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October Music Thread

486 replies

Wafflenose · 01/10/2017 01:18

Hello, I just fell asleep in front of a very long film that DH wanted to watch, and woke up in October! I couldn't resist starting the new thread before going to sleep properly.

The monthly music threads are welcome to ALL, and we really like hearing from new contributors and beginner musicians. We have all levels on here. It's a good place to discuss instruments, lessons, practice, exams, auditions and anything else that you want to.

I am a teacher of recorder, clarinet, saxophone and flute, and have two daughters. Goo is 11 and plays the flute and piano. She is planning to do exams on both next year, but none just now because she's just started at the secondary school 2 miles down the road, which has a great reputation for music and sport, and is extremely academic. They study four languages in Year 7 - Goo has just finished her unit on German (by the end of three weeks, they could write three substantial paragraphs - I couldn't believe it!) and is now embarking on Mandarin.
She's thrown herself into choir, orchestra, steel band, flute group and the gym. Rara is 9 and has been playing the cello since the age of 5, and clarinet for a year. She enjoys both, but is happiest when she's reading or cutting up paper/ making things out of paper! Rara has plenty of free time because she attends the village school five minutes away, and hardly gets any homework.

Goo attends South West Music School, which is the nearest thing we have to a JD in the south west. Rara is just about to join! Not too much on musically this term (and not a lot of practice taking place, quite honestly) apart from auditioning for the NCO. Goo has been in it for the past three years, and is hoping for Under 12s. After a wobble about even auditioning, she seems quietly confident now.

OP posts:
Kutik73 · 21/10/2017 17:37

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on my dilemma. I am leaning towards School A now... If I am 100% sure that we def move in near future, then I would like to go for School B, but you never know what happens. Putting ourselves in a situation where we feel great deal of pressure to move in a limited time is not wise...

Actually I was always obsessed with distance when it came to school choice for DS as I suffered daily long journey when I was a child. Combined with DS preferring co-ed, we eliminated quite a lot of good choices from our lists in both private and state. 50 mins one way was no way for me. But here I am, considering a school which takes nearly 50 mins from ours! Strange...

Kutik73 · 21/10/2017 17:37

Ah, double posting, sorry...

Minimusiciansmama · 21/10/2017 20:18

Well my little 7year old is today in fact a little 8 year old! A very happy, blessed and tired out little girl who's had a day of 5 hours of music and 3 hours of dance & she's absolutely loved it. Her favourite things AND lots of cake, treats and cuddles! Not to mention new music & leotard, of course

LooseAtTheSeams · 21/10/2017 20:27

Awww! Very happy returns MiniMini what a lovely and exhausting day! CakeStar
I suspect she may sleep quite well tonight!
DS2 went to string ensemble and spent the rest of the day on the computer or playing guitar!
Finally done with grade 1 music theory papers. After half term he’s switching to learning by topic rather than ploughing through each grade.

AlexandraLeaving · 22/10/2017 03:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LooseAtTheSeams · 22/10/2017 08:29

Alexandra - we missed you. Thank you for sharing the lovely music choices. You must be so very proud of your Boy!
I very much agree with you about the importance of music at these times. It does seem to express something that can’t be said in words.

Doubleup · 22/10/2017 09:14

Glad it all went well Alexandra. Your description just brought so much back to me about my dad's funeral in February, and you are right about music capturing mood and emotion. My mum had held onto her emotions and hadn't been able to cry until DD1, also 14, played Gabriel's Oboe. There's just something about that piece.

drummersmum · 22/10/2017 09:56

alexandra all the music you mention is very moving. And knowing how exquisite your DS' playing is, your mum's funeral must've been so beautiful and, like you say, expressive of something which cannot be expressed with words only. Welcome back Flowers

Wafflenose · 22/10/2017 11:34

Those choices sound lovely, Alexandra. I played the Mozart at my father in law's funeral, and also my grandad's. Playing at my grandad's (and holding it together and being the strong one for everyone else) is the hardest thing I have ever done, and I was 33, not 14. Your DS is incredibly brave.

OP posts:
Kutik73 · 22/10/2017 16:37

Alexandra, thank you so much for sharing your story. Your chosen music are all so beautiful. And your DS is such a brave boy. Your mum must've been very proud of her grandson.

