April Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

We've managed to fill up the March thread, so I give you April's, around 10 hours early. Don't use it all up at once!

The music threads are for learners of ALL ages and stages, including beginners and adult learners.

My kids Goo (11) and Rara (8) break up from school today, thank goodness. Rara is off sick at the moment, in any case, but they both need a break. They did their music exams this week. Goo got a distinction for her Grade 7 Flute, and we are awaiting the results of Rara's Grade 1 Clarinet, plus a couple of my pupils. They will probably come on my birthday - the ABRSM ones often do.

Next term, we have a big community concert at the local high school - all the feeder schools take part. Goo could do Grade 7 Recorder and/ or Grade 4 Piano, but I don't think she wants to. Rara is doing Grade 3 Cello. My Year 6 Recorders have been asked to play in the local Festival gala concert, and I'm sure there will be primary school leavers' performances too.

Great morning here also, dd did both clarinet and piano practice we've decided that while we're all at home we'll split the practice into two sessions so she's done scales and sight reading on both for about an hour and tonight will be just pieces. Her piano teacher wants her to spend 20 min on each piece plus around 20 min on each group of scales (she divided her scales into 4 groups she needs to practice a group a night).

So our practice sessions need to increase to around 2 hours a day as clarinet is also around 30 min a day.

Anyway now going to the park to enjoy this gorgeous day.

Fluer, I think your DD is the same age as mine? Her dedication is like those who are much older than her actual age. She really loves music, and mature enough to take the discipline to such a intensive level even though she is only 9! My DS may have had an odd day when his practice got a little longer than usual. But I don't think he has the maturity or patience to be like that on a daily basis (yet?). I thought DS became so into music, but it's purely for my views and actually his passion may not be anywhere near to those DCs on this thread...

DS2 does nothing like that amount of practice - and it shows!
Have been enjoying the lovely sunshine and doing some weeding while listening to DS1 drumming in the shed. Drummersmum he was very impressed by the drumeo stuff, so many thanks!

Kutik yes same age I think, she'll be 10 in August.

This is the plan but I am not sure we'll find the time to do that much once she's back at school. She really wants to do both grade 5 piano and grade 3 clarinet next session so this is her motivation, once the exams are out I doubt she'll still be putting this amount of practice.

Kutik thanks for the warning. Is that Battersea park? I better get a move on

I have had couple of strops today after all day in the pool tgen park, yesterday was gymnastic world cup in O2 until nearly mid-night(we got a free all day box from work). Still after dinner it was a massive strop hence no dessert for someone. We are now on violin practice, I hope for a good 30mins. We were told to practise with vibrato 5 mins a day, only on fingers, nothing else, relaxing thump. We have another lesson tomorrow then off for 2 weeks as teacher is on holiday.

DD home from NCO now - she has had a fab week and their concert last night was amazing. She made it til about 6pm today before she said it felt weird not playing and sat down at the piano for a while. It's nice to have a bit of noise - and mess - back in the house again

First week into Easter break. No practice.

Green maybe I missed the post, how is the new violin teacher? Happy with him/her?

Dd did another hour of music today from 7,30 to 8,30 it did end in a strop at one point as she has some mistakes that she needs to correct but she is playing through them and when I stopped her and reminded her about the errors circled by her teacher she wasn't happy. Oh well!

Fleur, I understand once school starts it can be hard to secure plenty practice time but I find holiday is much more trickier. People are in the holiday mood and there are lots of temptation to do other things and we suddenly lose all the routines.

se22, yes it's Battersea Park. They have plenty slots available during Easter but the weekends in DS's birth month seem to be very competitive! I have managed to book a slot at a different time from the original plan so we just have to start the party slightly later than we wanted. You can adjust the number nearer to the date so I would say book now and plan the details later!

DS usually doesn't need to be reminded about practice. He hardly never do it for long hours (he can't really) but he does what he has to do in a very condensed way. But last 3 - 4 days he hasn't done any. We have been busy having fun and the weather has been too nice to stay inside. But today I finally reminded him that the next audition is fast approaching. He may be just 9 after all. He didn't seem to worry about it at all, and carried on having fun.... He is still up now (late night is allowed during holiday) but no intention to touch piano nor violin. He is in the garden with his dad, spotting a planet and galaxy with the telescope....

Fleur: she seems to be good, we dont know yet. She does say 20 mins practice a day or no lesson. The last lesson I heard she said "your parents work hard to pay me coming here to teach you and you are old enough to practise on your own, lets not waste anyone's money and time here". I then decided not enter the house until the lesson finished . We have already made some progresses after couple of lessons, I am biting my tongue here and hoping for the best.

We are a massive fan of British museum and science museum, we go there every month. Even my 3 years old can go there every week if we could.

Kutik, do you mind if I ask what telescope do you have? We dont plan to pay a lot for it although hoping for a good one.

We are a massive fan of Natural History Museum and Science Museum. DS has been taking there since he was a baby. I like British Museum also (the library!) but we don't go there much due to the location. I secretly love V&A most.

Green, ours is Skywatcher. It doesn't have any frills nor fancy but does a good enough job. We just spotted Jupiter now!

Green sounds positive then, good luck with all the violin work.

Dd doesn't need the practice prompting, it is in her routine therefore she does it without having to push her to do it, just the quality of it is not always as it should be. But at 9 I can't expect more really so I need to get involved and remind her all that she needs to work on.

Dd2 got her trumpet results today and got a merit.
She actually got her highest mark on the third piece, which was the one she restarted. And it was 26, which is what she thought she'd seen.
She's been going round with a big grin as we thought it was a possibility she'd failed. (I refused to buy champagne as she asked though)

Great news witchend

Congratulations miniWitchend

Wonderful news witchend!!!

The strops mainly come from the fact that she is on the Ortho-K and she determines to put them in herself. She managed to mix up between the left and right then on Sunday they were red, today the right eye is still very red so we are watching it very cautiously. Everything else comes second to us now.

Have a lovely week everyone!

Fantastic news witchend!

Lovely weekend had in Bath before dropping DD off to a sports camp for the week. But I did manage to get 2 hours daily practice last week to make up for this one...

Wondering if Bath is as lovely to live as it is to visit...been in the past but fallen in love this time, must be my age

That was music practice!

We once considered moving to Bath and did house hunting there. The layout of the houses were quite unique due to the hilly landscape. We decided to stay in London in the end. But I love the place - it's so beautiful.

well, dc2 who practices 2 hours a week, with a lot of nagging managed to pass her piano exam with a merit. She was pleased as she thought she had failed