July Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

I was celebrating the end of a VERY busy week with a glass of and realised it's now just past midnight, and therefore July! Have a new thread!

The music threads are for ALL musicians, young and old, beginners and advanced, and every style of music!

I have two DDs, Goo (11) who is currently stropping and eye-rolling her way through her last few weeks at primary school, and Rara (9) who is funny and creative. Goo is working towards Grade 8 Flute, and has been playing the piano for just over a year. She is refusing to take any exams or perform on it though. Rara has her Grade 3 Cello exam coming up soon, and is just moving beyond Grade 2 Clarinet now. Both played the recorder from age 3/4 and got to a really good level, but other than helping out with my school groups, they don't really play any more - they are particularly obsessed with the flute and clarinet.

I am a teacher of woodwind - currently about 80 recorder pupils (many group taught) in two schools, plus two private flute pupils and six private clarinet pupils.

Thanks waffle.... I'd have joined you in raising a glass of something tasty but (seriously) aged 34 I was refused when I tried to buy a Friday treat! So I'll raise a cup of tea instead!

July already! Well done for all the exam results and concerts, and well done rara for being so mature about her achievements in front of her friend.

No big music plans here this month but i realised last night that ds probably doesnt know much music English so we may need to go over some stuff before his summer course...

Thanks for the new thread waffle. I have a ds 12 who plays trumpet and has his grade 7 today !! ( at least we can listen to some new pieces soon) he also started to play the piano about a year ago and really loves that. I also have a ds aged 9 who loves to sing ( and act and dance) . Ds is also fast becoming a teenager Waffle which can be quite challenging at times !! But at least he managed not to break his fingers or damage his mouth on a bouncy castle last night even if it wasn't the best activity for an injured foot ( but he wouldn't be told!!)

Just caught up on the end of June's thread. Double great news about the exam ( I think your dd's grade 7 prep experiences sound very similar to ds's I still have no idea why they have rushed to do the exam now but like you I'm hoping it's a very long time before he does his grade 8 - hopefully when he's playing well above that level ). I'm looking forward to a large glass of red wine 🍷 tonight!!
Waffle rara's sensitive response to her friends quizzing was lovely and so mature

Well done minidoubleup!
Also to MiniNoteven !.
Lots of positive exam experiences
Took stock on dd's scales before the 'summer of learning scales'. She's not in such a bad place as I had previously thought .. but she still managed to whinge the entire session.
I will need the patience of a saint this summer.
Dd has always refused to look at written scales saying she needs to 'find them with her fingers instead'
Her clarinet teachers have always encouraged this but (as a visual learner myself) I always wonder if looking would cement them better.
What do other dc do?

Ds only ever looks at the music if he has a total blank this is what his teacher recommends

Do ABRSM call for a lot more scales than trinity? I've read some of you saying about your DCs preparing 14 scales... or is this the higher grades? They're compulsory on all instruments aren't they? (They're not compulsory except in piano with trinity). Think we have to switch boards when the move to YYM happens

I think by the time you get to grade 8 you have to know All scales for both Abrsm ( and trinity if you take the scales option)

I had a Trinity-taking scale avoider and the result was that he had to buckle down and learn them when he needed them for auditions. There is no escaping scales.

The two scale jars will be reappearing over the summer as there are auditions on the horizon again.

Oh I agree about them being just par for the course. My girl learns each grades scales whether or not she does them for her exam, I just wondered whether come grade 4/5 the list is longer for ABRSM

Hi all and many thanks to waffle for new thread! Huge respect to Rara for handling a tricky situation so well.
Also wow! To Minidouble and a but definitely agree no more exams for a while! That's such a big achievement.
I have DS1 (15) who takes grade 8 bass guitar at the end of next month. He also plays drum kit and tuned percussion. He's looking forward to performing in Music for Youth in Birmingham next Thursday with his drum line group.
DS2 (12) has his grade 4 piano in just over a week and his scales have collapsed. He has to fix the fingering asap. Pieces are fine, sightreading fine, aural fine (but he doesn't let us hear him sing).
On the upside, he's playing cello in a concert today and in the school concert at the end of term. Grade 5 exam at some point but not sure when; he's benefitting from playing lots of great pieces and not stressing about an exam!

For trumpet yes I think you do need to learn more scales for abrsm

Ds1 takes his exam at end of this month, not next - doh!
(Grade 5 abrsm piano seems to be all the scales!)

