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Extra-curricular activities

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

Original poster

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!

OP posts:
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drummersmum · 08/05/2017 15:33

fleur that's super. Good luck to him x

Kutik73 · 08/05/2017 16:06

Fleur, great news. Good luck to him!

string, DS is the youngest in his youth orchestra as it's more for secondary DCs. They have a 10-15 mins break during the two hours rehearsal. I saw DS playing 'IT' with some older boys last week. They don't chat but play. Grin I suppose girls are more grownup!

Doubleup · 08/05/2017 18:56

I know Kutik, bassoons are ridiculously expensive! That's why we rent one through the music centre at the moment - only £20 a term. Teacher is telling us to budget to buy one in a year's time so that we can get the VAT off while she is still at a state school. All depends on whether she has grown enough that she doesn't have to have a short reach one with the keys closer together as she has now. We are saving - and it will be that instead of any help with a deposit for a house when she is older. We though DD1's oboe was expensive 2 years ago; double it and add some.... Shock

Trumpetboysmum · 08/05/2017 19:05

Fleur that's great news good luck to himSmile

Kutik73 · 08/05/2017 20:09

Double, another option for you may be to approach a charity body such as Future Talent or Benslow where you can loan quality instruments? G7 bassoonist at 10 must be qualified easily?

DS's 3/4 violin is a lovely old french yet it cost us only 1/10 of our piano. Well, it's almost 1/5 by adding the bow and other accessories. Anyway. it's still much cheaper. But while our piano needs to be tuned once or twice a year, violin needs re-haired and re-stringed more than a couple of times a year.... I feel it will cost more than piano for a long run. Oh and, we need to prepare for a full sized one. I am hoping DS won't grow too fast! Or at least won't grow at a wrong time (when we need money elsewhere)!

By the way, how much do you guys pay for piano tuning? Our guy charges us £60. Mine is coming this week, so just wonder....

drummersmum · 08/05/2017 22:32

£70

Fleurdelise · 08/05/2017 23:00

£75 here

woolleybear · 08/05/2017 23:10

Doubleup, dd may not continue with bassoon in the new academic year as she had a year of free lessons. She is currently desperate too so we shall see if we can make it work. We will definitely look out for that day later in the year.

It's still very much second to the clarinet, she is a lot less "natural" on it than the clarinet though maybe it is good to have something that is a little bit harder for her, plus she still prefers the clarinet for group playing.

She has started on a full size bassoon, we also hire ours though when we picked it up and they told me how much to insure it for I nearly handed it back!

Kutik, dd is by far the youngest in the band she plays clarinet in though she only stays for the first hour at the moment as she plays the bassoon in the junior band immediately before.

ealingwestmum · 08/05/2017 23:38

£75

Pradaqueen · 09/05/2017 06:54

Kutik - £50 I think from memory. It was at Xmas. he suggested now she is beyond G6 we need to start tuning twice a year. Makes sense I guess!

Kutik73 · 09/05/2017 07:06

I was told it would be around £50 from someone else but it seemed £70-75 is the norm (maybe in London?).

Prada, I didn't you have to have the piano tuned more for advanced players...

woolley, does DD enjoy the band regardless of the age gap? I think some don't like it but some don't mind or actually love it. Mine is the youngest but not 'by far' so there are a few boys who still enjoy playing 'it' or 'hide and seek' with DS during the break!

Trumpetboysmum · 09/05/2017 08:20

Ds is often the youngest in bands it's great when he gets to play with his mates but he really doesn't mind hanging out with the 6 th formers ( hopefully they don't find ds too annoying 😆)

LooseAtTheSeams · 09/05/2017 08:54

We had a lovely evening at RAH - great experience for both dcs. DS1 is in bed with a headache, though, this morning - too much nervous excitement!
It was great to see the enthusiastic response to the percussionists - they put so much work into it!Smile

ealingwestmum · 09/05/2017 09:27

Great to hear it all went well loose; playing at the RAH...what a fantastic memory created!

