April Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

Happy Easter! The sun is shining here (at the moment) so I'm hoping spring has finally arrived.

Here's a new thread for anyone who wants to talk about music lessons, exams, practice, concerts, aural, scales, theory, ensembles or anything else music related. Everyone is welcome, from beginners to advanced and also adult learners. I started these threads 6.5 years ago when I had a beginner myself. Her nickname is Goo, she is 12 and taking Grade 8 Flute next term. I think she's finally going to do her Grade 5 Piano in the autumn. When those are out of the way, she's thinking of taking up the recorder again and doing Grade 8 on that, because flute sort of took over and she never got around to it. Her sister Rara is 9, and is currently around Grade 4 on both Cello and Clarinet. She doesn't want to do any more exams for ages, so will probably do her grade 5s in a couple of years or so. Rara is a lapsed recorder player who will be performing on it next month, and she dabbles with piano, glock and accordion. Both girls do South West Music School, although I regularly go back on forth over whether this is still the best setting for Goo. We are pretty rural and hours away from any big cities.

Please can we all be extra careful to make sure that everyone is acknowledged and assisted where appropriate... I include myself in needing to make an effort, but I'm not around all day, every day. This is a lovely, calm, supportive corner of Mumsnet but I do receive a handful of messages from people who don't feel welcome because they or their children are less advanced, or they're not in a position to consider JD/ private school/ expensive instruments and feel left out, or they wonder if it's OK to post about certain instruments/ families. I did say I would try. Thank you all so much!

folk watch out with viola sizing - it doesn’t seem as standard as violin - dd has a “full size” but that can be 15, 15.5 or 16” (or even 16.5) and it does make quite a difference...dd tried various sizes to see what felt best!

Thanks Petra, we've gone for a 13" as she's quite small. It's new and from a fairly major supplier (going basic at this stage!) so if the size isn't right we can exchange.

Already had a positive response to a late JD application... slightly unbalanced by the speed things are moving! 🙈

Great to hear such uplifting news from all who were away and bet more inspiring news will be coming once those who are away now are back.

I am slightly feeling down. I am not sure if I can explain well but let me try...

It's about DS's piano teacher. She is not particularly child-friendly kind of teacher although majority of her pupils are primary/secondary age. But her approach works well with DS and he holds her in high regard. She is also a great pianist and can play pretty much everything which is a greatest reason why DS admires her so much. There was no reason for us to change his piano teacher when DS started jd because he applied for violin not piano, and we were happy with her anyway.

However, she seems to have some issues with DS attending jd. I don't exactly know why. She often says things like, 'I don't need to cover this because you probably learn at jd' or 'you should know this as you go to jd'. For instance, she didn't go though aural AT ALL prior to DS's G7 piano exam last term even though I asked her a few times. She seemed to think DS should know all just because he attends jd. I explained her jd was not preparing him to take any exam so DS would need her help. But she didn't which was weird as she did go through all the section prior to an exam in the past. There was never enough time to cover all during the weekly lessons of course, but at least she made time to explain what to expect. But nothing this time just because DS goes to jd...

As we liked her and were happy with her in general I ignored those small things. But, I received a strange email from her yesterday which kind of confirmed her discomfort with DS's involvement in jd. I just can't stop wondering why DS attending jd bothers her so much. He is studying violin not piano at jd, so really no connection nor comparison there. We also always show her how much we appreciate her as it's our true feeling so hard to hide!

I never hid my appreciation to her which ended up me introducing quite a few DCs to her and now she teaches several DCs of my friends. She thanked me to be such a good PR jokingly. All of them are progressing nicely, and everyone is happy.

However, things never went smoothly when it came to anyone who was related to jd... I introduced some of DCs from jd as they needed a piano accompanist. She does accompanying very often. However she turned down all of them. She said timing was not right which may be true though... I was introducing as I simply wanted to support her business. But now I am not sure whether I should stop talking about her, especially at jd.

The other day DS's violin teacher asked me if she could see DS's piano teacher at some points during the summer term so I casually asked her if it would be possible. Her strange email was to reply to this. She sounded like totally shocked by the request and almost made me feel I did something incredibly terrible...

What odd behaviour kutik. Do you think she has had a falling out with JD in the past? Or she resents a promising pianist making violin his first instrument?

Kutik I have no idea what that's all about. But it doesn't sound at all like it's going to get better in the future. Would it be better to make a fresh start in September with someone else?

Ooh folk very good news! Just apply anyway... they can only say no!

