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Extra-curricular activities

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Original poster

March Music Thread

626 replies

Wafflenose · 01/03/2018 10:56

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!

OP posts:
Doubleup · 22/03/2018 18:06

Great result again from Rara Waffle! And lovely to hear that she is becoming a little less timid at school at least. DD2 still won't talk to her grandma on the phone, but does now join in with the weekly 'wake up, shake up' session in the playground before school starts. That's only taken 6 years! I'm hoping for another step change when she goes to secondary school like the one we had when she moved from nursery to primary school.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 22/03/2018 18:06

catkind I was thinking more along the lines of a few years!

OP posts:
Mendingfences · 22/03/2018 18:09

Well done rara! Both for the exam result and the narating and mini kutik til for his result and gorgeous attitude.

Music is ticking along nicely here but we have a scary number of concerts coming up 8 in the next 4 weeks i think and 3 og them are on the other side og the fjord in the 9 day period the ferry dock is being repared so no ferry Shock. I think we've got the logistics sorted now but it's all a bit sub optimal..... better news is the girls were asked to provide 'entertainment' for a local union meeting and got massive positive feedback at a gift card for about 30 pounds each Grin

drummersmum · 22/03/2018 18:26

kutik then you're a Taurus like me Grin
mending fjords, ferries... your life sounds like a great Nordic movie I will never be in!!
folk she's got a lot on her table, poor thing Flowers

Kutik73 · 22/03/2018 18:36

drummers, any chance your birthday is on Semi Final? Grin

Agree, I like the sound of Mending's post. Like a movie.

cat, you were once in what?! That's amazing!!!

Mendingfences · 22/03/2018 18:40

drummers i'd love my life to be movie-like but to be honest it's more like lurching from one complication to another, occasionally with a double bass in tow GrinWink.

Kutik73 · 22/03/2018 18:44

As it happened to be on my birthday, I asked DH to take me to the Grand Final (tickets may be sold out already but didn't think that much when I suggested). DH agreed but then we both realized it's a day before SATs week so gave up and somehow ended up DH suggesting we go to Swan Lake at ROH instead. Not too bad!!! Wink

Trumpetboysmum · 22/03/2018 19:21

Sounds good Kutik . My birthday is the next day and it's always in SATs week !!

folkmamma · 22/03/2018 20:30

I got all excited about BBCYM and then like Kutik realised it’s the day before SATS week... maybe next year!

drummersmum · 22/03/2018 20:32

Alas kutik my bday is the day before brass!

catkind · 22/03/2018 23:41

cat, you were once in what?! That's amazing!!!
I was lucky enough to play in the NYO for a couple of years, and they accompanied the concerto final. No semi-final then so we got to do concertos with all 5 section winners. Really inspiring.

Xennialish · 23/03/2018 09:25

Well done to minikutik, rara and I think mini double too?!

There are tickets in the gods left for the grand final, will Sheku play at the grand final do you think or not enough time maybe? Could do a train trip with dd1 but it’s my birthday weekend too!

We are officially a year away from dd1 auditioning for an instrumental place at her current school and I am panicking a bit, just found out you can’t get MDS with voice even for a second study (at her school, I know others offer a different programme) so does that mean she has a year to learn piano (had a few lessons last year but can’t afford them now, she’s about grade 1.5 Grin) or can she audition on just the one instrument but if she does that should she be proportionally better than she is Confused? And what should she sing if she does sing, no idea?! She just yelled at me because the piece I suggested (only one I remembered) has a high C which she can’t do so obviously I am trying to upset her Blush.

Kutik73 · 23/03/2018 09:46

I always knew May born people are lovely creatures. Grin

cat, that's a serious achievement. I mean, double serious achievements - in NYO and BBCYM! Did you think of music career in future? Or you were those sensible people who chose a more stable path and kept music for pure pleasure?

