December Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

Have a new thread for December!

This is an ongoing chat group for musicians, parents of musicians and anyone interested in music. We talk about practice, scales, theory, instrument hire and purchase, concerts, exams, auditions and loads more. Newcomers and beginners are extra specially welcome - yes, a lot of us now have children who are getting quite advanced, but we all had beginners once. I started the conversation when my eldest was 6 and working towards Grade 1, and we now have learners of all ages and standards on here.

I am a teacher of woodwind, and have two daughters. Goo is 12 and in Year 7. She loves her new school, and has grown up fast since she started. The first few weeks were overwhelming and confusing. She loved the challenge of new subjects, new faces, lots of different sports, etc. Unfortunately, she is a poster child for complacency, is now finding it all very easy, and doing the bare minimum again, sigh. She extends this approach to music too, putting in a bit of effort at the last minute, and often making an eleventh hour bid to change piece for important performances. She is gregarious, intense and obsessed with her phone. Oops, I forgot to say, she plays the flute and piano. Grade 8 flute is pencilled in for some time next year (teacher is campaigning to wait until train tracks come off) and she hasn't performed on the piano or taken any exams yet.

Rara is 9, and a completely different kettle of fish. She likes music, but she likes reading, art and making things even more. She's talkative, eccentric and highly creative. I have no idea how her mind works. She is in Year 5 at the village primary, and couldn't really care less about academics. She plays the cello (working at an early Grade 4 level) and clarinet. Some of her clarinet pieces are Grade 4, but she is having some technical problems at the moment, mainly due to her size and incorrect placement of her fingers. So the next exam she does will probably be Grade 3.

Both girls are members of South West Music School (Rara starting next month) and both auditioned for the NCO. Goo was very pleased with herself, but Rara had an absolute disaster. She bounced back within a day though.

As with his SOLO

Charis, why don't you just have go at JD anyway and see what happens?

In our case it was 100% DS's lead. I was not so sure but tried to be supportive. I joined this thread at the time. Being encouraged by people here, I bravely applied, but soon decided to be against it as I thought DS was nowhere near the required standard. Then received an email to remind me a pre-audition assessment at a JD which I booked a while ago, so decided to pop in. Still didn't mean to go ahead with the real audition but thought, 'let's have a look!'. There at the assessment, we were told that they would offer a place but DS would still has to go through the audition process formally so DS auditioned at the JD two weeks or so later and got a formal offer on spot.

I was more nervous with the second JD as it was DS's first choice and also it had a longer process for the selection for violinists and pianists so felt it was more competitive. However, DS was so sure that he would go there from the very beginning, and by sticking to his belief, now he goes there. But how could I know he would be right. He was not visibly advanced, and I didn't have any knowledge/skills to judge his standard/potential.

What I am trying to say is, we are not the person who decide whether a child is desirable for JD or not. Apparently they will know whether they would like to offer a place by listening to the first few notes. I have no idea how they will know. It's not always easy to guess as it's nothing to do with grades (a bit like NCO). So to end the guessing game, you just have to try and see.

After getting a place, we encountered a lot of dilemmas, such as what to do with DS's other activities on Saturdays, whether we should keep the same teacher, whether we should keep his second study outside, etc. It sound like you would also go through dilemmas between choices. But gaining choices is good. You can select what's the best for your DD. And very often things will be settled in places. After all the dilemmas, we are currently very happy with all the arrangements.

So, why don't you just have a go? You won't lose anything. If your DD get a place it will give her a choice, and if she doesn't get in then she'll gain an experience and also may get some useful advice for the next round.

Another novel everyone!

Kutik, typos are not your friend!

Last day of term today - yaay! But that means I have a lot of work to fit in before the early pick-up of 2pm.

Can I ask: for those of you who had DCs or students doing the theory exam on Nov 7th - have you received certificates yet?

Oh I know early pick ups are a pain - but we get to sing carols with them first so that's ok . I've got to try and wrap all of their presents before then too !!

Goo is performing in the school variety show/ talent show twice today. They can fit 600 children in the hall, but there's double that amount at the school, so they're doing it twice. She was arm-twisted into auditioning after Head of Music heard her solo performance in class (everyone had to play something, or sing) and she went along out of politeness. She was then asked to do the Winter Concert, which was last week, so she'd planned to quietly let the variety show thing drop. Then we heard they'd actually put her though, and she didn't want to let anyone down! So she's playing twice today, and is thoroughly sick of the piece now. We found out yesterday it's competitive too... not that she cares. Apparently the winners are usually from Year 11, and usually the biggest group in the show, so more friends to vote for them. It's Goo's last day, so she's just looking forward to breaking up now. Rara finishes school tomorrow.

