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.

Welcome horsey! Sorry for all the 11+ dramas but just let me remind you this is a music thread!

Shouldn't redirect to non-music topic again but I just wanted to send a massive bouquet of to Trumpet and Prada and all those who kindly took time to write such encouraging and meaningful posts for me. I think anyone who is currently facing to 11+ would find every word of all the contributors very useful and helpful.

Knowing how DS is like, whose development is so unbalanced (old man in some areas but very immature in another...), I don't really expect he'll grasp the whole concept of comprehension to the necessary level to pass a very academic school within 4 weeks especially our real work will start only once school finished (too many events are booked up until then). But I'll take all the wise words given here and we'll work on it within our capability. Even if he couldn't get there quite in time, it'll be useful for SAT/secondary school anyway so we won't lose anything. I'm a firm believer of every failure/success has positive meaning and nothing is waste.

Hi horsey, nice to have another double reeder! And talking about reeds, they only get more expensive.... . We were very lucky to be able to hire an oboe from our music hub for 4 years at £20 a term before we had to dig deep and buy one for DD1. Still hiring DD2's bassoon at that same rate, but am dreading having to buy one. You could buy a decent small car (second hand) for the money we will have to fork out.

There are more bassoons than oboes in this area, but it does mean that there is a lovely double reed group that both girls play in.

Something to put in your diary for next year if she is still playing is the Big Double Reed Day at the Guildhall SMD. A whole day of workshops, master classes and stalls all dedicated to oboes and bassoons. Towards the end of November.

How many reeds for those serious reeders need to buy a year? DS did a bit of clarinet at school and even though each reed was not expensive I spent quite a bit as DS often broke them. When he was fitting the last one in a box I remember feeling nervous as I really didn't want to buy another box again! Violin is quite high maintenance due to the need of restringing and rehairing but assume reed instruments is no better?

Kutik - reed usage has def gone down as playing technique has gone I think; reeds now much longer lasting but still a large number of duds in each box....

Uploaded video of dd playing clarinet this week in a concert - alas no picture as she banned it, plus sudden ending as a phone call came in at that point (thankfully on silent). A couple of bubbles and one dodgy run but not bad for a cold winters night 😀

We have also found that whilst reeds now last longer, her declarations of "urgh I don't like that reed, urgh that's a rubbish reed" have increased

The Double Reed Day sounds great - we are in Scotland though so probably not able to do those kinds of things. Haven't seen any bassoon players either - her teacher is a pro bassoonist and also teaches double reeds at an independant school but I think double reeds are not popular in state schools here. She has been incredibly careful with her reeds so far so none accidentally damaged!

My DC have not yet learned to scrape their own reeds to adjust them, so rely on their teachers. Ultimately, they probably need to learn how to make their own.

Fascinating to hear the maintenance behind reeds. Reminds me of the days of sharpening my pencils with scalpel knives (still do) in art, my DD still looks at me like I'm crazy. I have no idea if modern art students are allowed to do this in today's age of H&S rules.

I am also embarrassed to say she still does not know how to change her own violin strings, I think it's time...

Reminds me of the days of sharpening my pencils with scalpel knives (still do) in art
I was about to write the same things! I am a pro of this.

Hi everyone, thank you so much for the welcome! . I kept popping on to the thread, but we had three children's birthday parties and a concert yesterday, just arriving home after another birthday party!

I was wondering if any of you oboe mums out there could give me some advice... so we also managed to get to an oboe shop yesterday to rent an oboe (I am not buying anything until DD1 convinces me that she is serious about her second instrument) and I am still a bit in shock over the prices . We have committed to 3 month for £30 a month, but it is very expensive and I was quoted £1,600 for a new one with a waiting time of 3-6month for a second hand one at half that price .... does anyone have any advice on where /how to buy or rent oboes, Doubleup, you mentioned a music trust? I really want DD1 to be able to learn (she watched TV hugging her oboe case this morning and has been practicing a lot with one of the reeds only (she has her first lesson this week, so I don't want her to play the oboe until she can clean it properly), but I will have to keep the costs down as much as I can.... anyone?

Coffee, DD1 started lessons at school through the local music service and it was through them that we rented. She still has her lessons with them, but at the music centre. DD2 is the same on bassoon. Do you have a county or borough music service that you can ask? You would probably have to have lessons through them.

Double, thank you, I will look into that! DD1 has been asking me for so long that I guess I jumped into it when I saw the holidays approaching. It seem to be an endless stream of events at term time, so this is the opportunity for us to try out new things (like a new instrument!) with the three committed months, at least I get some time to find out what the best way to go about it is (trying to think positive here)

Which oboe shop did you go to Coffee?

We would second the big double reed day which dd attended following doubledup's recommendation!

How lovely that they have a double reed group to play in!

We are stumped as to what to do re bands next term. At the moment dd plays bassoon in the junior band and then does the first hour of senior band on her clarinet. The last few weeks we haven't been able to make the junior band so she has done the whole of the senior band and has really enjoyed it. As one of the bottom clarinets in terms of ability, and then to only get half as much practice is not serving her well I don't think. So she would like to give up junior band, we can't do both, after a day at school and with homework still to do. Hopefully we will find another opportunity for bassoon playing!

Howarth of London (recommended by the teacher). They were really amazing and friendly, so kind to my daughter. I guess coming from the violin world I was just not expecting the price tag....

Hi - still getting used to posting, my shop post was for Double, looks a bit odd after woolleys post, sorry.... hi woolley!

We spent a good 2.5 hours in the basement at Howarth trying oboes when we finally bought one 2 years ago. We took DD1's teacher with us to help choose it. It always makes me think of the wand shop in Harry Potter - you have to get the one that's right for you. Have to set a budget first though.......

They will have sorted your DD out with something decent though as they know what they are doing.

We are also going back to full size violin shopping after 11+. We were about to buy one in summer but glad we didn't. DS knows what he wants better now so he could have been unhappy with the one he chose back then. There are a few performances planned next term so the timing can be a bit tricky. Nevertheless it's quite exciting.

I can't seem to be able to see our YouTube channel for some reasons. Everything apart from disorganised says no available. Is it only me?

Same thing happened to me Kutik

Just checked and I can't see them either.

Either someone has pressed something accidentally, bits of Youtube are down, or the person who set up the channel would rather not have it accessed any more. Let's all be patient and see what happens.

Double, your comment about the wand shop in Harry Potter made me smile. Yes, they were absolutely amazing and I think we have a good rental. I will hold off buying for a while though, I think that needs to be budgeted for way in advance!

Oh, a full size violin Kutik, that is so exciting, we are 3/4 still. I guess the selection might be much bigger for full size? I remember when we got it, we had two we were choosing between (both quite old), quite different with one having a beautiful, rounded sound and the other one much brighter. My daughter was surprisingly opinionated and got her way .

I found the same thing, but assumed it was my incompetence. You can still see them if you go to creator studio, but I was too nervous to click on any other than my own in creator studio, in case I accidentally changed something!

Sorry - that was about the YouTube channel!