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Extra-curricular activities

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Original poster

June Music Thread

925 replies

Fleurdelise · 01/06/2017 08:00

Hello all and welcome to the June thread! Waffle did me the honours of asking me to initiate this thread as she has no access to Internet while on holiday.

This thread was first initiated by Waffle when Goo was 6 and now she's 11. It is a thread for all the musicians, big and small, to share their love (and frustrations Grin) during the long path of learning an instrument. I first joined when dd was 7 and in the process of preparing for grade 1 piano for moral support. If you read the ending of the May thread you'll realise I am still a nervous reck Smile here we are now, two years later, Dd is 9 and preparing for grade 5 piano and grade 3 clarinet, the exams are in exactly 13 days. I also have DS 15 who is in the middle of his GCSEs at the moment, he has no musical interest.

As I couldn't leave Waffle without an introduction, below is a quote from the May thread. The only correction is that I believe Rara has now turned 9. Smile

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!

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Original poster
Fleurdelise · 20/06/2017 22:26

Green dd is already in the wind band and she loves it, it is the clarinet lessons I want to move over. The lessons would still be one to one but provided by the music service teachers rather than a private (at their place or ours).

Waffle I've just watched the video, that is so cute and so very brave, not sure dd would ever do it.

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Wafflenose · 20/06/2017 22:27

Sorry Green I was getting very confused then - it's late! I meant it was Fleur's clarinet lady that tends to agree with me. Good to know your teacher is OK, but a bit of a pain that you don't get to see her.

stringchild · 20/06/2017 22:31

Green - no you don't have to tell unless its going to a charity so feel free to get DD to earn her holiday :)

Greenleave · 20/06/2017 22:34

Really even if we decide to give money to someone/something(good cause/charity). Googling busking regulations now.

Original poster
Fleurdelise · 20/06/2017 22:40

Waffle our current clarinet teacher is lovely. It's just a bit too tangled the whole situation with the teachers knowing each other. The clarinet teacher feels like a lot of work can be covered by the piano teacher before exams (dynamics in pieces for example, the piano teacher needs to work with dd a lot to get the pieces to a good standard) and it's getting a bit political, it's hard to explain without going into detail but I want to separate the two instruments.

I also feel like the music service exposure would do dd good, she'd be taught by one of their teachers so they'll know to move her up/down in orchestras and there are more opportunities.

I suppose we need to try and see how it goes, but not much negative to say about our teacher, we do like her a lot.

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onlymusic · 20/06/2017 22:53

Green, I also like your violin teacher from your description.....

Thank you all for busking advice, will google about license and may be will speak to head teacher ....

String, love the description of your town!

Doubleup · 20/06/2017 22:59

Drummers, I like the analogy between instruments and books. In this case, I think it was partly to do with them breaking into the house on the first floor and then being disturbed before they got downstairs. But that's another story.... Also, not sure they would have known how to take the bassoon apart and it would have been a bit big for them to carry unseen.

Minimusiciansmama · 21/06/2017 09:57

fleur we've never had music service lessons, but have seen the advantages and pitfalls a little of private lessons with music service ensembles- her first windband was totally unaware of her standard until she played in a festival they were all at and then immediately moved her up bands the following week. For her other band, her teacher works with people who are music service so she was able to vouch for her and she seems to have more opportunity for them to see her ability. Both her teacher and I have benefited from the flexibility of being able to have lessons at a wide variety of times and days.
She's moving lessons from private to YYM from September though so it will be a whole new kettle of fish for us then.

Original poster
Fleurdelise · 21/06/2017 11:04

Minimama that's how I feel a bit, she's in the windband where they get various parts to play and dd still plays grade 1 level parts as her friend even though she took the grade 3 exam and her teacher believes she can sight read and play grade 4 difficulty.

It doesn't really matter as I am happy she's happy but I think if her teacher would be a music service teacher she'd be more challenged across all areas.

I'll talk to the potential new teacher next Tuesday, to be fair I don't see why it would be massively different, it is still a one to one lesson, I guess it just depends on the new teacher's teaching methods.

