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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

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January Music Thread

634 replies

Wafflenose · 01/01/2018 00:21

Happy New Year!

This is the new thread for our continuing (6 year old) conversation about all things to do with music - lessons, exams, auditions, theory, scales, practice and whatever else you want to talk about.

I am Waffle, teacher of woodwind, amateur composer, and unpaid consultant watching and commenting on all sorts of woodwind videos that people send my way! I am mum to Goo 12, and Rara 9, who both play instruments, do South West Music School and NCO. Goo plays flute and piano, and has Grade 8 and Grade 5 pending for some time this year. Rara plays cello and clarinet - working within Grade 4 for both, but hasn't taken a clarinet exam since Grade 1, and wants to do Grade 3 this coming term. She's way behind with Theory, so it's theory boot camp again this week. We start back to school late (Jan 8th) so that's good.

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ealingwestmum · 30/01/2018 15:49

He wants subjects that will allow for an element of creativity and that will be taught very much in a class discussion/debate mode

At least these are sensible requisites Drummers! Mine had a criteria (for GCSE options) of which will take up the least amount of time?. She has such a shock coming to her.

How lovely to get impromptu school night invites that double up on research and pleasure!

Paulweller11 · 30/01/2018 16:00

Wow an invite to Ronnie Scott’s, bless him- bet he loved it!
Kennedy is playing there in February. Unfortunately under 14’s get kicked out before it finishes.

drummersmum · 30/01/2018 16:49

ealing that's sensible too! Grin

Trumpetboysmum · 30/01/2018 21:08

Ealing I love that criteria - very sensible !!

LooseAtTheSeams · 30/01/2018 23:10

What a lovely evening drummers!
Suspect Ds1's criteria on A level choices is close to miniealing's view! Grin

Icouldbeknitting · 31/01/2018 09:04

Green I am sorry, this must be a really difficult time for you both. This time will pass.

Drummersmum A level choices here started with "music and something else". Priorities, eh? He discounted all the things he didn't much like and whittled it down to a short list of english, history, biology, music technology and I suggested law because I thought he'd enjoy it. I know that the general advice is all about facilitating subjects and keeping options open but that's for those kids who haven't known since 11 what they wanted to do.

His choice would have been music, music technology and english but I thought that was too one sided so he did one year of MT as a fourth A level and then dropped to three (with law). Mumsnet is snooty about law but at the end of the day it's about a grade on a certificate and if you are applying for music they don't care whether it's law, biology or physics you are presenting with the music. If you enjoy it then you are more likely to do well in it so I totally agree with "no dry subjects".

LooseAtTheSeams · 31/01/2018 09:31

There are too many misconceptions about facilitating subjects - the document itself points out that music is pretty essential if you want to study music! And it's still respected if you don't. I think young drummers has the right idea. Mind you, I chose all my A levels because I loved them!
The only issue with law is that Cambridge prefers students to start from scratch - we have to give the same advice to our Access students - but otherwise if you're interested why on earth not do it? Good luck to young ICouldBe!
DS1 is very enthusiastic about psychology, he's already done a lot of reading about it and if he wants to do it I'm happy! He's thinking of doing an EPQ in music along with his performance certificate. However he really is basing his final decision on what happens when he opens his results in August.

drummersmum · 31/01/2018 13:55

music and something else it's a great start Icould - he has my total support. How's he doing btw? I forgot where he is but you don't need to say, don't worry.
Unfortunately MT is not an option at DS school. I think it would've been incredibly useful for him and his future in the music biz but what can you do.
loose psychology was one of DS main interests, but again his school doesn't offer it. They do offer a one term short course on it. I wonder if he'll be attracted. He's considering EPQ too, like your DS. What is a performance certificate?

LooseAtTheSeams · 31/01/2018 14:19

The sixth form college DS applied to runs MT, sounds like a great course!
Unfortunately his current school has dropped the Music A level altogether now. They do offer the BTEC L3 so if DS was really keen to go into the music business it would be a good option. (On the other hand for a degree in computing or psychology, it might be less useful!) his first choice school does both as does the sixth form college.
I got the name wrong - it's the music performance diploma (Rockschool) in bass guitar. He's doing the theory part with his current teacher at the moment but I need to find a specialist bass guitar teacher for the performance side as his current teacher is a guitarist and not really a bass player.

folkmamma · 31/01/2018 14:24

Unfortunately his current school has dropped the Music A level altogether now puts hands over eyes and groans in despair....

This is why we are facing the prospect of a 45 min journey to and from school every day and had to take the drastic action of moving Noo in Year 6 into a feeder primary school because we are out of catchment. Still, at least that's an option for us.

drummersmum · 31/01/2018 14:25

Thanks loose I thought Rockschool finished at g8. I'll check it out.

drummersmum · 31/01/2018 14:39

It's 250 pounds exam fee. Indecent Angry

LooseAtTheSeams · 31/01/2018 14:59

He'll have to start saving! Smile
To be fair it's a level 4 qualification, so that may explain the cost. However, I'll expect a certificate printed on gold for that amount - if he actually passes it!

