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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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LooseAtTheSeams · 27/05/2017 13:54

Meant to say that Waffle your pre-trip experience sounds very familiar (the boys are like Rara when it comes to packing!) but it always turns out well once the actual holiday starts so hope you have a great time!
Alexandra There is no way I would ever go on a surprise holiday! Hope the concert goes well - I'm seriously impressed with your boy and the five clarinets!
Hmm.. the only way to get DS1 off the computer is to suggest he does revision on it Grin
Petra we might be able to look into the orchestra - the five weeks aspect is tempting!

Kutik73 · 27/05/2017 14:00

Oh boy, it drives me crazy. I hate last minute notice, and actually I like the planning parts so would love to know things in advance. Sadly I have no choice but deal with unexpected/unpredictable events DAILY since DH is INCREDIBLY UNBELIEVABLY HORRENDOUSLY spontaneous.... He couldn't tell me because he just booked NOW. It seems we are going to the destination straight after NCO, and coming back on Saturday (then next day is NCO again)...

DH also just told me that we are having friends coming over this afternoon for watching FACUP final for daddies and table tennis tournament for kids. When am I going to pack?? I don't know....

PetraDelphiki · 27/05/2017 14:26

Sadly one of the reasons dd is happy to leave is that she feels that the TO are really not valued - she's not impressed at losing some of the small amount of time they have to a soloist...

I've been reliably told that the EDYO are being taught in very great depth about the music they are playing - the friend who introduced me to it (cello lead for kingston Phil) said that they are taught at the level she would expect at college! Plus it's only 5 weeks!!!!!! (Can you tell I'm happy to get Sundays back?)

AlexandraLeaving · 27/05/2017 15:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

stringchild · 27/05/2017 16:04

Fleur - hmmm ready.....i have no doubt she will pass unless something bizarre happens, but i am not hopeful of much more. Taking it far too early in my view (but didn't have much say in it). Still will be great prep of pieces for the much more important thing (in her view) - the next nco audition :)

Fleurdelise · 27/05/2017 16:24

The clarinet teacher was a bit taken aback by the date as she's not teaching during half term which means dd has only got 1 lesson left before the actual exam. Grin I am not stressed but the teacher was a bit therefore she'll have an hour lesson on the 10th which is 3 days before, not sure what difference will that make but hey ho, we'll go with it.

String maybe you are in a similar situation to ours, I am quite puzzled by our piano teacher as she seemed more stressed last year for grade 3 than now for grade 5 a year later, I also think dd is taking it a bit early but her teacher seems to think she's fine and there's other stuff to move on to such as the next year's festival, she wants dd to go big, play heavier music, play a duet with another pupil of hers so a lot to prepare.

I keep counting the weeks and try to think of a difference between an exam in 2 weeks and one in 6 weeks. So much more time to have fine tuned those pieces. 🙁

Doubleup · 27/05/2017 17:40

Fleur - stress levels are pretty high. DD2 didn't have the best of lessons this week . Her pieces need a lot of air and she only has little lungs, so at points some of the notes were not sounding. Not helped by her reed either. The teacher got a bit exasperated with her and she was upset on the way back home. She has now lost a bit of confidence which I am trying to build back up. 5 weeks to go for that, but only 3 for theory. Roll on July!

drummersmum · 27/05/2017 18:05

I would love to be surprised with a holiday Grin

PetraDelphiki · 27/05/2017 19:07

Do you know how much they all hated that piece that was commissioned for them? They had to spend so much time trying to make it sound tolerable that they lost out on playing the 3rd piece that they had been promised (which was actually a nice one)...i don't know a single member of the TO (or parents) who liked it!

I think the nice thing about a smaller group will be that they can focus better...I wouldn't want to have to get 75 preteens in tune and concentrating!

Fleurdelise · 27/05/2017 19:23

I would love a surprise holiday too. But the surprise should last about 10 min and then I should clearly know where we're going Grin

LooseAtTheSeams · 27/05/2017 19:36

drummers if we manage to get round to booking a holiday this year it's going to be a surprise! Quite often our default holiday is camping in Dorset - which if the weather holds is always a big success! If the weather doesn't behave it turns into speculation about how soon we can go home!Smile

PetraDelphiki · 28/05/2017 00:04

I am lucky that I have friends who know that I don't do surprises so would tell me even if they'd promised dh they wouldn't!

