(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!

DS has a summer volunteering "job" digitising a collection of very old music. He's going to have a lot to talk about at uni interview, possibly starting with the naming of old instruments. Today's oddity was the "alt horn" which google assures me is a tenor horn or possibly a flugel except that the number of parts and the key says that it is a baritone. Yesterday's weirdo was a monstre bass.

I hate the labelling of musical/not musical because I was on the receiving end of it. When you've been told for decades that you are "not musical" you believe it without questioning it. I never considered learning an instrument as an adult because I'd had it so firmly driven into me as a child that I was not musical. I'm 54 and my mother still says it to me now.

LOL @ not committed enough at 2!

I also dislike people saying their/ my children are musical or not musical... I honestly don't think it's a thing. Everyone I start off learns to read music and play simple tunes right away, and the ones that practice go very much faster! (I have taught children with learning difficulties, dyslexia, hearing impairments, blindness, autism and so on - barring severe learning difficulties they can all do it somehow!)

Fleur anything from that book will be fine, by definition. I'll record that piece this morning and send it to you, with some suggestions of great contrasts from the same volume. Most of them are the same level of difficulty in that book. But a pop song or Disney would be fine too. When Goo got into Under 11s (Flute) the children from the previous year group had stated they had (or were working on) Grades 5-7. She didn't yet have her Grade 5 (long story, between teachers etc) and played a Grade 5 and a Grade 4 piece. They won't be looking up the level of the pieces - they want a convincing performance and great sight reading.

Second I misread your post and thought you had dropped both the flute and clarinet - possibly in horror after the AS level reminder!

I am notoriously clumsy, but thankfully not that clumsy!

Thank you MiniMusiciansMama and AlexandraLeaving

Upgrading the mouthpiece last year has made a difference to the sound. If upgrading to an E11 or similar would make a difference, then we might do it to increase his playing enjoyment.

If he gets Grade 8 next year, he might (finally) be invited to join the school orchestra, and an intermediate instrument would be better for that.

I think there might be different definitions of 'servicing' an instrument... at our shop, you take it in every 2-3 (or 10!) years, they take off all the keys and clean everything, replace worn corks and pads, put it all back, tighten things etc... it never costs less than £100.

Fleur I have made some bad recordings, which will shortly be on their way to you.

TheSecond,

DS had taken Grade 6 and was starting to learn his Grade 8 pieces (he only does a selection of grades) when a clarinet teacher friend recommended a secondhand Buffet E13 to us as a replacement for his well-loved and well-used B12.

Had that not happened, we would have just carried on with the B12 through to Grade 8. The E13 is lovely, and sounds fabulous, especially in the upper register (DS is a jazz person, and the high register can be really useful in improvising against a full jazz band!), but we didn't NEED to replace the B12 just for exam purposes.

I always find that parents of children who love sport get it. One recently said to me "minitrout playing music is like my ds and sport.. she can't live without it can she?"
That's it totally
The interest was there naturally but it's the compulsive playing at it that makes her good

Icould It's never too late to start!

It's not only that people are not aware of the work our children put in, but they're not aware of the work WE put in, the huge implications in our life not to mention the constant "noise" in our homes (I hate calling it noise, but I can't find a better word as practice is not really music!). A school mum was recently saying he wished one of her children had a passion like DS instead of Youtubing all day. I almost fainted on the pavement, as I know she's the type who would not put up with ten minutes of "noise" let alone ferrying instruments, sitting outside auditions and investing a huge proportion of their earnings to music lessons and instruments. Of course I believe a child is better of playing music, it enriches their lives, their intellect, their social life and builds self-confidence, etc. That's why we do what we do, right? But it doesn't just happen on its own.
Yesterday was another four hours of non-stop drumming, then one hour of marimba. I could not hear my own breathing.
Meanwhile gilly is having to deal with the emotions of her DD who 's back at home but itching to go back to do what she loves most. And waffle is sitting for hours in a car with her funny shoes to give her DD an NCO experience. At the same time, someone else is always ready to cross London to service or restring. And one of us will be crying her heart out at the last church event in which her child will be singing, after having supported the full weekends of a chorister's life.
It's not an easy path for anyone (the existence of this support thread is proof enough). Yet, it's one full of joyous moments.

I could I was, and still am told the same by my mother. As in "can't believe your dd is at x level as you aren't musical "

Our woodwind repair guy offers the choice of:
Check over: £25 + VAT (he will then let you know if anything needs repairing and give you a quote)
Full service: £95 + VAT

I bumped another car at a red light when I was 18 two months after getting my license. My family decided I could not drive. I haven't driven since. They still say it.

I once asked my mother why she hadn't thought of ever offering me and my siblings music lessons. She said "well, because none of you showed any special talent for it". That's like saying, "well, you were never a good swimmer" to a child who has never been inside a swimming pool!!!

If you think people lack understanding about supporting a child through musical activities, you should try Science. DS2 passion for Science is equivalent to the passion that many of the children in this thread have for music.

We try to support DS2 in any opportunities he is interested in (if they are feasible). This year we have taken him to the Big Bang Fair, the Imperial Festival and the Royal Society Summer Science Festival, and we'll be taking him to New Scientist Live in September. Thankfully the first three were free.

We have become friends with a small group of parents of young scientists and share info with each other, but a lot of other parents can't understand why we are doing this: "But he has Science lessons at school; surely that covers it?" Well sort of. His primary school were very supportive when he was working three years ahead of his peers, providing differentiated work and visits to the local secondary school's labs for the practicals. The secondary school is thankfully geared up for him.

