(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!

I've sent you a private message to save boring the rest of the group.

amouse I am Herts too, if you PM me your exact location I can recommend you the local music school and give you some ideas related to your DS's age.

Everything is MAT related activities here, dd did another couple of tests and got 49 and 53 so fingers crossed she'll get through to auditions. Piece ready more or less, I am not rushing as I don't want to tempt faith, I am pretending it is all happening naturally.

Fleur, how come you have so many MAT materials? Have you bought them? And if so how many sets have you bought? Do you think practice makes any difference? I haven't seen this particular school yet (open day is in Sep), but if we like the school DS may have to go through something similar to MAT (in Oct). Would you mind advise me how to prepare (if necessary), and where to get the material?

Kutik I bought them, one set recommended by the teacher and then I found some more on a website. You can subscribe to it and have access to all their materials or buy a few sets. I chose the later as you can't really memorise the tests.

I have quite a few and if you PM me your email address I don't mind sending them through. Do you want to PM me the format to check it is the same one?

Do I think you can prepare them... no, I don't actually, I think you either get it or you don't but what the tests definitely do is preparing them for the format and getting them ready to concentrate. To give you an example dd couldn't hear the 1/4 tone difference between two notes the first time we've done one (neither could I), now after highlighting there are 1/4 notes differences and playing one for her she can hear all of them and Mark them correctly (you're meant to tick if the two sounds are the same or if different if the second note is the lower or higher than the first one), needless to say I still cannot hear a difference and I hear the 1/4 note difference as the same sound.

So I couldn't be trained to hear it but if you do have the ability the test did get dd used to what to listen for.

Thank you for sharing the information. I'll PM you shortly.

In all haste to KUTIK, can you not claim it back with your EHIC card?
We did that couple of times with dc

kutik an A&E at a hospital in France treats you for free... that is, while we're still in the EU. I hope it wasn't too painful!

Hi all I've finally caught up on the thread! Crazy summer here and back to school and work next week which I am really not at all ready for !! Ds has now gone away on his first AYM course which sounds really exciting hopefully I will get to hear about it when he gets back I never hear much from him when he's away

trumpet the AYM sound fabulous. We were up there this summer! Saw a concert at the Britten studio...
We're back to school tomorrow and I have 35 people comin to my house on Saturday

Yes they are very lucky all of their courses are held in the Britten studio building and they regularly get to perform there quite inspiring I think. Good luck with the back to school ( I'm dreading it mainly because I need to do some more planning first )

A joke for you all:
What do you call a drummer without a girlfriend/boyfriend? Homeless!

Thank you ladies for the kind words on my silly accident. Unfortunately I don't own EHIC card, and I didn't know A&E is free in France (but good to know for future).... Anyway, it's treated and done and I'm feeling high and up today!

Out of all exiting things we've done this week, the activity DS loved most was swimming (both in a lake and pool). We had been fortunate with the blissful weather but today it's raining and a bit chilly. But rain and low temperature don't seem to bother him! We are taking him to swim this evening, and probably tomorrow also.

drummer, so is your DS homeless???

I think that might apply to any muscician drummers. Dd often jokes that she will need to share her wages with him when they are older.

Ooooh, I got the joke now! It actually could apply any musician/artist/writer....

Hello all! Kutik - wish you better! Drummers- love the joke 😂 Ealing - sorry I didn't get round to watching the video as I agreed to host all of miniprada's new classmates (and families) at our house for a garden picnic so have been furiously tidying the garden etc..Stupidly set both my ovens to pyrolytic mode yesterday but forgot to remove an oven tray I had cooked with which included a cinnamon stick and star anise. Set all the fire alarms off and My house now smells like it's been in a fire...😱

Anyway, exciting day yesterday as we went Violin shopping for the full size! Lovely afternoon with Russell at Woodbridge Violins, came away with a beautiful early 1800's (c.1840) German one with a Rosewood chin rest set centrally. Lovely tone but obviously now need to decide whether to go for NCO as DD needs to get used to the new size (we p/ex'd the old one). She is very happy though!

Re: MAT tests, I did fine a free one online last year from memory I think it was a choral school. Miniprada scored 98% on it so I thought that'll do. She said the actual test was not very hard as state school MAT I don't think are allowed to be tricky but favours those with a 'natural ear' rather than grade achievements. Good luck to minifleur and minikutik though!

Prada that does sound like a lovely shopping trip - lucky Miniprada!
Don't feel bad about the oven - I once managed to put a plastic board on a lit gas ring (saucepan was on unlit one) leading to interesting reaction after the initial question 'Where is that smell of burning plastic coming from?!' Luckily I realised in time!
Drummers
Kutik glad you're on the mend!
Piano lessons start on Monday and I'm massively behind on practice. DS1 and DS2 back to school on Tuesday and bass and drum lessons Tuesday evening. DS1 has not finished his holiday homework, needless to say, but as I'm a dash to the deadline kind of person I am probably not setting a good example.
I have just realised I'm teaching English from level 1 to level 3 this year. Which means three totally different schemes of work, three different awarding bodies and a lot of set texts to choose! I'm glad it's a bit of a staggered start!
Good luck with MAT tests to the minis but I really believe they will all sail through!