(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!

Well school doesn't answer, I still need to confirm they have received his application, which is the most important, we have 21 days to decide for a remark (whatever that means these days because apparently nobody will re-read the paper, they just check they have applied the correct marking criteria and added the marks right ) but I am not bothered, I think I am off to buy some shoes (for myself) for once.

Got myself a nice leather jacket on holiday and now I need matching shoes and handbag.

Piano teacher is popping over tomorrow to give dd a lesson around ours so we can have a glass of wine after and celebrate end of GCSEs together as she has a DS who got his results yesterday also. I love our piano teacher, did I say this before?

School shoes and uniform bought as well as DS's sixth form attire.

Life is beautiful

Ooh, enjoy shopping, Fleur. You definitely deserve new shoes and a handbag to go with your lovely new jacket! I have spent £150 on Goo's new school uniform, and a further £100 on school shoes, football boots and two pairs of trainers. She still needs shin pads, a gum shield, bike lock and a new coat, AARGH! What with that, Rara's equipment, SWMS, piano and cello money due imminently, I appear to be hemorrhaging money with nothing to show for it myself. However, I am currently losing weight, so maybe I'll get a whole new wardrobe next year.

Waffle if it helps it is only the first year that you spend a huge amount on uniform at secondary. We found the other years a bit more manageable, only changing the blazer every couple of years and buying just shirts/trousers and shoes.

But the first year was indeed a shocker I remember paying £250 in the uniform shop without any shoes.

Sixth form was a suit which he used for the prom so I consider that a saving, and I also got him another pair of trousers and shirts and shoes so in theory he should be fine for the first month and then we'll buy some stuff as and when. I haven't been informed of the type of bag he wants yet.

I'll have all this to come next year again with dd, this year it was shoes and trainers from Clarks but a skirt and tops from Asda as she tends to stain them really quick so I refuse to get anything expensive.

I got shoes from Clarks and insisted on full-coverage lace-ups, due to cycling in the rain. Most uniform had to be bought at school, but I got the shirts from M&S and the trainers in the sale at Sports Direct. I hope to be able to pass some items down to Rara, but what fits Goo at 11 will probably fit Rara fully grown.

I love the Clarks shoes and the trainers, I think I may get myself a pair of trainers if they do it in size 3

Could I just ask any of you whose son has done NCO concert if I should get an adult or youth tie for NCO concert for my tall 10 years old who often wears 11/12? I assume youth, but I cannot quite work out if youth means those littlies (6, 7, 8 and so on) and adult means the older ones (12/13/14). School tie is just one size, so I have never needed to think of this... The NCO website doesn't have any measurement of the tie.

I can't buy Goo trainers from Clarks. She veers between a C and D width fitting, and they are utterly unsuitable!

My mum and her two sisters are a similar height to me, and they all have size 3 feet. I have massive feet for my size... 5.5! Goo is a size 6 and I think her feet have now stopped growing.

I'd ring them up, Kutik. When is the concert?

Is it South Easterlies in November Kutik? At least you should have time to get hold of a tie. DD2 didn't do it last year as she had a late audition at the end of May. Will be doing it this year though. Will he be at the rehearsal next weekend?

Yes, it's South Easterlies in November. Is your mini also in the orchestra? We are coming back from Morzine a night before, so not sure if DS can make the rehearsal. He is determined to go though. We had to change our plan from coming back on Sunday to Saturday for the reason! But it'll be action packed mountain holiday so I can imagine DS would be pretty tired, so will see. Would be great to see miniDouble there!

I emailed so will wait to hear from Mairi. It's November so we still have plenty time anyway.

New trainers and shoes here for a princely sum. 135 cm height but size 2 feet. An odd shaped child

Is that odd? Rara is 132 cm and has been size 1.5 for a whole year.

Dd is 135-138cm (didn't measure her in a while so not sure exactly) and just turned size 1 this month, she was size 13 till end of year 5.

I used to teach Year 6, and tended to use shoe sizes to collect data and make pie and bar graphs. The range was generally size 13-7, but one year it was 12.5-8!!

Kutik, yes she is also doing South Easterlies. Not sure how much playing there will be next week though after U11s. She may be wanting a break, but she will be doing the rehearsal at the weekend in case she can't make the October date for any reason.

I don't envy you uniform shoppers! What do parents do if they are not well off?

DS is starting lycée (like sixth form college, but years 11-13) but there is no dress code so no shopping to do - he will just wear jeans and trainers. He hasn't owned a pair of shoes (as opposed to trainers) since he was a toddler!

Fleur well done to your DS - those are excellent grades even if not quite what he would have liked.

I have put DS's name down for guitar classes (he is now close to being a better guitarist than me - which is impressive and annoying at the same time) and am waiting to hear about my piano lessons.

Misti that is impressive of your DS to become so proficient so fast, well done to him.

Waffle any chance you can start commuting our way? Dd decided you MUST become her clarinet teacher. She keeps asking to listen to the recordings and repeats the same question each time "why can't she be my clarinet teacher, she sounds so nice".

I just watched some BBC proms jazz and there was la lad with pink hair playing the sax, I loved it, does anybody knows who he was? I want to hear more!

I feel everyone's pain on the uniform front. I am £570 lighter 😱 Not including shoes, trainers, coat (can be any though) or bag...And compared with other mums I have spoken to this seems quite a lot cheaper. I did buy 2xskirts and 2x jumpers and a full summer and winter kit, swimming kit and both PE bags. The new School uses schoolblazer.com and everything arrived with labels sewn in already (including socks) so I feel a bit better about that. A significant % (50) of the girls receive financial assistance and i am given to understand that this also applies to uniform and trips.

Fleur that's lovely!

I went to a private secondary school and when I am doing our uniform shop I always think back, relieved that I'm not doing one like when I started there. The blazer alone, back in 1994 prices, was more than I've ever spent at the start of a term! Though we are only on primary school uniform..... This year I am hoping we can get by on just a new pair of shoes and some more trousers. She grew like a weed last term so had to have a whole new load of uniform. Their school uniform policy is quite specific apart from shoes - they are allowed free choice in shoes as "their area of individuality". It does make the shoe shop easier.

Prada we have school blazer for uniform too. The naming is fabulous. New sports kit arrived this week fully labelled. Not cheap though, I feel your pain.

Our uniform is pretty cheap but I'll need to give DS2 money to buy a new school blazer on the first day of term. The cast-off I had planned for him has paint on the hem that won't come off (thanks DS1).
Otherwise it's shoes that are pricey but I think we're ok for most until half term. The awkward bit is trainers and football boots for DS2 as he has the most awkwardly shaped feet and football boots are usually too narrow - rugby ones two sizes above his usual seem to be the way to go!