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.

Kutik - don't worry about he length of time; they will know what he can do/feels I. Less time than that 😀 More imp is that he wants to play those pieces. Good luck!

Hello all! Well it's been a busy couple of weeks here - new term as a music scholar for miniprada who loves the new school! Kids all seem quite lovely and definitely there is a different vibe when they are all of a similar level (educationally speaking).

I haven't caught up with the full thread yet, but hope to do so over the next couple of days.. so apologies if I have missed someone's big news... I just wanted to say to Green - don't panic over NVR. It really is a matter of repetition and practice. Personally I would recommend CGP books rather than bond and once you get going, work at the level up from minigreen's age. Aim to be at 12-13yrs by next Sept. For NVR, have a look at anything written by Susan Daughtrey. Her books cover most techniques she willl face. None of the 11+ stuff needs to be onerous though just fit it in where you can!

I think we will skip NCO auditions this year - miniprada has so many orchestral experiences to have at school - including residential - I think there is an opportunity to do pro-corda too - not sure if anyone's child has done that? Would anyone recommend it? I also don't want any pressure on her whilst she gets to grip with a new school, travelling and making new friends. Her music scholars concert is this week so we are excited to see the different performances across the range of scholars. Miniprada is dragging out an old trusted piece which requires not much polishing up so less stress all around! She said yesterday she was at the school junior orchestra (yrs 7-9) and the girls next to her in 1st violins was on her 3rd diploma already so I think the standard there is already very high...

Can't believe we are nearly in October!

No, it is not nearly October, there's ages and ages to go yet *Prada^.

It's such a long way off that there's no need to be panicking that the musical application thing with the deadline of the end of September isn't done yet. Auditions (assuming that the application does actually go in on time) start in November and DS is at least planning on playing things that he's played before. But wait, instead of playing the second movement which we know, let's learn the third instead because that sounds fun. While we're at it, let's just do all of it because it's a useful addition to repertoire and we might need it someday. This is true but all he needs at the moment is one movement, just one.

I am going to prime his music teacher to get him to finally name his choice of audition pieces and stop faffing about but that can wait until after we have completed the application.

Bold fail due to morning eyesight.

(At the time didn't see the 10 min cgp in the shop, only reason we went for Bond , but defin usd cgp for GCSE revision)

Hi all! Dd is doing her audition as we speak. We also got the NCO audition date 30th October. Some time to prepare.

Good luck minikutik!

Good luck minifleur

Fleur, thanks for your good wishes! I think it's your DD's audition day today? Elephant enormous good luck to miniFleur!

Prada, so nice to hear from you again and such happy news that your DD is enjoying her new school. It sounds like they provide high quality of music education by having such strong musicians. I would love DS to go to such school (he still has a danger of ending up with a school with almost zero musical activities).

Green, good luck with your 11+ preparation. I really want to reassure you that starting this early will make the whole process less stressful and manageable so no need to panic and you really is in a right place now! What I understand about NVR/VR is they can be coached easily that's why so many kids practise heavily and also some schools have removed them from their entrance exams. With such a smart brain, miniGreen will soon fly through and may actually start enjoying it (it's a bit like a puzzle, isn't it?). DS hasn't practised those as the schools he is applying for don't test them. But he did a mock test a while ago at a local centre (the place I told you) and they just gave children all the 4 subjects so he had to do all of them although he didn't need to practise NVR/VR. And surprisingly he scored near perfect for both. So, he seems good at them naturally. Sadly, they are not required and instead DS has to do what he is not so good at (comprehension)!!! It would have been much easier for us if NVR/VR had been the requirement for us....

Sorry, I misunderstood Fleur was talking about only NCO audition. So it is miniFleur's audition day! Good luck!!

Good luck MiniFleur - hope all went well today!
So glad MiniPrada has settled in well.
DS1 has chest infection and needs to rest, take antiobiotics. He is very glum because he can't do his drum and bass lessons tonight - I've had to remind him that health is more important and he's in no fit state to use a drum kit!

She's out said all went well, she managed to mention she plays the clarinet and took grade 3 (they actually asked her what other instruments she plays and her level) they even said wow when they heard she took grade 3 after only playing for a year. Hopefully it will be good news.

Oh loose what a drag poor thing. Coincidently DS has been on four different antibiotics for the last month fighting an ear infection. Unfortunately the last one gave him a full allergic reaction and we had to rush to hospital. Give him some probiotic to make up for the loss of good bacteria and tell him the drum kit is going nowhere and will be there next time.

