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Extra-curricular activities

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

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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Kutik73 · 24/04/2018 10:10

druid, that would be rather cool! And anyway better than column. He would struggle to hold his violin with neck if he was a plain column!

LooseAtTheSeams · 24/04/2018 10:41

Kutik that sounds pretty cool - I love the idea of him playing the piano in his statue costume!
DS1 went off to marching band rehearsal last night as a very welcome and enjoyable break from GCSE revision - we reckon drumming is a good stress antidote as he seems to be quite cheerful at the moment!

druidsong · 24/04/2018 11:03

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

Japanese · 24/04/2018 11:32

I should imagine drumming is an excellent stress antidote ...

LooseAtTheSeams · 24/04/2018 12:41

Druidsong oh no, hopefully it isn't flu! Can you take something to help clear the foggy head? Good luck!

Trumpetboysmum · 24/04/2018 13:15

Druid hope you're feeling ok Flowers

Kutik73 · 24/04/2018 13:23

druid FlowersFlowers

folkmamma · 24/04/2018 15:48

Sending healing thoughts Druid and hoping the pitch went ok!

crazygirlsmama · 24/04/2018 18:38

Love to druid

Question- can people talk to me about the ABRSM practical mUsicianship exams?

folkmamma · 24/04/2018 18:47

Crazy Only that I wish I'd explored that option for Noo before plunging into the G5 theory book 🙈

druidsong · 24/04/2018 19:55

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

se22mother · 25/04/2018 09:49

Crazy I had not heard of Practical Musicianship as an option but it sounds like a fascinating alternative. Are you considering it for your dd?

Kutik73 · 25/04/2018 11:37

DS is also advised to take Musicianship although not as an alternative as he has already done theory. Not sure what's involved yet.

catkind · 25/04/2018 15:40

LOL at the mixed dress quartet. That would be awesome.
& Well done druid!

TheSecondOfHerName · 25/04/2018 17:59

The good news: DS2 came 3rd in the class he entered in the school music competition.

The disclaimer: There were only three entrants. 😂

Kutik73 · 25/04/2018 18:02

MiniTheSecond deserves StarStarStar for entering and performing!! And for getting the 3rd place!!! Grin

Trumpetboysmum · 26/04/2018 06:52

Smile the second it's good to take part ( and I always think very brave of them . ) Dd often comes home excited after inter school sports and will tell me that they came 3rd ( out of 4 teams etc!!) she really doesn't care it is all about the taking part . ( I really wish Ds was more like that sometimes!!)

TheSecondOfHerName · 26/04/2018 09:49

The students who came 1st and 2nd both have their performance diploma, are planning to pursue music as a career (DS2 wants to be a physicist) and presumably practise a heck of a lot more than DS2's 20 minutes a day. 😂

He got a certificate, and the adjudicator wrote some helpful feedback which he is taking on board as he works on this piece for his G8 in July.

Wafflenose · 26/04/2018 09:57

Well done to him, TheSecond. Sounds like an awesome standard of competition! Goo is meant to be doing Grade 8 in July as well, but isn't working as hard as she could be, and I'm also quite unwell at the moment and probably unhelpful. Teacher gets back from a long holiday next week (no lessons here for over a month) so we'll see!

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Kutik73 · 26/04/2018 10:29

Lessons finished mid March last term and start at the end of this month for the new term so no lessons well over a month here. Thankfully DS's obsession with exercises has calmed down a bit and he's back to playing again. 10 days or so to go until he gets some inspiration from the teacher at the lesson. Hopefully his enthusiasm lasts till then!

Waffle, are you okay? Hope you have a good rest (though may be hard for you) and get better soon.

Kutik73 · 26/04/2018 10:40

By the way, I took DS to GP this morning. I'd been meaning to sort out his ear protection for a long time and as a start I contacted GP. As expected he said he couldn't do anything unless DS has a problem already, but still kindly referred DS to a specialist by slightly making up a story. DS suffers from ear infection very regularly and he has scars on the eardrum, so GP added a bit of note about DS's regular exposure to loud music etc. Hopefully we can set up a regular check up and get some knowledgeable advice on how to protect ears (such as getting custom made earplugs and where) all sorted before he starts secondary school! We may have to go to private in the end though. But really I wanted to know where to start so it's good it's started moving ahead.

Wafflenose · 26/04/2018 12:54

Kutik I have just been signed off work until May 14th, so not great. Variety of issues including 2 asthma attacks yesterday, so doing nothing today!

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Kutik73 · 26/04/2018 13:26

Oh no Waffle. Sounds much more serious than I thought... It's hard especially when you have a family to look after. I hope you have a good rest, recharge and bounce back, ready for summer... FlowersFlowersFlowers

se22mother · 26/04/2018 14:55

Flowers waffle

LooseAtTheSeams · 26/04/2018 14:56

Waffle Thanks hope you feel much better soon!

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