June Music Thread

[Fleurdelise]

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 ) 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 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.

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!

Re, practice on hols...

I talked about our roll-up piano a while ago. We bought it as we were away just before an exam and DS was utterly under-prepared. But it's more like a toy for DS and while he enjoyed playing it with drums and other interesting sound settings, he hardly ever used it as piano.

However we still take it with us for longish holidays as it's light anyway and can serve as a great toy.

His violin usually comes with us also for longish holidays, although it's usually untouched as lots other things keep us busy when we are away. But it doesn't matter. We take it as DS doesn't like leaving his violin at the empty, lonely home...

However.... Last Christmas, we took his violin on our skiing holiday, without much thoughts. He was too busy skiing and doing other stuff to even notice the existence during the holiday. But it was OK as we expected it would be like that as always. But when we got back home and opened the case, we found the strings went all wonky in a way we had never seen before. The boiling room in the ski resort was not very kind to the poor instrument!

So..., while we may still take the violin with us for a long stay, we now know never again to skiing...

Kutik - we had a violin that har issues with a very cold dry winter and needed an emergency dash to the luthier to get the fingerboard sanded just before an important audition.... fussy creatures violins!

Lovely video ealing
Dd has made herself a scale tick off sheet and a scale bag for the summer. She finished her school year last week and had 2 inset days last Thurs and Fri. She moves up a year today ( year 10 as of today) . They kind of view that weekend as a mini summer holiday and a chance for a bit of a clear out/ regroup. Hence the scale bag. I was really impressed that she announced and then sorted it herself .. but it turns out that her clarinet teacher has told her that she won't enter her for the next exam unless she has all her scales by September.
Well played clarinet teacher! .. well played. She knows Dd well.
Seems to have lit a fire under dd's bottom scalewise anyway.

I like the clarinet teacher's thinking trout Must suggest that with DD1 for her sax. It has been sadly neglected recently with focus being on the oboe for various auditions and a school music competition this week. Will have to get her kicked into gear for over the summer. She hates scales, but now recognises the value of learning them well after 19/21 helped her over the line to distinction in G6 oboe. Might have less of a battle than usual. I can always hope!

Really well done Miniminimus and MiniFleur. Fleur could totally relate to your time line.

Thank- you for your kind messages for DD. We got grade 2 drum result and she got a Distinction . I think she is going to move on the grade four in the drums. I need to find out more about other percussion opportunities as this is what she really enjoys, just not too sure where to start?

So glad the exams are out of the way two within 10 days and a heatware not much fun!

Hello, my dd is just starting out in her music journey and it has been lovely reading about all your children's achievements and enjoyment of playing music.

My dd (Year 4) has her first music exam tomorrow - grade 2 flute. She loves playing flute and piano and will take herself off to play for ages (often not the tunes she is 'supposed' to be practicing though!) but is very anxious about performing in front of others, and is getting in a bit of a state about tomorrow. She has just declared through tears that she doesn't want to do the exam and doesn't want to play the flute any more. She can play all pieces, scales etc, fine when relaxed on her own, but makes little mistakes when she is nervous. How can I help her best this evening - practice / encouragement / or give her a rest and early night?

Welcome dappled! Please tell her from me that she is AMAZING to be doing Grade 2 flute in Year 4 - it's not an instrument you can really start when you're tiny, and she is so much further along than most. Can you sit with her tonight and look on Amazon/ Musicroom to pick out some fun books for after the exam? (e.g. 'What Else Can I Play - Grade 2', 'Congratulations, You've Passed Grade 2' and Disney). Also give lots of encouragement, a fun evening and an early night. It sounds like she's ready. If she talks about being nervous and making mistakes, you could point out that everyone does the same in an exam situation, and most do pass.

Trout, Fleur, thank you. We have real clarinet envy in this house. But, I've had to draw the line somewhere...she can pick it up when she can find the time as an older musician and pay for it herself . I love hearing all your DC that can play with such beautiful tone (including the mini waffles, string etc here also)!