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Minimusiciansmama · 21/06/2017 11:32

If minifleur likes her, that's a big part of it.... I'm a bit anxious about the whole "two totally new teachers" thing still as we've never met either of them and the decision on which will be best for my monkey is based on a 20minute meeting of her. But I saw last week how well she handled being thrown totally in at the deep end with her temporary teacher.... so I'm hopeful.

Original poster
Fleurdelise · 21/06/2017 12:06

Minimama I know what you mean, I feel the same with the clarinet teacher, I fear I may change for worse, hmmm you don't know until you try though

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Wafflenose · 21/06/2017 12:43

Fleur and Mini I'll have them, if you don't mind a 'bit' of a commute! Grin

Trumpetboysmum · 21/06/2017 16:09

I think if the lessons aren't in school time then music service lessons could work out well. They still get 1-1 tuition and no more missed lessons because of school trips etc. The only reason ds swapped to private lessons was because he needed longer 1-1 lessons and because his teacher is so good ( and popular) there wasn't space to accommodate ds's needs on the school timetable. But we have the best of both worlds as his teacher is in regular contact with the band conductors etc and because ds started off with music service lessons they knew him anyway. Good luck with your decision fleur I guess you can only try and see

LooseAtTheSeams · 21/06/2017 18:10

In our music service the heads of dept are good at looking out for opportunities to join groups. But the teachers who are only there one night a week don't know anything about the ensemble side. It's really good to have a teacher who is involved. DS2 was in a group almost from the start with his cello, which was great as it was one of his reasons for learning it! His teacher still comes to secondary to teach him but I've alerted her to a clash with school exams. There's always something.
DS1's grade 8 bass guitar exam is right at the end of July, which is good news for him!

Trumpetboysmum · 21/06/2017 18:30

That's good Loose lots of time to prepare ! I'm just looking forward to the many things going on here being over so I can have a rest. Currently waiting to drop dd off at the stage door for the first night of her show then back to pick up ds from his jazz rehearsal ( which means I don't get to see the show till tomorrow Sad)

stringchild · 21/06/2017 18:35

And exam done. V hot room but v nice and chatty examiner which made for a positive experience = happy child (except had to play 12 scales when was hoping for less...)

Minimusiciansmama · 21/06/2017 18:42

Well done stringchild xx

Trumpetboysmum · 21/06/2017 18:53

Great news string Smile

troutsprout · 21/06/2017 19:00

Well done mini string .. sounds v positive

Greenleave · 21/06/2017 19:42

Great news string! I feel for her taking her exam today! Big yay to Ministring!

Original poster
Fleurdelise · 21/06/2017 20:51

Well done ministring!

Thanks for the opinions on the music service. Dd has a wind band concert coming up can't wait to see them playing.

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Icouldbeknitting · 21/06/2017 21:15

Congratulations on drawing the chatty examiner string, it's always helpful to be reminded that they are human just like the rest of us.

Fleur are you still on the GCSE marathon or are you done now?

LooseAtTheSeams · 21/06/2017 21:23

Ministring must be superhuman to do the exam in this heat! Well done and nice to hear the examiner was friendly! Smile

Original poster
Fleurdelise · 21/06/2017 21:30

Forgot to say, Waffle you know very well I would commute but 4-5 hours (on a good day) it is a bit too much even for me. Grin

Icouldbe we're done thank God! Last Friday was the last one, DS now has job in the evening as of today (taking phone orders in a fish and chip shop) 2 times a week for 3 hours as I did go a bit mental telling him I cannot sit and wait to see him wasting his life with his mates all day. I offered him to do the NCS but apparently it isn't cool. Hmm

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Icouldbeknitting · 21/06/2017 21:48

I had a chat with the NCS person who rang. Every week she suggested he was already booked on something musical, two residential weeks and as a day delegate on the third. She switched to October half term but that was already booked with county wind band residential and at that point she had to agree that he already had enough on.

Y12 seems to vary considerably, DS has had a grand total of three exams but some children have been taking them for weeks. It all depends on the school's approach, whether it is AS for everything or just for non-linear exams. For me it's been like having a year off.