Glad to hear she's still playing Waffle. Hopefully things like this will help to restore her faith in herself.

Good luck Goo. Yes ds has got to play last nights piece again today for one of the end of term assemblies - he has to sit through 2 as a member of the orchestra ( lucky boy!!) have a good holiday Goo and a week earned rest

Good luck Goo! And hugely well done to her for getting straight back to performing. That shows true resilience, in my opinion.

I honestly didn't think she had it in her to bounce back within a week. For the last two years she has also been phobic about performing solo, but her school is being amazing and encouraging her to grasp all the opportunities available. Goo has come around to the idea of playing in NCO regionals, and accepting a reserve place if it's offered. She thinks they were wrong to not take her oh well, whatever helps her to move on. Some self confidence developing at last I think...

Thanks kutik that’s a really interesting perspective. Going to park it until after the last 11 plus exam in Jan. Then discuss it with DD again.

Waffle glad to hear your DD is taking the NCO thing better than you expected and doing lots of performing.

Thanks Charis. We looked around JD in April, and decided to wait until Goo is 14.

Kutik73，May I know what pieces your DS used to audition U11s? Maybe it can help us to know what level NCO look for U11s. Thanks.

Well done, Goo! And best of luck with the two performances!

Good for her! That's the spirit! There is an element of randomness in any audition process. She came down the wrong side this time, but another time, she might have an off day and get in anyhow. Perhaps now that the 'worst' happened (in her experience/perception) and she survived, she will gain confidence as a performer

DS2 is really looking forward to regionals, and I am hoping desperately for southeasterlies. I could make that work with choir, I think.

I have also sent an enquiry email to pro corda. I hope that they may admit DS2 to their primary course, although he is of the age for preparatory. I prefer primary, solely because the timing of the course works better. DS2 9.5: preparatory is 8-10; primary is 10-12. He is used to being with older children because of choir. Anyhow, we'll see what they say. Does anyone else do pro corda?

I want to prepare early. This year DD only had 3 lessons before audition and no lessons in summer holiday. It makes her in very risk situation.

My DD doesn't finish until Friday... eurgh.... I love having a few days before Christmas to enjoy going doing festive things but it's not to be this year. They don't go back til 9th Jan, I would rather her finish today and go back around 3rd Jan.

waffle goo is showing great maturity- well done her!

Yes! Go Goo!

violinandpiano, the pieces DS played are unknown in this country, which were given by DS's previous teacher (even DS's JD teacher didn't know them). I tried to search some examples on Youtube or iTune because I wanted to see how it's supposed to sound like but couldn't find. Anyway they are something your DD could easily play beautifully by sight-reading. We didn't have time and also no lesson since early July, hence we settled with the choice (easy and safe enough to pick quickly). I don't know the grade because I am not familiar with the syllabus but there are no many shifts, no many vibratos, very little chords with open string (hence very simple), about 3 mins for two pieces together - you can already see they are not a good example! Your DD is younger but more advanced than DS so she can and should play something more advanced and impressive. Luckily it worked with DS this time but going down too low is also quite risky.

I have to check with DS but they also only used 1st and 2nd position if I'm correct. Therefore I was worried when DS said he messed up one of them as it's just no way to mess up such simple pieces. As U11 is so competitive, go for something that show off your DD's advanced play!

Kutik73，thanks.
She just started earlier than some DC, but she has no passions with music.

taggie DD has never done ProCorda but we have just applied and will audition in Jan because like your DS my DD is doing NCO regionals but not age group

kutik the experience of your DS suggests to me that a really musical performance is preferred over a more complex piece that is less well executed at the NCO audition

DD has done pro corda aged 9 and 11 and has a whale of a time, each time was with a mixed aged 8-18 cohort and this time she played with a range of ages in her groups. Each time she has done small group singing too.

Thanks both - I'll let you know what I hear back from pro corda. It sounds like a great opportunity. DS2 would also like the singing.

👏👏 for the fight back of goo

Have amazing breaks everyone!