September Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

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.

drummers, mine loved it too - although he missed a lot of lessons due to Year 6 test and school visit scheduled on the same day. DS met three of his teachers (he will see all of them next week as he can attend all day then). He loved them all, but especially his principal teacher. She said 'I think I got how our lesson together would be!' half way through the lesson. DS has a character and it seems she already got it. DS seems to trust her immediately which is so important for the young age.

DS used to play football far away from home on Fridays (coming back at bedtime), then get up early for Saturday school next day. His Friday is now free as we changed the day for football training, and wakeup time is the same as before - it just changed where he goes. So it's not too bad for us. DS's day at jd is not as intensive as minidrummers yet that also helps. When it gets more intensive I hope DS still enjoy it and fly through like minidrummers!

Drummers welcome to our weekends 😱 Dd's schedule this year has 5 hours without even a 5min break - and three hours before that with two 30min breaks! But they d0 love it.

Kutik that's so lovely with the teacher! DS2 has been very lucky that his teachers 'get' him. It makes a huge difference. I'm glad you DS is getting a break on Fridays so he's raring to go on Saturdays.
Drummers frankly I'm not sure - I thought it would be for composing. DS1 seems to think they're theory lessons and he might not need to go but the email definitely said 'catch-up'. I think he'll have to go, G5 or no G5 theory! He is up to date with art at the though - the teacher is pleased at the moment!

Ha ha string thank you for the welcome.
kuti this teacher sounds so good for your DS. Also having Fridays back!
loose I will ask DS how music gcse is going when he finishes homework. He seems under no pressure at all... is that good or bad I wonder

Mine is also doing homework now!

DH did a triathlon today and came 2nd in his age group. He is on way home now, but once he enjoys his cuppa, he will probably head for the gym before dinner (I told you he is mad).

Once everybody finishes their business (DH = gum, DS = homework, me = housework...), we are going to have a sushi party to celebrate everybody's effort (and just enjoy Sunday evening)!

gum = gym....

Charish, foundout: thank you, have just bought few books, NVR is our enemy to kill for now. I cant make her to do anything until I am home which is 6.30pm at earliest. Dinner is around 7. We could start from 7.30 for 10mins then bits of violin/piano practice before bed. Thats my devil plan. We might have to stretch bed time till 8.30. This girl needs to be waken up every morning, 7.30 is the earliest she could wake up. She then spends 30mins in the bathroom half sleep.

Drummers: bought the book too, I should start flickering through it, thank you.

Oh dear Kutik, drummers: these are truly busy time schedule. Its although amazing they can fit all in and most importantly they love what they are doing.

We had a good practice session this morning. I roared to top of my lung then the 3 yrs old tidied up the play room(only for 30mins, I have just done it again), the husband helped with bits of ironing and the elder one pick up the violin and didnt play the whole pieces. Piano are ok too, we need to start on the 3rd piece though. Scales are so behind the schedule. We learnt 2 pages in one go to make up for the forgotten ones. I was hoping to record something tonight however we just had a very long chatty (relaxed) dinner as someone decided to prepare (with daddy's help) a roasted dinner with Eton mess as dessert. That took away 4 hours after she got back from her Orchestra rehearsal. I dont complain though as now I am writting this in a calm, quiet house and enjoy the 1 hour quiet Sunday night to rest.

Drummers: do you mind if I ask what documentary channel would you recommend. Occasionally there is one in BBC2, we although never have our TV on so we often miss. Should I just check the tv schedule each week and record the one I like. I am hoing for these quality family TV time.

I had a choral scholarship at university. Still sing now, although not at that level.

I've been invited to a reunion evensong this Saturday and agreed to join in with the introit & anthem. Both will be unaccompanied as the organ is being renovated. There's a 1 hour rehearsal beforehand.

Introit: Monteverdi's Cantate Domino (Fine. It looks straightforward and sounds familiar; I think I may have sung it as a child treble).

Anthem: Bach's Singet Dem Herrn. (I've never sung it, it looks long & complicated. I have to pull this off by Saturday?)

Mini: wow!! That is a very impressive for young Mini!
Loose: did you mean DS2? I remember it was your DS2 who is doung G5 piano and learning theory.
School group music lesson: I dont have any problem with her having fun nor hope for her to get alot from these lessons. Her year unfortunately isnt really into music, none of her classmates plays any instrument to any grade(2 are playing violin and giving up, no practice hence no progress). The other yr5s play piano however around grade 2 and are not really into it. None of them are interested in music either which is a good thing as she never speaks about her music at school.

Green DS1 was claiming as he's done G5 theory he shouldn't need the catch-up classes - not what the email from school said!

Drummersmum hats off to him (and you) if can continue with that schedule. The people who end up with say 10 really good GCSEs/3 good A levels and success at JD/into music college have my admiration and especially with percussion/drums which is so much more work than just one instrument. I know my son would not be able to do both.

TheSecond that sounds like a lovely service! For Singet dem Herrn, the Herreweghe-conducted recordings are generally the ones that are easiest to sing along with if you have a little time to learn the music.

herts, yes I also hold great admiration to minidrummer, but my recent conclusion is he is not from our planet.