Minimusiciansmama · 22/10/2017 17:24

So very strong and fabulous of your boy, alexandra. Thank you for sharing the beautiful choices. It's a very thoughtful send off x

Mendingfences · 22/10/2017 17:30

alexandra that sounds like å beautiful send off
kutik i dont envy you having to make a descision there, but i think that both options sound good so there is no bad choice iyswim
We've just come back from a concert dd1 and dd2 we're asked to play at. They did is proud and got paid in cake which made dd1 especially a very happy bunny 😁

Greenleave · 22/10/2017 19:25

I have almost nothing to post, ask, share here these days and actually was hanging around to read other updates including waiting to hear from you Alex. I had to google all send off pieces you mentioned. They are so beautiful. The boy was truly very brave and matured to pull it out together. Loads of hugs here from Green's family to you Alex!!xx

stringchild · 22/10/2017 19:27

Alex - am so sorry for your loss; how proud you must be of your boy to share his gift as such a time

Greenleave · 22/10/2017 19:40

And forgot to say happy 8th birthday to Minimini!
We have been out both days so very little music happening. Although we met a "real" violinist for lunch today, we didnt win the lesson with him however he agrees to occasionally meet up and play with her

Minimusiciansmama · 22/10/2017 21:50

I had a wonderful time watching mini at some of her JD classes for parents' week. It was great to meet her main tutors. I found out she's a joint first study student, where I thought she was a first clarinetist with second piano. It's interesting they've put her joint first as her last teacher has said a couple of times she wonders if she'll end up a first study pianist. I really liked her teachers, we have figured out a plan for her exams and it was good to see how much she's getting from JD beyond the actual instrument tuition. She really loved her dalcroze class particularly. She ended the afternoon by playing a solo, on a days notice, in her first JD concert.

Kutik73 · 22/10/2017 22:44

StarStar to miniMin for her first concert at jd!

DS applied as a violinist but ended up playing piano also at the auditions as they knew DS was also a pianist and they made him play. His piano and violin were roughly the same standard so we were given a choice to go for a joint first study but DS was so clear he preferred violin so didn’t go for the route. We were also scared of the work load of having piano and violin (the worst combination !) as a first study! Grin Interesting you didn’t get asked before joining, Mini. We got to fill all the documents months before it started!

Minimusiciansmama · 22/10/2017 23:50

I knew she was studying both, but I hadn't realised they were being done as joint first. Retrospectively, I should have as at her meeting with the director, she actually listened to more piano (she didn't have a formal audition, they took her on the strength of her advice meeting). Her clarinet is quite a bit beyond her piano but her piano is moving fast at the moment.

stringchild · 23/10/2017 07:04

Hi Mini - dd is joint first study and it costs a lot more than Doing first and second. Sounds like your JD doesn’t charge that way?

Broken11Girl · 23/10/2017 07:11

I didn't know about your mum Alexandra, I'm so sorry. Some lovely music there. The second movt of the Mozart clarinet concerto is gorgeous and agree with the others, how brave of your DS Flowers

Minimusiciansmama · 23/10/2017 10:58

string no, it's the same cost for joint, unless you're doing a third study as well. And thankfully that full cost is met through MDS.

LooseAtTheSeams · 24/10/2017 08:54

Feeling quite motivated after my piano lesson yesterday - but the challenge will be finding enough time to really practise all the tricky bits my teacher helped me with yesterday! She has somehow got me thinking I might do the grade 5 exam at some point!
DS1 doing gcse music composition this morning and instrumental lessons this evening so he’s happy.

Minimusiciansmama · 24/10/2017 10:41

loose well done! I've got my first lesson in a month on Thursday so I'm fairly motivated in an effort to not show myself up Wink. My teacher has floated me doing the Trinity intermediate performance certificate instead of G5. I'm not sure I can cope with exam pressure, haha

LooseAtTheSeams · 24/10/2017 13:51

Minimusician that’s great! I like the sound of a performance certificate - that could be another option!

Kutik73 · 24/10/2017 17:30

Wonderful, ladies! I am still pre-G1 due to the lack of discipline...

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