Hello dappledsky, very very best of luck for tomorrow. I am sure others will come on with wiser words of wisdom. Mine is just to remind her that the examiner is rooting for her, likes nothing better than to encourage them to succeed, and has a fantastic job of listening to musicians all day, what is there not to enjoy! . She doesn't need to know that there is the odd grumpy one that we seem to regularly get...

We used to do very little the night before apart from maybe one play through, few scales. By that stage, if nerves are so bad, it can escalate so I'd try and keep as low key as possible. Of course I've learnt this the hard way. But your DD sounds really prepared, remind her of this and fingers x'd for you both! And remind her it's only 15/20 mins max away from going and getting an ice cream

x-post with waffle. I seem to have an odd obsession with the word remind today

Mending - DS was playing the violin with ill fitted bridge for two months after the holiday as we didn't realise what the wonky strings caused. A luthier pointed it out and kindly adjusted it when I brought the whole set for a rehair job. But having the fingerboard sanded! That sound a major job!

Welcome dappled!

Oh I love to watch the clips! But I'm having a problem with loading videos and stuff (internet/network prob?). I'm hoping to be able to watch them soon!

To those with NCO knowledge... Do you think soon-to-be-10 years old violinist who has never taken one to one lessons but have been in a group for nearly two years has any chance?

She is very bright and has good ears, tremendous memory and sight-reading skills. The parent reckons she would be around grade 4-5. She also plays piano and took grade 1 and 2 last year (8 yo/Y4), and again the parent reckons she is probably around grade 5 now. She is starting one to one lesson very soon with a RAM trained teacher. The parent thinks the private lesson with the good teacher would make her progress even quicker than now.

The parent is going to ask the teacher about it, but also asked my views. What I understand is the competition and standard for the violinists are sky high even for the younger group. She will be U11. Worth trying?

I survived the weekend with lots of tennis and music performances! Thank you miniealing for sharing on combining sports and music. Your mini's schedule sound exhausting with 6.30 start and not back in till late; but they have lots of energy. My eldest DS (13) will have to make time for some music practice in the morning even if short one 20min, on horn until he passes G8. Otherwise the evenings are all full with tennis till 9pm. And then I guess he can do orchestra, bands, etc at school when there is time. Unfortunately, it is a case of reducing music with hopefully more quality than quantity practice...thank you ealing I'll remind myself this..
I just watched some of the new videos- lovely Rara, Goo and miniealing on piano. I uploaded my middle DS (Y4-9 years old) on cello and baby DS (6). I'll try and video the eldest :).
We have one last exam this session (after the theory just done) with again my middle DS on horn G4. It is this Sat and he needs lots more practice on it. Slight panic as with other things going on not sure how well prepared he is. He does horn with the county music service at school so I do not really see the teacher, but he had e-mail me that DS is ready.
dappledsky welcome! Good luck on the exam tomorrow.
drummer with the young man :). Kutik it will be good to exchange tips on combing sport with music.

Welcome dappled and good luck with the exam tomorrow. Let's us know how it goes
I think this is perfectly normal to have a last minute brain melt . I think it's a self preservation mechanism ..setting out the scenario for the worst that can happen.
With Dd, I always say.. "you've done all the work.. you are grade x standard.. just show it and enjoy showing it"
She gives the examiner a big big smile as she goes in and she reckons that helps her nervewise enormously because they nearly always give a big smile back and she can relax a bit because she then feels they both just want to see what she can do.
missy excellent result ! Well done to your Dd

I just realised I forgot to thank you for the piano Jazz route all. Thank you!

dappled welcome and just to say quickly that your dd sounds like mine, she swears every exam is her last, she doesn't want to do them anymore, this time she even asked in the morning of the exams not to take them. I usually just brush it off as nerves, I remind her of what her teacher says, you are at that level, you are well prepared, just go in and show it and no matter what we all know your level and we'll move on to more fun stuff once done. The funny bit is that a couple of months after the exams she starts asking herself when is she choosing her next exams pieces.

Good luck with the coming exams all!

