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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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February Music Thread

525 replies

Wafflenose · 01/02/2018 22:06

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).

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Kutik73 · 06/02/2018 17:23

I think DS would have been seriously good at any sport he chose had he put a little bit of his focus/dedication! Much to DH's agony, DS turned down literally all the opportunities given. He was and is very clear that he wouldn't want to take his sports seriously and prefers keeping them just for fun. I'm sure when miniGreen find her thing dedication will come more naturally. Smile

LooseAtTheSeams · 07/02/2018 08:33

Green sounds like she did very well at interview and good luck with all the applications.
I'm still working on finding another bass teacher for DS1 although he's happy to carry on as he is until after GCSEs since he's supposed to be paying more attention to those! I actually hear much more about the music he likes than what's going on at school.
DS2 enjoyed his workshop on Sunday. They have two more and a concert next month. There has been a definite improvement in cello scales but still some way to go!

folkmamma · 09/02/2018 10:57

Poo. Noo's violin is very poorly! Took her to the luthier as we thought a seam needs gluing (there's a buzz...) but it seems that in addition, there is a new crack on the face and the sound post crack which pre-existed our ownership and we thought had been repaired hasn't been done properly. So lots of expensive work to do. 😔

Kutik73 · 09/02/2018 12:04

Oh no, folk. Hope the repair will be done speedily (and economically as possible).

Just received an official offer from the independent school. We've already decided to go for a state secondary. But it still is nice to know he did well. It will be a great confidence booster.

folkmamma · 09/02/2018 12:40

I brought it home for now while we decide what to do. unfortunately it's going to cost a fortune to fix, although at 130 years old and being a beautiful old girl, I feel a moral responsibility to get it sorted.

Minimusiciansmama · 09/02/2018 14:16

Sad news folk :-(

Well done minikutik

drummersmum · 09/02/2018 15:37

Sorry to hear folk. They're fragile things. Friend's cello got cracked in a taxi! If it's any consolation we're buying new mallets next week and could be facing around 300 pounds. Although this time DS is paying out of his savings. It's a 4 hour drive to the shop so we'll make a day of it.
minikutik very well done. And well done on a sound decision.

We've had a really busy week, A levels choices were decided and given in, DS won 2nd prize at the school comp which felt very sweet given the marimba has a hard time competing with other instruments (1st prize went to an incredible virtuoso 11 year old violinist), and then went to see my best friend's daughter play a whole cello concerto with orchestra for the first time (she's 16!). Exhausted now - fighting the bug that's attacking the nation - but going to friends for dinner so at least there´s no cooking Smile

DS really needs a 5 octave marimba now but it's just impossible right now. A Padouk one is about 7,000 and a rosewood is 8,000 cheapest.

drummersmum · 09/02/2018 16:00

I told DS I am going to start buying lottery and he very kindly reminded me we don't have room for a 5 octave anyway Grin

Icouldbeknitting · 09/02/2018 17:24

Brass instruments can be repaired after you've driven over them with a car. We haven't done that but I've seen before and after photos of a very poorly tenor horn. You can't beat dents out of wood or solder cracks..

Mendingfences · 09/02/2018 17:35

Thankfully the only thing we've driven over is a shoulder rest for å violin, and my genius fil managed to fix it!

Kutik73 · 09/02/2018 18:55

Just told DH about the offer over the phone and he insisted we should visit the school again. So our journey of deciding DS's school seems to be no end yet...

DS was so ill prepared for 11+. So I don't believe he did excellently in the exam. But as he is always in the top set at school he thinks he must have done very well - bless him. I think actually his music saved him. Grin

drummer, is there anyway you can loan marimba? Have you asked jd? DS has got two full size violins from jd at the moment, both are lovely antiques. We are visiting a few luthiers during the holiday and we may find 'the one', then we'll return both violins to jd. But if we couldn't find any we are allowed to keep one of them. Maybe marimbas are not as common as violin for loan though. Worth asking?

Paulweller11 · 09/02/2018 19:35

Ooh I’d be interested in a loaned marimba 😀.

Trumpetboysmum · 09/02/2018 19:53

Yes a marimba of that size could be tricky
I almost ran over a loaned ( and expensive ) cornet of ds's once - not a good moment I got in the car and he " forgot" to put it in the boot . Luckily the case saved it and his teacher is so lovely he just laughed . I was mortified !!
Oh Kutik I hope you feel like you can make a decision soon

Kutik73 · 09/02/2018 21:14

Private school:
Pros - fab facilities, small class size, swimming pool on site (an important point for DS), relaxed attitude towards homework (at least at the beginning)
Cons - not free, serious amount of duties as a music scholar

State school:
Pros - non fee, less compulsory duties as a music scholar yet plenty opportunities to commit to school music if desired
Cons - less fancy, big class size, no swimming pool on site, loads homework from day 1

Both have a vibrant music department, good enough sports (though private is better), good enough academic records.

My heart is already set for the state option but DH has a different idea!

se22mother · 09/02/2018 21:54

Kutik as the mother of a child in an independent school I would say the music and sport provisions are second to none. Plus the child can walk from a competitive swimming gala to a concert Grin. These areas are an inspiration at my dd's school. However I'd be sceptical about small quantities of homework - dd gets an eye watering amount at the grand old age if 9. School doesn't consider it to be an excessive amount....

Paulweller11 · 09/02/2018 21:54

I would say private- but only if you comfortably can x
But go and look around both again- to make sure

se22mother · 09/02/2018 21:59

And bear in mind there are fee hikes every year

Paulweller11 · 09/02/2018 22:01

Yes, fees will increase yearly......
What does mini Kutik think? I know he’s still little, but he’ll be the one at the school. Obviously you as parents will make the decision, but which does he prefer.

TaggieOHara · 09/02/2018 23:10

Congratulations to mini-kutik. I'm sure you will make the best decision for the whole family. It is a tricky one though...

Very sorry to hear about Noo's violin Folk. Hopefully it won't be too expensive!

Half term here, thankfully! I am looking forward to lots of duets with DS2 to get him ready for sightreading at southeasterlies next Sunday. All very exciting Smile

Kutik73 · 10/02/2018 06:34

Initially DS preferred the private one but now he says he likes both. But if we make a visit to both schools now, I fear the private one would win DS's heart. It's more shiner of course, and also it's business for them so their selling power would be much better than the state school.

The main reason for the hesitation is of course money. With the reduction of the fee that comes with the scholarship helps but their fee has already increased quite significantly since we first saw the school. We can manage for now but not certainly 'comfortably' and unsure if we can keep up.

So I need to see the balance.

Kutik73 · 10/02/2018 07:49

Ha! The specialist music school is still on the top of DS's list! Oh dear.... But he understands that we like him to go to a normal (?) school and see what they offer. If he continues dreaming about the specialist school we'll consider it seriously, maybe for the 6th form.

We'd better saving money for that!

Kutik73 · 10/02/2018 07:49

And the specialist music school has a swimming pool. Wink

Paulweller11 · 10/02/2018 09:19

Specialist music school it is then Wink.
You’ll know what’s best for him x
He can always change later on anyway.

foundoutyet · 10/02/2018 09:52

private school may let him attend a day just to see how it feels. Will still be difficult to compare with state school. It did help dc decide.

Kutik73 · 10/02/2018 10:45

found, did your dc choose private? Are you happy with the choice?

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