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.

Waffle indeed she isn't touching any graded pieces, we have three books of studies that she's working her way through, some Gershwin arrangements and two Disney books plus the duets her teacher assigns we won't go anywhere near an exam book for a while.

We're settled for the Merit in clarinet and pass in piano as her piano teacher said, still waiting for the certificates.

Good luck minicallme and rara

Is Rara's exam on Thursday? Good luck to her I'm sure she'll be great!

We had lots of fun tonight on both piano and clarinet, she did some Disney pieces on clarinet and then we remembered I bought her a Disney book for the piano they are grade 1-3 arrangements in terms of difficulty and she sight read cruella de Vil tonight and tried to sing at the same time it was quite a funny experience, she decided she'll learn it all till is commuted to memory first and then start singing along.

Wednesday!

Hi Fleur, yes "Cool" is definitely her strongest piece (and we all love it!!). The one she finds trickiest is "Allegro" (from Toccata). Her other piece which sounded dull as ditchwater till she added the dynamics, then it changed to a lovely piece is "Sostenuto" (Chopin). Thank you all for your good luck, roll on Wednesday. Really looking forward to our holiday after and a bit of a piano break. (Not too much though as her teacher still teaches in the holidays when students and her are available).

Fleur, your dd did Summertime didn't she? Which other pieces?

Callme good luck with the exam - Sostenuto is lovely! I'm looking forward to DS2 learning 'Cool' once Tuesday's exam is out of the way. Best of luck to Rara on Wednesday!
Piano teacher says ABRSM theory is changing so could be good news for DS when he picks up theory again in the autumn, though I suspect he still won't be all that enthusiastic!

Good luck with the exams. We are off on holiday today. We won't be taking the instruments so no practice will be done here for 7 days

Callme dd did the Scarlatti Sonata, Slow Air and Summertime. Good luck on Wednesday!

Loose our piano teacher told us about theory also, I understand the rhythm writing has been taken out, they won't issue new materials so we're still planning to read the pink book starting September and then start doing past papers. Good luck tomorrow!

I have stopped theory with Rara until we know what's going on. Are they bringing out new books next year?

Waffle apparently not. The changes are not major therefore they are stating there is no need to reprint the books.

So no more rhythm writing, melody writing or word setting questions and it is becoming multiple choice.

gb.abrsm.org/en/improving-our-music-theory-exams/whats-changing-and-when/

Oh that's a shame re meolody writing - appealed to dd over some of the other stuff; multiple choice would have been good!

Omg everybody, Waffle in particular, I really need your advice, please don't lose your patience with me.

So the music service teacher came back to explain the model of teaching, indeed just 33 lessons, but she happened to mention she's teaching at one of the well known music schools (I'll come clean, it's Purcell) so she's obviously a really good teacher. What do I do now? I have to say that is making a huge difference in my opinion, she mentioned Purcell is only offering 30 lessons a year and that suits them fine.

Please somebody make the decision for me!!!

We only do 30 lessons per year at the private school. They seem to do more than fine! I think Goo's scholarship is meant to fund 30 -flute lessons - we might well get 32/33 in practice. In piano, she probably gets more like 24! Rara has 36-38 for cello, and is mostly teaching herself the clarinet. I don't think many children have them all year round.

In summary, I wouldn't turn down lessons with a better teacher and a generally better set-up because there are fewer lessons. But I also wouldn't be looking to move unless there was a good reason to - I honestly can't remember what your reasons were...

Waffle I'll pm you the reasons as I don't want them public. Thank you for your opinion.

fleur she sounds good. But at Purcell are the lessons 1h long? That may be a difference? DS lessons are all 1h long now.

She can do 1 hour lessons but she wants to start with 30 min then increase if needed. For grade 3 level she thinks 30 min should be enough.

My DD is just about to start on the clarinet. I've got hold of a Buffet B12, but it doesn't have a ligature. I have no idea about clarinets, can anyone advise what would be suitable (without being silly money)?

Fleur - if you fell you have good reasons and there is a really good teacher on offer, I would be tempted. JDs generally work on 30 lessons; dd moved to an hour once she got to around g6/7 but it is entirely possible you could supplement the time with the teacher anyway?

Thank you string I know is sounds snobbish but the fact that she is teaching at a well known music school, I have also read that they have 30 min to 1 hour lessons there for their second instrument, made me decide that I will move her after all. There is still the part of losing the personal touch but a few of you stated previously that it wasn't necessarily the case all the time so we will have to give it a try otherwise I will end up regretting it.

Pairing this with some private conversation I has with Waffle and some feedback I think it is the best decision to take.

whatscomingoverthehill have a look at the Rovner ligature they sell it on Amazon.

Fleur - you will do the right thing (and nothing is irreversible :); but....i do now see purcell in your dd's future

string Her piano teacher did suggest auditioning this autumn (on piano) but considering how she has meltdowns due to low confidence we've decided against it.

When we were making the decision to move to JD, and I was having lots of panics, her teacher said exactly like string. If it's not right, she'll go back to how we have been doing it. I'm aware it will be harder to gauge that due to the lack of me in lessons and much less feedback etc but I think you and I will both work out the keeping an eye on them as they try this out xxxxx

Minimama you have said some very wise words, ultimately we have to try and it isn't irreversible as string also said.

Good to have somebody else going through a similar experience from September, we can support and moan together , it will be a challenge but hopefully we'll be onto a winner.