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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

April Music Thread

999 replies

Wafflenose · 01/04/2018 11:13

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!

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se22mother · 18/04/2018 15:29

Impressed by early morning music. Dd is a night owl who will not budge from her bed easily in mornings. Music and all over homework is done at night. I have had screaming banshee moments (as the neighbours would testify Blush). Dd loves to fiddle and procrastinate.

Kutik73 · 18/04/2018 15:52

Wait a second. DS can often keep going astonishing lengths without much rest. For instance, he can still be full of energy after 6 hours of football training. The needs of being a zombie must be something mental, like being lazy or trying to avoid tasks! I must be toughen up!? I hardly shout at DS - I am a big softy. And he knows it!

Xennialish · 18/04/2018 16:26

I am hoping the main benefit of having been a chorister will be that it seems that there is lots of time available for practice once she's done with it! DD1 does also still need 10 hours sleep really but doesn't get it most nights.

More tickets have been released for the BBC Young Musician Final if anyone would like to go.

Trumpetboysmum · 18/04/2018 16:36

We have all had epic fails supporting our children's music practise - I have had so many with ds I try not to go anywhere near him !! Mostly aural test and sight reading related . Ds does do piano ( or singing) before school but he wouldn't manage it if he had to leave the house before 8 . He doesn't do loads ( half hour max) but it's better than nothing. He was telling me about some of his NCO friends who are doing 3 plus hours a day on violin now , Ds is currently at about an hour and a half for trumpet I'm not sure how he will fit any more in in the week with homework and computer time ( which is obviously very important !!)

folkmamma · 18/04/2018 17:27

Kutik, I think we might have the same child.... mine can keep going endlessly for anything physical but has very limited tolerance for anything involving mental energy. She also constantly wants zombie time and is very easily distracted! Yet playing 6 hours per day at Pro Corda was apparently no problem. Go figure..... anyway she bounced out of school without a care in the world so obviously this morning had a more lasting effect on me than her (thankfully). We are going to walk the dog in the evening sunshine before I mention the dreaded P word again!

ThreeAndUs · 18/04/2018 17:52

Screaming banshee sounds familiar Hmm. DS generally gets piano done before school (after breakfast), and trumpet done after school, around half an hour on each but should do more and only does more when I'm supervising! Hmm

ThreeAndUs · 18/04/2018 17:54

In the morning I'm watching two younger DC and in the afternoon I'm teaching piano/trumpet myself so there aren't many opportunities to supervise his practise and I can only hear from a distance!

Trumpetboysmum · 18/04/2018 18:27

Three how old is your ds ? Ds only started doing more trumpet than half an hour in the weeks before grade 5 - and that was only to practise aural !! He was 11 ( just) then . I'm sure half an hour is fine . It has gradually crept up at more than an hour as this academic year ( now year 8) has progressed . I'm not sure that more practise before would have meant better trumpet playing, now it's more about fitting everything in . He's currently seeing if he can prepare for grade 5 jazz from scratch in 7?! weeks as well as keeping everything else going. I'm not holding my breath and it will be a very last minute entry . He's trying to send me grey I'm sure . I think if he can practise by himself that's a good thing .

Japanese · 18/04/2018 19:05

DCs here are also doing morning practice at the moment - on piano, anyway. DS particularly gets more tired and prone to strops in the evening so it's much less of a battle before school.

DD is more of an early riser anyway so she gets up at 7am and does 30 minutes and then plays with the cat whilst DS gets up at 7:30 and does his 30 minutes. Then they both have breakfast from 8am and get ready for school, we leave at 08:45 to get to school by 08:50. It will all change from September when DD starts secondary though as that will be further away. DD does cello practice after school at the moment and they both do recorder practice in the evening but that's not every day - only when they don't have other things on.

ILovePandas · 18/04/2018 19:38

This thread moves so fast. Well done to all the minis who seem to be doing so well.

I’m loving the screaming banshee analogy!