LooseAtTheSeams · 31/01/2018 15:18

folkmama I know! It may be no one feels confident enough to teach it but it's a bit odd as there are definitely enough suitably musical students to take it. If we wanted the A level it would be doable for us, though, as there are several alternative sixth forms, whereas in a more spread-out area that could have been a real pain.

Icouldbeknitting · 31/01/2018 16:33

The availability of A level music was a rant of mine three years ago. The closest places are both 10 miles away, there is one other that was closer but they didn't offer english. I did not realise that at peak times it is an hour in the car to drop him off, I also didn't realise that public transport (rather than the college bus) would be £10 a day because he has to pay the full adult fare as we live two miles into the next county. I try not to think how much time I've put in driving to and from college. His college has an intake in excess of 700 a year, there are 4 students taking A2 this summer.

DipLCM is currently £190, I can't remember how much I paid but I do know that at the time the fee was less than the music. It has been worth the effort, having that twenty minutes of repertoire to fall back on has proved very useful for auditions and performances.

folkmamma · 31/01/2018 16:36

4 weeks until we find out if our gamble has paid off and she gets a place in the school we want. Nobody tells you about all these stresses in antenatal classes!!!!

In other news, RWCMD application is in the post.... 😆

Kutik73 · 31/01/2018 18:14

I've been very ill since weekend. I couldn't take DS to football on Monday but it was a horrible weather so DS didn't mind. I took DS to swimming yesterday which was ok as it was 10 mins drive (so I didn't bother changing my pjs...). Today we had to take a bus for orchestra rehearsal. I put a long coat which covers underneath but totally forgot about the waiting time (usually in a lounge in the theater). Can't take my coat off...

TaggieOHara · 31/01/2018 19:19

Oh - so sorry to hear that kutik. You are very devoted to bring DS to his activities.
Well done Folk on getting the application in. I'm sure Noo will do very well.
Good luck to all on A-level and GCSE choices! I think it is awesome that there are options like law and music technology available. From the university point of view, what is important is prerequisite subjects, grades and enthusiasm. The danger of mixing and matching subjects (e.g. Maths, further maths and English) is that the student drops down in a subject because they have less practice in core skills than other applicants. But if this isn't likely to happen, then it is better to go with choices that are of greatest interest.

Nothing much going on here. DS2 has been off school for a couple of days with a heavy cold. He was still keen to practise though! For all my grumbling, the festival experience has really fired him up. He finds it inspiring to be amongst players of a similar/better standard and he now wants to enter as many festivals as possible because he enjoyed listening to the performances and the adjudication. I guess I am just being too much of a snowflake about the whole thing Smile. The logistical challenges remain though...

folkmamma · 31/01/2018 20:00

Thanks Taggie!! Sounds like we'll be seeing you in Abingdon then..??😘

folkmamma · 31/01/2018 20:01

Thanks Taggie!! Sounds like we'll be seeing you in Abingdon then..??😘

folkmamma · 31/01/2018 20:02

What's with all this double posting!?

TaggieOHara · 31/01/2018 20:11

folk let's hope so. It will depend on nco and choir!

Doubleup · 31/01/2018 22:13

DD2's bassoon teacher has said that her hands are now big enough for a full sized bassoon. She will stay on the short reach one until she has done the local festival and then swap, which will allow time to get the replacement one serviced. Now time to think about buying one (gulp!). I will be talking to her school about the AIPS and whether we can order it through them and get the VAT off.

Doubleup · 31/01/2018 22:15

It's at times like this that you appreciate being able to hire good instruments for £20 a term!

Trumpetboysmum · 01/02/2018 06:25

Hope you feel better soon Kutik . Ds's GCSE choices are also based around what fits with music !! And I may have got school to consider Ds Only ( sigh) doing 10 rather than 11 GCSEs so progress there. These silly school exams start today and he's not really very well but I'm sure he'll power through - though after revision and a piano lesson last night there was no time for trumpet practice ( the first time he has had a 'day off' in ages ) but school did agree that they wouldn't be doing the right thing by him if he felt that he had to sacrifice music to meet schools demands - so hopefully he won't feel that he has to do that too often . School are saying all the right things I just hope that Ds hears them !! His school ) currently anyway offers A level music) we would have a long and difficult journey to a local ( ish) 6 th form if they dropped it - here's hoping they don't as I would at some poisn't like to be able to look for jobs that don't have to fit around transporting dcs to school ( which I was hoping for once dd is 11!!)