November Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

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!!

Trumpet, bassoons can do jazz! . I love this clip

That's brilliant - I just love the idea of a jazz bassoon group!
Well GCSE mocks are getting in the way of Monday night music but as it was the last session of term anyway DS1 was right to focus on revision. Much easier tonight as bass and drum lessons are very nearby and earlier in the evening. I am going to gently suggest focusing on those for this year and maybe restarting tuned percussion in Y12.
Meanwhile there were some almost accurate scales coming out of the cello on Sunday - progress is being made!

Double, that's a cool clip. Thank you for sharing.

Well done to Loose's boy for his impressive progress in scales. I'm not sure if any of you remember my DS's one scale method on the violin. Anyhow, his new teacher finally started some work with him and gave him a bunch of scales to practice. It seems no more escape for him.

That's great double and shows my ignorance 😀 Thanks for sharing

double that video made my day! Yeah love it!
Hurray for mini2nd's Distinction. Very few people are aware that musicians need their space and safe zone before they perform. On the other hand, next time mini2nd encounters the same situation, she will have grown immune to the hysteria. Well done to her.

Another concert on Thursday, apparently DS playing timps for Haendel's Hallelujah (again, impromptu). Should be beautiful and just the right thing for this time of year...

min2nd

Well done mini2nd

Big love for the jazz bassoons from my girl!

I came across the Take Five clip by chance around 3 years ago when DD2 was starting with her mini bassoon as I wanted her to hear what a full sized instrument would sound like. I think these guys are the bassoon section from OSESP, a symphony orchestra from São Paulo in Brazil.

Well done to mini2nd!

Thanks Alexandra

Hadn't heard of them, it's further down the coast from us but manageable! You've all been so helpful to this newbie! Thank you!!

Congratulations mini2nd, I must admit that I've only once been able to hear DS when he was in an exam and I found it nerve wracking.

I always go for a walk second I can't bear to listen . I would rather ds came out and said how he felt it went without me having listened in and formed my own judgement.

It varies at our exam centres - at the music hub you can't hear a thing. At the other venue I actually put my fingers in my ears during one of DS2's grade 3 piano pieces because I could hear the errors! For grade 4 he got off to a lovely start that was then drowned out by someone else warming up so I missed his great comeback!

Is there any DCs who got in NCO even though they didn't play well? I heard mistakes were a big no-no at their audition.

DS usually tells me he did very well after auditions/exams because he is an eternal optimist so seems to believe he did well even when he didn't. However, he was not like that after NCO audition. He was saying, 'let's see....'. It was very unusual of him but I didn't ask him too much and we forgot about it. But today, suddenly he started telling me about the audition, and told me he messed up one of two pieces. He said he played it too fast and felt out of control towards the end.
Knowing how optimistic he usually is, this is a big thing! It must have gone significantly bad to make him say such negative things on his performance.

NCO was such a low key event this year due to many other things going on at the same time. We were OK with missing it. But now suddenly it seems to be very sad that we won't have NCO for the coming year.

It may sound we are jumping to conclusions. However, while you may be able to get away with a weenie mistake in a hard piece, isn't it a bit of when it happens in a fairly easy piece? DS chose two easy pieces which he could play well with both eyes closed, simply because it was the last minute decision + no teacher. So they were not challenging at all, and very much a safe choice. Our worries were more of 'are they advanced enough for U11??'. Messing up those easy pieces were the last thing in our mind.

Kutik , what do you mean by easy pieces? Grade 5ish? Could it have been interpreted as enthusiasm..

Niggle, I don't know the grade, but they were pretty old (we dig them out for the audition), and a way easier than his current pieces so certainly far from challenging. He could play well without preparation, just a couple of playing through prior to the audition, and could memorise them easily as they were short. We chose those pieces to play it safe so didn't really think he would make mistakes!

Some people told me how well you play at the audition would be a big factor for the NCO as they only really judge by the quality on the day. So I realised there will be little hope for us!

Kutik - I have no idea on NCO auditions as it was never on our radar at the time and now in NYO age range but even if it doesn't work out this year I wouldn't worry. So many great young musicians don't get in or don't audition and then do extremely well later. Especially as your DS will start a new school next year in year 7 which can also be a big challenge it might not be a bad thing to have a relatively relaxing year music-wise (although he is at JD so won't be that relaxing I know! :))

To be honest JD is not full on for us at all. Partly because he was always busy on Saturday attending Saturday school (in my language) since he was very little, which was quite full on due to the heavy homework, but also partly he learns only one instrument at JD so his commitment is relatively light compared with those who learn several instruments there. One girl we know learns four instruments at JD and her day is heavier than majority of senior pupils (she is only 9!).

But you are right herts, we'll try to see the positive side whatever the outcome!

Well done Mini2nd, great result!

We have the first exam of the term tomorrow afternoon, bassoon grade 1. Passing should not be a problem but a good result would be nice to boost confidence, clarinet is a week today and dd is still very determined that she should do it.

We have got a couple of fun clarinet books that have been added to the Christmas present pile, does anyone know of any similar for bassoon, haven't managed to find any as yet.

When are NCO results out for those of you that applied?

Woolley, DD2 had a book called 'Twenty-five Fun Monments for Bassoon' by Colin Cowles which she enjoyed playing pieces from.

drummers should start coming out next week! Eek... it's come round fast

Really? It feels like ages to me. But then I am terrible at waiting for news.

DD received her marks sheet today for grade 1 piano, she had 131 which we are (of course!) happy about.

The comments the examiner made about slips, and a few comments about timing etc. I get and agree with.

But there was something written about scales which I need some help interpreting. DD had 19/21 and then the examiner had written 'musical shaping not yet added'. Am not sure what that means! To be honest, I didn't even know scales could be musically shaped . I remember reading somewhere that the first in a group of four notes in a scale should have a slight emphasis. Do you think that's what musical shaping means?

Good luck for everyone waiting for NCO audition outcomes!