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.

Salty self motivation is the most important thing I think I've always said to myself that if I ever need to persuade ds to practice or go to rehearsals then it might be time to scale things back I am not getting into battles with him about it ( though I would also make it clear that he would have to find something else to do instead and that music couldn't be swapped for extra computer time ) btw I think your ds is doing great ds's music teachers were impressed that he got to grade 3 ( trumpet) in under 2 years to get to grade 3 in a year is fantastic!

Just wanted to praise DS1 here as he was a massive help with my piano practice yesterday and very supportive. I'm going to make him be my mock examiner tonight!
In fact, after all the talk of sitting in on dcs practice I think it's time to reverse the roles now!

Loose - dd did a mock for Mr String - she is tough but fair....and very rigorous....think I might hire her out!!

Ha ha to Greenleave just have a simple wish that she could be self sufficient in secondary and less expensive in term of activities as I plan to pay for her academic education.
I'll ask you about that when your 2 are at secondary school...

Yes foundout while I'm not paying for ds's schooling everything else seems to cost ( lots !!)

As far as age of starting age goes. Struggled to find teacher for dc3; had to wait for dc2 to start secondary school where she had lessons at school (well, took 6 months before she could actually start...), before dc3 could take up her slot.
dc1 had lessons from 4 different teachers before he started secondary school with one (good) teacher

Loose and string your dcs sound like they are good examiners. My dd would probably fail me every time.

I agree to the expense, if anything I found that the expense increases massively once they go to secondary. Not only activities but just the uniform is outrageously expensive. Besides school trips and so on. Primary was a breeze compare to secondary in terms of expenses.

Hi all! My little monkey (7) is doing g3 clarinet at the start of next term and g2 piano at the end. We're in the middle of festival week at the moment, piano day yesterday, woodwind on Tuesday.
Love reading all about your kids' adventures! It's nice not being alone in the craziness of their musical lives.

DD1 started oboe in year 4 just before she turned 9. Had a shared lesson until 2 years ago with a girl who didn't really practice, so I think that held dd back as the teacher got them to do each grade every two terms or so. Only two terms between G5 and G6 though, so I think she's doing OK now. She took up sax when she started in Y7, took G4 after a year and did G5 last Dec after another year. Advantage with similar fingering I suppose.

DD2 started bassoon at 8 and took G4 after 16 months. I'm balking a little at the teacher wanting her to do G7 next term as that's just one year on. Not sure she is emotionally mature enough to hack the pressure. If things don't go right in practice she just thinks she can't play it.

Double, your DDs are fantastically doing well. I don't know many bassoonists who are so advanced at such a young age! And I assume oboe is also usually for slightly older children, both of your DDs have a great advantage already and for sure will be very popular among school/orchestra! My DS happens to have picked up the most common instruments so I'm a bit envious with you!

Kutik, kids can start bassoon young now due to the use of mini bassoons and tenoroons, which are scaled down versions (although they are in different keys). They can sort out the complicated fingering (10 or 11 keys for one thumb alone!) on a smaller instrument and move onto a full size bassoon when they grow tall enough. Otherwise, many people don't start until 11 or so, and often by that time they have taken up a different instrument instead.

Hi everyone, I've been reading you while juggling work, DS music stuff and family drama coming in instalments over the phone from my country - I better not get into it as it's just too aahhhjjjjj.

Catch up! DS had three of his auditions, the JDs immediately made offers which is exciting and the jazz summer course we will hear in May. So that's where we are! Happy :)

Holidays: off to his orchestral residential this week, RFH concert on Monday, then practice for g8 exam and revise school stuff, because he's going to the Hay Festival with friends during summer half-term which is supposed to be revision time for finals, so he has to start studying now!

Three professional musicians friends of ours have commented on DS desire to pursue a music career with the same comment: "What a waste of a brain". I try not to listen but it makes me sad, fed up and upset. But that's a discussion for another day...

Well done, Drummer! He sounds busy as usual.

I had a long chat to the Headteacher of the JD in Cardiff the other day. Goo and I are going to have a look round, but have decided to wait until she is 14.

You are all scaring me with the length of this thread - it's only April 3rd. What have I started?!

Loose, best of luck on the exam this week!xx I hope mine can start paying me back too, may be one day when I dont have to nag her with her practice any more(she then might nag me with my practice---if I ever pick up piano/violin at all).

All day dreaming about planning here hahaha Foundout, usually it never happens. (I'd call it possitive thinking)

Oh well....

Exam this morning a bit of a car crash.... Scales - "I'll be lucky to even get zero, I played those like I never saw music - or a piano before in my life" was the quote of the morning. The worrying thing is she is not prone to over exaggerating...

2 good pieces, one hmmmmmmmmm - as usual (A piece) fell to bits, but she ploughed on through, didn't restart.

Aural ok, sight reading ok-ish.

Fingers crossed.

to minidrummers! Our DSs may end up going to the same JD , though our audition process last till June so not sure of the outcome until then!

Fingers crossed to [Beyond].

Great news drummers. Ds's teacher has pretty much said the same thing to me as ds is academically able why would he want to pursue a music career - he's young yet and will probably change his mind, but I think in this uncertain world they should do what makes them happy -and just because you decide to do something at 16 or 18 doesn't mean you have to do it forever!!

Kutik73, now I know which JD your DS auditioned. The different from ours.

Trumpet, totally agree!

violinandpiano, oh, really? What's a shame! But DS has done and is doing a few so one of them may be yours!

in this uncertain world they should do what makes them happy
Absolutely agree trumpet That's my answer too. We work in the arts, earn considerably lower than most of our friends. We were both very academic, my school even tried to stop me by calling my parents and telling them they were being irresponsible by letting me pursue this path when all careers were open for me (my parents told them to bugger off, unfortunately ha ha). But I have enjoyed my life, and there was nothing I liked doing better. Would I like to have the nice life other people have? Yes. Would I like taking DS to amazing trips, skiing, etc? Yes. Am I worried about having no money in my old age? Omg you bet. But am I going to bore DS with all this? He's so totally possessed by this passion right now, what if I veer him off it, then look at him in 25 years and see a man who regrets not having tried?

Good luck with exam loose! And everyone I've forgotten.
Beyond don't panic. It's never over till the fat lady sings. Children so often come out predicting disaster and then are shocked by a good result.
Waffle 14 is a great age for Goo to start jd, travel independently, etc.

Good luck Loose!

Beyond, if she attempted some scales, I guess she will get some marks anyway. I think it is only zero if they don't off anything. DD2 can be very shy and hates aural. Her teacher told her that even if she said 'bananas' she would get some marks! I think she did a little more than that, but the sentiment has stayed with her. Drummers is right about kids thinking it is worse than it is - especially straight after the exam. Always pick up on the things that didn't go quite right, rather than looking at the positives.

Don't offer anything, rather than off.... Dodgy keyboard on the IPad!

Beyond I'm sure it wasn't as bad as she thinks you usually only remember the bad bits if you think something had gone wrong . I used to get really nervous before exams was always convinced that I'd failed ( never did!) fingers crossed