Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

November Music Thread

764 replies

Wafflenose · 01/11/2017 21:58

New month, new thread! This is a place for musicians and parents of musicians, from complete beginners to experienced and everything in between, to talk about everything to do with music! Previous threads have covered exams, practice, scales, instrument hire and purchase, theory, composition, aural woes, auditions, scholarship preparation and much more.

I started these threads when my 12 year old daughter Goo was 6 and preparing for Grade 1. I never thought we'd still be going, 6 years later! I appreciated all the advice I was given back then, and try to repay that when I can.

Goo plays the flute and piano (she has been learning the piano for 18 months but has yet to perform - ever) and has no exams lined up at the moment. I also have Rara who is 9, and working towards her third Grade 3, on the clarinet. The other two were on the cello and recorder. She's more interested in art and reading, and currently swims five times a week.

I am a teacher of woodwind, and Wednesday is my day from you-know-where... full-on from 6.30 am until 10 pm, and about to get worse!!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Kutik73 · 10/11/2017 16:02

Another thing about joining orchestra, DS joined the youth orchestra after he did g5 theory. It's not a big issue, but I do think if it had been the other way round it would have been much easier to understand some concepts in g5 theory. For someone with zero knowledge of orchestral instruments/music, there were quite a few 'imagining' process.

Trumpetboysmum · 10/11/2017 16:42

Niggle if I remember you live quite close to me so I wonder if your dd is going to the same orchestra as my ds? ( though not there tonight as he has a school show!!) I'll pm you to check.
So ds has come back from his masterclass with the famous trumpet player absolutely buzzing !! With some very positive comments about his playing which is nice as well as some useful feedback and ideas about progression. Good to know that ds is on the right track . as I hear the pieces he plays everyday sometimes it's hard not to focus on the errors rather than appreciate how far he has progressed with his playing. I'm just impressed he managed to play in front of him- I don't think I would have the nerve Grin

Pradaqueen · 10/11/2017 17:36

Re: age differences, I agree that miniprada is sround 4/5 yrs younger than her extra-curricular peers. However they are very welcoming of her and a bit 'check this kid out' to each other. She likes that 😂

Nigglenotes · 10/11/2017 17:39

I do like that phrase, Prada, extracurricular peers. I shall take it.

Nigglenotes · 10/11/2017 17:48

Trumpet, I pmed you. Have just dropped her off, so hopefully she will have fun. Next youngest to DD is a Year 7 boy, so should be fine.

It's a shame some youth orchestras won't consider the younger ones, even if they are the right standard. Maybe it has something to do with extra safeguarding issues?

Pradaqueen · 10/11/2017 19:27

Following our Vibrato discussions folks, this came up on today's FB feed 😂

November Music Thread
Kutik73 · 10/11/2017 20:36

Prada GrinGrinGrin

drummersmum · 10/11/2017 20:51

prada 😂

drummersmum · 10/11/2017 20:53

why didn't you notice that I deliberately played the B flats as naturals, then?" ha ha that's so cheeky niggle!!!!
trumpet so nice to hear about the masterclass.

Kutik73 · 10/11/2017 22:24

I have another query on reference for a music scholarship application. One of those who I asked for a reference emailed me the word file. Is it OK for me to print it out and submit? Isn't it the signature needed...? Without the signature, anyone can rewrite the contents, and I am not sure if it's formally acceptable....

Pradaqueen · 10/11/2017 23:23

Kutik, submit what you have. Make sure if it's an email you show the detail so they could contact the referee if they wanted to.

Kutik73 · 11/11/2017 01:05

Prada, so no signature is needed?

Icouldbeknitting · 11/11/2017 07:24

Kutik fast forward a moment to DS being 17. When you apply to conservatoire the references can be emailed (so no signature) BUT they have to come directly from the referee because otherwise the applicant could have written their own. You could ask the referee to send the reference directly to the school, if you were submitting other paperwork I would print and add the reference as well with a note that said "X has sent this to you directly, I am including it here for completeness"

It would take all of five minutes to create a new email address that resembled that of the referee but I hope that they check enough to stop that happening.

drummersmum · 11/11/2017 08:57

One of our references had no signature, but a name and an address.

