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Extra-curricular activities

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May Music Thread

784 replies

Wafflenose · 01/05/2017 15:59

Hello, and welcome to the May thread. It's a public holiday in the UK, but my school is open and I had to work today, which is why I've only just got round to it! This is a place for parents of musicians of ALL levels, and adult learners, to chat about lessons, practice, scales, concerts, exams, and whatever else they'd like to! We have lots of regulars, some occasional posters, and sometimes people who just pop in to ask a question. It's a friendly place.

I have two daughters. Goo is 11 and in her last term at primary school. She's working towards her Grade 8 Flute (some time next year) and playing from the Grade 4 Piano book (currently refusing to take any exams, and putting off the first proper performance!). Rara is 8, may or may not be doing Grade 3 Cello this term, and is approaching Grade 2 Clarinet.

Both of them played the recorder for years, starting as preschoolers. They reached Grades 7 and 3 respectively, but sadly neither has really played since the music festival a few months ago. They are obsessed with their Flute and Clarinet, and really enjoy Piano and Cello. There won't be many opportunities to play the recorder at the secondary school they will attend, so much as I love it, it's probably a good time to quietly drop it. Recorder has given them both lots of opportunities, confidence, reading skills... and festival prizes!

Goo does NCO and South West Music School. Rara isn't that level at all when it comes to music, but is gifted with her hands. Instead of practising the cello and doing her school spellings today, she completed a lovely sewing kit without bothering to look at the instructions, and also made a lovely crafty construction from card and coloured paper. Both girls are keen on drawing and playing computer games. Rara swims and Goo plays sodding netball and dodgeball, which have both been responsible for multiple injuries over the past few months!

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drummersmum · 16/05/2017 17:48

trumpetboy good luck with AYM... what is AYM? Confused Grin

drummersmum · 16/05/2017 18:12

minimusician thanks for that. Now I understand.

Wafflenose · 16/05/2017 20:03

Trumpet yes, he could.

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Wafflenose · 16/05/2017 20:11

Goo has come home with a sore and slightly swollen thumb, gah! No prizes for guessing how she did it.

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Doubleup · 16/05/2017 20:26

Not again Waffle!

Icouldbeknitting · 16/05/2017 21:15

Is it dodgeball again?

Wafflenose · 16/05/2017 21:48

Yes! I hate sodding dodgeball. If she gets to the end of this final term without breaking a bone, she will be doing well. I've no objection to her keeping fit, but there are certain things she just shouldn't be allowed to do, because she is so bloody clumsy!

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drummersmum · 16/05/2017 21:56

I feel your pain waffle!

Kutik73 · 16/05/2017 22:15

I'm so sorry to hear that Waffle. Hope a bit of ice pack helps...

I totally absolutely wear the same shoes as you. DS took part in a football tournament last Sunday. I told him to avoid being a goalkeeper as much as possible! It's a fun event so they often just rotate the position. Luckily he came back without any injury.

He loves swimming and tennis. I'm perfectly happy with swimming. I'm not sure about tennis. So far no major injury by playing tennis.

Wafflenose · 16/05/2017 22:26

Glad he was OK! Good loves netball and plays a lot, although the season is now over. She has never hurt herself doing that. But she has had a nasty wrist injury from dodgeball (tripping over the ball!!) and now the thumb, plus suspected broken fingers from rugby and messing about on the sofa with her sister!

Rara is a silly daredevil, but also highly coordinated and rarely gets hurt.

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Kutik73 · 16/05/2017 22:53

Funny, I was just thinking when DS actually hurt himself by playing football. The injuries are very often on the legs and never on the top half! But he is seriously clumsy. His nickname among friends is Mr. Ouchman. So you must understand the level of his clumsiness. So he gets hurt all the time, but strangely not his top part during sports, but more often so during playtime. The most suspiciously dangerous zone is in the playground. But in his case, basically anywhere, as he can even tumble down on the nicely flat surface.

