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.

Lovely hearing about all your lovely plans and boot camp strategies! Lots of unprompted practise here dotted with regular film outings. In addition to The obligatory cinema must for Star War fans, if showing near you, WONDER is my PG top tip (just take lots of tissues)!

Ealing - I was thinking about taking the DCs to see Wonder on Christmas Eve but it's not showing in our usual haunts...

Just finished the mammoth annual wrapping session and I feel like as though my back is going to go on strike. The bottle of Bailey's is calling me but am trying to wait until Christmas Eve. Not sure why, mind.

Have been playing some piano this afternoon too, my Mum had dug out all my old exam pieces for me. So strange to play through them again (well, some of them, can't quite manage the Grade 7 ones!)

Also impressed with all the practice, we have made scales flashcards but not got far with them. Also, I wouldn't know if she was playing the right one so not sure how we will police it!

She did get the Once in Royal David's solo to open Nine Lessons tonight though so is forgiven anything for a few days as she was so nervous but sang so beautifully

xennia well done her! How wonderful.

Well, she FINALLY finished school! They ended the week with their 5th choir performance of the week today. She was also very excited because she won a competition where they had to write about a week in their life, October half term. She'd had a day at opera north workshops & performance of L'Enfant et les Sortileges which she wrote about; she said she thought it might have helped her win that she'd included the word "contrabassoonitious" that she made up herself! Bonkers child! The winning entries are being put in a book, which is rather exciting.

I've got a large amount of work to pack into the time between now and lunchtime tomorrow and somehow have to manage to also take her for a surprise breakfast with a special guest (though not the one you'd think.... her music teacher has returned after a very long tour away!) then later go for our Christmas Dinner with family, finish the shopping, blitz the house..... I can't see how I can fit sleep in anymore between now and Christmas!

Xennialish how amazing. DS2 was lucky enough to be chosen as a treble and is very special.

Congratsminiwoolley

All the bootcamp work is very impressive. I've been not well this week either, totally wasted me finishing school on Monday and the DCs not til Wednesday.

Boot camp fail here. We managed theory yesterday, but then got sidetracked cleaning bedrooms, stripping beds, and sorting out old toys. I hadn't intended to deal with any more toys at the moment (girls got rid of some cuddlies to the school tombola recently) but they were both really into Lalaloopsy dolls for years and had SUCH fun with them - hide and seek inside and outside, 'camping' expeditions, making them roller skates and little clothes, playing schools, sorting them into Hogwarts houses etc... They found them yesterday, gave them a good scrub and sorted them ready to sell on for pocket money prices. It took them all afternoon!

Hopefully today will feature cello, clarinet, flute, piano and theory! We are also going out to celebrate my mum's 70th birthday, which isn't until early January, but oh well!

Bootcamp fail here today too!! 2 shows for Noo and Moll went with DH to drop her at theatre to give me time to put the finishing touches to her impossible request from Father C.... green pyjamas with an orange 'N' on the front. Of course...

Xennia - ah, I love that solo your DD performed - it must have been so lovely to listen to it.

Day 5 of our five-day boot camp finished - hurray! Both the DCs did an hour's practice this morning, a theory paper & had a piano lesson. We went to see Matilda this afternoon - it was nice to see the musicians all on stage at the end for a bow too.

I will be signing off now till the new year as we're away quite a bit. DD actually wants to continue with boot camp when we get back . She said 'ohhh' in a disappointed voice when I told her it was finished. DS on the other hand threw himself on the floor with relief .

Wishing you all a lovely Christmas & hope everyone who has been performing and/or sitting exams gets a good rest .

We are going to have to have a 2 day boot camp in between me finishing work on 28th and is going away on the 31st . So little cello practice has been done and a lot of work set by her teacher! Lots of piano pootling but that’s where she’s at with piano, still just a bit of fun .

Not sure how much practice is going to get done here over the next few days we shall focus again as we approach the new year - grade 1 for dd , masterclass and music comp prep for ds. Happy Christmas to you all

Santa was up late wrapping presents and then up early to finish them. Out this evening, so saves a mad rush later.

Will continue to crack the whip with regard to music practice, especially for DD2 who has school auditions in early January - squeezed in between entrance exams, and with two auditions scheduled for the same day at the moment! Only had notification of the second one on Friday, late afternoon so haven't managed to rearrange yet. Currently an hour apart! . Did have independent practice yesterday, so not so bad, but it will be difficult over the next few days. Lesson on the 3rd, so a shorter goal to fix on.

