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Extra-curricular activities

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Original poster

September Music Thread

665 replies

Wafflenose · 01/09/2017 01:01

Hello, and welcome to a new thread for September. This is a lovely, calm and supportive corner of Mumsnet where we can talk about everything to do with music lessons, exams, practice, auditions, and whatever else you like. Contributors of ALL standards and ages welcome. There are lots of experienced music parents on here, but we also have a steady stream of beginners, and the collective knowledge on here is impressive.

I'm Waffle, teacher of woodwind - mainly clarinet and recorder these days. My DH plays the guitar for fun. We have two DDs - sensitive, highly strung and accident-prone Goo (11) who plays the flute and piano, and starts secondary school next week, and laid back, funny Rara (9) who plays the cello and clarinet, and is also a reading machine.

There's not too much going on for us musically this term, apart from auditioning for NCO in October. My main priority will be getting Goo settled in a much bigger school, with a longer day, and she's getting there under her own steam, eek! Luckily for us, we don't have any music exams or secondary school entrance stuff going on, but I know that lots of you do. I am anticipating Grade 8 Flute and Grade 3 Clarinet next term, and Grade 5 Piano in the summer term. I've no idea if Rara will do any more cello exams after the drama of the last one! At the moment, she says she's sticking to the odd numbers. Nutcase.

OP posts:
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Greenleave · 20/09/2017 19:21

Kutik: thanks for explaining to me.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for both miniKutik and miniFleur for this weekend and next week!

woolleybear · 20/09/2017 20:36

Alex , I am so sorry to hear your news, look after yourself.

Dd had her first bassoon lesson back, her teacher has suggested she do grade 1 this term and grade 2 next term. Is there any point to this? I rather think it may be so that the other child in her lesson gets an experience of an exam. Having persuaded her that we don't have to do all grades, dd is now quite excited by doing grade 1! I will have a better chance to chat to her teacher next week.

Kutik73 · 20/09/2017 21:33

Just received an invitation to an interview at a private secondary... So, DS has a test for state secondary this Saturday, an interview at private secondary next Wednesday, and an audition for a music place at state secondary next Friday. Oh and the NCO audition for the following week. Audition pieces are still undecided, and no interview practice has ever been taken place. I thought the interview would be in November (they said so previously). Totally, utterly, under preparation. DS is fine as always - he has probably no clue how important they are. I, on the other hand, am speechlessly panicking.

Fleurdelise · 21/09/2017 07:50

Kutik good luck I am sure he'll do great, he sounds like an all rounder which they'll love.

And the results are out...again. Same as before, Dd is at stage 2 with an audition on Tuesday but they lowered the mass mark as there are a few more places, two schools increased their PAN. So she smashed it even better now with a score of 50 and a pass mark of 43 (previously 45-46).

Celebrating tonight properly by going to the Purcell concert.

Fleurdelise · 21/09/2017 07:51

Oh and the piano teacher texted me to tell me the results were out again Grin I managed to stress her as well in the last few days.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 21/09/2017 07:58

Of course she did, Fleur! But it must be a big relief to know for sure. Well done MiniFleur, and good luck with the audition.

OP posts:
Fleurdelise · 21/09/2017 08:12

Thanks Waffle there will be so many pianists there that she really needs to be exceptional to do well but I am proud that out of what is probably close to a thousand kids she made it to stage 2.

She can definitely now get into her brother's school (her first choice) on her merit, not on sibling rules. Smile

LooseAtTheSeams · 21/09/2017 08:53

Good luck to Minifleur and minikutik - I'm sure they'll do well! Star

Doubleup · 21/09/2017 08:57

I echo Loose!

Icouldbeknitting · 21/09/2017 09:40

Fleur I logged in just to see if you'd had any news so congratulations. It must be so difficult when they really need a slap but you have to smile sweetly as you might be starting off school life on the wrong foot. Reading all the angst here I am glad that we are in an area where selection on merit is totally against the rules.

Fleurdelise · 21/09/2017 11:52

Thank you all! We can now relax for a bit till Tuesday. Then stress until the 16th October when results are out. I am sure her teacher will spend extra time with her to work on her piece, I am sick of it but hey, it has improved massively since her exam, if only she would have played it like that in her exam.

And I need to drill into her that she needs to mention clarinet also, when the talk to her. Don't care if there is a context or not she needs to say the words "I also play the clarinet" Grin

Greenleave · 21/09/2017 12:18

Oh Fleur, what a roller coaster for you, I am so happy to hear that its now confirmed, fingers crossed for next week and then result.

