March Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

Welcome to the new thread for March! I am typing this from home rather than having to go to work - snow days all round. We currently have 1cm, but there are red warnings for wind and for snow later today, so it's going to be horrendous.

This is a place to talk about all things musical, whether you or your DCs are learning. We have lots of followers, from beginners to advanced, and everyone is welcome!

I am a teacher of recorder, clarinet, flute and saxophone, and have two DDs. Goo is 12 and having a fabulous time at secondary. She is Grade 8+ on the flute but not taking the exam until braces are off (and I think her teacher is holding out until she thinks Goo can get full marks or something) and around Grade 5 piano - no performances or exams yet and terrified of anyone hearing her, so that's getting to be a slight problem. Rara is 9 and between Grades 3 and 4 on both cello and clarinet. She's taking Grade 3 Clarinet this term so that when she goes off to the NCO in the summer, she doesn't have to tell other children that's she's only done Grade 1!

Very occasional poster here ... though I do enjoy reading the thread.

Gilly, I saw your other post. It makes me furious that GCSE changes have made it harder for gifted but not academic children to reach their goals.

Can I ask a question re saxophone? DD hasn't played much this year (final year at school, very busy timetable) and the last time she put the sax away, she left the mouthpiece on. Now DS wants to learn to play and the mouthpiece is stuck, he reckons the cork grease has dried out. Is there any way to release it without taking it to a repairer?

He is honking away upstairs teaching himself the notes. He has put some socks in the end of the sax to muffle it

gilly I am sorry if I undid your calm! Not my intention. And they won't look at other stuff. It's the quality of their playing that matters. Your DD having attended her school, she will have built an incredible amount of playing experience and will have something to show for commitment and interest. That's a lot in her pocket.

Hi Mistigirl

I thought I hadn't seen you around for a bit.
Just asked dh and he said you can only do what a repair person would do and try to twist the mouthpiece off very slowly easing it up.
If it takes the cork with it, you will need a recork that shouldn't cost too much.
make sure you sterilise the mouthpiece before playing though, germs
and bugs a year old can give them infections. Milton is great.
I hate it when schools give kids an instrument out of a cupboard that will have been in there for ages and not washed.

Drummers You sweetie, I know you didn't You are very supportive.
I'm going to put both of our minds at rest and contact their admissions, maybe have to lie it's for entry soon, so I don't appear to be a loon.

MISTI - sorry to shout dh said sterilise with cold/luke warm water.
Any hotter will damage the metal.

Alaxandra

Oh bless him, I bet he enjoyed the clarinet solo, it sounds lots of fun.
We miss some private concerts too, and have been known to miss some public ones too, they just do so many.
It's nice to see the ones we do though.
It's usually the Jazz ones we miss too, I wonder why?

alexandra I still remember watching your DS play, something you uploaded I believe. And it was superb.

Gilly

Thank you Gilly! It really is stuck, so it looks like I will need to ask our guitar teacher to recommend a sax repairer. (He is a jazz pro and his daughter plays sax).

Apologies for long absence. Not much to report. DD is still playing piano, but guitar and sax have been neglected this year. She is preparing a couple of pieces (Ravel miroirs and a Chopin) for the end of year (informal) exams.

DS is motoring ahead on guitar, he really is very good now. He dabbles with piano and has taken up sax. He is also very keen on theory and really quite advanced I think. I need to think about whether more formal lessons would be beneficial or not. I joked last night that he might end up doing a music degree (he has always wanted to do engineering) and he said "maybe" . I think it's unlikely personally because he is very into science and computer programming but you never know.

Haven't read all the comments as no time at the mo but wanted to write a quick note to gilly.

Like drummer'a boy, DS has to take g6 theory at some points and after that he can choose other stuff to learn at jd. I thought theory exams would be done for DS as soon as the compulsory stage (g6 theory) finished as learning composition, improvisation and so on sounded more fun. But the other day I happened to chat to his musicianship teacher and he said he would recommend taking up to g8 theory if a child finds it's fun and easy (DS likes theory and loves musicianship lessons). No much point of going that route if it will be a huge struggle but it's 'nice to have' for uni application. He was only talking about uni because this doesn't apply to conservatories. Conservatoires only care about playing standard and musicality and potential in the area. I'm sure there is nothing you should be worried about as long as your DD ticks the necessary standard academically. She sounds very musical and that kind of kids would benefit from the education at conservatories and she should shine at the auditions. It's nice for her to make effort in her weaker areas and be wanting to do well all round but stressing out over this is so unnecessary. I hope you two feel at ease a bit and enjoy her beautiful musical journey and all the opportunities in front of her. She is doing great.

Thank you Kutik

I know you and others speak sense, and I'm usually just as sensible, honestly.
I don't let dd know I'm also worried, I tell her it's fine, GCSE's aren't that important, only general certificate and all that.
It's just when she starts to fret, I do too.
I suppose it's having been where she is now, but I must remember that times have changed and they do have a future without GCSE's now.

Thanks all, poor waffle
I am sorry for the massive derailments.

Gilly Actually, very heartening to see the conservatories recognise a different path.
Alexandra bet your Boy was the star of the evening. Misti lovely to hear updates about your dcs - great that DS has progressed so fast!

Hello ladies. Welcomes, congrats and hugs all round as appropriate. And the above are all sent with much more genuiness than the message may appear. I’ve read the thread but will I’m sure get it wrong if I start the tagging etc!

