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.

Fleur said exactly what I was going say. Once they are out there to deal with the real life, nobody will talk or care about 'when' and 'which' grade they took, like we don't talk about when we started crawling and walking any more!

Right. I'm back from the exam. The examiner was absolutely lovely so at least I wasn't shaking too much. The Menuetto went really well apart from a fluffed note at the end. Other 2 were a mixture of fluffs and good bits (slight hand shaking moments)
Scales - don't ask - it's amazing how rattled you can get being asked to play with one hand!
Sight reading - too slow but almost all the right notes and some of the dynamics!
Aural - god knows. She didn't correct notes on the sight singing but I think I went too fast for her to be able to intervene! She has to give me marks for trying, though!
I'm hoping I scraped through on effort but i actually don't mind now.

I am with you Green on comparing children during festivals :)
I find it very informative-it gives you an idea where your child is, what are the problems, and you can see teacher's work in perspective. So much so that if I can I try to attend the classes where my dd is not in too.
And of course there are occasional exceptional talents which are joy to watch and listen to. These kids are so good that I don't even feel jealous-how you can feel jealous to the stars - they are there to make our lives more beautiful :)

Loose - sounds like you did brilliants - and dynamics in sight reading is a real success!

We had some amazing players at our festival, a joy to watch and I am not ashamed to say dd wasn't one of them. Not that she wasn't good, she just wasn't that level yet. Maybe one day.

Loose it sounds like you've done great, if dd comes out with that feedback after her exam next session I'll be happy.

Loose well done you are an inspiration ( I keep meaning to have a go at learning the piano and never seem to find/ make the time !)

Ha-ha, Waffle was going to answer Fleur about starting age but saw your comments-my thoughts exactly :) They will probably be the same level at 10 :)

violinandpiano it is difficult to comment on your situation as I don't remember the age of your dd and don't know what school/department she is in but talking about potential.... Some schools specifically say grade 5 by age 8-9, grade 7-8 by 11-12. Merely because dc will not be able to participate in orchestras and other group activities where everyone is playing to a high standard.

Isn't it certain progress+potential most schools look for?

I would take out one of London music schools for this rule though - I think this particular school is less picky in terms of choosing candidates as their requirements were pretty loose last time I was looking at their admission criteria.

Thanks for the kind words - I think I've put the most positive gloss possible on what happened to be honest! But oh, the relief of getting it over with!

foundoutyet my message would be-for those who have a potential to become a musician it is important that they start early.
Saying that, to find out if one has a potential one has to start lessons :)

stringchild agreed with your views on talent. Which is really worrying as in spite of all the continuous teacher(s)'s praising passion and dedication is lacking in our case.... I don't give up though as I know that it is crucial to pull it through to 12-13yo but it makes me wonder....

Well done to Loose! I totally admire your challenge!

My DH's friend tried to get rid out of the old family piano when he was about to move but couldn't find a new owner so decided to keep it and started learning from scratch instead. He's from a musical family so he was probably reasonably musical - it didn't take him too long to reach to grade 7. He absolutely enjoyed the exam process - it was a great motivation for him. However he has no plan for taking grade 8 in near future. He said grade 8 needs a proper drilling (for him) but quite simply he has no time with a full time job and two children. So he is saving the challenge for the time when he is retired and he is looking forward to it. I hope I can try some early grades one day too!

On my opinion, playing a piece at very high level is more important than playing high grade piece. My DD can learn quickly but can not play a piece at high level. When she did exam, her piece result only 28/29, not 30. When she did festival she got command, not outstanding. She never cares details when she plays music. All these make me worry.

Interestingly Fleur but if I find out (somehow, of course I don't ask :)) that someone started to read very early or was good at maths, etc I immediately have my inner radar changed as I know these people may be a bit different :). Side effect of my hobby interest in gifted children :)

Loose fingers crossed for you!

OMG I've got a pupil in for G1 Piano this very afternoon.

She's cool. I'm terrified .

to SE22, drummers for their children and way to go loose! And for anyone else with results in, I cannot keep up with the chatter!

Alexandra, I feel your pain re potential new teacher. Our 'neighbour' teacher who has known DD since little is ill, seriously so to the point where she is lining up a new local replacement. DD doesn't want to entertain the thought yet, hasn't got her head around the risk of her not recovering, even though we are all being totally upfront about the prognosis. It's the relationship they have...eccentricity at its best and never a mention of ABRSM or exams in her presence

onlymusic, indeed that last comment of yours. You have to as a parent decide that your child might become a musician and start sending them for music lessons at 4. And then they might have missed out on becoming a famous dancer or gymnast, as they need to start early as well...
I suppose I am guily of the same. DH and I are quite academic so we are stearing our children into academic directions. Maybe I should have been more proactive and tried harder to find a piano teacher....

Regarding playing later in life, for what it's worth, of 3 instruments I played in my previous life, one I wouldn't be able to get a sound out of it, the second (most advanced) I get too frustrated not being able to play the pieces I used to play many decades ago. So what's left is dc3 and me playing recorder together even though I only had lessons at primary school......

I have entered around 400 children for exams, and have seen one mark of 30/30 from ABRSM in my entire career. It's so rare that if one of my 27 colleagues gets one or hears of one, we all hear about it. Which is hardly ever. ABRSM start marking at 20 and add or subtract accordingly, so 28-29 is an astonishing mark. They don't start at 30 and deduct for slips.

It's only 8 days since my lot took their exams, but that hasn't stopped me checking the results online!

Wafflenose, I know 28/29 mark is not bad, but I just worry about she doesn't have that ability to play a piece at 30/30.
Our friend's DD, who started 2 terms early than ours, but at the same time her DD did grade 1 and my DD did grade 3. Her DD got 2 pieces 30/30, after one year she did grade 2 got 1 piece 30/30 with aural 18/18. I would like myDD can slow down to polish pieces and improve technology but she just enjoys new pieces.

I'm a professional and I've never had that sort of mark either. I have no idea whether that has any significance or not!

I have spent a lifetime with musicians, from playing myself when younger to being the wife of a musician.
Most of our friends are musicians and I've spent 30 years listening to them talking, telling stories and sharing their experiences.
I have honestly never heard any say they wished they'd started earlier or that they missed out by not playing from an early age.
The difference is the drive to want to do it as a profession.
I think this is the only factor that determines whether a person enters the industry.
I found that whoever the person is, whatever college they attended, whatever the musical education background, the work is exactly the same whether you started at 5 or 15.
Most musicians are involved in education to some extent, most have private pupils, some teach in schools, colleges etc.
On the bandstand they are all the same irrespective of when they started to play.
I'm sorry I am disagreeing with you only, but I see no evidence for what you say.

foundoutyet I feel guilty in other direction-dd is very academic but we spend far too much time on music lessons (only because dh virtually is not at present because of his job and I have two children on my hands). However I tell myself-she will be done with music and and then she can concentrate on academic subjects. To be fair - if she concentrated on them now shoe would be far too ahead at school which is not ideal either. She was already doing year 6 maths starting from year 2 or 3, French-she is wasting time there, school promised to mover her to year 5 or 6, still didn't do it, etc. So really, she would be better off at home in terms of education, but my priority social side therefore we manage as we can....

she will be done with music at the beginning of secondary I meant!

Oh sorry, so many mistakes, pressed enter without proof reading :)))