Minimusiciansmama · 28/05/2017 07:07

I like carefully thought out surprises - like friends turning up unannounced with a pj party at my house when madam was a baby- but I would hate a big surprise 40th party type thing. I think I am too much of a control freak to handle surprise holidays!

We live in a wee building of two flats, so we have a "no practice before 7am" rule (when the people above us have got up). They have moved out. She's exploiting it and has been practicing since just gone 6!

Pradaqueen · 28/05/2017 07:58

Have a great holiday waffle! I've just got back from a 4 day break to Marrakech (just me and DH) as miniprada was on her y6 French trip. It was bliss just worrying about myself and no kids in the morning (I am stepmum to miniprada's older brother and 2 sisters so weekends and family hols are vv busy!). And no 'can you download this app?' Or 'watch this dive'. I would, however not be great with not knowing where I was going... Good luck Kutik!

No music exams this term! Yay! Miniprada has 3 weeks off now as we have our family holiday this week after her ballet exam. We have a 2 week half term at this time of year. I shall miss it at the new school 😢 As it gives a chance of a cheap week in the second week. Poorly timed holiday for us just after Marrakech but that's because we are getting a dog and therefore after he arrives we won't be going anywhere exotic ever again I expect 😂

Good luck to everyone who has exams this term.

AlexandraLeaving · 28/05/2017 08:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Icouldbeknitting · 28/05/2017 09:00

I've been filling in all the paperwork for DS to go on a band trip in August and I was thinking how nice it would be for the husband and I to have a few days away at the same time. It is more likely to be somewhere like York rather than Marrakech but to be honest anywhere would do as long as I don't have to cook.

I don't like surprises, being a perfectionist I feel that things would have been better if they had been properly planned and that means planned by me.

This is a rare and special thing - a weekend with no rehearsals. Both bands have cancelled and there's no music centre running. It was the perfect time to have two instruments in for repair.

ealingwestmum · 28/05/2017 09:52

Sounds like it was a wonderful concert Alexandra, I love the ones where the ability and genres are mixed.

I am a little nervous of breaks further afield running parallel with DD being away now. Her first year of solo PGL (non school, she was 9), we thought 7 nights she's away, we can manage a sneaky weekend to Berlin. On bus into the City post flight, noticed lots of missed calls from the Centre. My heart just sank. Frantically tried to get hold of them.

It transpires DD had been trying to contact me from their office phone. To wish me happy birthday Grin.

drummersmum · 28/05/2017 12:35

alexandra well done to him!Star

drummersmum · 28/05/2017 12:36

ealing 😆

raspberryrippleicecream · 28/05/2017 13:05

Sounds lovely Alexandra. Well done to the Boy.

We had to retrieve DS2 early from NYO Inspire ensemble in February, he had flu. Three hour drive. He's off to Germany with school tomorrow, so won't be retrievable as easily!

Fleurdelise · 28/05/2017 14:33

Alexandra well done to the Boy! Star

Fleurdelise · 28/05/2017 17:11

Our weekend feels like it was all about music, Dd had her piano and clarinet lesson yesterday and today we've just returned from an hour lesson with the piano teacher on clarinet if that makes sense, just to play with accompaniment and give her a lot of input as there's only lesson left with the clarinet teacher till the exam.

LooseAtTheSeams · 28/05/2017 18:35

Alexandra well done to your Boy! StarCake

Doubleup · 28/05/2017 20:16

Not sure my DC would be winning any awards for practice, so well done to your DS Alexandra!

Spent the best part of the day taking DD2 to NCO Regional practice today. Left home at 8.15am and got home at 3.45pm. More of the same next week - although I'm not taking her. Got a lift share which seems to work well, with the added bonus that she is having a sleepover the night before, so we don't even have to do the early morning wake up! Result!

Doubleup · 29/05/2017 08:08

Don't mind being woken up early on a Bank Holiday Monday when it is by DD2 going full throttle on her bassoon! 7.30am completely unprompted! Oh, that it was like that every day Smile