Kutik73 · 11/11/2017 09:58

Thank you guys. Anyway I will see the person next Wednesday so will bring the printed copy and ask for a signature just in case. On Monday I need to go to a teacher’s house to collect another reference. There is no much time till the deadline so can’t wait till the next lesson! I hope I’m not only one who left this process this late and that the school won’t see us less enthusiastic... Im very forgettable but getting worse theses days. So disorganised.

ealingwestmum · 11/11/2017 10:10

You'll be amazed at how many parents rock up to schools personally hand delivering envelopes a minute before deadline close kutik; you'll be fine Smile

Kutik73 · 11/11/2017 10:46

Thanks ealing.Smile I may be one of those who rely on hand delivery if I couldn’t put all in time for special delivery is effective enough. Just remembered I did hand delivering on the closing date for jd acceptance. Welcome to the disorganised world! Grin

Kutik73 · 11/11/2017 11:52

Interesting assumption is going around. Quite a few people said to me DS would be invited to the audition by letting the school know that he goes to jd. I just spoke to the Head of jd and she told me some pupils didn’t get called to the audition in the past so actually there is no guarantee. The school wanted a reference from Head of Music at school, not from Head of jd apparently.

DS’s school has no music dept so no Head of Music nor music teacher. And Head of jd cannot write any official reference for a pupil who just started although she said she would be happy to have informal chat with the school if they ring her. Well, what can I do more!

Pradaqueen · 11/11/2017 15:32

Kutik - your head teacher needs to help you out now. If I were you, I'd explain you thought you'd need a reference from the JD or external teacher, you'd organised that but apparently it needs to come from the school. Sorry for the short notice, but could she help out by writing a reference as head of music or refer to whoever that is? Then give to her on plain paper and via email a cv style summary of his achievements and extra-curricular activities so she can c&b everything. In my experience, the easier you make it for the head to say yes, it happens!

Pradaqueen · 11/11/2017 15:32

*c&p

Kutik73 · 11/11/2017 15:51

Thanks for the advice Prada. The private school requested head teacher’s reference for general entrance. They contacted her directly (we provided the contact details). So I felt it would be odd to ask her again to write another reference for a scholarship (for the same school). But you are right, I shouldn’t assume but just ask. She may refer other teacher to write it. I think I’ve been very lazy really. I’ll talk her on Monday.

Frigglet · 11/11/2017 17:51

Hello all. Sorry for gate crashing, but I’ve seen the threads and wanted some advice, if you’d be so kind. My godson is doing his Sax exam in 4 weeks, but found out today that the teacher had given him the wrymusic to learn. He now has to learn new music in time; do you think this is realistic?

His mum wants to get him to practice the new one daily until the exam and write a note to the class teacher to explain that he won’t be able to do his homework in the meanwhile? Any advice or thoughts welcome. My friend is frantic, but doesn’t want to put her son under too much stress. Thanks in advance.

Trumpetboysmum · 11/11/2017 20:20

Well ds pretty much prepared for his grade 7 in 2 months including learning 1 of the pieces from scratch but it was very stressful and something that we will never repeat. If they can play the other pieces and scales etc already then it will probably be fine without too much stress. I guess it will also depend if preparing for grade 4 is at the top of their playing level or if grade 4 pieces are fairly achievable and easily learnt.

Floottoot · 11/11/2017 20:29

Hi Frigglet,
What grade is your godson taking? Has he done exams before?
My worry would be that if the teacher has taught him the wrong pieces, has he also taught him the wrong scales?
It IS possible to learn new pieces in a few weeks, but would depend on how able a student is, the difficulty of the pieces etc.
If it was my child, I'd consider what I hoped to achieve by cramming now (unless the exam needs to be passed as part of something else) - it would be worth losing the cost of the exam entry and re-entering next year, in order to get a better mark through being better prepared. Just a thought.

Frigglet · 11/11/2017 20:52

Thanks for your replies. Just checked with his mum and he’s taking grade 2 and took grade 1 earlier this year. Apparently the scales are the right ones, but she’s reluctant to let him miss it because he’s really working hard and looking forward to it.

When I spoke to him tonight, he said he doesn’t mind if he gets a lower mark, but he definitely wants to do it. He’s now learning Food Glorious Food and says will practice for an hour each weekday and 3 hours each weekend day. I think if that’s what he’s determined to commit himself to, then perhaps that’s what he and his mum should do??