DD had her grade 4 violin today and came out in tears. She said her arm was shaking so the pieces were ‘squeaky’ and she had a complete blank for one of the scales. After she’d calmed down a bit she said the sight reading was easy and aural ok. I then contacted her violin teacher who was her accompanist and she said she’s sure she passed as the pieces were fine. I think nerves and the stress of it got to her a bit this time, bless her. We Went out to celebrate with some fish and chips on the beach in the sun and she’s all cheered up Smile

ThreeAndUs · 18/04/2018 19:43

Trumpetboysmum he's 9, nearly 10. I can guarantee a fair bit of that will be faffing around when I'm not supervising. Wink

Trumpetboysmum · 18/04/2018 20:06

Well ( and I know you're a trumpet teacher !!) I think he's doing plenty of practise . Ds still does a fair bit of faffing now - and often " forgets" to practise the piano pieces he's been set because he gets distracted composing !!

TaggieOHara · 18/04/2018 20:28

Thanks kutik. Mini Taggie is amazing (in my biased opinion). However, he is also very much a morning person, as am I, so early practice works well. He needs to do more though if he is going to continue to progress. 20-30 minutes on his first instrument is not enough.

Now he is settled into the choir we are managing most days though, which is testament to his determination to continue to play. At the beginning of the year he was only doing 2 or 3 days a week as he was so tired, so a total of about 1.5 hours per week!

Kutik73 · 18/04/2018 20:52

DS hardly ever wakes up earlier than 7.30am during weekdays, but somehow he wakes up very early at weekend. Why? Well, he is allowed to have digital time in the morning at weekend (max an hour though). So he is a selective early riser.

Re, practice time, I think it's very personal. 30 mins could be too short for someone but could be long enough for another even when they are at the same playing standard. Like-wise, those who practise an hour daily may be more prone to faffing about while those who have only 20 mins may tend to have more focused practice. Some instruments are not designed to practise for long hours neither.

Kutik73 · 18/04/2018 21:12

Do you get any recommendation in regard to how much to practise by teachers? We've never got advised. The violin teacher says quality than quantity so doesn't question how much DS is doing. So far he hasn't been told off yet... But then the expectation is still not so high as he is only 10. Things may change hugely when he is 12 or 13....

Kutik73 · 18/04/2018 21:15

In fact, the teacher did say things will change at around 12-13 generally!

Kutik73 · 18/04/2018 21:31

So presumably if you are a serious musician you are expected to up the game at 12-13 but how it's possible when they get even busier with school work at that age than primary school age... That's my mystery and am scared to find out how DS is going to cope...

Trumpetboysmum · 18/04/2018 21:46

It is difficult but length of practise just kind of evolved more around how much material Ds was trying to cover , increased warm up length etc . At the minute he's super inspired so did 2 lots tonight ( before and after the doctors appointment about his suspected shin splint !!) this however is rare . I agree quality is much better than quantity and if he had lots of homework he wouldn't have done anywhere near this amount and if he's tired he gets distracted and it's not great quality either

JugglingFromHereToThere · 18/04/2018 21:56

So DS has an audition next week at Purcell for sixth form place. He's a trumpet player. Has to play two contrasting pieces, with some sight reading and some aural tests, including intervals.
His pieces have been developing quite nicely, though they are quite ambitious and not perfect, but he copes well with the ocassional mistake so it doesn't stand out too much or put him off.
Think we should get some practice of interval recognition in this week, possibly with friends, as he hasn't done much of that..
He is keen on the idea of going and has a friend who got in. I think I'm more aware of how competitive it's likely to be, but happy to encourage him to give it his best shot..
Thinking it will be interesting to have a look around, and hopefully a good experience for DS too.
Any advice welcome!

folkmamma · 18/04/2018 22:05

Ooh good luck to your DS Juggling. No words of advice (we're no where near that stage!) but do let us all know how it goes!

TheSecondOfHerName · 18/04/2018 22:08

Good luck to your DS *Juggling"

Trumpetboysmum · 18/04/2018 22:11

Juggling how exciting iting and good luck to your ds
Ilove forgot to say earlier I'm sure your dd did just fine in her exam it's horrid when they get so nervous though

TheSecondOfHerName · 18/04/2018 22:12

Regarding practice...

What I suggest to my children:
5 minutes per grade per day, so DD (working towards Grade 5) should be practising for 25 minutes a day and DS2 (working towards Grade 8) should be practising for 40 minutes a day.

What they actually do:
About half that.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 18/04/2018 23:09

Practically identical here, Second. Actually, less this week because of various other commitments and homework that hasn't been done!

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AlexandraLeaving · 18/04/2018 23:21

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