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Extra-curricular activities

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Original poster

July Music Thread

999 replies

Wafflenose · 01/07/2017 00:12

I was celebrating the end of a VERY busy week with a glass of Wine 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.

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TheSecondOfHerName · 09/07/2017 16:42

Minor mistakes in the pieces and she felt that she hadn't played quite in time with the accompanist.

One technical exercise went OK, in the other she messed up the bar that she had carefully practised because it was tricky.

In the sight-reading she played the first bar, then started again and played it through.

The aural was the worst, which is unusual for her. She said she said the wrong interval (said 5th when she meant major 3rd), and had to guess one of the other answers.

The exam was in a concert auditorium rather than a normal-sized room, so she may have been intimidated by the environment.

Trumpetboysmum · 09/07/2017 17:12

That doesn't sound too bad at all. Ds made a couple of minor errors in his technical bit last week and thinks he might have got a bit out of time in one piece ( tricky rit and they had only practiced together once) these errors only cost him a couple of marks so I'm sure it will be fine

Original poster
Wafflenose · 09/07/2017 17:28

That doesn't sound bad at all. The ones who care about it and cry afterwards always tend to pass. I have had a handful of failures during my career, and they mostly seemed ok about their performances... it was me that had tone warn them that they might not have passes.

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Original poster
Wafflenose · 09/07/2017 17:28

Passed!

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Fleurdelise · 09/07/2017 18:07

Waffle have you checked the new wind syllabus yet? If so what do you think about it? That is exactly what dd's teacher said to her, that her experience of over 25 years tells her the pupils who cry when it goes wrong tend to pass as they are the ones wanting it all to be perfect, practiced hard therefore they'll pass even on a bad day.

TheSecond that doesn't sound bad at all. I am convinced she'll pass and get more than a pass.

Minimusiciansmama · 09/07/2017 18:25

Thesecond that doesn't sound like grounds for failure.... perhaps not the result she'd have hoped for but what we'd all call small mistakes seem massive to them in the exam. The mark system just isn't designed to only allow perfection to succeed.... small slips don't cost them an exam. Stressful though xx

Original poster
Wafflenose · 09/07/2017 18:26

The scales seem a bit random, but there are fewer, so I'm not too bothered. I don't like faffing around with 12th scales and would rather just bite the bullet and teach two octaves. There seems to be a good choice of pieces, and the jump from grade 1 to 2 Flute is more sensible - it was too small before, then Grade 3 was a shock. Glad you see the back of the massively overpriced CDs. I'm off to buy the Grade 1-3 books for clarinet tomorrow, as I could do with becoming familiar with the pieces, especially the piano parts. I have a whole army of littlies at the moment, and am likely to have four Grade 1s, 1 Grade 2 (Rara's friend) and 1 Grade 3 (Rara) in the next term or two alone.

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foundoutyet · 09/07/2017 18:29

This is moving to fast to catch up.
Just to mention about pack horses. Don't forget the hockey sticks....

Was at a big airport yesterday where a "random " person was playing a grand piano. Fun to watch

Doubleup · 09/07/2017 19:32

With us, DD1's hockey stick goes in at the start of the autumn term and doesn't come home until Easter. She plays hockey out of school, but we have a better stick at home for that. Separate mouth guard too. The only issue has been shin pads left at school twice and we managed to borrow some for matches.

drummersmum · 09/07/2017 19:48

the second you do well in not worrying yet. It doesn't sound like a fail at all. Big hugs to her.
DS came out with a big smile, he was so glad to have finished it. Nerves and hand played against him and he had a memory lapse in a piece which he had played perfectly for months and the injured hand wobbled at a difficult passage in another. We shall see... He was so happy to have managed at least to finish it, that's all that's in my mind now. He has just cooked home made pizza!

Trumpetboysmum · 09/07/2017 19:56

Good news drummers Smile

Trumpetboysmum · 09/07/2017 19:56

Good news drummers Smile

TheSecondOfHerName · 09/07/2017 19:59

drummersmum there's a big sense of relief when they're done, isn't there?

Not to mention the relief at not having to listen to those pieces every single day. Grin

LooseAtTheSeams · 09/07/2017 20:05

Awww drummers well done to him and now he can really look forward to the holidays! Star

callmeadoctor · 09/07/2017 20:38

Wish my DD luck on Wednesday. Grade 5 piano, her pieces are good (one tricky piece that can go either way but has had lots of practice). Sight reading hmm......... aural pretty good normally. Scales not too bad but probably will never be fast enough!!! "Cool" is good :-)
Followed by her playing at the school celebration evening the same day but she is also receiving an award of some kind so that will be a lovely end to the day. I always feel so sick with nerves though!

callmeadoctor · 09/07/2017 20:39

I will be so happy never to hear those pieces again though! Grin

callmeadoctor · 09/07/2017 20:40

I think Wednesday may be the last ABRSM day?

Trumpetboysmum · 09/07/2017 20:41

Callme I always feel sick with nerves too !! Sounds like the sort of crazy days ds has . Good luck to your dd for Wednesday Smile

AlexandraLeaving · 09/07/2017 20:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheSecondOfHerName · 09/07/2017 20:55

callmeadoctor good luck to your DD for Wednesday. That's quite a day!

stringchild · 09/07/2017 20:56

gosh so many posts - will catch up later, but best of luck for the remaining exams and well done to all those finished - am sure they have all done brilliantly :)

Trumpets - we were at Regionals today, and other sections of u12s haven't had their purple patches yet, so your DS is not alone

Fleur - i feel for you making decisions re teachers; i have found it really difficult to balance all the different aspects. Sounds like you have a really good working relationship and that is worth a lot. i must admit i miss the communication of being around lessons/in touch with the teacher- i hear nothing from one term to the next really, only via the annual assessments/reports.

Waffle - we have the new g7 book; i got it as it promised lots of different types of pieces but i think it is not so varied as expected. Was going to suggest to dd she delays g7 until the new pieces kicked in, but actually am not sure she will be anymore excited by the new ones....may be time to look at Trinity

Fleurdelise · 09/07/2017 20:57

drummers great news all done now!Star

callme good luck for tomorrow! Which piece is the tricky one? Is your dd doing Cool? I had a vague memory she was doing Summertime but obviously not. Dd is learning Cool now for pleasure.

Fleurdelise · 09/07/2017 20:59

Waffle good to hear your review, I have no clue regarding the changes to grade 4/5 so I will wait till her teacher is asking us to buy the book, whichever she wants us to buy.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 09/07/2017 21:08

Well done; Drummerboy. Phew!

There is SO much repertoire for her level Fleur, including Jazzin' About, Going Solo and the best of the What Else Can I Play? booms (Grade 4) so I hope she will enjoy some of those. Did you get to the bottom of the pass and merit thing with her two exams?

String, have you looked at the alternative pieces? We got the Grade 7 book for Goo, but she only ended up playing one of the pieces out of it, and some alternatives.

Still waiting to hear about my Grade 1 Flute from the end of last month. Rara has Grade 3 Cello in Wednesday, and an 18 year old pupil who's been with me for ever is doing Grade 7. She hasn't worked terribly hard, so is shaky in places, but it's now or never.

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Trumpetboysmum · 09/07/2017 21:09

Thanks for that String if I don't hear back tomorrow ( I emailed and asked if they had trumpet parts yet) I'll give them a call ds is away all week anyway it will be very quite in this house with no trumpetboy!!