Sounds good fleur!

That sounds promising fleur! Fingers crossed.

Thank you for the kind words Kutik, it was one of the main reasons we chose the school for her. I'm sure minikutik will be very successful in his applications.

I could be - you are quite right, October is aaaaages away 😂

Thanks guys! All done now so back to routine!

Sorry if I missed lots of news there is a lot going on in my life at the moment.

she managed to mention she plays the clarinet

Prada - same here, first term as a music scholar and chorister is proving quite demanding, and dd is having to turn down some opportunities at school. Homework also a very big step up, even though she was in a homework heavy prep. Our scholars concert is in 2 weeks and also looking forward to it. So we may also skip nco auditions - after 4 years that will be quite a big decision, but there is always next year. We are thinking of cello pro cord, but at the moment i think dd needs a break at half term!

Fleur - well done :)

Drummers oh no! Ear infections are horrid enough without an allergic reaction! Poor DS. I hope he feels better now.
Fleur a wow! Has to be a good sign!
Bit drained today - five hours' teaching on top of dragging DS to the doctor. Looking forward to doing some piano practice tomorrow!
By the way grade 5 piano sight reading is really hard - how do children manage this??!

Fleur, I am so happy to hear the positive news, but also so envious that you now officially finished 11+. Now all miniFleur has to do is to enjoy what she loves and cares.

drummers, oh poor boy! DS is prone to suffer from ear infection. Not sure if it is because of his weekly swimming, or just that's how he's made. He get it quite a lot...

Drummers: thank you, there will be Santa present for this Christmas where I could get this blu-ray tv with apps. I plan to make family entertainment close to her science curiosity, basically loads of documentaries, science series etc.

Fleur: sounds great! Fingers crossed to miniFleur on her result.

Kutik: best of luck this Friday audition. I hope you could sort out this Saturday schedule in peace. I am lucky my husband "takes" my order. He is home "early" tonight(7.30) and I asked him to sit down with her for her scales practice and he did. We both absolutely none musical however if one of us sits and listens she will prsctise. I still complain though that he isnt active enough, he doesnt know about 11+ or how many grades in ABRSM exams for example. I think its in Asian family that mothers are usually "in charge" for these children "stuffs".

Prada: its great to hear MiniPrada is settling well with new school. I went to my friend who has a daughter just left the school after 13 years(she went to the prep too), she is now studying medicine in one of the best school in the country. She loves the school. And "wow" on the 3rd diploma(just had to google to know it. I wish miniPrada will have a great coming performance. And, thank you for sharing your 11+ knowledge, I have take a picture of your post on CGP. Will keep our head down and start digging in. We just need to start(and hopefully it will look alittle less scary).
(And thanks foundout)

Loose: we thought sight reading was our strength and never practiced for her g5 piano or g5 violin. She didnt have a great mark(I think it was only a pass). We have learnt the lesson now, I got her both of the gr6 and gr7 Paul Harris sight reading books. She loves it though which helps.

sting, how has your DD been finding the balance of jd and secondary school? As a music scholar, she must be even busier than other DCs. Does she do any sport? I have applied for a music place at several schools, mainly because that's only way for DS to have a chance to get in but also I think DS would enjoy the musical commitments in school. But I sometimes wonder how demanding it will be if he is successful to gain a place. I suppose some musical activities after school are compulsory and DS would like to do some sports for fun at least a couple of times a week. So he would come back late then homework and multiple musical instruments practice to be fitted in in the evening. Of course, he has to eat, shower and needs some downtime too. Not sure if he can handle all the stuff...

Green, but we are not 'Asian family' - my DH is 100% British! I don't think he thinks childcare is mother's job, but homework, 11+, music practice are simply not very important to him. Whenever he has time, he takes DS out for exercises and allotments, talks to him about planets and stars, read Asterix, basically, nothing to do with modern education. Hence, I end up being in charge for practical and daily requirement...

I decided not to go to the open morning.

Oh, DS has an interview tomorrow. DH has been away all this week, so I asked him to have a quick practice run on the phone. He phoned (wow) and asked DS why he would like to come to the school in a pretended interviewer's voice, DS jokingly answered back, both laughed, then started chatting something else, then the phone ended. Well, one star to DH at least he remembered to call and did ask DS one question....