Heard from DD's bassoon teacher last week that she had one pupil get into U10, two into U11, two into U12 and one as a reserve in Main. Not a bad strike rate!

Great success rate for the NCO, Doubleup. I am pretty pleased with myself too - in 2015 I coached Goo for her train wreck (between teachers) but ultimately successful audition. Last year I got a clarinet pupil into Under 10s (who then withdrew around March and gave up in April) and this year Rara got into Under 10s. She keeps surprising me... we were hoping for a pass in her last cello exam and then she came out in tears. She got a distinction! Nobody was expecting SWMS or NCO for her, but she got ino both. I am hoping she will do Grade 3 Clarinet next term and Grade 3 Theory in the summer. That will make four Grade 3s! although recorder has now all but ceased, and clarinet will be the first to move on.

Goo is now practising well. Teacher has changed her mind about doing Grade 8 next term, so Goo is sulky about that. She wants to hear what Goo sounds like minus braces... better, we suspect. However, the piano pieces started at various points during this term suddenly sound quite accomplished. So she might well take Grade 5 piano next term instead. That will be 23 months after starting lessons.

Piano done for the day, and I'm about to get on Rara's case. They can obviously have tomorrow off.

DS's previous teacher entered seven pupils this year and all got in (five in the age band and two for reserves). He is a peri at DS's school and it's his second year with NCO so I think he is doing rather well!

Double, do you feel the competition for a music scholarship is very high for your DD? For my eyes, having a child who plays most common instruments, your DD is already a massive winner. She plays bassoon (bonus) at such high standard (another bonus). I believe any school she applies for would be dying to have her.

Ds has practised this morning on both piano and drums but clearly did not inspire his sisters and last night we smuggled the bass in. We celebrate Christmas eve here so presents will be opened this evening and i can't wait to see dd2s face!
I may get the girls to practise by demanding a concert while i cook .......

Kutik at the school which DD1 goes to and which is probably our favoured one, I know there are 3 bassoons going for scholarships, one of whom is in NCO with DD. All three have the same teacher....

Waffle - pretty good set of results for you too - and for miniKutik's ex-teacher.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas! Santa is bringing some fun musical gifts to our house, including a 'compose your own' music box, music sudoku and 'play that tune' game.... hope you all have a wonderful day!! Xx

Double! Sounds like the school will be spoilt for a choice! If I see three advanced bassoonists at an audition, I would feel like packing our stuff and run home!!

Terrific success rate Waffle. I must say, although I am no great expert on the NCO and know nothing about wind instruments, I'm not surprised at Rara's success. She has a lovely natural sense of phrasing and expressiveness. I was painfully shy as a child, and expressed myself through music. Maybe it will be the same for her.

We have had a couple of good days here for practice. So much easier when we aren't all knackered and in a hurry . DS2 and I bashed our way through most of the Bach double yesterday - great fun! Looking forward to a day off tomorrow though...

Happy Christmas everyone! Xx

Yes, I felt the same towards Rara's playing, Taggie. I must add that I
also loved miniTaggie's performance, if I haven't mentioned earlier. I liked his warm tones but also the way he was feeling the music. I'm far from an expert but sometimes you can tell if a child is feeling something or just playing learned notes.

Thanks so much Kutik -I'll pass that on. DS2 really loved that movement, and I think it showed.

I can tell his love of the piece! Bach Double is beautiful but how about letting him learn the 2nd movement of the Vivaldi piece during the holiday for fun? If my memory is correct he played the 3rd for the audition? It's quite nice to learn the whole concerto. He must have a manic schedule as a chorister, but I really hope he has time to keep up with his practice. He is lovely.

Sorry I mixed up my memory. Yes I know he played the 3rd movement for the audition! I meant, he learnt the 1st before the 3rd, didn't he? So I thought he could complete the concerto by learning the 2nd!

Decorations done, presents wrapped, bit of clearing up still to do! I did some piano practice as well. DS1 is eating and smiling again so is fully recovered.
Merry Christmas everyone!

Kutik - yes that's right. Well remembered! I would like him to learn the second movement and play the whole thing, but not sure he will agree to resurrect the first movement! We are doing Bach double as a bit of holiday fun, along with the Mozart E minor sonata (which he loves) and a Salut d'Amour. What is mini-Kutik playing?