May Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

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!

Thanks so much all of you! She's chuffed to bits. It's been a good week for her. And i love that despite all she's achieved this week with her YYM place and her exam etc, she ran at 6.15am and went through some new pieces her teacher had given her for the clarinet and then sat at the piano this morning and worked at her scales & arpeggios happy as larry, head already focussing on her June exam. They don't stop, do they?!

Obviously a Duracell bunny you have there mini; all that energy on a Friday! Excellent result!

Advice needed (yes again, sorry...)!!

We had a parent meeting the other day and were encouraged to apply for music scholarship for 11+ entry.

I looked for the information on the website of the suggested school and realised their scholars taster day is scheduled on a Saturday in September which means DS misses one of his very first Saturdays at JD. I requested the absence and was accepted by JD but they stressed out the importance of attending the first few days of the academic year, implying I should look for a way to avoid the absense.

SO I called the said school and asked if it's OK not to come to the taster day. The lady who answered the phone said it's not compulsory and can still apply for scholarship without attending the taster day however it's MUCH preferable to come as you have a chance to play some pieces to the director.

It's totally a new world to us. No idea what to do. Both give us flexibility what we should do, BUT both seem to think it's VERY important to attend... Will it be disadvantage if DS didn't attend the taster day? It's advisable to see the director prior to the audition? Someone can share their experience...?

Kutik - ring them back and ask if they can offer other slots to play to the director (don't ask for them to relocate the whole day for you though as there will be general open days you can go to without dd). You won't be the only one. We didn't meet all the directors ahead of auditions but it was really useful to especially to see how your dd respond to them (dd had quite marked thoughts that influenced final decisions for us)

Replicate not relocate! And dd not dd!!

Nah, loads of our scholars didn't come to the specific days!

Well done to mini, that's amazing!

We are looking into funding Goo's new flute, through the VAT-free school scheme. We'd have to rush it through before she leaves primary school, and ask her to contribute a little bit (she has already offered). We can't really afford it, but might not be cheaper to go for full cost minus some grants, and she needs it now. I'm going to set the school scheme in motion, and we will have some thinking time built in.

string, thank you for your advice. I called and asked them just now. Unfortunately it's confirmed that they don't offer any alternative slot to play to the director outside of the scholars taster day...

I booked a slot for their general open day so we can see the music department and other facilities, just won't have a chance to play to the director, or see other scholars and so on.

Hmmm, should I let DS go to the taster day instead of JD on the day...?

Thanks Waffle. So it's not a big factor for the decision of offering, I assume?

Totally up to you. If it were me, I would go to the JD, as it's so early on, and in the 'settling in' phase, and just apply for the scholarship anyway. They will be awarded on merit, and I'm sure he'll get at least one. The director is likely to be on the audition panel in any case! I reckon the taster day will be for working out which children they want to encourage to apply... or not. And by not, I obviously don't mean your DS... I work at a good private school with an enviable music department, but we had quite a few children (all from other private schools, interestingly) playing a Grade 2 piano piece and singing a simple song, or a Grade 2 violin and a Grade 1 piano piece. Some of them were quite good, but needless to say, they didn't get 11+ music scholarships!

Very helpful view, Waffle, thank you so much. That was my main concern as well as what JD pointed that DS missing the very first days of those settling periods. We can see the facilities and hopefully be able to see some people in the music department on the general open day, so we will skip the taster day and let DS enjoy JD on the day!

There is another Saturday taken up for another school in September. It's their once a year open day for all who are interested. It's a state school and actually our (so far) first choice. Unfortunately it's the actual first day of JD... We only miss the morning and DS can still attend JD in the afternoon. But I am not sure if we should go... Ahgrrr.

Kutik - our JD does the ensemble and orchestral auditions over the first two weeks so are quite important, but on the other hand rehearsals don't start until a couple of weeks in. So i would check with your JD wether yours is the same, and what arrangements they have for those who aren't there (there are always late arriving people). I guess it depends on whether you want your lessons to start asap or you can wait a few weeks (for us start of term is important as NCO etc auditions will be looming, and our lessons stop at end of June) - but you may have other arrangements.

