February Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

Have a new thread for February!

This is a place for our ongoing conversation about music, instruments, lessons, ensembles, scales, practice, exams, aural, theory and whatever else you'd like to talk about. Everyone is welcome - new and older members, beginners and advanced.

I have two daughters - Goo (12) flute and piano, in a bit of a slump at the moment, and Rara (9) cello, clarinet and recorder (yes, she's picked it up again) on a roll at the moment. I teach woodwind and have my own little clarinet group called the B Flat Blues, who don't rehearse together regularly, but played in a festival this week.

I also have quite a bit of news, mostly good, but am so tired that it will have to wait until tomorrow now. Hopefully it's worth waiting for (and before anyone asks, no, Goo didn't get the desire of her heart).

[WindMum]

DD started piano 3 weeks after 4th Birthday. 30 mins a week with a brilliant teacher. I think it depends on the teacher’s ability to engage and inspire a 4 year old. DD did her prep test 7 months later aged 4 and still at nursery.

[Trumpetboysmum]

My 2 didn't start till they were older but I know of a couple of string players who started at about 4 both still playing and loving it ( one on violin and 1 on cello) mums musical sat in on lessons and helped with practice but all really low key - and mostly learning by ear I think

[Greenleave]

Thank you everyone, for my first we started with piano when she was nearer to 5 and I think it was early, she only started learning properly when she was 6.5. We only started on violin when she was 7 although it was a very low key, group lesson at first. The suggestion came from my violin teacher from the lesson couple of weeks ago, she suggested that our nearly 4 years old could try now and for something fun at first. We will need to buy a new violin as we started with size 1/2 for her sister and it is still too big. We wont cut into her sister lesson rather than putting extra hour/minute. Piano is defnitely too early for her, her fingers are still tiny.

[Kutik73]

I would probably much prefer being a swim mum to a footy mum. It could be 'the glass being always greener on the other side' though!

Our star gazing party was very successful tonight. We managed to spot M42 and Andromeda. 100 of my signature cookies were all gone too. I baked them before and after NCO today. Phew!

[hapsburg]

I'm not here so much any more, but waffle I just saw these and thought of you and your piano shoes! Music Shoes
Well done to all DC's on recent achievements - I have just caught up with a few posts.

[folkmamma]

I love those shoes! maybe we should all get a pair and then when will be able to pick one another out at NCO / JD / concerts

[Minimusiciansmama]

I chuckled at the post of the music shoes- I sent them to waffle yesterday !

[Minimusiciansmama]

The link not the actual shoes, hahah!

[Greenleave]

Love these shoes, and vividly remember Waffle’s shoes!
Question on (state) school report please, our (current) school contacted me today asking for £25 fee for her school report as they were asked by the private school we sat for 10+ recently. I realised now that we havent mentioned any where about her extra curr activities(music etc) and not too sure what would her teacher write in the report. What should I do? Could it be a killer point? Anything I could do now or is it too late?

[folkmamma]

Don't you just love it when your DC has a fab lesson?? Double win, with a super cello practice for DD2 too... proud Mama Bear this evening 😍

[TaggieOHara]

Yay for the folk family! Minor triumph here... thanks to the advice of a very knowledgeable friend, DS2 managed to get his violin into a decent playing position, all by himself today (i.e.without me shrieking at prompting him)

[folkmamma]

Yay for MiniTaggie!!!! Although the shrieking comment did make me laugh...

Also, more good news today - BFF has transferred to South Westerlies, so that will make life easier and DC's very happy. First rehearsal this Sunday, so I will be getting my bake on!!!

[ealingwestmum]

Hi Green; it may be late but can't harm...if, all the school are going to send is your DD's Christmas end report with maybe a stats breakdown of absences/reasons etc, then a separate cover by you of her achievements would support her application?

Ours just sent the report, I had to do the rest...

[foundoutyet]

Greenleaves, shocked at the school charging £25, our state school did it for free! I never saw their report but the new school sent us also a form to fill in her interests and extra-curricular activities,etc.
Kutic, having done both football and swimming, not sure about swimming better....earlier hours, longer hours, feeling faint the at the hot pool side...

Looks like we have to pay for 5 lots of music exams this school year...

[Greenleave]

Oh Taggie, whats a wonderful surprise, please tell us more!

I am reading eveyone news on NCO and find it a million miles to swim to!