I played a 15" viola fully grown. I'm 5'2".

I go back and forth on what's best for Goo (as you all know), and practical issues aside, I think one of the JDs would be the best place for her to develop, play in ensembles at her level and make friends. However, Goo is doing her utmost to never play solo ever again, which rules out all auditions for the foreseeable future. Nobody is allowed to listen to her practising, although I still attend her lessons (for now...). Is she sending me a clear signal that she doesn't want to pursue music further, or just being an embarrassed preteen?

Incidentally, I was speaking to a very well regarded flute teacher/ performer about it the other day, who agrees it would be a great setting for Goo, but doesn't think she would get in. She's suggested we try the county orchestra route instead, so will look into it this autumn IF Goo will play for anyone by then.

Waffle I sent a speculative email this morning... they came back immediately to say they will be in touch to arrange an audition as soon as the office reopens after the Easter break. So now we have two auditions to stress about 🙈

Re: Goo, what does she say she wants, ultimately? Do you think there's maybe a bit of anxiety creeping in after the NCO incident? She doesn't want to put herself out there for fear of rejection... plus the preteen embarrassment. Personally I think she will work it out in her own time and will come out of it totally kick-ass! X

I hope she will pop out the other end of this school with the confidence she used to have, but who knows? You're right about rejection... if this lady (who is an expert) thinks it's a long shot for Goo, I can't put her through it. I don't think the girls will try for the NCO again either.

Goo isn't sure what she wants, and seems worried about having to think of something one day. She has vaguely mentioned medicine or law. I think she'd be far better at law, but would obviously prefer music!

We've bitten the bullet and put in an application for our 'local' jd equivalent for dd1. No problems playing for an audition but she's 12 and convinced everyone from the city 'hates ' people like her who come from the countryside..... somedays she is joy personified some days she is errrm 12....

Ooh, I hope it goes well for her, Mending. I know all about errrm 12!

Waffle I'm sure it will all work out in the end and she's keen to do her grade 8 so that's a good sign - and playing for someone else . I was a bit shocked when you said the flute teacher / player thought she wouldn't get into a jd - I would have thought she was just the sort of student they would want .

The teacher (who will be Goo's next teacher) has an occasional student the same level and a year older, who just got a rejection. I guess that's why? But Goo's too vulnerable at the moment. Her mentor came round the other day and they had a lovely chat, but she wouldn't even let him hear a few scales. It's very sad.

Good about the Grade 8... IF she starts to take responsibility. Practice this week has been hugely disappointing, and she doesn't have a lesson for a month now. Braces are coming off on May 2nd, which will set her back for a short period. If she hasn't made the requisite progress by the time her teacher gets back, Grade 8 won't happen and I think she will give up.

Waffle have you looked at Pro Corda West? They take woodwind as well as strings.. I can't praise them highly enough after our experience this week. Very intimate and supportive but also a very high standard. Might be what Goo needs? I'm not sure we will even go for NCO next year either...

Kutik I meant to add that does sound very odd . I can't really offer any advice but if she's going to make things difficult maybe it would be better looking at new teachers ? Could he have lessons at the jd?

Why did I think it was only for strings??!!?!?!

I will ask her, but suspect I will get the same answer that I got when I encouraged her to go to the woodwind week at Wells with her mentor and some kids from South Westerlies (and SWMS would have paid!). She pulled a face and shouted no!

Yes waffle I've only heard good things about pro corda it's sort of on my radar as another thing for Ds in a bit. I think you're right about her not applying to a jd now given that she's so vulnerable, but I wouldn't ( I'm sure you won't ) let one persons experience put you off letting her apply . People ( including ds's teacher) kept trying to put me off letting Ds apply for AYM they had either no experience or their own negative experiences to go by and kept saying that they were looking for a much more polished performer and much further along than Ds - actually that couldn't have been further from the truth but we did have to bite the bullet, apply and not be disappointed if it was a rejection to find out .

Very exciting folk! I bet she gets in, and presumably she will play the same pieces both auditions, so not too much extra work.

waffle I don’t have suggestions. Adolescence is so hard. Goo is such a terrific young person and a very talented musician. I hope she will soon start to find joy in her playing again - whether as a soloist or in ensembles.

kutik sorry to hear the piano teacher is being odd. Possibly she has a history of losing her best pupils to the jds? Must be an occupational hazard of teaching in London.