I agree with Waffle that it won't make a difference to the audition result necessarily but there is no doubt developing a rapport can ease some children in; we had a brilliant pre-audiion experience at one school that really gave dd a sense of what it would be like to work with them, and other people came in to meet her during it. So i don't think it is just about them meeting your DS - it is about him working out if he would like it there. One school shone out for DD in that process - the variations of the philosophy of different music depts was really more marked then we expected (as non musical people). So your DS is going to fly in any audition as you now know, but he might just want to get to know them some more too?

On the go at moment kutik so just a quick response. DD got offered a scholarship with her school without attending their Music Open day.

String's point re your son getting a feel of music departments/Heads is very valid though. Another school DD did their open day with, including playing, resulting in her securing an audition with a reservation of her not wanting to go there if an offer came back, for a number of reasons. Her gut was working as it should do, even at that young age.

Most state schools will be happy to do individual tours at other times in the year. Just ring them up in the autumn and ask for a visit. Happens all the time!

Thank you string and earling. The voice from experience is so so helpful. We decided to miss the taster day but will keep our eyes wide open during their general open day so that we won't miss out any necessary information!!

Waffle, I already called them. Unlike other state schools in my area, they don't do any individual tour. They said their annual open day is only time parents can come to see the school....

By the way, I would like to share what I recently discovered... Nothing interesting, sorry, but I need to pour this out somewhere...

After gathered some useful advice here, I started sitting with DS when he practised, and guess what I learnt the reality of his 'practice'... For instance, he does 'selective' practice, which means he ONLY plays where he likes or pieces he loves, or plays whatever he liked listening to the radio last night, or anything in his head at the time. After making obvious mistakes he calls it 'perfect' then move on to another piece to again just play through (with mistakes here and there) then announces 'all is done' in a happy voice... Basically I learnt how wonderfully optimistic he is.

But..., SERIOUSLY??? How could he achieve all the stuff with those poor techniques of practice???? He is 10 soon, so for normal people it's time to start giving them more independence. But before we lose all the parental influence, I guess I need to give him some input and help him plan his practice more efficiently...

I must say, sometimes he does his practice very well, like reminding himself what he was supposed to learn or practise. But it's once a long while that happens...

Oh and, he can't practise SLOWLY - another discovery.

How about arranging an individual visit on a school day? You could see the music department in action, meet the Director of Music and play to him/her and discuss what is expected of music scholars - and what the school offers them! Schools are usually very happy to offe this, especially to potentially excellent scholars...

Thank you for your advice Jeelba, but I already asked them and both rejected to arrange an individual visit...

Cross post here - but I very much endorse what others have said about the importance of the 'gut feeling', the 'can I work with these people?'... And I wouldn't be very impressed by an independent school that didn't see the value of a personal experience like this either.

Kutik I still go through with ds what he's supposed to practice and keep an ear open to check he's doing it!! He's getting much better now but ds also likes to play things really quickly!!
Waffle we sorted out ds's trumpet through the vat free scheme and it all got sorted really quickly
However I'm now slightly concerned that we may need to upgrade again as we found out today that ds got a full AYM place starting in September he's sooo excited !!
we shall see what they say about his not professional grade trumpet his teacher is quite convinced that it's more than fine but ds said he was the only trumpet on his nco course without a professional instrument

Massive congratulations on miniTrumpet! Yours were going through the first round of audition process when mine was also just starting. So feel like I know your DS and that I was always waiting to hear the outcome. I'm so happy for you. What's a star he is.

DS's piano teacher will kick me out of the weekly lesson in very near future so I really need to help DS improve his way of practising without my input while I can still sit with him in the lesson.

for trumpet's boy!

to trumpet and also Mini, lovely results ahead of the weekend.

I learnt your posts on ear plugs with appreciation, we will keep an eye on it too. We were also told off once in a recent festival that the left foot should also be well rested on the floor otherwise it isnt good doing pedalling for long time.

I need to supervise dd and "remind" her of what her teachers asked her to practice otherwise she's done in 20 min. she quickly plays through regardless of mistakes. Not always, she does have moments when she thoroughly practises but these are less than the recklessly done ones.

She doesn't mind practising it's just that she doesn't know how in depth she needs to, when I sit on the sofa and read her diary telling her what she needs to do it takes her an hour+.

Oh my God I missed that little Trumpet got a place at AYM! Well done!!!