We had a good trial lesson with our new violin teacher. She said we should go for the NCO audition. I am booking time off, its in nearly 2 weeks time. We wont have an accompanist as we do really go for an experience(and more because I have paid £20). Our new teacher (as always) says that its good for her to correct bow holding/fingerings in the mean time and for her to get to know my daughter playing better if she plays things she is familiar. After these couple if weeks then we will sit down to plan for this year.

stringchild · 21/09/2017 12:27

Well done minifleir

Green - amnaure she will enjoy the audition 😀

TheSecondOfHerName · 21/09/2017 14:59

50 is really impressive. Well done to your DD Fleur

TheSecondOfHerName · 21/09/2017 15:04

"Do you enjoy playing the piano?"
"Yes, and I also enjoy playing the clarinet."

"Are you looking forward to starting secondary school?"
"Yes, as a clarinet player, I'm especially looking forward to joining the orchestra and wind band."

"Thank you for playing your piece for us."
"It was a pleasure. I found it difficult to decide whether to play the piano or the clarinet today, as I enjoy both."

Smile
stringchild · 21/09/2017 16:29

TheSecond - wow you are good :) you will have a queue of parents booking you for pre interview practice soon!

Doubleup · 21/09/2017 17:03

Second - I may be instilling some of that in DD2, reminding her that she plays guitar as well as bassoon. Smile

LooseAtTheSeams · 21/09/2017 17:20

Green so glad it went well with new teacher! Did you say Mini is starting clarinet as well?
DS1 has his first gig coming up next month in a little jazz group a friend has put together. It's a private party so I won't be there watching him!

hertsandessex · 21/09/2017 17:20

I swear my most tortuous moment in recent years was sitting in an interview like this with my son but basically being told not to say a word. Of course he had practiced answers to some extent but then when the questions came he just went freestyle missing out what I thought were important things. I tried the stare but the little bugger wouldn't even look at me :)

Greenleave · 21/09/2017 21:57

Loose: a private party for a jazz band, how cool!

Kutik: remember he usually does much better than your thought!

Interview: My friends son was interviewed for a private school scholarship place. He didnt remember what was asked except what subject he likes best at school and he said "PE". He was then offered a sportscholarship on top of his academic:)) Had he remember what his dad told him that it was science and maths then the result could be different. :))

foundoutyet · 21/09/2017 22:33

dc was already at school when she had her music scholarship interview. I didn't know it was that day, I thought it was the week after. During the weekend I suggested her to practise for her audition."but I already did it earlier this week" was her answer....

woolleybear · 22/09/2017 06:13

Good news Fleur

We are totally bogged down in entrance exam preparation and music is suffering. I'm glad we decided against music scholarship preparation too.

Kutik73 · 22/09/2017 09:24

TheSecond, you are amazing!

Green, yes, I am hoping this will be the case for this time around!!

found, schools do seem to prefer children not to be prepared, and I think they dislike 'prepared' answers in fact. But for the peace of the parents' mind, it would be helpful to know what's going on behind the closed door!

woolley, the preparation for music scholarship is nothing compared with the preparation for 11+ exams, I suppose, so hut off to you! Those who apply for a music scholarship are those who are committed to music largely anyway, so they just can play some of the polished repertoires for the audition. The aural bits are worrying though due to the ambiguity! Applying for a music place at state schools is a total agony too..

Kutik73 · 22/09/2017 09:37

Great news, Fleur! StarStarStar

We visited two state schools yesterday - both are highly regarded and sought-after as long as I know. They are school No. 3 & 4. 3 has a reputation as a pushy school, so I was not sure. But they were much nicer than I expected. The facility was fab. 4 has more tatters building, less fancy. However, Ds and I both loved it. I could see DS would be happy there.

DS has almost zero chance for 3 anyway due to the distance. But 4 offers music places. Obviously very competitive, therefore they shake off many applicants by using MAT for the first round. They won't allow the successful applicants to perform at the second round too. It's purely down to aural, and I would say, lottery (to me). Anyway, DS has to go through the dreadful MAT. I really hope he will follow miniFleur's successful footsteps...

One more school to see this weekend, which is also on top of my list. It's nice to have a choice, so I am hoping I like the school No. 5 too.

stringchild · 22/09/2017 09:39

Kutik - dd had to do theory plus general papers with her scholarship applications at two schools; doing it the same time as the academic prep was a v heavy load and we actually dropped a number of applications once she had secured some good options. Think we would have all gone not-so-quietly crazy if we had gone on past Dec..... Is DS looking forward to JD? we start back next week, first week is auditions for ensembles/orchestras so really only gets going in Oct