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Extra-curricular activities

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

Original poster

April Music Thread

970 replies

Wafflenose · 31/03/2017 13:38

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.

OP posts:
Doubleup · 19/04/2017 10:52

Waffle, I'd quite like a term with no exams and no auditions, but that doesn't seem to happen in this house!

Kutik73 · 19/04/2017 11:28

Waffle, I understand the dilemma. DS expressed interests in taking up other instruments in the past. For instance, he really enjoyed clarinet when free lessons were given to his class for a year. He wanted to continue when the programme ended and I had to persuaded him to drop it. In an ideal world I would like to let him do whatever interests him. But he had/has plenty on his shoulders already. He is a I-want-to-try-everything kind of boy, so this sort of dilemma will always be with him. Being able to prioritise things is a skill he has to learn...

Original poster
Wafflenose · 19/04/2017 11:37

It's hard to let it go when it's been such a big part of her life since she was 3. She'll finish up the school year, helping with her friends' group, and performing with them a couple of times. There won't be any opportunity to play her recorders at secondary anyway. But as for exams and festivals in the future? I really don't know. She can always take it up again as an adult, I suppose - that's what I did, having got nowhere near as far as Goo by Year 6. I did my grades and my PGCE in my 20s, and now have around 80 recorder pupils. (I'm not as busy as I sound... more than half of these are £3 per week lessons, taught in a group at lunchtimes or after school. But they get to around Grade 3 level by the time they leave me to go to secondary school.)

OP posts:
JanetBrown2015 · 19/04/2017 12:59

We need to trust them to make their own choices. I remember when my daughter's school friend stopped gymnastics. It was amassive massive deal. She was in line to take part in the olumpics I think if I remember correctly, certainly doing UK championships and it was her whole life and her parents but at 14 I think it was she just decided she didn't want it any more and how brave of her just to stop it like that! She did well at school and all worked out well but it can be hard (never mind hard on parents who have spent a lot and given a lot of time).

The recorder is a really good instrument to get most chldren playing at primary school. I am ure my boys learned so much when they were very little just from the class recorder lessons. I remember mine even to this day from my own schooldays in the 1960s (I still have my recorder from then).

LooseAtTheSeams · 19/04/2017 15:56

I'm sure Goo will still play recorder but I can understand the reluctance to do another exam for a while. However, I suspect once grade 8 flute is out the way, she could be quite amenable to a couple of high level piano exams!

Trumpetboysmum · 19/04/2017 16:14

I'm sure she will go back to playing it at some point Waffle. Although not put off exams yet ds was impressed I think that his tutor on the nco course hadn't really done any music exams after grade 5 because his teacher didn't believe in them . I have been telling him for ages that while some ( e.g. Grade 8 trumpet and grade 5 piano ) will be useful they are only part of the picture .

drummersmum · 19/04/2017 18:17

As they grow they naturally start dropping certain stuff and focusing on other. That goes for hobbies too. DS used to draw comics, write stories, build Lego for hours etc and now it's all music. It's normal though can feel odd to us. Mind you secondary school is so much work that it ends up forcing this narrowing naturally. As I only have one child, after every drop there is just this big hole filled with memories.

drummersmum · 19/04/2017 18:19

Forgot to congratulate gez8 for a great first grade.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 19/04/2017 18:19

Goo really loves it and doesn't want to stop. But the reality is, she has hardly played it for the past 18 months or so - mostly just at school with her friends, and it gets dusted off for some emergency Festival practice each January. After returning from NCO, she decided to up her flute practice to 60 minutes per day (she does 20-30 minutes of piano before school whenever she can) and she also plays netball and dodgeball, plays/ sings in a few ensembles and loves playing on the computer. She gets plenty of down time, but just can't fit in three instruments at an intermediate to advanced level.

OP posts:
drummersmum · 19/04/2017 18:51

DS did recorder for three years in primary then we told him he had too many instruments and he agreed to drop it. It wasn't really his best instrument anyway, the teacher's report was always the same after mentioning a few issues: "But he has an outstanding sense of rythm". That in itself was an indication...

Original poster
Wafflenose · 19/04/2017 19:23

LOL, you should have known that he would end up being a drummer!

Goo is now pretty happy with her decision, and practising the flute as I type, even though she had an hour of orchestra after school. It's the most determined I've seen her since she was about 6. There's nothing looming for flute (except for an 'audition' in June which is a formality really) and we are hoping she won't do her Grade 8 until Summer 2018. She can play a few of the pieces (sort of) and about half of the scales though. Her teacher ran out of Grade 7 sight reading examples before the exam last month, so gave her some Grade 8 ones... and she was getting full marks on the practice run through before her actual attempt. It really is her greatest strength. So I reckon the teacher is going to start getting twitchy about the exam this side of Christmas... Goo will need time to settle into secondary school though, so I don't want it happening then.

OP posts:
Trumpetboysmum · 19/04/2017 19:46

I agree waffle though I have been impressed with how well ds has managed his time , secondary school is a shock and I'm not sure that I would have let him do an exam in the autumn term. Parents evening tomorrow so I will finally get to chat to the school music teacher about what else ds could be doing. His playing seems to be on another level after the nco course it's really inspired him !!

Fleurdelise · 20/04/2017 08:45

What is this thread doing so far down on the main page? Bump Grin

I hope dd will not drop any of her two instruments in secondary but she is more and more interested in various sports so you never know.

PiqueABoo · 20/04/2017 09:22

I was thinking that you can usually trust them to make their own choices, but sometimes you have to ensure that it is their own choice not a reaction to peer pressure or a wrong idea that some misguided, overconfident child has put in their head.

We were really lucky in Y7. DD was the only girl from her primary school in her new form, but acquired a new bunch of friends who are very good to each other. They encourage her in everything she does, especially the piano.

Kutik73 · 20/04/2017 10:21

Pique, so nice to hear your DD has such supportive friends. DS's primary school is not particularly musical, but he is quite fortunate that his year group is exceptionally gifted (lots of academically able, sporty and musical children) and he has a few fellow musicians who play quite high standard for their age. However, the secondary school DS may go is so focused on sport (and academics). I didn't see any evidence of musical activities at the open day. It actually comes across a bit too macho. I am slightly worried the negative impact on musical sort of boys in the school.... I am really hoping DS finds friends like your DD's.

drummersmum · 20/04/2017 18:31

DS having some fun
vimeo.com/214048552

ealingwestmum · 20/04/2017 18:38

Fantastic piano 👐s drummers Grin

Original poster
Wafflenose · 20/04/2017 19:05

Wow, he is really good!

OP posts:
drummersmum · 20/04/2017 19:20

Smile he opened it to repair some issues and I couldn't help myself I love watching the hammers.. needless to say I am going to have to pay for someone to come and fix it as some aligning is wrong and requires know how!

LooseAtTheSeams · 20/04/2017 19:49

drummersmum that was such fun - thank you! Lovely technique! DH even came in to have a listen!

AlexandraLeaving · 20/04/2017 20:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NeverEverAnythingEver · 20/04/2017 20:47

That was great drummers!

Fleurdelise · 20/04/2017 20:51

Wow that was amazing drummers!

Greenleave · 20/04/2017 21:03

That was fantastic drummers, someone here said"wow! How did he play THAT fast?"

Trumpetboysmum · 20/04/2017 21:15

That was great drummers Smile