Thanks Ealing, foundout, apparently the school application form didnt ask for any of the hobbies/extra curr achievement. Our school might already have her report sent which could be the last year report(which is academically boring of exceeding in all subjects, who dont) or something newly written which most of her activities are outside school so they wont even know(swimming, chess tournaments, music). Its partially our fault as we were too naive in the whole process. Lesson learn for this year applications.

[Pradaqueen]

Well done to Minitaggie! We've all been the shouty mum at some point (particularly violin mum's 😂)

Green- also 😳At £25 for a reference! Supposing you need 5 or 6? That aside,our school asked for the children to write their own 'CV' which they then C&P into the reference request. I definitely would send under separate cover to the admissions office a list of her achievements in graded exams/festival results/ extra in curricular and non-curricular music participation/then other interests such as chess etc. Ask for it to be attached to her school reference. Also add in music teacher/orchestra references which should be general and addressed 'to whom it may concern'. You will be up against prep school kids whose schools know the ropes inside out, so definitely add it in. As another thing to mention, For miniprada I created an a4 colour photobook at the local printers which had all of her music certificates etc in It so that during an audition/interview she didn't have to 'boast' (she isn't a 'look at me' sort of child) but simply hand over her record of achievements so that the interviewing teacher could ask questions. Hope that helps, and best of luck in the 10+!

[Kutik73]

DS's state school didn't charge us for a reference/report, but I know some state schools do. We didn't provide any extra information of DS's out of school activities. I have no idea what the head mistress wrote in the report. But because we applied for a music scholarship, his musical activities were informed in the form of references from his instrumental teachers, orchestra and also the head acting as a music director (she is not!). However, DS's serious commitments in sports were not mentioned anywhere sadly!

[Kutik73]

folk, I've also done swimming and football, though not a hard core swim mum. I really do think footy mum is worse. Last night I was standing in the middle of nowhere, no shelter, no seat, dark and rain for 2 and half hours. Tennis and cricket are nicer as they are summer sports. Football is tough for someone like a cat (me!).

[Greenleave]

What a great advice Prada, I will ask her teachers in the meet the teacher’s meeting tonight. I have prepared this 1 pager CV handy this morning as per your advice if our school has sent the report then I will write to the registrar office separately.
Kutik, your headmistress sounds great. I am sure mine wont even let us know if it wasnt because of the fee. We dont have any of her teacher contact and only allowed to contact via the generic school email address and over the 5 years she was with the school we hardly have anything needed to contact them rather for her sick days. We didnt apply for a music scholar place mainly because I dont think she is good enough however without mentioning any of her non-academic achievements then I dont think its fair on her.

[Kutik73]

To be honest, I don't know if and when the head wrote and sent out the reference. I just assume she did as the school we applied for informed us that they would contact the head for reference. They communicated without having me in the middle (I hope it happened!).

Like you, I don't have any access to individual teacher including the head. All I have is the admin office's email address. I've never questioned about it. I think it's quite normal.

I am not too concerned about the content in the school report/reference. I suppose all the interests and activities can be discussed in an interview? Or as Prada suggested you can prepare something to hand in separately.

[Kutik73]

Suitable candidates for a music scholarship are those who are willing to commit/contribute to school music rather than simply being good or great. Obviously you have to be reasonably good but after that, attitude, willingness and passion are most important. Without the right mindset and attitude, being a scholar can be miserable and frustrating experiences for the child. I totally understand those who choose freedom over duties/honers and just enjoy school music when they can or want.

[Trumpetboysmum]

Not that we have been part of the competitive London school application process but I would have thought that mini green was music scholar material .
I have certainly been that mum at times Taggie ! Your comment made me smell l

[Trumpetboysmum]

Not smell smell smile !!!!

[drummersmum]

green just a quick - our state primary charged us a flat amount for several references. They charged everyone except those on free school meals. The Head asked me to send her a letter with DS achievements and extracurriculars which she could use, so I assume she mentioned them.

[Greenleave]

Thank you everyone, I am sure I will be a professional at this time next year after going through 11+:). For now, everything is quite puzzling, for example at first I thought if I pay for it then at least I should see a copy of it, I totally like it the way that it shouldnt have any parents influence in it though, which is fair in my opinion.

We had a super short interview, must be less than 10 mins and she mentioned that they only chatted about the book she read recently( the book thief) at length and if she likes her current primary school and why.

Trumpet: I really need to see her passion and commitment more in music, I think she can be seriously good had she put even alittle bit of her focus/dedication to it. (But who isnt). She really likes her new violin teacher and given the numbers of lessons she has with her she already learnt some vibrato I am quite impressed. It sounds nice to my non musical ears.