Busy weekend here. Small one had dancer hat on all day Friday. Saturday was piano day at festival. She smashed her classes and is being awarded the trophy for the most outstanding pianist at the end presentation! There’s only 3 trophies (2 bursaries and this one) for this festival so it’s quite special! Today was supposed to be a collaborative project day at JD. It happened but smaller because of the snow. Tomorrow is woodwind day at festival and dance show rehearsals!

That's fab mini well done!

Well done to mini's mini!

Gilly - my DCs are years away from GCSEs still but I remember my orchestral secondary school days...and quite a few of my contemporaries in the orchestra went on to conservatoire study without a trail of GCSEs behind them. I don't know what it's like these days (that was quite some time ago! )

Illness has befallen the Japanese household so DS has been asleep for most of the afternoon whilst DD has been playing the recorder with me and doing some cello practice. I have been doodling about on the piano this afternoon and I have decided to set myself a challenge. I did Grade 8 oboe as a teenager and Grade 7 piano. It has always vaguely bugged me that I did not manage to do Grade 8 piano. I am an incredibly rusty pianist these days so I think it's going to take a long time and I am certainly in no rush but I have decided that I would like to do piano Grade 8 at some point. I have just ordered the scales (my nemesis) book to see what I could be letting myself in for!

gilly, I tried to make you feel less worried and I do really think you shouldn't be worried too much but I know it's easy saying. You know what? I am a natural-born worrier, seriously a world class, hopeless and helpless worrier. I end up thinking too much, and I am genius at magnifying smallest things to keep myself up all night. I think we parents so want the best for our kids and end up worrying and thinking too deep time to time. It's not a bad thing after all. It's a sign that we care about them so much! You just have to be careful sometimes when it becomes a bit unhealthy. But, what I wanted to say was, you are not alone. I understand your worries as a fellow parent and want to hug you and pad your back.

Aw Kutik, many thanks.

I'm sure when we've had parents evening a lot more will become known.
i do worry, it's silly really.
Everything has changed so much since our older ones did theirs and they are only 26 and 23, so not that old

Loose

You are entirely right and I love the fact the one she wants more than any other has this 3 pathway system, I've never heard of it before.
The academics are also well catered for and can complete the usual 4 year degree in 3 years with min AAB A levels and level 4 music, so the ABRSM Diploma.

They ask for diploma gilly? Now it's me who is worried because even though he is playing diploma pieces I was hoping for him not to have to sit the exam etc as he's so busy all the time...

Gilly There is at least one of the others that does an accelerated course, again with the entry requirements of high academics and a level 4 qualification. This time last year I could have done you a potted summary but time has passed. I am also a worrier and have a need to control situations so for me the full analysis of all the alternatives was soothing. I could also make sure that DS was aware of things he would not have thought of (such as that not everywhere wants his non-orchestral instrument)

There are many paths that end up at the same place and I'm pretty sure that you will look back on this in ten years time and wonder why you put yourself through the worry. My advice for what it's worth is not to listen to what people tell you without checking the information for yourself. I have seen so much misinformation trotted out about what conservatoires want and don't want but what "everybody knows" is not always right. I have been told by different people that you need G5 theory, G5 piano, G8 instrument, a second instrument - what they actually want is listed in their entry requirements.

She's in a school that will give her the right support for what she wants to do, one step will lead to the next and there's no point worrying about A level results before the GCSE stage. The tricky thing for many applicants is the personal statement but she's at the right school to be able to fill that with plenty of performance opportunities.

drummers No, they don't want a diploma. They only want that for the accelerated course or the course where they come out with a double qualification.

Anyway minigilly is in such an enviable place from DS's point of views who is so wanting to go to a music school but his mean parents is keeping him in mainstream schools.

Kutik that made me laugh that's Ds too he's a happy boy this week though as 2 days out for music activities followed by what will be a lovely ( but cold I think) concert tomorrow night . It's in a local church. Gilly I was looking at entry requirements last night each place is a bit different but most don't specify any GCSEs some were quite happy with theory alternatives ( I'm not telling Ds that ) and although I know your dd will want to stay on at her school for 6th form and rightly so they were all happy to accept a level equivalents like BTECS like I said I really think the academic entry qualifications is a box ticking exercise for conservatoire . So try not to worry

I get it. Thanks icould. In your experience, what would be the advantage of the accelerated course apart from less time? Do you come out with less debt at the end?

drummers

That's it exactly. This is just the RNCM, but if you are academic there are 2 brilliant pathways.

The first is a joint degree awarded by University of Manchester and RNCM, they only offer 10 places per year, I think it's 3 years, but obviously haven't looked at this in detail

The second is the shortened 3 year degree, but it's also for academics and they ask for Diploma.

The last, which dd would try for is a 4 year course where they need min of 3 GCSE's A -C and min 2 A levels A-E.
I'm using old levels as these are on their site.

Mine is looking at the other colleges but RNCM is amazing for Opera.
As they mostly do PG as well, it will take her about 5 years to complete studies. The thought of all that debt scares her to death, but she's beginning to understand that it won't mean having to pay it back until she earns a decent wage.

Gilly I think other colleges do the same thing . Ds's piano teacher followed a similar course split between Kings and The Royal Academy I think. She's keen that Ds considers similar types of course I think though I think currently ( and it's a very long way off ) Ds is mostly interested in the performance side ( and if you manage to secure a place this means that you don't need a string of A's and B's at A level !! )