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!

Taggie, it was a bit like herding cats at times at South Easterlies this afternoon! Couldn't believe the three teenage harpists denying that the reason for them missing their cue was the fact that they were all on their mobiles

double i'm that they are so attached to their phones!
Hope everyone has had a good weekend, my girls' concert last night was brilliant and i was so proud especially of dd2 who is really too young for the program by a good few years. At the beginning of the school year there was some feelings that it might be too much for her but last night she rocked it i may have had slightly damp eyes. Dd1 was great too of course, they all were, but dd2 was something special - i had a queue of people after the concert come and tell me so she's completely bonkers but may have found her tribe.

Double that is horrendous and absolutely no way on earth would it have happened if Roger was still there

OMG to using phones in rehearsal! If either of mine did that I would thoroughly embarrass them by publicly marching over and taking the phones off them... we are missing our SE friends but glad to have stayed with Caroline as conductor.

Not enthusiastic about work today, sat outside in the car. Best put my best foot forward and get in there 😔

Can't they leave their phone in a case/bag instead of keeping it in a pocket/hand/music stand during rehearsal? They can always check it during break. DS takes his phone to jd but he keeps it in his bag and only checks between lessons (if he remembers to check!), and I would let him do the same for NCO rehearsals (though he doesn't need a phone for NCO yet).

A big applause to MiniMendings for making their mum so proud!

to *folk. Hope you have a lovely day today.

A delivery man has just collected DS's 3/4 violin. We finally said farewell to the violin with full of memories. I felt so sentimental about it and was very reluctant to let it go. But DS is probably right. It's better for the violin to find a new owner and get played rather than being kept untouched at our home. At least, the case with NCO, JD and youth orchestra's stickers, shoulder rest and broken bow will stay with us.

Yes - the southeasterlies conductor was very tolerant, all things considered. It was a long hot afternoon, but with some amazing music making.

In defence of the harpists, when they saw their cues, they did play beautifully. I was also impressed that they spent less time packing up their harps than DS2 did packing up his violin!

for folk.

I would not be impressed too learn my DD had been on her phone in rehearsal. I am glad we haven’t entered the realms of mobile phones yet! She’s going away in summer for 5 nights but I’m still saying no- I reckon it will make her more homesick.

Mobile phones and teenagers - what a nightmare. Ds had been known to look at his at easterlies rehearsals ( though I've told him it looks bad and so he's not taking it next time though that might lead to such a massive strop I may just leave the conductor to deal with it !!) when i suggested it he did agree though I think if they are allowed then they will ( they don't at school or on nco residential etc because it just isn't tolerated ) maybe the rules need to be stricter . Ds says it's because he goes for a three hour rehearsal and he doesn't get to play much - which as a trumpet player is probably true . I would relish the quiet thinking time but I think his teenage brain might work slightly differently !! I never stay for rehearsals though so I'm not sure how much they all look at their phones but I know the brass players all do ( and seem to be allowed to ) Ds says the harpists at easterlies were allowed out of the rehearsals when there was a tacet . He's the only trumpet though and does just have to sit there - so I do get that he could get quite bored . He's not going for a couple of months now - too many clashes so at least I can put the argument off for a bit !!

DS was at South Easteries with Caroline last year. She was very clear about the restriction of mobile use during rehearsal, even to the parents (ringing = fine applied).

I have a question about insurance. Have you insured instrument only or have you also included accessories? After applying for violin only, I went back to Allianz this morning to add a shoulder rest and a case. I felt a bit silly to insure for a shoulder rest which didn't cost a lot itself but I did want to make sure the case was covered as we paid more than £300 for the case alone. I also didn't add 10% on the value of the violin as I thought we could review and update the value every year if there is any inflation. I just wonder what others normally do...

By the way We are totally skint!!

Good point I haven't insured the mouthpieces - I need to renew later so should add them on I think !! Much easier to misplace than a trumpet . I know why does everything have to be so expensive?? . Ds really did want to look round Chets and Wells for Year 10 onwards but we have looked at our contribution and have had to say a firm no - there is no way we can afford it - maybe for 6 th form we shall see. Music is a very expensive business

I like the rules at South easterlies much easier just to have clear expectations explained to all . Ds might moan at first but I know he would then accept it

Exactly, Trumpet. If the rule is clear there is less hustle.

Another exactly, Trumpet! Music is a very expensive business! However, while moaning about it, at the same time I wouldn't like music to be too cheap. When I hear teachers or musicians charging very little I think it could be how much DS will earn in future... Basically we need more financial support from elsewhere to keep music education available to everyone while musician can still make decent money for living...

I agree and the more Ds leans towards jazz the more I worry ( on the whole it's not well paid at all ) . Recently all of the musicians who he has worked with have pointed out how hard it is and how you have to be versatile etc , so I think he's starting to get it ( well as much as you can when you're 13 )

So, I chose science instead of music thinking that would be the 'sensible' choice. In reality, I have little more than a musicians wage without any of the joy.... if I had my time again, I would go with my heart. I am hoping that my girls will be brave, and never make the 'sensible' choice, whatever that may be. (Although DH has the opposite view!).

Folk my dd is determined to follow her heart. As one who was "guided" down a sensible but soulless career path I will support any aspirations she has.

Folk I am going to actively encourage my dcs to do whatever they think will make them feel happy and fulfilled ( as long as they think that they will earn 'enough' that's fine by me ) . I think a book is a very good idea Druid

I was also 'guided' to a sensible career. I didn't think this way until this moment though. OK, this, is, a, big eye opener...

I've also realised I've been doing the same to DS. I've been teaching him his limit instead of cherishing his passion due to my personal fear. A 10 years old doesn't need to think about his limit yet!

I wouldn't discourage kids from doing music if it's what they wanted. For me, studying maths but playing lots of music meant I could carry on doing both the things I loved.

Being a good amateur is great too! Sometimes I envy the pros the things they get to be involved in, other times us it seems like actually us amateurs get to do the fun stuff, and they can't because they have to take the paying gig or fill their evenings with teaching.

It's a pain having your income rely on other people's whims, meaning that I earn from £9k to £18k per year, just depending!! All the things I like most (productions, festivals, providing musicians for assemblies, a bit of consultancy stuff which started on here) are unpaid! Having said that, I would love Goo to become a musician... she won't though!! She is leaning towards medicine or law. For now.

Have temporarily name changed as this is a bit more personal than usual (although not in a gossipy, interesting way ). I hope you can work out who I am! PM me if you are interested and can't work it out.

I was very strongly steered away from music as a child, by my parents. Probably they were right, in that I am likely more successful in conventional terms in my career than I might have been as a musician.

However, the steering process itself was damaging. In order to win a big music scholarship, I was encouraged to be totally focused on music in primary school - so that I was grade 8+ in two instruments by age 11. Then I was sent to a very academic boarding school where I had virtually no chance to play. I was not allowed to go to specialist school or to stay home and focus on music (at the expence of going to a top academic school), because music was not seen as a viable career for me. The effect was that I had a very rough time as a teenager, and possibly issues with identity, independence and confidence follow me even now.

With DS2, I will not steer him either towards or away from any career. It is painful when you think DCs are making a mistake, but I believe that it is better to let them find their own way as long as 'their way' involves Kreutzer at 6.30 every morning .

I hope you don't mind the massive post. It is nice to get these thoughts out! Thanks for 'listening'.