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!

I've just put DS in for audition for NCO for the first time this year as he really wanted to have a go and we've got an audition centre very locally. Not sure how that will go as previously I had thought (possibly wrongly but old guidelines have been taken off their website so can't view them retrospectively) that he "might" stand a chance of getting into the training orchestra (comfortable grade 4 standard on cello) but as others have noted, they've changed the groupings this year so it looks like it's under 10's or nothing for him as training only goes up to age 8 now and he'll be 9 on the 1st September? His strong point is his intonation but sight reading can be a bit hit and miss so we'll need to work really hard on that over the next few months. Would love to hear from others with mini cellists who've done NCO and what sort of standard they were at!

I keep missing the start of these threads... you're all fast movers (!)...

I have DS (12) who has his G7 cello exam this month. DD (9) is between exams at the moment having passed G7 violin last term and working towards G4 piano and 11plus.

SunsetBoulevard both of mine are in NCO for the third time this year - they both got in from the reserve list this year. My cellist boy started in U10s and auditioned with his G4 pieces in Oct having taken his exam in the July and at the time I think his standard was pretty average in the cellos but as he has got older it has become harder.

The changes to the age limits has upset DD because it means she will no longer be with her best friend and roomie - DD is August born Y5 and her friend is Dec born Y4... they are both reauditioning though having made other friends.

Hope that helps!

Musicdoc, your DD auditioned U10s when her level was about grade 7 and only got in from reserve list. Wow How difficult is U10s. Now I do not expect my DD will get in next year.

Thanks for that Musicdoc, maybe not beyond the realms of possibility then if he can get his sight reading up to a good enough standard.

I have Rara currently aged 9 years and 2 weeks. She is about to take her Grade 3 Cello exam, but isn't applying for NCO on the cello because her teacher and I don't think she'll make the cut. Her sight reading is good, but expressive details and key signatures sometimes vague. She's also very shy and inhibited. It's not about the grade really - she'd possibly be bumping along the bottom in Under 10s grade-wise, presuming she is working within Grade 4 this time next year - but she's just not much of a performer.

Sunset I managed to find the grades list on the nco website ( don't ask me how!!) it says cello for the under 10's is between grade 3 and grade 8 but I say go for it it's more about how you play on the day and your sight reading ( ds got in for the first time this year under 12's and he wasn't going in with a particularly high grade and we also did loads of sight reading over the summer and he said it was fine) hope that helps

What they liked about ds was apparently his really relaxed attitude I just wish we could see some of this at home !!

Its a week of much piano practice here, far more than got done for the exam . Amazing what having to master 5 or 6 pages of music in less than a week can do for your motivation, especially when you are accompanying your history teacher's son lol.

They have done two rehearsals - apparently it went better this afternoon. DD usually pulls it off when it comes to performances so I'm not too worried.

Waffle I've just seen Goo with her new flute and she's great!

Well it looks like dd is pulling her usual joke, peaking the week before the exam (last weekend she was quite good and I was quite hopeful) and messing it all up a few days before. She has fingers slipping, forgetting dynamics, coming out of rhythm, arghhhh!

Anyway I have such busy time at work that I haven't really got time to worry and care (same with DS's GCSEs) which is good I suppose. Last piano lesson before the exam is on Friday and on clarinet Saturday. Tuesday cannot come any sooner to be honest so we can get it out of the way.

Next Friday we're going out to celebrate both DS exams finishing and dd's exams gone. And then I promise I'll stop whining.

I don't think we'll audition for NCO this year, first I don't believe dd's level is up to scratch on clarinet, second because she has the secondary school exam and music audition (hopefully, if she gets past the MAT) so I don't want to add to the stress. On the other hand if DS stays put for sixth form dd would automatically be offered a place therefore I could apply late, end of August.

Fleur I'm sure it will all be fine I will think of you both next Tuesday and send lots of positive vibes

Thank you trumpet! I think she'll pass but I feel for her as she definitely won't get more than a pass (unless she pull it off in the next few days, unlikely). She'll get her promised prize though as she did work hard given her age, she is saving for a Lego set so I said I'll put some money towards it.

I think she will surprise you and get two distinctions, and if she messes up, two merits. Honestly!

I would apply for NCO and pull out if it's all too much. She'll be playing lots of things Grade 5+ by the time the courses roll around in 14 months, so definitely great for primary school age, and besides, Associate membership/ regional orchestra and/ or a reserve place is well worth having.

Thank you Waffle for your trust in dd, I am a pessimist I admit (does it show?)

I'll think about NCO seriously either this weekend or next, I'll talk to her clarinet teacher on Saturday. I feel in two minds about changing her also, dd doesn't want to. I may continue with her even though I can see the advantage of the LA lessons. Dd doesn't take well to change, she just started communicating with her clarinet teacher a couple of months ago, so around 10 months after starting lessons with her. I am worried that if I go against her wish she'll regress and the new teacher won't understand, with the current one we explained that she doesn't like new settings and she shouldn't worry dd doesn't talk to her. The have a fab relationship and the teacher now knows that no signs of verbal engagement from dd doesn't mean lack of interest, in fact she's fully committed.

I think, if her teacher agrees, we will apply. Though she's on the young side now, she'd be auditioning on G4 stuff which seems to fit with u10 grade standards and she'll be nearly 9 by August 2018. I think the audition fee would be money well spent simply for the experience of auditioning this time and if she got even associate, brilliant.

You must apply, Mini! Goo was friends with a wind player in Under 10s who auditioned aged 7, and turned 8 just before the course. She was very good, and seemed to cope with the social side and the long hours of playing.

I have quite a few little clarinetists at the moment, and am hoping some of them might apply this year, or (more likely) next. I did have a pupil who got in last time, so it's nice to know that I'm on the right track, in terms of getting them there.

DD2 had a much better lesson tonight with positive feedback. She needs that; if she feels things aren't going too well, she tends to back off the practice or get argumentative. She's worked really hard this week or two, breaking things down, sorting out the niggles and putting it back together. She started playing with a new reed two weeks ago and is producing a much bigger sound. Hopefully she will pass, and if she has a very good day, she might do better. Still has to play with the accompanist tho........ Could still fall apart

Fleur - really, i would let dd do it; we found auditioning a welcome diversion from the 11plus this year, plus the pieces were the same as school auction pieces. DD got into u10s having played less than a full year. She has always appeared to be bottom of the grade lists but found reality somewhat different when she gets there.....and it is all about the audition :) , DD is affected by the age change and it is not clear that she will want to repeat a year and leave her very close section and other friends, so i think we will be auditioning for the national wind ensembles alongside in case she decides to take a year out of nco (should she get in!)

We are putting her in for u10s audition- her teachers has wholeheartedly encouraged me that she thinks it would be a good experience. With a very lighthearted "go have fun playing to some nice people with no expectations of anything else beyond that" kind of attitude. The way I'm viewing it is it's a fantastic experience showing her what to expect for the next time when she's a year older. And if she gets regionals or something... a surprising bonus. But who knows!

Hello everyone! Gosh found some wifi on holiday at last! (FWP I know)...sorry not had a chance to read everyone's news yet so will do tomorrow.

Well just got the text from the teacher - merit for miniprada (DD11) G7 violin. Complete surprise given she had a temperature of 102 on the day 😱 Very proud mama today ❤️

That's great news well done miniprada

Well done miniprada!

Well done miniprada

A big cheer here for MiniPrada

An audition is never a waste of time because it's good experience and like anything else, the more you do it the easier it becomes.