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.

Lots of other distractions with lots of relatives visiting next week. DD2 doesn't like practicing if she thinks she can be overheard (she used to be like that if she thought DH or DD1 were listening). She does have a lesson the week before the residential though which should help focus things.

Well done monopoly

DS2 has been doing a creative Jazz course today, we are now in a Travelodge in Birmingham ready for NYO Inspire day tomorrow.

Well done miniolly!

Well done miniolly!

Felling a bit sentimental at the mo. DS started Saturday school when he was a mere 3 yo. Well, it was nursery to begin with, then moved to primary school at 6 yo. There are still 3 years to go to finish the primary school, then could move to the junior school.

I don't know how many of you are familiar with this Saturday school thing, but it's for those children with non-British parent(s) who would like to have the education of their parents' country while attending normal school Mon to Fri like everybody else. Basically, it's double education. I think expectation and commitment vary school to school, but our's was designed to follow the same curriculum at the same speed as primary schools in my country, so it was pretty tough as weekly test and tons homework were part of the deal. DS does sports and music, so it was near impossible yet somehow he managed to do it all. He loved the school.

However, DS chose to go to JD from this September, so we had to pull him out of the school before the end of the course. Today was his last day there...

We had a busy day today, so I didn't have a chance to think of it much. But now, everybody went to bed, and I started sorting out his school bag, I am feeling hopelessly miserable... I thought I agreed with all the decision, and I was OK with it. Realistically, DS doesn't need double education. It's so wonderful he found something he loves and is given this amazing opportunity. But still, I am weeping...

So many children don't go to Saturday school yet maintain to be bilingual perfectly. So I shouldn't be worried too much. But still, I feel slightly uneasy. Speaking and listening would be fine, but I am pretty sure his reading and writing skills will go downhill very quickly... But the main benefit of the Saturday school for us was to learn and experience the culture of my country. DS experienced all the cultural events/ceremonies I experienced and enjoyed as a child by attending this school (my country has loads of seasonal events/ceremonies!).

Ah, it's nothing to do with music, sorry. I'll just pour some wine and have more weeping and sleep!

Kutik, don't be sad. You have given him a great grounding in the language and culture of your home country and now he's going on to experience something very different, but very enriching here.

Thank you for kind words and flowers Double. I will be sentimental about it for a while but I know I have to move on

By the way I'm only one who is weeping! DS is so excited about the move. I can't believe it's the same boy who always turned down any sport opportunity as well as birthday parties and other fun stuff on Saturdays as he always prioritised the Saturday school. I really hope he continues to be excited and enjoy the new challenges and commitments. While weeping, part of me is excited about it too. So I should feel better soon.

Thank you for all the congratulations- she is do thrilled to have got a merit. She has also matured so much in her playing in very proud of her.

Would love some advice. Dd has just finished year 7 - she's taken her violin exams at essentially one a year so if she carries on this trajectory would be Grade 6 in year 10. In May of year 8 she has to choose her gcse options and is considering music - do you think, if she carries on at this pace, she's of the standard to make music a sensible choice or would it be best kept to extra curricular? (To give context she is at a selective school where the majority of students obtain a string of A / A*'s - the school has a very strong music department).

Sorry meant to add she loves music at the moment (also teaching herself ukulele) and I worry if gcse music may quash some of the enjoyment.

Yes, if she carries on progreasing at one grade per year - even if she takes closer to two years for grade 6 (which isn't unusual) she will be a great candidate for both GCSE and A level.

Olly wow! To your DD and very well done!
On GCSE, doing it certainly hasn't dimmed DS1's enthusiasm and your DD really wouldn't need to worry about the instrumentals. There are two things to bear in mind - the GCSE requires a certain format for the extended answers for listening to pieces and accepted wisdom seems to be you just have to learn this, so as long as she's got a good memory she'll be fine. The most subjective bit (where people I know lost marks) seems to be the composition aspect. If the school has a good track record for high grades they should be absolutely fine guiding her through that, though, and I'm sure she would enjoy it.

Meanwhile, DS2 has become obsessed with a £10 classical guitar that was sold off by the borough music service. It lives in his room where he is teaching himself to play. As I went to bed last night, I was sure I could hear him still playing it but all was suspiciously quiet as I got to the top of the stairs!

Would anyone be able to make any suggestion about which type/bland of ukulele to buy? It's for myself!

Thank you so much loose and waffle we are not a musical family so have no framework to judge on so great to have your advice. The schools music department is very strong and thriving (last year 91% A*-B and 88% year before) - she's got 6 months or so before she needs to start making her mind up anyway .

Well done for the ARSM noteven!

Well done to your dd Olly!

Kutik I always admired people sending their kids to Saturday school even if for a year or two. I am sure that will make a huge difference for your DS in the future.

We've decided here that dd will play summertime for the audition if the gets to that stage unless another piece is ready by then in which case we'll chose then. She's playing a Bartok piece that initially she thought she won't like it and now she does.

Fleur, your kind words made me in tears.

Which Bartok piece your DD is learning? DS played Este a szekelyeknel for his G5 exam. It's quite a cool piece for boys and he loved it.

Well done Olly's DD!
Which pieces did she play?

Kutik she's playing Der Stampfer from Romanian dances.

Another one here saying you have given your DS a wonderful start to his cultural heritage Kutik. I moved to the UK in 1969. My mother spoke to us only in english. When I was a young adult and had moved away from the family home, I used to ask her to speak to me in our home tongue over the phone to give me confidence to speak back. We managed 1 or 2 calls, then we'd always lapse back to english.

A few weeks ago she had an old school friend visit her - a 70 yr old friendship, who extended her visit to include us in London. maybe because of my lack of inhibition, or the fact that it was so impressive to hear vivid stories of my mother's childhood, that with their gentle encouragement, I spoke to them in my home tongue, albeit broken pigeon fashion. Having never spoken in nearly 50 years. And understood everything they said. DD wanted to join in, impressed to hear a dialogue from me she'd never heard.

It's innate for most of us, but for your boy you've given him such a great head start, more than most. Yes he may lose some of the writing and reading skills for a while, but it'll remain in him, somewhere, rooted. And most importantly, he loved learning whilst there, unlike some I know who attend Saturday school kicking and screaming.

In other news, there is none - it's so quiet here. Until Weds when she returns from music camp. No time even to send mum the odd text, but she has such a great time I cannot begrudge the lack of contact

Noteventhebestdrummer she played Presto, Over the Rainbow and America.

Just looked at the Grade 4 syllabus and there are some lovely pieces on it.

Kutik can only echo the others that you've given your ds a wonderful start which I'm sure will stay with him.

Another saying GCSE didn't dim DS1s enthusiasm. DD chose to keep it extra curricular. DS2 will start his GCSE in September. Instrument skill wise you don't need anything more than Grade 5 (not at the start of the course)

DS did GCSE music. Loved it, is carrying on for A-level. For him, it's great to mix and mingle his two main 'worlds' - use extra-curricular inspiration for his in-school composition or performance work; use GCSE composers as a jumping off point for more classical extra-curricular ensembles.

And as he says 'only the nicest people do music'. The Music department is his second home at break & lunchtime & after school & before school when it's raining &.....

Nice pieces Olly

DS loved GCSE music and A level too. He's not doing it at uni though I'm sure it will be part of his life for ever.

Ha! Yes, DS1 is another one who spends a lot of time in the music practice room at school. To be fair, their drum kit is so much better than ours!
DS2 intends to do gcse music as well. DS1 might carry on at A level but he's also keen on maths, computing and science so it may not pan out.