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.

Well done on everyone's results! Supercute picture of Rara!

Drummersmum I have a Kindle app on my phone, it's very good. And your story made me laugh!

Funny story drummers and that practice session sounds impressive.

We've done part two of practice, it is working very well, about 45 min in the morning and an hour in the evening. The progress on clarinet is immense, her teacher will be impressed, she only had one piece done for the exam and she said if dd wants she can start another during the three weeks break, well dd started the other two, basically she has two pieces learnt and in rhythm and one half learnt. Plus a Disney song and a study.

On piano we can see progress but not as impressive as on clarinet, she learnt all she had to, in terms of the notes, but there is a lot of improvement needed, speed is not right in the Scarlatti sonata and in the second parts of Summer time and slow air. But we have time so I am not worried.

Anyway I may suggest to DH I become a stay at home mum as obviously the two part practice sessions works

Only thanks for the recommendation, I'll download it later.

Fleur she is catching up to my little pupil the same age, who got into NCO this year (and now isn't going, but that's another story). I hope she is going to try in the autumn.

Waffle when are the auditions roughly? She'll have the 11+ in September but I may ask her if she fancies having some fun auditions. Why is your pupil not going? That must be disappointing.

drummersmum, I also don't have Kindle but as raspberry said, I have Kindle app on my iphone and ipad :),

Fleur October. It doesn't have to be a lot of work at all - just polish two pieces that she loves, and there are two bit of sight reading.

Just caught up after my holiday... Well done to everyone! 🌟Stars all round for the results already in. No news on G6 piano yet, but as miniprada said when she got home, "I think I need to keep practicing the G6 pieces as I think I'll be doing them again" 😱 Never mind....she practiced the violin also yesterday for the first time whilst I tackled the holiday ironing mountain. Sounded pretty good!

That's the best thing about NCO auditions - no scales and no aural!

Happy birthday Waffle!

Fleur - it was a bit of relief for us during 11+ this year. Dd is in her third year as a clarinet - really good fun esp as they can play bass clarinet and usually use their A clarinets

Oh yes, Happy Big Birthday Waffle! You're a mere babe in arms really . Hope you have a lovely day and that you get spoiled rotten

Happy Birthday Waffle! Have an amazing day with your loved ones today! Oh and coincidentally you share the same birthday with our piano teacher.

Thank you for the NCO advice, not sure dd will be the right level as she would have only passed grade 3 but I assume it is worth a try. I'll approach her teacher about it in September if we decide to go for it.

I got everybody stressed around us with dd's 11+ plus music audition for secondary school, DH is doing maths with her, FIL is practising the chords on his keyboard for the music aptitude test and the piano teacher is thinking of a piece to start after the grade 5 exam for the audition. I might as well give the clarinet teacher some homework also to prepare her for NCO audition

Can you guys also help with some suggestions of an audition piece for secondary? It has to be under 3 min, piano, grade 5/6. Something to impress as well but not so difficult that dd would not do it justice.

They don't look at grades, just the performance and strong sight reading. She will easily be playing Grade 4 by then in any case. I wouldn't worry about specifically preparing anything until August/ September... just let her progress as usual and pick a couple of pieces that sound good nearer the time.

Thank you Waffle! I'll approach you for advice on pieces closer to the time

I'm doing it again: "PLAY THAT SLOWLY! NO!!!! SLOWER!!!"

Gosh you just reminded me to go and prompt dd to do her morning practice.

Fleur - can't remember grade stuff but dd did Baermans Tarantella (clarinet) for herbI11s audition and other auditions. It's fun and technical so double hit 😀

My pupil played a Grade 4-ish famous, technical piece, and a pop song for Under 10s!

dc changed her piece for the audition the week before, as by then she had also learned another piece which she liked better.
Happy birthday to Waffle

Happy birthday Waffle You're 40???!!!

If I were my DD, I'd be putting 40 candle emojis on my post. She'd call it acceptable spamming

Happy 40th Waffle, and many good times ahead...

Happy birthday waffle!

40s are the best!

Thanks, all! Was born at 1.58 pm, so right about now!

Fleur I presume you mean piano pieces? For secondary school auditions, DS played Khachaturian's "The Little Horse" and Schumann's "Sizilianisch" (Album For the Young N 11). All I can say is that they worked