Original poster
Wafflenose · 09/05/2017 09:58

I am trying to work out how to fund Goo's next flute! Shock There are various charities, but some involve auditioning in the autumn, and maybe getting the instrument the following spring. She needs it now...! She's currently playing mine. Oh well, off to research some more.

Rara is studiously avoiding practising the cello, by playing the clarinet lots, tidying her room, and anything else she can think of! She's still braining herself with hundreds of clarinet pieces on a reguar basis, but can also play everything in the Grade 2 book, and is showing no interest in learning the scales! Grin She likes the Disney book recommended by Fleur, but her favourites are the 'What Else Can I Play?' books 1 and 2.

OP posts:
RapidlyOscillating · 09/05/2017 10:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Kutik73 · 09/05/2017 11:10

Rapidly, she wouldn't need to be too stressed about knocking it - they are all insured. I mean, it doesn't mean you can be careless, but there shouldn't be a huge difference between borrowed or yours in the sense? If you choose to go for buying then you can either get something reasonable as it's only for a short time and also there are no many decent ones for fractured instruments, or you can put fairly serious money even though you know it won't last long but trading for a full size in mind?

drummersmum · 09/05/2017 11:11

Loose sounds so good. Yes, a good rest is well deserved!

woolleybear · 09/05/2017 11:22

kutik, she doesn't mind too much the youngest, I think though this is because she still has the social element at the junior band first where she plays bassoon.

She is a year 5 at school and the only non-secondary age one, with the majority being 15-20 so there is quite a gap.

Waffle, your paragraph on Rara sounds familiar, dd will play anything on her clarinet, she has a pop songs book that is a current favourite.
She is totally in love with her choice of A piece for Grade 4 and therefore wont look at scales or other pieces which is fine for now. She is currently working on a "concert" version of it and seems finally to have got the hang of taking it apart to work on the bits she needs to without too much input. She is also getting annoyed at the lack of practice time due to homework!

Kutik73 · 09/05/2017 11:31

hopefully they don't find ds too annoying
I was thinking more on this! Luckily there are a few boys who don't mind running around with DS! Grin

woolley, it sounds like she gets both worlds (social and challenging). Smile

RapidlyOscillating · 09/05/2017 11:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LooseAtTheSeams · 09/05/2017 11:50

Rapidly I really sympathize about the 3/4 size cello stress! In the end I carried on hiring from the borough until DS2 grew enough for the full-size. Just as well because the 3/4 didn't last long - I would have had the expense and hassle of buying and then replacing between start of year 6 and middle year 7! The cello teacher originally thought it would last until Y8!
Now he has a lovely cello and a decent case, and I worry every time it leaves the house!

Fleurdelise · 09/05/2017 12:29

A friend of mine recommended take it away scheme which allows you to buy on monthly instalments without any interest any instrument up to the value of £5k.

We didn't use it but I'll consider it when dd will move to the wooden clarinet in a few years' time to enable us to get a very decent one.

On that note when would she have to move to a wooden one? The info I read is after grade 5 but if she keeps it like that with her progress she'll probably be only 10.

Greenleave · 09/05/2017 13:36

We paid £85 last time for tuning. The tuner was recommended by the yamaha shop we bought ours near Bond street last year(before we had a second hand hybrids/electric so never had to pay for tuning). We paid £3.5k for a full size violin we liked last Xmas then it was too big, we are now on a much much cheaper 3/4(and a large credit note to spend once we move to full). So we are sorted for now in terms of instruments( touch wood). I have never had our violin rehair, restringed, could be because we use them less so it was never needed

When I met my piano teacher yesterday he said why dont you let the baby (just 3 yrs old last month) to have fun with the piano, she doesnt need a lesson but could have fun with her elder sister on few keys. I said no, we havent got time for both yet. In my head I was thinking, if that day comes, it should come naturally.

Kutik73 · 09/05/2017 14:18

Green, interesting you said no time for both yet. DS's piano teacher has two sons, 10 yo and 6 yo. The elder one plays piano and violin and got G8 violin last year and G8 piano last term. The piano teacher has finally started teaching the younger one piano and also he is starting cello very soon. She said she deliberately put on hold for the younger one so that their lessons wouldn't overlap!