Another clash is going to happen this Saturday. There is an open morning for music scholars at a private secondary. DS already missed great deal of lessons last Saturday (and it was his first day!), so there is no way he'll misse JD again. I asked DH if he could take DS to JD so that I could attend the open morning. Eventually DS will go alone, but he is still very new and is in the youngest group there (primary school), and also children have to move from one room to another (ground floor to 5th floor and a bit of sprint between two buildings) between lessons with no break. So, ideally one of us stay there for any help he may need. But I wouldn't ask DH that much. All I asked him to do was to drop DS there in time and he could be off to go wherever he wants. I would come to JD as soon as the open morning finished anyway. But, his answer was..., 'I've got to go cycling'. I'm sure he would have happily dropped whatever he planned for himself if it had been DS participating for a race/match/training!

Green it's sad she hasn't got friends at school who are really into their music.
Kutik grrr...!
I have to agree that young drummer is superhuman! And very lovely! (He'd probably be quite embarrassed to know about his fan club!)
Poor, poorly DS1 isn't even at human strength today - totally felled by cold and headache, off school and will have to miss all the percussion stuff tonight. It really wouldn't improve his headache!

Thank you Schwanengesang I will have a look.

Oh Loose, hope he is feeling better soon, it is this weather that wearing us all down, we are coughing like a crazy family Orchestra the last couple of nights too.

kutik herts and loose thanks for your lovely words, you encourage me so much. The way I see it, no child in this thread has been forced under duress. They are all willingly adding music to their very busy lives. And that in my opinion makes them ALL exceptional.

loose sorry to hear he's feeling so poorly Wish he was old enough to mix in a bit of whisky, works wonders

green we have a smart blu-ray player connected to internet with lots of apps. One of them is the bbc iPlayer. That means we can browse the factual or music category and with patience we always find something worth watching. Our absolute favourites have been Planet Earth, all series by Simon Shama and of course de unbeatable, unmissable BBC Young Musician!!! We were also users of Lovefilm by post, one of the few ways to watch old classics and famous documentaries. But alas it's now finished because apparently everyone just wants to stream...

kutik to your DH:
Maybe minikutik can explain to his dad, who I'm sure loves him to bits, how important music is for him and how helpful it would be if he did this? (With lovable puppy eyes)

drummers thanks for your good wishes! Hopefully he'll finally get a good night's sleep and be back at school tomorrow.

And to Green hope all your coughs are better - and you are so right about this weather!

Kutik73 have you asked your DS if he might manage it himself next week?

He sounds to be a confident capable boy.

I bet if he had a clear timetable and details of which rooms, perhaps a little map, he would find his way. And of course, ask if he needs help!!

Loose, I am trying my hardest not to give minidrummers any slight hint of my admiration, and the fact that I am running the fan club. Teenagers need space and respect! Poor your DS1, after a good night sleep, I hope he'll feel much better next day.

MomOfTwo, yes DS will probably be fine alone as he knows where he has to go next and how more than me already (I was simply a Sherpa last Saturday...). So I was OK for DH to just drop him there. But DH said he couldn't due to his cycling. So the problem is between home to JD rather than within JD... Headache!

drummers, DH is made from steel so nothing works. DS tried everything to'make him understand how much DS cares about music, but I-know-all and oh-so-self believer DH never listened to him. When DS was Y4, DS started asking to reduce his commitment to sports so that he could have more time for music. DS enjoyed all kind of physical activities, so he wasn't asking to stop all, but just to review the balance. DH's answer was always 'Not yet'. So one day DS asked DH when DH would let him have more time for music. His answer was, 'Not until you'd prove me you were indeed brilliant at music. Otherwise it's just waste of time and better focusing on sports instead.' DS was only 8 at the time. An 8 years old boy telling his dad he found something he felt strongly and asking to let him have time for it, dad's answer was until he indeed became brilliant at it! How can a child become brilliant without being given time to spend on it and forced to be super busy with other stuff!

DH is a lovely dad actually, and DS adores him dearly. But he can be such a pain at the same time!!!

kutik isn't jd at 9am? Open morning is at 10am. You have a direct tube train from one to the other. Then you can go back to jd after 1pm?

drummers, I PMed you. Thank you for your suggestion!

Anyway, DS has a music audition at a state secondary this Friday. He has to perform something within 3 mins so we went through his old pieces today and after a way beyond his bedtime, we finally settled with one which is less than 2 mins (he came back from football nearly 8pm so we started this process at a wrong time of a day - bad mama management!). It's an easy, fun piece so DS doesn't need to work hard. Then DS said he might use the same piece for NCO audition next week. He picked one that goes as a contrast piece, again pretty easy piece. The two pieces together will be less than 5 mins. I agree he shouldn't go for any big piece at this stage as no time to polish up (NCO is next week). But if my memory is right, NCO stated up to 5 mins each piece? I know it doesn't mean you have to play that long for each, but, DS's audition will finish in a blink...