 16:54

LOL I don't think anyone has ever said that before! Actually, I think one of my school English teachers might have. She liked my essay. I am so immature that I am having a laser quest party for my 40th, followed by pass the parcel and party food!

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Original poster
Wafflenose · 22/03/2017 16:59

Well done to Soprano's DD, and cross post with Prada. I am sure she will be fine!

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ealingwestmum · 22/03/2017 17:18

Good for you waffle! Don't think my body could cope with being that energetic (add 10 years) as part of a celebration Grin

Great results from many, lovely to hear Soprano, Raspberry. sorry if I've missed a few.

G5 singing done today. Report was it went well, but she was a bit peeved that she was asked an aural is it baroque or classical when she was assured by her teacher that examiners don't ask to differentiate between 2 similar genres at G5. And he didn't say anything when she said thank you and have a good day. I nodded sympathetically of course...

Doubleup · 22/03/2017 17:33

This thread moves faster than a fast thing! Can't keep up! Congrats to all those with good news and fingers crossed for all those whose DC still have exams to do.
Prada, I feel your pain regarding aural and scales. Grade 6 oboe next week for DD1, but still maiming the scales if not still murdering them. Needs to learn her aural vocabulary and do more practice on that so she is more confident, but am struggling to convince her to put the effort in. Really frustrating as every exam she's had 27+ for every piece and just fritters easy marks away because she won't put the work in early enough and ends up being just short of distinction. She's her own worst enemy in that regard! Teenagers!

Greenleave · 22/03/2017 17:44

2ndSopranos: best of luck with the result!
Prada: All the best with the practice! for piano we are (very) ok with sight reading now for a change, for some reasons she can sightread almost everything. We were given a Prelude Bach piece which is considered as a challenge to a grade 5 player however she just takes it like fish to water. Our teacher was impressed when he gave her last lesson(that hasnt happened in the past). He said he had a hard time for one of his similar age/level student to read/play it. We have been learning a new piece almost every 2-3 weeks now, some were long, some were technically challenged. Piano is ok for now. There is a potential to try 3 pieces in a festival this summer. There is violin which we havent made (any/much) progress though. After your comment other day I had let my teacher go(usually I dont take time in most of my decision, this time it was hard). I am still negotiating at work for some arrangement to happen.
Loose, Drummers: thanks for your kind words. She went from -0.25L vs-0.5R 7 months ago to -1.75L vs-2.5R. The last 7 months I was trying hard to ensure she goes to bed early even she isnt tired, eat healthily/balance diet, being outdoor much more, read much much less, almost restricted, no screen, almost no tv...Apparently none of it works.

Helenluvsrob · 22/03/2017 18:06

Double up and prada I hear your pain re scales and aural! Points for nothing, just learn the blardy things !

If it's any consolation dd finally did learn the scales for grade 8😂

Part of the issue is being a very competent musician and generally approaching exams from " a position of strength" unlike me dd can read all the notes in runny bits and play them. She sees no benefit in looking , thinking " that's g harmonic minor " and that step of recognition then making it easier to play the piece.

Aural though, she's a singer , aural should be like falling off a log, but it isn't!

Helenluvsrob · 22/03/2017 18:09

Greenleave fret not about the sight. Orthodox k is great but I'm afraid the biggest determinant if refractive errors is genetics ( and remember, us myopes no longer get edited out by natural selection- I don't have to spot a rabbit at 50 paces just to eat). I think our kids grew up thinking you grew glasses as you grew up as all their relies were be spectacled

Icouldbeknitting · 22/03/2017 18:19

What Helen said - I always understood that short sight was the way that your eyes were built and nothing at all to do with reading in poor light, reading too much and all those other things my mother went on about endlessly. I have worn glasses from being seven and I can't say that it's held me back in any way once I'd passed the netball years.

We've had a good practise two nights on the trot without so much as a reminder - must be a new instrument.

Trumpetboysmum · 22/03/2017 20:11

Good luck miniprada and everyone else about to take exams or waiting for results. Scales aren't too much of a problem here usually ( though he's had so much on recently he hasn't played many so I'm encouraging him to include them in his practice again to keep them ticking over). Aural however is like pulling teeth and usually the cause of many arguments Grin

se22mother · 22/03/2017 20:49

Violin exam tomorrow. Dd is totally underprepared on her scales, if we just pass this one that'll be enough Confused

NeverEverAnythingEver · 22/03/2017 21:23

DC had a recital last weekend. Practice is a bit patchy this week ...

Helenluvsrob · 22/03/2017 21:52

Se22. The only thing to do now if scales are still Rowe fully unprepared is to have a pre exam pep talk. Make sure dc is awAre that scales are only however many marks and you'll get some sir listening and actually attempting the correct scale! Maybe ask to do them last , and the biggie is not to let rubbish scales create so much worry that you don't go ether examiner the best performance they've ever heard of your pieces !
I use the word performance advisedly too. Smile and even look at the examiner , pkay with feeling. That's the real challenge 😄

Kutik73 · 22/03/2017 21:53

DS had two auditions and got two 'yes'. He still has another one next week, and possibly one more in May/June. But having finished two and received both 'yes', he seems like already in holiday mode.... In fact, the next week's one is his 1st choice so he shouldn't relax yet...

Kutik73 · 22/03/2017 21:58

He played his audition pieces to his teacher yesterday and the teacher said ds played 30% out of tune in the fast passage! Oh dear!!

Pradaqueen · 22/03/2017 22:49

Good luck se22!

Thanks everyone. I am only hoping for a pass right now...!

se22mother · 22/03/2017 22:49

Thanks Helen will try a pep talk

Kutik he must be doing it ok most the time to get two offers Grin

foundoutyet · 22/03/2017 23:17

Hm, yes, dc2 and dc3 need new glasses every time they go for a check up, which is very 6 months (1 year too long as dc2 struggles to see).

Dc had exam today and first time that dc2 was worried about failing (in the past it was more about getting merits/distinctionsor not), o well that happens when you don't practice....

foundoutyet · 22/03/2017 23:19

Greenleave , I would still encourage to spend time outside. As I understand that is the only thing that may slow things down a bit.

Kutik73 · 22/03/2017 23:36

Green, have you tried muscle training? Before I had a laser treatment I tossed around the idea of doing it. I was too lazy so decided to go for the quick fix in the end! But there are some muscle exercises your DD can try daily. Apparently flexible muscle help improve eyesight. My memory is very blur but with your amazing researching skills I guess you can find out more details from more reliable sources (or you may have tried already). It's like moving your eye right to left, up and down, kind of things.

Kutik73 · 22/03/2017 23:47

se22, I really hope so. But the teacher seems to comment the same thing for the particular passage, followed by the same advice of how to practise. BUT DS doesn't follow the advice at home. If I remind him, DS simply replies 'but mummy, I play PERFECTLY fine.', then if I remind him that the teacher wouldn't agree, the cheeky DS says 'I think his ear is not as good as mine. He plays out of tune sometimes.'. Shock I want to strangle him sometimes...