Apparently DS's class teacher told his class that SATs are more important than A levels. Shock Luckily DS is not that sensitive and also those who did 11+ are understandingly less effected by SATs pressure but some of his friends who are naturally very diligent took the words very seriously and putting themselves under unnecessary pressure. A boy even refused to go on a holiday during Easter. Shock Shock

Original poster
Wafflenose · 23/03/2018 09:52

Cat I am very impressed. I have a friend in the CBSO and they are playing for the final this year I think.

Rara's birthday is just after everyone else's! Also in May. She is in a vile mood today. She's not tired as such, but the clarinet exam, cello solo in church and narrating were just too much for her, and tonight she's meant to be singing (no doubt with actions) with a lot of different choirs in some massive concert. I predict that she won't open her mouth.

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Xennialish · 23/03/2018 10:08

My DD3 had a good pick of her nose instead of signing (and singing) 'I can Sing a Rainbow' with her school choir this week and they tweeted a video of it, the shame!

Doubleup · 23/03/2018 10:24

Kutik we had a meeting regarding SATs this week at school. The teachers are telling the kids just to do their best and getting them to do various papers/questions to practice. The results only really matter for the schools as secondary schools usually re-test them when they get there, but as a courtesy to the school, the kids should try their best without getting stressed over it. Sounds like that teacher is a bit stressed about what the results may say about their teaching, but they shouldn't be putting that onto the children.

Kutik73 · 23/03/2018 10:35

Double, totally agree children should not be pressurised. One of DS's school friends went for home-ed to avoid the Year 6 stress...

Trumpetboysmum · 23/03/2018 14:34

That awful about the SATs Kutik glad mini has the right attitude . They just annoyed Ds when he did them and he refused to do any extra work !! Dd is already worrying about them !?! And she's only in year 5 - I've told her to stop worrying but feel next year will be a long one . At least we don't have to do school entrance exams . Grade 1 cornet tonight so hopefully she will be feeling as positive about it when I collect her from school as she was this morning. She really will be fine if she doesn't panic - but that's a big if Hmm

drummersmum · 23/03/2018 15:20

xenia Grin

LooseAtTheSeams · 23/03/2018 16:06

The teacher's SATS comment is bonkers - they must be really stressing about the results.
DS2 was one of the guinea pigs for the new SATS but I think his school did a pretty good job of staying calm and not stressing the children. They offered nice breakfasts for the week!

ILovePandas · 23/03/2018 17:45

Well done - so many positives on this thread!

Trumpetboysmum · 23/03/2018 18:26

Well dd didn't panic a few slips I think but overall I think it went fine Smile

Pradaqueen · 23/03/2018 18:47

Ooh trumpet - cornet is very cool. Glad it went well. Xenia - Grin we've all been there!
Kutik- what utter claptrap about SATs when they are optional for schools? What a terrible thing to say to young people. And it is quite right to suggest it says more about her teaching than the kids.

Miniprada had a lunchtime concert today with the Junior school orchestra . It was Beautiful. And she's had such lovely feedback about her solo last week in the Y7 concert (Vivaldi concerto in A minor) and in her piano trio that she's definitely fired up about music! Lovely when the kids motivate each other and celebrate success in whatever they are good at.

Doubleup · 24/03/2018 09:41

The school holidays have begun - although DD1 had a 3 hour band practice last night. Last hockey sessions of the season tomorrow and then relax.... I am still working next week though Sad and DD1 goes back to a week of exams.

DD2 has been playing a wide variety of pieces trying to get her fingers used to the spacing on a standard bassoon rather than the short reach one she has been playing until now. A few odd notes in surprising places, but it is improving rapidly. The main issues are the slightly different spread of the keys and more open holes needing to be covered by her ridiculously skinny fingers Smile

TaggieOHara · 24/03/2018 10:35

Hols here for us as well! DS2 is off to pro corda next week so we had a fun half hour this morning reading through the music. I managed to find the other violin parts on the internet, so we were able to play together Smile.

Double - that sounds challenging! I remember getting my finger stuck in a massive recorder during a class music lesson When I was a few years younger than your dd2. Never heard of it happening to anyone else, so it must have been a faulty instrument!! Skinny fingers are not such an issue on the violin and I'm quite fat now anyhow