Kutik73 · 16/05/2017 23:00

You won't believe it but still DS is excellent at sports. So I don't think he is not coordinated. I start suspecting it may be something to do with attention. He is as if switching to auto-drive mode when he is not focusing then start knocking everything off...

Fleurdelise · 16/05/2017 23:04

Oh no Waffle! I can see why you're annoyed. Dd has a flipping rock climbing party at the end of the month, I keep worrying she'll break something, plus trampolining every Saturday. Last time she had an ice skating party the evening before her clarinet grade 1 exam and I spent the time praying for her not to break her fingers.

Some progress on sight reading continuity tonight after I asked her to imagine she's accompanying a clarinet player. She only corrected once. Maybe there's still time.

Minimusiciansmama · 17/05/2017 04:53

Waffle you must be despairing! And wishing dodgeball didn't exist Wink I hope healing is quick xx

woolleybear · 17/05/2017 06:12

Oh no Waffle, hope it is feeling better this morning!

Dd is adamant she is taking her grade 4 next term and has now chosen the other two pieces. They are very much in the learning stage now but seem quite a step up from grade 3. She is getting so much better at taking out the sections that need more practice.

We are struggling to fit in as much practice as she would like due to school work so we shall see after the summer if the exam is likely or not.

I'm not sure what to do about lessons this summer, I have to stay when dd has them outside of school and I don't think I have a positive impact on her playing!

AlexandraLeaving · 17/05/2017 08:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LooseAtTheSeams · 17/05/2017 08:25

Poor Goo - and poor Waffle! Flowers

Fleurdelise · 17/05/2017 09:23

woolley does her teacher offer lessons during the summer? Dd's piano teacher does but her clarinet teacher doesn't so probably progress on clarinet will slow down over the summer. We are also away for two weeks so all in all not a big break.

Greenleave · 17/05/2017 09:43

Flowers to Goo and Waffle, we had a day off yesterday from school and not doing anything because a swollen eye(the Ortho-K is tricky to put in) but all is good today.

Trumpetboysmum · 17/05/2017 14:52

Waffle hope goos hand is on the mend ds's wrist made a remarkable recovery thank goodness
AYM stands for Aldeburgh Young Muscicians it's like a jd but run on slightly different lines and is very close to our house ( which is a bonus Grin )

Kutik73 · 17/05/2017 23:20

Could I ask a silly question to those who are an active member of orchestras/bands? Do you use earplugs or something during rehearsals? Apparently some use them to protect their ears. Also, those who play high pitched/loud instruments, do you have any hearing problems?? Also, I heard that violinists have a tendency to develop poorer hearing in the left ear, and flute players in the right ear due to the direction of the sound coming from their own instrument. Have you ever heard such a thing? Is it true...?

Fleurdelise · 17/05/2017 23:23

Kutik its like you read my mind. I was coming here to ask about something similar, dd is complaining her ears hurt after each clarinet practice for the last few days, is this normal? And should I get her ear plugs?

Kutik73 · 17/05/2017 23:35

Fleur, why don't you take her to GP just in case? DS gets ear-infection a lot. Now and again, he complains some pains in his ears and almost always I put it down to ear infection, which usually goes away naturally and if not I ring GP for antibiotics. But after I heard this musicians' hearing problems, I researched a bit. And I found some worrying articles. I am a worrier, so I react this way! But it's good to clear any doubt or worry? Hope someone can share more knowledgeable views on this...

Kutik73 · 17/05/2017 23:43

Sorry, it's late, and I'm sleepy, so I am probably in my worrying wonderland at the moment. Fleur, apparently some people just use cotton instead of ear plugs, or occasionally mute, to avoid constant exposure to the intensive sounds. I also read about musician's ear plug, which is designed to be used in rehearsals or practice so you can still hear the sound.

Kutik73 · 17/05/2017 23:47

Personally, I have never met a musician who uses something to protect their ears. However, I only joined this thread this year, and my knowledge in the musical world is very little. So I just wonder how much it's true...