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!

Waffle, how lucky of you and Rara being there! I've never watched BBC Young Musician even on TV.

Re, DS's thoughtful words, I was moved not because he recognised my donkey work (though it's always nice to be recognised), but because he showed me how level headed he was. That kind of appreciation and recognition are very much important to keep one down to earth, be humble and respect others while you are achieving your own goals.

DS played in a youth orchestra concert tonight. He was leading the section but at some points I could see he was lost and trying to look around him. Later he told me he got different music which didn't have any mark and as his section had pretty repetitive lines all way through for the particular piece he got lost in the middle. He recovered quickly though. Can't believe a section leader got lost. Hey-ho, after all he is only 10 and is still learning!

Exciting waffle & trumpetboysmum!

Waffle how lovely to see it live! I really enjoy the Young Musician programmes.
We went to DS2's concert last night - lots of Motown pieces - he was in the second half, which I thought was the best and, yes, I am biased!
Unfortunately, DS1 had a sick headache and ended up having to sit in the car, which was a shame. Just the end of term concerts to go on Saturday, which is always a bit of a logistical nightmare - both dcs are in the afternoon concert but only one in the evening.

Waffle are you sure you can't watch IPlayer on the computer? I believe it's only live watching that requires a license? We didn't have TV till DS was 14 but when we needed to see something we used to watch catch up. For BBCYM we sometimes went to musician friends' houses and make an event of it, or to grandad's and get a take away dinner
loose Motown evening sounds great Sorry about DS1 headache - not too much revision, I hope!
DS has concert tonight, on Saturday and again on Monday night. Luckily every one is very different music.

We all went to see it in the end! I took Goo to the woodwind two years ago, but Rara was just too little. I promised her we'd go to the strings next time around, so we did. DH plays the guitar a bit, so was happy to come along to see the guitarist. Goo wouldn't have missed it for the world. We'd love to have gone to the woodwind as well, or the final, but it's just too far/ late for us on school nights.

I think it was in September 2016 that the BBC terms changed, so that you have to have a licence to watch iplayer. I'm not buying one, so I don't go anywhere near it. Doesn't bother me in the slightest. I might go round to my friend's house to watch the final!

Grade 3 Clarinet with distinction for Rara, despite some very silly errors! I sometimes have to remind myself she hasn't been playing for 18 months yet. Anyway, she is really well within Grade 4 so won't be bothering with that one. A couple of days ago, she wasn't going to any more exams, ever again and I didn't mind, but she now says she wants to do her Grade 5s in cello and clarinet in a few years.

Congratulations- that was very quick. Well done

Well done rara!!
Waffle thanks, I didn't know about the change re watching catch up. We got the license just in time then.

I moved out in 1995 and have never owned a TV or licence. Last time I looked, there were 5 channels. I don't know what all the new gizmos are at all!

Thanks drummers and se22.

Waffle that's a brilliant result for Rara well done!

Ha ha Waffle it depends if you have cable. We don't. So the only gizmos we use are BBC1, BBC2, BBC4 and Channel 4 for the occasional doc. And out of those I only watch: Proms, David Attenborough, Simon Shama, BBC Young Musician and BBC Young Dancer. Can't stand anything else DH watches Andrew Marr on Sunday morning while I finish my much more interesting dreams in bed

What is cable? And what is a Digibox? (Or however you spell it)

Yay to Rara!

Well done Rara! Great news. Waiting here for YMOTY to be on the telly!

Rara now has three Grade 3s! Not at all deliberate, just the way things worked out. Descant & Treble recorder aged 8 (merit), cello at just 9 (distinction) and clarinet at 9 3/4 (distinction). No more for a long, long time now.

Very well done to Rara on her excellent exam result & to mini's mini on the festival performance.

We have been laying a bit low this week as the house has been struck by various lurgies.

Big well done to Rara! Great news x

Struggling a bit here atm. Noo being a bit difficult over practice again (hyper sensitive, strops and lots of tears). Always gets like this when the pressure is on and when she is in the 'hard work' phase of new pieces. She has a lot on her little shoulders, prepping for festival at beginning of May, JD audition soon after, G5 theory in June, G3 piano and possibly G6 violin late in summer term. Plus we have to look at chamber music before Pro Corda in the Easter hols. And school is all about SATS... feels like we are living in a pressure cooker! Teacher coming again tonight (second visit this week) which is good as it means I don't have to have the practice battle with her, but bad because I can't bear the 'having-ones-toenails-pulled-out-with-a-pair-of-pliers ' face she throws at me all through the lesson 🙈

The BBC Four broadcast dates can be found below:
Friday 6 April - Strings Category Final
Friday 13 April - Percussion Category Final
Friday 20 April - Woodwind Category Final
Friday 27 April - Brass Category Final
Friday 4 May - Keyboard Category Final
Friday 11 May - Semi-Final
Sunday 13 May - Grand Final

Waffle cable is more channels to pay for, either through Virgin or Sky. The more you pay, the more channels. They each have their own boxes to watch, record or catch up. I think that's it? I've never used them so I'm a bit ignorant...

I went to the strings final too and met Sheku and Jennifer Pike 😂

Great news Waffle well done Rara !! And Waffle I'm sure the final is too far for us on a school night as well - but sometimes I like to stop being sensible and it's my birthday treat to the family !!

Sorry to hear that folk. Year 6 is a tough year!

Well done rara! Super results. I hope that that her music success is playing through to her overall confidence?

Nothing new musically here. DS2 is looking forward to the end of term tomorrow. I am looking forward to no more 545am

Taggie she was a narrator in her class Easter service this morning (she also wrote a large chunk of the script), joined in some singing and actions (very timidly) and played a cello solo. She still won't talk to my sister, aunts and uncles, my colleague who's known her since she was born, or anyone in public.

Well done Rara! So three grade 5s in a year or so then?

I once got to play in the orchestra for a YM final. Amazing experience!

We're cheering on a couple of local young people this year, must remember to watch.

Wow, Grand Final is on my birthday!