(Mostly) August Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

Here's a new thread for August, but we're starting it a few days early, because you lot have managed to be super chatty this month! I wonder if things will slow down in August due to people going away... maybe or maybe not?

I'm Waffle, a teacher of woodwind - mostly recorders and clarinet, but I have a couple of flutes currently, and teach saxophone, piano and theory when required. I am determined that the music threads should be open to ALL, including complete beginners and adult learners. It's a good place to discuss lessons, practice, concerts, exams and our generally hectic lives!

I have a DH who plays the guitar for pleasure (no lessons) and two girls. Goo is 11 and has her Grade 7 Flute (March 2017) and Grade 6 Recorder (December 2015 and now pretty much stopped ). She has been learning the piano for 15 months, is refusing to perform in any way, shape or form, but will probably take Grade 5 next year. Rara is 9 and has Grade 3 Cello (July 2017), Grade 3 Recorder (December 2016 and also ceased) and is working towards her Grade 3 Clarinet... probably next spring. Goo is off to NCO Under 12s on Sunday, and we need to pop out to get her some shoes and general supplies in a bit.

I have just realised that we will probably have Grade 8 Flute and Grade 3 Clarinet going on in the same session, Spring 2018. Oh dear! If Rara bothers with Grade 4 Cello, we'll probably have that at the same time as Grade 5 Piano, next summer. Double oh dear!

Wow Better: fantastic results!

Lovely news/updates from everyone else!

Its very little music happening in this house hold these days( or I have been paying very little attention to her music aspect these days). I am looking into secondary schools options and what we need to do to prepare for 11+ exams preparation, costs, financial plans etc. Its a mountainous task! I might just leave it and start again after the holiday.

Lots of great news everyone!

We are off to grancamping tomorrow. Noticed a few days ago as usual by disorganized and spontaneous DH. That made me go back to the violin shops to return the violins yesterday - didn't want to leave the uninsured instruments in our empty house.

Out all day for kids party today and now I'm starting to pack and DH has just dashed out for collecting bits and pieces from an outdoor shop nearby...

DS is telling me he is taking his violin with us. I'm not sure if it's a good idea even though we have mute...

Hi there,

Hope the Spanish GCSE result is what you are hoping for Drummer.

Better, is that at the end of Year 6?? Amazing. What age did your DS start?

My violin/piano teacher problem is resolved. She invited me over for a chat without DD, which took an hour or so, but all resolved. I'm glad about this as DD would have been upset. Working on grade 5 scales at the mo. We went for a lesson this morning, and DD rolled her eyes and asked if we, the two adults, had stopped squabbling. Obviously, I said rather grandly that we had resolved our differences as if it was a United Nations Conference...

There will be more violins along when you need them Kutik.

Niggle pleased it is resolved. Very jealous of the holiday lessons. We have no lessons until mid September .

Oh, I guess that is lucky, but I think some private teachers want to continue if they can over the hols. It must be difficult if you are planning Nov/Dec Abrsm exams, as the entries have to go in on 29 Sept, so how could you decide after only a few lessons post holidays?

We are doing two lessons a week to fit in g5 theory for Nov also. I'm quite chuffed that we managed to get to the end of g4 theory by just going through the exercise books ourselves. Although chromatic scales are still defeating me. And the enharmonic equivalents just didn't make sense so DD learnt the chart off by heart. I have discovered that she has the most wonderful memory. I'll have to watch myself!

Well grade 8 clarinet for dd. Miserable 118 from what seems a harsh examiner - her teach disagrees with her mark for the pieces too ! Mind you scales disaster - idiot.
It's fine though a pass is a pass. And this was just after a levels with scratchy practice 😂

Helen grade 8 is still grade 8 well done to your dd

Well done to the minis Better and Helen.. those are great results!
Kutik Dd usually takes her clarinet on holiday .. (though not camping.. I put my foot down!).
I looked for a cottage with a piano this year but failed miserably... maybe next year.

We always have a break from practice on holiday. Dd doesn't need asking twice not to practice ds is not normal and so usually works out his whole day in the holidays around when he is going to practice!! So I think it's good to have a break when we are away plus the trumpet is very loud !

Well done MiniHelen I can't begin to imagine doing grade 8 and A levels.
DS2 has done no holiday practice this week as he's been sailing all week. He managed to avoid falling in but got even wetter on Wednesday because of the torrential rain - and even worse no wind so they had to paddle the dinghies!
But to DS1's great astonishment I just got his result online for grade 8 bass - and he got a merit! It was priceless to see the look on his face when I told him as he'd been gearing himself up for a fail!

Well done mini Loose, Better and Helen.

So pleased she got that final exam done Helen. You will keep in touch with us all I hope?

Great news Loose and better sorry I missed that one the other day still trying to unpack

Lovely results Loose; Better!

Helen, I know it was an undervalued result for your DD, but nevertheless, very well done to her, especially on the back of her A levels!

Back at the other end of the not quite grade 1 scale dd and I had our first bust up over practice ! 7yr old dd was quite insistent she was right and I was wrong. When I pointed out that as I was 40 grade 8 and had been playing for years and she was 7 and has been playing for 18 months so i probably was right - we had our first 'its too hard' meltdown !! Thankfully we had a summer holiday lesson with her lovely teacher and all is good again ( especially since I bought her 'I can play Abba' ). Bit of luck as we are off to buy her first 'own' violin tomorrow. Been renting and she needs to go up a size so biting the bullet now...

Didiplanthis well done for surviving your first argument I now try very hard to stay out of the way as any involvement from me ( even if I am often right) leads to "but you don't even know how to play the trumpet"

At a festival for a few days, but justhe popping in to say well done to Helen's DD. I got 117 for my Grade 8, so she did better than me. I was worried about whether it was enough to get into university, and it was.

I am currently also attempting to learn violin and just about staying ahead so I currently have the upper hand - this clearly wont last as I never practice !

Great news loose and better !
I'm really happy at how sanguine she is about it. We are in Croatia at the moment. Cunningly away from the pre results angst 😂

Didiplanthis that made me smile - I try to be tactful and encouraging with DS2 when he practises piano but the scales nearly broke all my good intentions. 'No, you can't do that in an exam, try again!' Etc met with 'well, I was going to do it right but you're putting me off by looking/standing there/listening/breathing...' in the end he did really well but now we're having a nightmare over cello scales and I don't know how to fix it! Cue frustration on both sides.

Well done miniHelen and miniloose! Indeed G8 is G8!

Wonderful results Loose, Helen! Hope your minis are celebrating their success with their very proud mums and family.

We love summer lessons and usually practised better with piano because we have more time at home with the piano available than term time.

Its very quiet here for us. We are leaving for holiday next week and wont bring the violin. I am hoping for some readings, a lot of swimmings.

Helen that's wonderful, g8 in her pocket, A levels done, breath deep, should be very proud.
loose well done to bassboy - they have a way to surprise us, uh?
Residential over, concert last night was fab. Now packing and going for a few days up north with family.
We've just been clearing and sorting out music books. Such work. I've put away all aural books in the attic -- yay bye bye aural!!!!! Also, grouped DH cello music, piano technical, old and new grade books, scales, music to be played, etc. Including DH compositions from when he was in school. Should've gone smooth if DH and DS had not engaged in a half an hour discussion on whether Joplin should go with classical or jazz/popular. They're as stubborn as each other. But all done