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.

[Greenleave]

Hi Niggle, I feel for you, my 2nd one also has stammer, I thought it will get better the bigger they grow, couple of my cousins had it and it went away when they were around 13s yrs old. My 2nd daughter was also a slow speaker.

[Trumpetboysmum]

Niggke glad your dd enjoyed the string day . She must be there with some of the other young strings that we know and they are lovely and about the same age so hopefully they all got together. How awful of her friend to say something like that . If I were you I would just tell her to ignore the snide comments and carry on . I would however also have a word with her teacher at school . Girls especially can be so mean . In fact I was at school this morning complaining about/ highlighting some of the really awful undermining things that another girl has been saying to dd. It's so hard for them but hopefully will make them more resilient.

[Enb76]

My daughter has just started classical guitar, 8 lessons in and half way through the third book of guitarists way. Seem that learning piano first is definitely the way to go.

She's 9 (Y4) and G4 piano and obviously beginner classical guitar.

I'd like her to get some performance under her belt but there seems to be limited opportunity through her teachers.

[Nigglenotes]

Green, I hope for your DD it does go away at some stage. DD has been assessed and her speech and language therapist says it is not curable and won't go away. They focus on strategies to lessen the impact when she is speaking, although these are quite tricky for a 10 year old and involve thinking ahead to what you might say next.

It doesn't happen when she is acting, singing or cross. None of which are appropriate behaviours for school. But it comes and goes, some weeks it is barely noticeable, other weeks, like now, it is right there all the time. The strategies also involve slowing down your speaking and she hates doing this as she thinks other children will think she is stupid.

And she is not as well behaved and focused as she could be in s&p sessions. It is easier for her to focus beautifully in violin lessons as she wants to get better and better, but with s&p she is supposed to work quite hard not to be great at something, but just to be like everyone else.

[Greenleave]

GI76: I am very interested in knowing how do your 8-11yrs old manage your daily practice please. Mine doesnt practise without an exam/performance looming (and I dont want to pay for too many exams competitions). I am thinking to have her mixed with like minded friends so she will be more motivated when there is someone she knows also play(our state school isnt so musical).

11+: I have done my research, bought books/material however we havent started. There have been few full days chess tournaments lately and we had our piano exam earlier last week. I am hoping we could start soon.

[Greenleave]

My question regarding to practise was for everyone following your question GI76.

There are these moments Niggle, then the only thing we could do as a parents that always be there for them and listen to their stories. There will always be “mean” friends or a normal friend however just had a “mean” time. She told you story and you took her side and showed your sympathy then sometimes thats all we could do and you might have done much better than me. If I could make you feel any better then earlier this year my daughter started behaving like a teen and stop talking to me, no cuddles and hugs allowed. She wasnt happy either. I then then have to change(spend more time with her, listen to her friendship story, tell her whats right/wrong...). It is getting better now. All I could wish for from her is please tell me your happy and also sad story, anything happened. I banned the word “all is fine”, tell me the details. I am still working in progress though.

[GI76]

Niggles kids are cruel! So sorry your DD was at the brunt of it; it will be good if she has a set of responses prepared and thought of in advance.
Green my 7 and 10 year old practice in the mornings before school. As they go to group classes and chamber music (only the cellist) every week they prepare music for there. My cellist does not do grades at all. His teacher only sits the kids once they are at Grade 7 or 8 standard; but he does other music activities, next week he is invited to a special chamber music workshop, in the summer he goes to festivals. I think these provide him with some wow music moments and he is normally keen to practice.
My little violist is happy with the weekly group and playing with them.
My problem is really fitting in the afternoon piano practices...

[Pradaqueen]

GI/musicathome- miniprada had passed her G5's in theory, piano and violin before application but then her teacher's asserted she was at G6/7 piano/violin respectively before audition as three of the four schools only invited audition if they were at or beyond G6 in at least one. She is taking G7/8 piano/violin slowly now she can take her time. Good references declaring how hard she worked and a demonstration of music participation outside of school were definitely a deciding factor as her sight reading is terrible! She is very happy at the new school so I am happy she has made the right choice although she is far from the best musician there.

[Kutik73]

We applied for a music scholarship at two schools and only one of them asked references. Both music departments are well regarded. I thought references were a must, so feel like we are missing something...

[Doubleup]

After a quick bit of advice. We are applying for music scholarships at three schools. While the other two applications have been fairly straight forward (list instruments, exam results, achievements, membership of orchestras/ensembles), the last one asks the child to say why they feel they would be deserving of a music scholarship in up to 250 words. DD2 had a minor panic when I asked her the question and couldn't think. I have to say that I have no idea what to say either. Any thoughts on how to approach this? Has to be in by Friday - nothing like doing things at the last minute!

[Pradaqueen]

Kutik - you are right. References given where requested. In our case all of them.

Double up, we had the same for ours. Write it on a word doc so you have a word count, then get minidoubleup to write out in her handwriting (if required). I'd focus on what she'd bring to the music dept and school - participation in orchestra/choir etc based upon current activity. Does she want to continue grades/theory? Add that in too. Ambition to be a musician later in life? In that goes... what does music give her? Get her to write a scentence or two on that. Before you know it, 250 words won't be enough good luck!

[Floottoot]

Doubleup, DS had to write the same sort of thing for his scholarship application last year. He included his long- and short-term ambitions, what he felt he could contribute, what he hoped to gain etc. He mentioned things like helping to coach younger/less experienced players, wanting to start composition etc, what music meant to him and what part it played in his life etc.
Once he got going, it was easier than it first appeared.

[GI76]

Prada thank you! My DS2 has passed G5 theory and is planning to take G6 piano in either spring or summer. I have to check with his cello teacher on grades.

Doubleup my DS2 had to write similar as he was applying to a instrument loan scheme and had to explain why and how he'll benefit from having a better cello. He wrote about the joy instrument playing gives him, the tone of the instrument and how much he enjoys performing. It also had to be hand-written. He did a draft first and once he started it was easier than I thought initially.

[Doubleup]

Thanks Prada and Floot.

[Doubleup]

I'm not sure that this does have to be hand written as it has to be uploaded onto a form, but will check. Some good ideas!

[callmeadoctor]

ABRSM‏Verified account
@ABRSM
2h2 hours ago
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Results for theory exams taken on Tuesday 7 Nov in UK & Ireland will be published online from 5pm today (5 December). Best of luck to everyone waiting for results! Do let us know how you did!

[callmeadoctor]

Good luck with everybody's theory results

[raspberryrippleicecream]

Ooh thank you. Not long to wait now. Hope everyone gets results they are happy with

[Japanese]

DD has 99 for Grade 1 theory - very happy with that! It must have inspired her as she has gone straight to the piano to practise!

[woolleybear]

Second exam of the season out of the way for us. 50/50 whether it was passed, hopefully scraped through and we can say lesson learned move on. And if not, hopefully a good result in the bassoon exam to compensate, now for the long wait!

[Floottoot]

Japanese, that's fantastic!

[Trumpetboysmum]

Great news Japanese. Good luck mini wolley

[LooseAtTheSeams]

Japanese well done mini! and best of luck to MinuWoolley!

[Japanese]

Thanks everyone - good luck to all those waiting!

[Kutik73]

Japanese, what's a fab result! And well done to miniwoolley for sticking to her guns.