Dds teacher suggested national schools symphony orchestra too if anyone is looking for courses - Malvern college I think. Dates don’t work for us this summer sadly (going to
Have to plan a lot more carefully/last minute next year - there’s 2 things she wants to do this year that clash with holiday!!!)

Yay to minifolk and miniMending! What's an exciting challenge lined up!

Waffle, I am also surprised someone in the know thinks Goo may not get in. However it may be possible such views came from how Goo appears. JD and music specialist schools tend to favour DCs demonstrating real passion on top of attainment. Whether it's due to her uncertainty or pre-teen attitude, or else, may make her look less 'passionate'?

Jd is happy to allocate piano lessons for DS from September. They always wanted DS to do both piano and violin there from the beginning. But I was having the second thoughts about it as we liked the teacher and thought it would be good to continue with her at least until grade 8. But she confuses me too much it may be a good idea to welcome a change. She sometimes makes us feel bad about DS doing well. She once said DS was being 'too eager' as if we should feel ashamed about him wanting to do jd, nco and so on. Isn't it a positive thing? Surely better than the opposite??

cat, I doubt she had any experience good or bad with jd in the past as she didn't know about jd very much until DS got in. She also doesn't like DS progressing too fast as a pianist (her words) so I don't think she has any bitter feeling about DS putting violin above piano.

Taggie, she shouldn't have any worry about losing DS as we always made it clear we were happy to stick to her. She is the one occasionally suggests DS should study piano at jd, not in a complimentary way but in a slightly negative way.

She is a great teacher. We like her. She becomes like this since DS joined jd. I don't get it.

SE13 that was me, I'll pm you, thanks!
Kutik that teacher is passive aggressive and not helpful so I think you're probably at the stage where you'll need to find a more congenial teacher!
Waffle poor Goo! She plays so beautifully as well. I really hope she feels more confident soon. I was a total mess at the age of 12 so very likely it's that age!

kutik, do you think maybe piano teacher felt too much of her own youth was taken up by music? I could imagine though that if she's a slow and steady and wait for maturity sort of teacher, his leapfrogging and doing all sorts of awesome fun stuff on violin might seem undermining to her method. Or equally if she has aspirations for him to become really good, violin would look like becoming competition at some point in the future, even if she's not expecting that much practice at this stage. Any of those seem possible? It just seems such an odd attitude to take, and surely something to do with her own hangups and not you or your DS.

waffle, I hope goo falls in love with performing again soon. It's hard to believe she won't from what you've said about her. I wonder if braces out might help give her a second wind. Changing teacher is often a big boost too because you get new ideas and new ways of thinking.

Thanks for your thoughts, Loose and cat.

Although she said she wouldn't like DS to progress too fast, she is the one who suggests DS to learn some mature pieces (we never make a request and just follow her instruction always) and when I pointed my concerns about DS being still quite young to understand those 'grown-up peaces' she said that could be done by technique (not to sound like a child playing). Yet she seems unhappy with DS (or possibly anyone, but I don't know other pupils) try things outside of her radar. DS has never done festival/competition/workshop because of this.

On the other hand, jd has been very supportive in every way. DS's achievement in piano is nothing to do with them, yet they allowed DS to have a quick concert to play all three exam pieces prior to the exam and DS got some useful feedback from the teachers who attended the concert (we don't even know the teacher's name). I feel somewhere like jd is less personal in a good way, as they have plenty high-flying players DS's little progress/achievement doesn't really stand-out. It may be the time to change.

Kutik I'd just move him, but I can't stand negativity!

It's ALL about ensemble playing for Goo. She joined the school too late to sign up for the band for the big school production, as everything was decided when she was still in Year 6 (although one very proactive Year 7 child asked to join in Sept and he was allowed) but she walked taller for a while when the head of music rang us at home at the end of Jan and asked her to step in and learn the Flute 1 part in 4 days. She was so blissfully happy doing the show, and the NCO. She says no to Wells Woodwind Week and Pro Corda. She wants to make music with people she knows, and stick with the teacher she knows, which is preteen insecurity I think. We have all told her she needs to change teacher between now and age 14. She knows. I am going to force her to apply for County Youth Orchestra, as she would get to travel (never been abroad), she'd know a few kids, she'd be 13 by the time it started - most are 15-18 and she's mature so it would be a better fit than last time we applied, when she was 11 (and got injured). I think she would also be one of the better ones, which would do her good. She plays in loads of ensembles at school, but there is nothing weekly and of a high level in our county. The county wind band and orchestra only meet in the school holidays.