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Extra-curricular activities

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

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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Kutik73 · 19/05/2017 18:06

Thanks all - DS seems pretty normal not to be so efficient. Grin

drummersmum · 19/05/2017 19:06

Congratulations minitrumpet!!!👍🥇
kutik, it´s a tough one. I agree with others that an open day missed is not the end of the world. However, DS attended an open day for potential music scholars at his future school and they did a "mock" audition with one of their scholars which showed him exactly what the audition would be like (aural, etc). Funnily enough, a year later he was the one to do the mock to demonstrate the next year's intake!
Will they do anything like that at this school? OTOH you may sacrifice jd and then think open morning was a total waste of time... How much do you like this school? Is it in the running?

LooseAtTheSeams · 19/05/2017 21:56

Yay! MiniTrumpet congratulations! Star
I write down DS2's piano practice tasks on a piece of A4 each week because for some bizarre reason, if it's written down, he does it. If I try to tell him, he argues!

Doubleup · 19/05/2017 23:03

Well done miniTrumpet!

Kutik73 · 20/05/2017 02:16

drummers, the music scholars' taster day is for a private school. It's where my DS wants to go most. But secretly it's not our first choice as any private school will be a great financial burden for a modest income family like us. It is still the first choice among private schools though. DS will probably apply for two or three private schools. So yes, the school is quite important for us. But I decided to prioritise JD so we are not going to the taster day...

I feel we shouldn't cancel the open day at the state school though. It's possibly our first choice but we may change our view when we see the school (it happened a few times in the past so you never know how you feel about the school until you actually visit). So we will probably miss JD in the morning to attend the open day and dash to JD straight after.

Pradaqueen · 20/05/2017 06:49

Well done minitrumpet and all the results. Busy week getting ready for G7 violin later today. Miniprada has a temp of 102 😱 Since Thursday so she's a bit tearful but the teacher has organised a special visit so she can do the exam before her school residential trip and half term (which has a ballet exam in it...) fingers crossed!

Kutik - for what it's worth I think as your little chap is going into Y5 not y6, I would let him go to the JD this term and you go to the open days. He can audition next year for the music director when he is more established and settled at the JD? He is so talented I'm sure he'd be a shoe-in anyway! And remember that music scholarships without combination with an academic award are more about school life participation and developing a love for music. They are not worth many £'s off fees (usually amounts to free lessons on a first study). Applying for one though in a competitive application process does allow the school to see what your child could add to that school' life so applying for one is a great way of making your child more 'appealing' if there is a 'tie' in scores. If it genuinely will be a struggle to afford the fees, make sure you chat to the bursar about bursary awards and understand what you will need to evidence to be eligible for one.

I agree in my experience that most London/south east state or grammar schools will not allow any visits outside of the open days so it is a tricky one to navigate. The independent school will have it's best bib and tucker on as it is selling itself and it is a business. At the state school I'd be seeing the level of music attainment, participation opportunities etc. The reason miniprada is not at the super selective grammar school she was awarded a place at was because music did not feature hardly at all in the school life and at this point music is very important to her. Just my perspective having just been through the whole 11+ thing this school year. Hope it helps!

Trumpetboysmum · 20/05/2017 06:59

Oh goodness Prada hope mini Prada is ok good luck for today Flowers hope she enjoys her residential ( and comes back injury free and ready to take her ballet exam !!)

Icouldbeknitting · 20/05/2017 07:22

Prada I hope it all goes well both for the exam and the school trip. They do recover quickly so here's hoping for a super-swift improvement.

DS did his concert where he was the named soloist and it all went off well. It was really strange standing in the queue to go in while the lady behind me was discussing his biography in the programme with her partner. Fortunately she did not have anything to say about my spelling or grammar (because it was perfect, no infinitives split, no rambling sentences with many brackets. Not at all like my Mumsnet writing). He has another concert tonight where he's doing a duet - I know this only because I was talking to the mother of the other player last night.

Fleurdelise · 20/05/2017 08:54

Icouldbe you must have been so proud and it must feel strange to hear strangers discuss your child's biography Smile

Prada good luck with the exam and I hope mini pill recover quickly.
I thought miniKutik is in year 5, same as dd, going into year 6 which makes it quite important for him to attend the open days. Not sure about private school auditions though as we're sticking with state schools.

Dd's piano teacher told us she requested the first week in July for the exam, hopefully she'll get it as I think dd will be better prepared for her exams. The teacher said she's not worried at all about dd and that she is in a really good position. Well, let's hope she won't start messing everything up 2-3 weeks before the exam as she usually does.