Kutik - very much def worth trying if the teacher thinks its a good idea; they can always ring the NCO if they are unused to having pupils auditioning, and get a sense of what the audition is like etc.

good luck to all the exams this week - at least it is not quite so hot as last week....

Musicathome - nice Scherzo - accents very well done :)

I also forgot to say, we always reward dd with something after the exams regardless of the results, that always helps, rewarding the efforts rather than results.

Yes, very nice Scherzo! Just caught up with the channel and love all the performances. Well done on the great exam results too - lots of good news!
Dappled it's actually quite normal to feel like that before the exam (you should have seen me just before mine!) but I promise the examiner will be lovely and the way to think of it is that the exam itself is over very quickly. Good luck and make sure your DD has a little treat afterwards for doing the exam!

Ah, I see Fleur and I are on the same page there! Definitely reward for taking exam regardless of the result!

stringchild and Loose thank you. My middle DS is obsessed with his cello :). He dusts it/cleans it almost daily and he also busks in the town centre with it. I stay with him as he is only 9 and I sit at a coffee shop somewhere close by so I can keep an eye. I would have never done this at his age, but he loves it and makes a lot of money :). This then spurs him to practice more and expand his repertoire.
Anyway on exams, his cello teacher does not do exams with the students until they are about G7/8 and then just does these final exams. She does not believe in exams, which suits us very well.

Kutik, definitely worth trying, the fee is cheap (£20), they will only have to pay for accompaniment, although the performing experience is totally worth it. We are very similar to your friends' daughter. My daughter started at school on group lessons more than 2 yrs ago(the school lesson only started from 7+ yrs old), then our piano teacher who can also play violin(however he isnt as great violinist, he doesnt do violin lessons and doesnt play any more) helped with lessons for nearly a year then we have been on and off switching to few teachers with a period of no teacher for 3 months last year before the NCO audition. Yes, compare to some very serious young violinists then it doesnt appear there could be a chance and my daughter knows it. It doesnt stop her trying again this year though. Its agreat aim for mine to work on and practise, thats all I need, without exams and audition then mine might never touch the instrument until the rehearsal day(for Orchestra).

Last night I did 2 things: wrote down the list of activities for the weeks that I'd like her to do and list of 10 new words to improve her vocabulary and stick them on the Fridge. This will be my weekly thing. When I wrote it down then I realised how busy she is: 30mins morning piano practice daily seems impossible as she cant never wake up before 7.30 and leaves home for school at 8.30( this family except me has a habit of spending very long time in the loo, 30mins of loo time in the morning isnt unusual). 2 days a week she is at school on other activities or clubs until late and only be able to finish dinner, change by 7.30, and by this time she usually begs for a 30mins much loved reading time. Then the other 2 afternoon she is only home on time for the music lessons. Saturday is swimming and French. Sunday afternoon is Orchestra. Leaving no time for violin. This might be why she hasnt been practising as much as I havent told her when to practise. I usually ask her to cut her reading time for violin however not every week, 3 days/week. The 30mins a day seems so hard to find. (And this is my moan, no where near the sport commitment level that many of us doing here). My task is to guide her to a routine. Hopefully it wont be too late yet(along with what needs to prioritise). We are quite sick of the g5 violin pieces after learning them the last 6 months. I am finding a way for her not to kill them. She played them better a month ago.

Well that's the exams over with for now. He was a rather stern chap, he upset the girl before my little miss with his attitude towards her own composition. Anyway, my girly said her pieces went well apart from one bit of the middle piece but she carried on. Her scales & exercises she said were fine and her sight reading (she normally is brilliant at that) she made two note mistakes. She got one musical knowledge question wrong. She came out quite upset with herself but I think it sounds like she'll be pleased when the final result comes. He wasn't nice though.

Thank you string and Green. I'll pass the positive words to the parent! I have a feeling the girl will surprise us. She is one of those who doesn't seem to require a lot of efforts to get a result. Also I have never seen her making a single mistake whenever she played....

Well done miniMini!