When people ask, I compare it to tennis or swimming, pointing out that many parents travel miles and give up hours each week to support their children in following their passion.

Rant over. Sorry about that.

Thesecond, I have someone loves Science more than music at the moment, I could relate to everything that you are saying. Pls can you remind me how old is your DS?

thesecond indeed! I bet you're brushing up on your science along the way!

Will try to post more later and read all your interesting new posts in details, just wanted to say that my parents are the same. They are here now helping us with summer childcare and I have my dad saying every single time my daughter touches either piano or violin that, we dont come from a musical background, no one plays, she doesnt show any talent, why bother!!! I think next year when she does her 11+ then I will not ask for help, they dont understand that children have to study these days. When I told them that we need a tutor, we are looking for one and they gasp in horror. They say it many times in front of my daughter how horrible exams are, her mom(me) didnt study at all at this age and didnt take any exam until university and still could earn a living. The moment I have my children back, hopefully everything will be in order.

Green my parents don't understand why children have tutor these days

Waffle you are amazing, thank you from the bottom of my heart for recording and sending them over, I'll listen to them tonight with dd as yesterday we just looked at them and decided the Paul Harris must sound intresting without a clue how any pieces may sound. Thank you!

Glad to hear I'm not the only one finding the "musical" comment (or indeed science or another passion) annoying.

I bumped into a mother at dd's school who stated dd must be so musical after seeing my bragging post on FB on her passing grade 5 piano and 3 clarinet. I replied with my usual "she does work hard bless her, there were times when she could hear her friends playing outside our house in their back garden but she was practising for her exam" and she felt the need to contradict me by stating her DS had 3 months of guitar lessons and there isn't a musical bone in his body therefore he gave it up, my dd must be a natural. I translated that as he couldn't be bothered to practice, fair enough, give it up but don't deny the effort my dd puts in all her music practice.

Another mother of a friend of dd's asked me about piano lessons for her DS. I recommended our teacher and then explained the benefit of attending lessons with the DS herself so she can see what is expected as he was only 6, getting a second hand digital piano to practice at home etc. Her reply was she wouldn't attend lessons as she wouldn't understand anyway as she's not musical and wouldn't yet buy an instrument as she has a toy organ, once he shows an interest she'll think about it. Needless to say said child gave up 2 months later as he wasn't musical and there was no progress. How she discovered that is beyond me, a child at the age of 6 not practising as he didn't have the right instrument and wasn't encouraged to practice as the parents didn't know he had to.

Drummers well said 😀It's not for everyone but I always think it's a shame when people right off music saying that children aren't musical without giving them a chance. Music ( and dd's musical theatre) totally takes over our lives at times but I wouldn't have it any other way. It's great to see them enjoying something so much, I've made loads of different friends who are in the same boat as me and we've found new interests to share as a family as a result of their passions.
Fleur I definitely think your dd should try for nco , I think under 12 's trumpet grades were 6-8 and he had only taken grade 5 but the comments in the feedback were all about his musicality not how difficult the pieces were .

Dd had a sleepover last weekend at our place with a friend from school. Said friend was itching to play the piano and showed us what an aunt of her taught her which were the first few notes of Fur Elise. One finger at a time and all. Dd then played for her what she could remember from Fur Elise and started teaching her, all fingers playing, we had an hour of first few notes of it on and on and on, felt like chucking the bloody piano out the window.

When I asked her if she wanted to learn properly with a teacher she said yes but her parents (who do have the means as she does lots of other stuff) said they need to see a proper interest first. How?! Are they expecting her to wake up one morning and play the piano (at school presumably as no piano at home)? Kids like this are the ones who could really enjoy and enrich their lives with music, she woke up the next day had another go at the piano bless her.

Thanks for the encouragement trumpet hopefully we'll have something ready by then.

I can see why some people get annoyed by musical/non-musical or alike comments. But personally I don't mind as those comments barely carry any meaning. Some just say it for the sake to make a comment or some purely want to compliment and so on. No one think deeply before saying it.

Everybody has sensitive spots where no one see it as a big deal. So I'm sure we all make some lighthearted comments without knowing the effect of the words. But that's alright as it's impossible to be able to see the world in other's shoes at all time. There are million people and million values, so showing understanding gesture or trying not to see things without any fixed idea would be very much appreciated. But, usually I try not to take things personally and take any compliment, no matter they really meant it, take as a compliment.

Having said that, I'm sure occasionally a naive comment can hit straight into the sensitive spot, and even though I know I shouldn't take it personally I need moaning and groaning for a moment. But that's also alright as I know I can move on after a bit of suffering!

Greenleave DS2 is 15, about to go into Y11.

We humans would like to think that talent is divinely breathed into some of us at birth. Who wants to hear about the hours Nadal had to serve balls whe he was a child. Or the hours Benedetti spent on her vibrato. Or how i could look if i went to the gym everyday. Nobody

A friend of mine is tutoring her bright dd for 11+, she is also doing music and practising so all good. Her mother in law told her she's lucky to have had such a bright, musical child born to her as she'll definitely succeed in life.

My friend was So I could have done it without all these money spent of music lessons and tutors as she was obviously born this way? (She obviously knows that she's lucky her dd hasn't got any SEN but hearing from her MIL her dd was born musical and able wasn't a great compliment to her, was it?)