Best of luck to minitrumpet today! I'm just pleased that DD2 came out of the whole Grade 7 thing unscathed. So much pressure for a 10 year old. DH was threatening to return the bassoon only 10 days ago as the stress was building.
DD's teacher was saying that she was unhappy with the examiner. He asked one of her pupils for scales from the wrong grade and thought his marking was all over the place. She had written very clearly on the bottom of the sheet that DD was to do her accompanied pieces, then do her aural etc and then do her study and orchestral excerpts as doing all three in a row is a very big blow for a skinny 10 year old with not the biggest lung capacity. DD is very quiet and not assertive at all (apart from at home!) and as he didn't say anything she didn't want to rock the boat and so continued. The study piece is the longest I think I have ever seen. The exam is schedule to take 23 mins, but because all the pieces are so long, it took over half an hour. DD looked drained when she came out, but at least there were no tears. The look of pure relief on her face when I told her!

That's such a relief. Yes I've told ds he has to be assertive ( in a nice way) today if they ask him for scales rather than excerpts or if his foot hurts and he needs to sit down for the aural. Exams are a bit of a lottery in some ways not as objective as they could be !! ( which is what I've told ds) as is his playing as his nerves build!! I was also on the verge of just stopping the whole thing a couple of weeks ago so I'm pleased he feels that he can take the exam whatever the outcome

Thank you Waffle for the new thread!

I have dd 9 who just passed her grade 5 piano and grade 3 clarinet in June, she's been learning piano for just under 4 years and clarinet for the last year. She's now taking time learning new pieces and enjoying playing. I also have DS 15, soon to be 16 in exactly 30 days, who's not interested in music (other than dancing in a club to it)

Good luck with the exams Trumpet today and Loose next week.

Regarding scales yes, for grade 5 Abrsm Dd had to learn all of them.

Hi all, I have ds who has just turned 11. He plays violin and is approx grade 6 though doesn't do exams. He plays in a few local orchestras and is lead 2nd violin and has just been accepted into our County orchestra with no audition and is playing in first violins so very proud. He has a big open air concert this afternoon so praying the weather holds (looks iffy down here in the SE).

He's hoping to audition for Junior Guildhall next Spring so wants to be a solid grade 7 by then.

He has Aspergers and I'm pretty certain that this affects his ability to practise constructively. This is what we're struggling with at the mo. He had a recital at school and he played Anitra's Dance from the Peer Gynt Suite. He was only given 2 weeks notice so I thought he did pretty well considering. I wish I could post a video but can't work out how to do it!!

Disorganised did I send you the YouTube channel details?

I have dd 8 who is taking G4 violin in October. She had been working on the G2 clarinet syllabus but we have now decided to change teacher after countless issues so we will see how that pans out

By the way it appears that the certificates no longer arrive the day after the exams, we texted our teacher to ask if they arrived and apparently now they arrive 10 days after the results. Just thought I'd let you all know. This is ABRSM.

Fleurdelise no you didn't but that would be great thanks.

Hello everyone and well done for the great results on the end of the last thread; also special kudos to Rara for being a v good friend indeed :)

DD is yr 6, plays cello and clarinet, and attends JD; took her grade 8 this session and awaiting the results. Any diploma is many many years away, if ever.

Minimusic - grade 8 scales seemed endless - think there were 43 in total (not sure if that includes different bowing etc). Exam took 40mins.....

Hello all

Congratulations to all those with lovely results. And bravo Rara.

I have DS2, 14. Working towards Grade 8 on piano and trombone, around Grade 6-7 on clarinet and around Grade 5 on organ (started in January). He is also sings in the Cathedral Youth Choir and as a Junior Choral Scholar.

DD is 17 and plays alto and Bari sax mainly, plus a bit of piano and clarinet. She and DS2 play in lots of groups in and out of school.

I also have DS1 at uni, still playing brass instruments in as many ensembles as possible.

We are just on the way to collect him. He actually finished nearly 3 weeks ago but there have been lots of concerts since then he wanted to do. He is marching this afternoon as we are driving down, so playing until the last. (Studies Physics, not music!)

How did today go Trumpets?

I don't post very often but could I have link to recordings too? Would love to hear all the DC's play, they all sound so lovely. I promise to try and persuade DD to let me put her on there - although anyone who knows me will find her on You Tube anyway.