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.

That's great 2nd! Look forward to hearing you next season!

only yes Alexander Rybak is still very much around!
Eurovision is surprisingly big in Norway. DD1 is very excited about junior eurovision this year because she knows one of the national finalists (they've performed together)

2ndSoprano go you!

I have just got back from Norway. It was sunny in Bergen - no-one believes me.

Oh I believe you Icould our news lately has been full of 'there has been more rain in trondheim than bergen' SHOCK

Can I just say I have a big soft spot for Alexander Ryback. I loved that song when it won.

We also have close ties with Eurovision as dd has decided she will participate when she's old enough

No news in this house except the fact that we are looking forward to our holiday in 3 weeks and we all feel exhausted.

question for flute people

should I /how should I label a flute for a residential course?

First clarinet lesson back this morning. Oh she was such a happy wee girl. She worked so hard and grinned a lot, apparently. She's missed her teacher so much. They got through loads and have picked what she's going to learn for NCO audition. She can't wait for her piano lesson.

Sundays concert was a gorgeous affair. Picnic in the wonderful sunshine, in the grounds of a stately home whilst the four county windbands played beautifully. Glorious!

Well done, 2nd!

Mending I have always labelled each section of Goo's flutes with those manufactured stick-on name labels. They peel off and the area can be polished afterwards. I don't fancy doing it with her new flute though, so I suppose it depends how valuable the instrument is.

Ooh, what is she going to play, Mini? My last year's pupil played Basse Dance by Peter Warlock, and a pop song, and got in. I haven't talked about it much with my younger pupil... she needs to crack on over the summer, or NCO won't even be up for discussion, but we'll see.

Fantastic news, 2nd! Very well done!

We were up early to attend early morning rehearsal with a pianist today. Somehow it didn't click and the rehearsal didn't go well for DS. His teacher cheered us up saying 'sometimes when you have crap rehearsal you end up having a good one at the actual concert'. Luckily it turned out as he said! DS performed the same piece with the same pianist totally fine. He received warm applause. Phew...

Tomorrow is his last performance of this term. He joined the orchestra in April and has just done his first orchestral concert early July, so it'll be his second time to perform as an orchestral musician. This time, they are playing a full programme including a whole symphony, and apparently DS is leading his section too! He'd better go through the bowing this evening (it's so bad when violinists has different bowing)...

I did wonder about the stick on labels waffle but I guess like you I'm a bit twitchy about actually sticking them on the flute itself, its not massively expensive but is a slight upgrade on a basic student one....

Great, MiniKutik!

It's Goo's leavers' service on Friday and she has been asked to play solo. They've never done anything like that before! She's playing one of her Grade 8 pieces, and the person who was going to accompany her has pulled out. We tried it yesterday, with me playing the piano badly but sympathetically (rubato and covering her slips etc) and then with a backing track, which I was worried she might struggle to follow. She has plumped for the backing track, because she was equally fine with both, and that will save me a lot of stress! I''ll share the video, if it goes well!

well I've tied some 5mm elastic round each section of the flute and popped a name label on the one on the head joint. At least (quite often away with the fairies) DD2 should be able to see it is hers.....

NCO auditions sound so exciting mini and good luck for the least of the seasons performances for your Ds kutik

oh and fleur we'll cheer for you DD in eurovision when she's old enough . Is there junior eurovision in the UK? I don't remember it but its a big thing here.....

That's a good idea, Mending. I may steal it when I come to label Goo's new flute, which cost over £1000.

We have a Junior Eurovision connection too. DD2s best friend was finalist in Ireland last year. I'm great friends with her Mom, it was very exciting to follow her progression through auditions, heats and final, and then watch it all on TV. She did amazing, we were so proud of her.

glad someone thinks its a good idea, DD2 was not hugely impressed, apparently it would be easier if the flute was just yellow....., this flute is not as expensive as Goo's by a long shot but I'm not planning on painting a 600 ish pound flute yellow so she's going to have to live with the elastic

Now I am feeling like a bad Mummy as it has honestly never occurred to me to label any part of DD's instrument apart from the case!! Also feeling relieved that despite this negligence on my part she has never lost a bit!!

waffle she's playing puppet theatre and The Swan from carnival of the animals

The labelling ideas sound good. i could well imagine my beastie needing every variety of labelling on her stuff!

I label everything DS owns. You can't avoid this painful process when you have a forgettable child like mine. His violin case, bow, shoulder pad, violin itself, all had his name on. Strings are only items free from his name!

I labelled the music stand as it is an extra tall (extra spendy) one and I wanted to make sure he came home with the same one he went with.

Ooo mumoftwo another Eurovision connection 😁

Eurovision connection here too - de played In a charity concert in Europe last year with the Irish entry for the year before 😀

Nope never labelled the clarinets either - now feeling I should...?

Cool 😁

DS2 finally did his clarinet exam today; are we the last? He feels that the pieces went well and the scales went OK, but thinks he lost several marks in the sight-reading marks and several in the aural.

In his end-of year report, his teacher says the plan is for DS2 to play some of the Grade 7 pieces next term for fun and then prepare for Grade 8 in July 2018.

He only started lessons four years ago, and this is his first instrument, so I am impressed with the progress he is making.

One ARSM result is back and DS is happy with his Merit of 42 (out of 50) for Flute. We have prosecco to celebrate!