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.

miniNiggle, amazing! And also yay to Goo!

Only, I cannot picture DS becoming either a classical musician or a pop star. He said he would like to be a musician but then he also said he would want to be an astronaut (the first one to go to Mars...), an inventor and an author. He also said he would like to OWN an orchestra rather than being a player in someone else's orchestra. So perhaps he has to find a job that makes him rich enough to be able to own a full orchestra one day. Anyone likes to audition for the orchestra...?

Niggle, somehow I missed your earlier post asking a slow piece for NCO audition. As a fellow violinist (DS10), I wish I could make some wise suggestions but I'm afraid my knowledge is rather limited (DS's violin repertoires are not so wide). I hope someone can share some ideas for you. Your DD sounds very talented.

Niggle only slow pieces my DDs have covered are Vivaldi. The 2nd movement of A Minor Concerto is a lovely piece and not too difficult. But I see you are considering a movement from Vivaldi G minor, so that would be too much Vivaldi??

I thought of the 2nd movement of A Minor too.

niggle you could consider sæterjentens søndag as a slow piece. I think it's on a grade 4 syllabus at the moment so it's not technically that difficult but played really well it is beautiful

Niggle. -best two choose two different composers for nco I believe;l so check with them if you want to do two Vivaldi

Niggle, my DD played vivaldi in G major and Bach Gavotte in G minor for NCO audition. Hope it is help.

Fleury and raspberry - thank you 😊

I'm not necessarily desperate for DS to take the next grade at all but I do think it's awful that he is not set anything to do. At primary school he always knew what he was working towards. He has time on his hands but nothing to practice so I end up looking through his books and making it up. Not good as I only have limited musical knowledge! I agree he should work on the technical stuff but I don't know what that involves! Not good value for money imo.

Bach Gavotte in G minor is lovely, lots of dynamics, sounds very showy when done well. And it's an easy piece.

Wow, thank you, the A minor Vivaldi is lovely and new to us, so we might try that. It is in Suzuki Book 5, which I was planning to get soon. And so as not to have two Vivaldi's, maybe Concerto for two Violins in D minor by Bach (although I wonder if playing violin 2 alone is a good idea). The Bach Gavotte is nice too and if we can't get the A Minor into great shape, I'll go for that as the backup as DD has played that quite well.

Somethingelse, my experience is that school music teachers just do their own thing and your child either fits in with it or not. I've heard some are quite helpful and treat each musician as an individual. Ours wouldn't budge from a one size fits all routine. May you could send a note into school in September asking for a plan and the goals for the year? Or let them know your goals?

Green, next two weeks practice are going to be about the bow hand. Lower arm and wrist are in a straight line and the wrist needs to be curved, or the bow wanders about. And thumb is also straight, not bent! So basically, I sit on her bed, and no matter how good her playing sounds, I constantly interrupt with "thumb!", "wrist!". So DD has to stop and start again each time. The goal is to get to the end of the piece without me bugging her..

She does know what she should be doing, but if the music sounds okay, her view is that it doesn't matter and it is easier. She finds this very irritating, but I try to have fun too. Sometimes, just to make her laugh, I shout "thumb" before she has even finished the first note. Fits of giggles.

somethingelse what kind of music does your DS enjoy? Could you print off music he likes from internet, and have him play fun tunes that he likes? That would keep him playing.

And perhaps incorporate technical work into those fun tunes? Would be a lot more enjoyable than working on technical studies. He could add some technical stuff around the fun stuff. E.g., play scales and arpeggio in key of the pieces, work on a study for a technique that would sound good in chosen piece., then add that technique to the piece. And of course, he would be working on his sight reading...

Also worth chatting with him and coming up with a plan together. I find the more input DDs have regarding practice the more committed they are.

I think main thing is to keep playing!!

Niggle I think it would be strange to play Bach double violin 2 in its own, especially as its such an iconic piece.

Yes, you are probably right, MOTG. It is only half the piece and it might compare unfavourably.

So, its either

Vivaldi 6 Major
Bach Gavotte in G minor
or
Seitz Concerto No 2 in G major (Suzuki Book 4)
Vivaldi A Minor

Maybe I should check with DD, who will have to play them!

I got home when they were both in bed last night so my plan has to be starting from next week. Summer holiday starts for us officially this afternoon as her last day at school is today. My plan for summer is playing alittle everyday for fun, anything, 20-30 mins each day, however must be 5 days a week. Mine has already planned for her drawings and readings. It is actually very short come to think about it, we are only in London for more than 2 weeks during the holiday.

Niggle: I will try to copy and learn from you too as I saw a note on her bow holding/fingerings and I think she has the same issue. I was constantly told that "but mom, you dont know music, you dont play any instrument". Luckily the otherday when we travelled to the exam centre with our piano teacher, he defended me and told her "Thats true MiniGreen, however non-musical people can still be able to tell if a piece was playing well". I dont know if its true, however without me sitting near by then the violin wont be touched.

Somethingelse: I dont know what to advise apart from carrying on trying to express to your teacher your concerns, thinking(if you dont play and cant help). Changing teacher might be the only solution too. Hugs!!

Have to go shopping. Youngest DD turns 7 tomorrow, and I have not bought anything except a snowman crush ice drink maker .

Ha ha, for sure you should check with your DD!! Another Suzuki tune that sounds fab done well is Bach Bourree, last tune book 3. YoYo Ma plays it in an album I have and its magnificent.

Green, I played violin in a middle school orchestra when I was 12 or so but I was not very good. When DD tells me I am not a "real" teacher, I threaten to play for her.. which is unbearable for both of us and she is very quick to grab her violin back and show me how it is done.

Also, with bow hand, I have found, looking today actually, for the Vivaldi in A minor, a great example of perfect bow hold in movement from a young soloist. We will look at that on my laptop before she begins. So you don't need to be a violinist to help with practice, just prepare!

Niggle- Romance from Gadfly is a nice piece Abrsm gr5 violin piece.

Qs for Drummersmum or loose, or any other drum parent.
Little dd percussionist has been using Rock School for drums, but thinking new school may want her to do trinity or Abrsm....
I've got Trinity rock and pop gr4, and rock school gr4 books already.... but I know Trinity does a different book for drums too
What do yours use- examining board wise?
Thanks x

Not sure if I missed any news but just wanted to let everyone know that if your dcs are taking theory exams next year there are resources on their website including downloadable tests.

DS's teacher said it's OK to use the same composer's pieces as long as it has contrast, and also it's OK to play one part of something like Bach Double or extract of a long piece for NCO. As many people know, they are even fine without accompany too. It's because they don't expect concert performance, but they look at certain quality that works for the orchestra and they know where to look at, so extract, the same composers, no accompany won't make any difference in their judgement. Anyway, that's what I was told.

On the other note, Vivian Price was fed up with Vivaldi's concerto as she heard so many of them at the audition. I'm sure talent will be judged fairly so it shouldn't matter if you play a famous/popular piece or not. But, you may want to pick something less common if there are several to choose from...

So all I would suggest would be, after consideration of contrast, technique to show off, or to show off your DC's strength, choose something your child love/love to play - the passion will come through that will differ from others' who may play the same piece but less passion. And, if you have some choices, pick something less common. However, if it happens to be the iconic/famous piece that the child loves most, then go for it, for the reason above (passion plays a big part!).

Kutik if your child can play a non Suzuki piece I would go for that for one choice. Good to show breadth? Really wouldn't recommend one half of Bach double either.

DS now has 2 ARSMs, singing result came in today. 47/50 is good news!

Congratulations noteventhebestdrummer, I will raise this glass to having it all behind you now.