Fleurdelise · 20/05/2017 09:07

Dd is having her clarinet lesson this morning so I need to tell her teacher she'll be playing with accompaniment soon so she can ensure dd's pieces are ready.

LooseAtTheSeams · 20/05/2017 09:16

ICouldBe - that's lovely for your DS and I am sure his biography was immaculate! Be careful - that could turn into your new job!
Get well soon Miniprada
Prada is right about really checking out music provision in prospective schools. Don't forget highly selective grammar schools are still state schools and they don't have spare cash. They have music provision, of course, but it's worth trying to find out how many of the older students are involved with orchestra etc. In the dark ages when I went to grammar school, some of the most talented musicians did all their music outside school, apart from a school production one year when the orchestra was about three times bigger than its normal size! Smile

foundoutyet · 20/05/2017 10:02

dc music scholarship covers just about 1 instrument's lesson...

ealingwestmum · 20/05/2017 10:09

How lovely to have over heard great feedback on your DS's bio from other parents Icould*! So much nicer than my over hearing parents commenting on how that girl just lost the team that relay on her appalling handover at a swim gala this week Shock]. It was harsh but true...

ealingwestmum · 20/05/2017 10:12

...Thought it best not to correct them with it's called a change-over on this occasion Grin

Fleurdelise · 20/05/2017 10:41

ealing that's terrible. I guess when they get older the competition is taken at a more serious level therefore you would hear mean comments, nevertheless, they're still kids, unless they were competing the the Olympic Games.

I am always weary of making any comments that could be interpreted if I am a music concert or sports competition spectator. In the festival I tended to be over praising also as all the dc impressed me.

ealingwestmum · 20/05/2017 10:47

Haha fleur, I'm with you. The old adage of it you can't say anything nice...at least in public! Competitive parents hey.

LooseAtTheSeams · 20/05/2017 10:59

Ealing people with manners know not to say anything or they say good effort! It happens to Olympic swimmers, for goodness sake! Parents sitting in the crowd can't say anything unless they're prepared to leap in and give a demonstration! Grin
Frankly, I am in awe of anyone who swims competitively. I can manage a length swimming very, very slowly and quite frankly my dcs aren't that much better! Your Dd is amazingly talented!

ealingwestmum · 20/05/2017 11:27

That's why I am hooked on this supportive thread like you all. We know that our children put themselves out there, whether it's music solos, sport, exams etc (inc the dreaded aural) and pick themselves up when things don't go to plan. But when they do, it's so worth seeing it! Because we know what it takes behind the scenes...

ealingwestmum · 20/05/2017 11:37

Btw loose, I can't even swim, not even tread water! Bit like being a non musical mum Grin. But at least you give it a go!

Doubleup · 20/05/2017 12:23

Good luck to miniPrada - hope she feels better asap! Is she dosed up with paracetamol and ibuprofen?

LooseAtTheSeams · 20/05/2017 12:34

ealing well, I'm still just far enough ahead of DS2 that I can gang up on him with the piano teacher! On the other hand, my only contribution to cello is deciphering his teacher's writing! Smile

LooseAtTheSeams · 20/05/2017 12:38

Also ealing I admire all the parents of sporty children as it seems to involve a lot more parental effort! Smile my only involvement with sport was taking mine to martial arts twice a week for two years, plus their gradings. I was so relieved when they decided to quit - obviously I didn't say that to them but it was incredibly time-consuming! Some parents actually took it up themselves on the grounds they were there so much anyway!

Fleurdelise · 20/05/2017 13:45

Well apparently dd's teacher didn't ever have a student having ear problems from clarinet so definitely we need a trip to the GP if it doesn't go away this week.

She said her husband does wear ear plugs in the orchestra but that's because he has a trombone playing in his ear. She had her hearing tested after playing for all her life and she is fine so she doesn't believe dd would be affected after such short period of playing.

Wafflenose · 20/05/2017 15:45

I doubt she has damaged her hearing. I think it is more likely to be either an ear infection, or discomfort coming from her jaw (due to the position needed for playing high notes or something?) or possibly molars coming in.

I hope MiniPrada is feeling better and that everything goes well for her today. I have been reading lots, but also busy, so well done to anyone I might not have got around to congratulating personally!

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Doubleup · 20/05/2017 17:35

So, DD1 managed to shut her finger in the door today. Lovely blue-black crescent appearing at the bottom of the nail and very tender. Great timing for her audition for the county YSO on Monday. Sad. I had thought that she had grown out of being so clumsy, but apparently not.