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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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Fleurdelise · 15/07/2017 11:00

Thanks guys, I am sure it will be fine.

TheSecond can you please pm me the details? We do have a teacher lined up who plays at the music school but just in case it doesn't work out. Thank you!

onlymusic · 15/07/2017 11:02

Fleur, what happened with clarinet lessons that you need to change a teacher? I looked back few pages but didn't understand...
It is always unpleasant to change a teacher but not the end of the world. In fact I think most teachers are used to it and don't have a problem with students leaving.
Good luck anyway!

onlymusic · 15/07/2017 11:04

TheSecondOfHerName, high five 🖐 👍 ✌️

Fleurdelise · 15/07/2017 11:14

Done! Sad It did feel sad as she's a lovely woman and the good news is that she's happy to have ad hoc lessons if we ever need them. So we may fill in the lessons gaps here and there in the future.

Fleurdelise · 15/07/2017 11:17

Only without getting into all the details of it publicly we found a teacher that is teaching at one of the well known music schools and she's also the wind band leader where dd plays. Combined with little teaching things currently that I could see are not 100% right and some private advice from Waffle which reinforced my opinion we've decided to move teachers. Smile

Fleurdelise · 15/07/2017 11:24

One thing is for sure: we need to think seriously about grade 5 theory as dd's piano teacher said she doesn't want to change boards for that reason. She does value Trinity and likes their approach to exams (she used to do Trinity exams with one instrument and Abrsm with another) but she said no way she'll allow dd to move boards just because she didn't do grade 5 theory, it needs to be done full stop. Hmm

What's good is that the current clarinet teacher does theory lessons so I may continue with her on theory from September.

onlymusic · 15/07/2017 11:28

Fleur 👍
I am pleased to hear it is all done now. Yes, I think sometimes people who are not in the situation (like Waffle) help us to see what is going on. We have been through that and someone told me, come on, cannot you see what benefit change of teacher will bring? It is a difficult decision but sometimes it is the only way to go.

onlymusic · 15/07/2017 11:29

It is getting easier the more teachers you change though 😂

TheSecondOfHerName · 15/07/2017 11:30

Fleurdelise I have PMed you the details of DS2's clarinet teacher so you have a back-up. He also teaches music theory.

LooseAtTheSeams · 15/07/2017 11:34

Thanks for the sympathy everyone! DS1 is much happier today and I've calmed down now!
Got his school report - predictably the only 2 subjects that are below where they should be are art and music because he hasn't finished things! Grrr. A busy summer ahead!
Well done Fleur that can't have been easy.
Well done on all the fantastic exam results - this is a very talented thread indeed!

Kutik73 · 15/07/2017 11:37

Fleur, you may not need any more reassurance but if it helps I like to share my experience of giving notice which I did a couple of weeks ago.

I kept the news with me for a while as I was waiting for a chance to talk face to face without DS being around. I finally had a chance so told him we were leaving. He knew we were thinking and tried to persuade us to stay with him in the past so I was not sure how he would take the news. But he took it without any drama, and said although he would have liked to keep DS at least one more year he agreed it would be the right decision for DS and he would wish him all the best.

The chat ended with a long silence so I was worried how it would be with next few lessons with him. But he was so supportive next time we saw him as if he had a long thought after the chat. He even taught DS some manners during last lesson! He said, 'look, I know you since you were little so there are things I forgive you being a bit less thoughtful or being too childish, but the teachers at JD will know you as a 10 years old so they do expect you to behave as that, so you shouldn't do this do that....'. I felt so grateful.

Fleurdelise · 15/07/2017 11:45

Thanks for the support it wasn't as bad as I thought. I think I am just a bit concerned that dd's friend is having lessons with the same teacher and once we've decided to move dd her mum (who I'm also friends with) decided to move friend also so she'll also give notice.Sad

Obviously I can't dictate to friend when to move but it really looks like we've decided together to move as the teacher isn't good. Which isn't right, I was happy with her, just little things came up and the the opportunity to have a clarinet qualified teacher (the current one doesn't have the qualifications of the new one and clarinet isn't her main instrument).

Fleurdelise · 15/07/2017 11:47

The funny bit today is that we're having the piano tuned whoever knows what mayhem it creates knows what's going on in my house now. DS (who is basically sleeping during day time and alive at night) is having a "fun" time Grin

callmeadoctor · 15/07/2017 13:03

How long is ABRSM taking at moment for practical results? (DD took grade 5 on 12th July) Grin

rogueantimatter · 15/07/2017 16:14

Noteven -how fab. I watched it on tv and enjoyed it. Did you go? Last year DS and DD played there in NYOScotland proms. I didn't go as they were on two different days and I'd have had to spend a couple of nights in London, which would have been just too many pennies. Listened to live broadcast on R3 which was great fun though.

Well done to with theory exam results.

callme ABRSM took 2.5 weeks to email me results. But I haven't got the certificates four days later!

Hope you're starting to feel better TheSecond I laughed at 'OperationClarinetCatchUp'. Sounds like it's going well.

raspberryrippleicecream · 15/07/2017 16:25

Call me website is saying 2-3 weeks. And all certificates now arrive 10 days later.

Gosh, this thread is moving really fast.

Congratulations on some amazing results.

Commiserations to The second. Hope you are feeling better.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 15/07/2017 16:35

Callme I waited 2 weeks. Certificates 10 days later.

I have only had to give notice once... to my best friend, who started Goo off on flute. It was all going wrong, she wasn't interested in NCO and didn't seem to know what to do with Goo next. We are still best friends! It turns out she was hoping I would give notice. Since we moved Goo, she has gone from having Grade 4 Merit on paper, to being a fairly solid Grade 8, in 18 months. For various reasons (braces, transition to high school, not being in a rush) she won't do her Grade 8 exam yet, but she could if she wanted to.

I had a little clarinet group of six playing in the school fete today, as well as my recorder groups. The clarinet have been learning from 1-18 months, and Rara is the most advanced. They did really well!

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Original poster
Wafflenose · 15/07/2017 16:40

Congratulations on the theory, everyone. Only yes I have a crystal ball, ha ha! Goo was pretty consistent and got 89% in Grade 3 and 90% in Grade 5 Theory. She definitely got 99% in one of her practice papers, and I can't remember what she did wrong in the real thing. Anyway, she wanted a distinction and got it, so that's good.

I just realised that so far this year, we've had Grade 1 Clarinet, Grade 7 Flute and Grade 3 Cello, and they've had all distinctions! They certainly don't always get them (Goo got 1 Distinction and 5 Merits in her recorder exams when she was younger) so a really good run. I don't think either of them is doing a music exam next term. I hope not. Rara was talking about Grade 4 recorder (HA HA HA) but got it out after six months off last night, and can barely play! I think we'll knock it on the head.

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drummersmum · 15/07/2017 17:06

only 94%!! What a fab result.
noteven cool venue...How amazing for your DS.

2ndSopranos · 15/07/2017 17:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheSecondOfHerName · 15/07/2017 17:22

2ndSopranos well done for doing it

Fleurdelise · 15/07/2017 17:40

Well done 2nd!

callme it took 10 days (including Sat and Sun) to get the results online and then 12 working days to get the certificates

violinandpiano · 15/07/2017 18:26

Only, congratulations to your minionly. May I ask how you prepare theory exam? Share some tips? Thanks.

Nigglenotes · 15/07/2017 19:14

Yes, that would be great to have a few tips on theory. We are just going through the abrsm books together. Don't know whether to wait till January now as the paper is changing, and introducing multiple choice.

All alone in Worcester as DD's NSSO concert tomorrow morning at the end of the residential. Staying in hotel as the four hour drive from home would have made me late! Not early morning people.

Still no result from abrsm grade 4 on 4th.

Think I will go and have a glass of wine, after listening to DD(6) crying on the phone that daddy can't possibly know how to cook her sausages.

Nigglenotes · 15/07/2017 19:16

Soprano, well done for singing alone. Couldn't imagine anything more terrifying.