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!

Hope the NCO lifted you Waffle.

It was really enjoyable and I had a good catch up with folk.

Indeed it was lovely! And we were treated to not one, but two fabulous flute solos by Goo! 😍

Indeed it was lovely! And we were treated to not one, but two fabulous flute solos by Goo! 😍

Wow, what's a treat! Wish I was there.

So we finally got round to watching the brass final . They were all so good Ds really enjoyed it . The French horn player was superb and Ds loved the trumpet player - he's decided to have a go at learning one of his pieces not sure how that will go . I wasn't at all surprised by the winner but must have been hard to call . I finally caught up with the woodwind final last night too and I was surprised by who won that. Personally I loved the clarinet player and the recorder player was amazing - but what do I know !!

Sounds like a great day at southwesterlies for Goo and Noo! Well done to Goo on the solos! Take care waffle. I hope that spending the day in a draughty Hall won’t set you back too much.

I enjoy reading this thread but don't contribute as have 2 x very novice musician DC but thought I would ask if any one had come across schools music services closing ? East Sussex are considering closing their school music services which is really sad ! There's a petition/consultation period but it all sounds pretty likely to happen. Lots of children will lose the opportunity to learn instruments as many of us are fairly rural with accessible music teachers few and far between.

Didi, I have no experience so nothing to share nor advise, sorry. But this kind of news really breaks my heart. I really hope they recognise the need of continuing the service. Is there any website set up for anyone to sign for the petition? If there is, I'll sign right away!

Didi, are you in East Sussex? We're not but it's a place we have lots of family connections with so various of us have signed the petition or written to the councillors involved. It would be such a shame if the instrumental lessons stopped as per the council's preferred option as that's what everything else is dependent upon.

Personally, I'm not sure of the sense behind stopping those grass roots lessons but maintaining the summer school, high level orchestras etc. If it were up to me to choose, I'd like to think I'd maintain the lessons (because that's how instrumental lessons are made accessible to more children) and reluctantly close the higher level ensembles (because there are lots of community organisations offering orchestras, brass bands, music festivals across the county so higher level players' needs should still be met). The documents I've seen suggest that it would be complicated for ESMS to set up as a trust (which is what a number of our local music services have done) so I'm guessing they'll be looking to make all the instrumental teachers redundant and hope they'll set themselves up as a co-op that schools buy in. Presumably that'll still involve a fair amount of legal work to be done as I'm guessing the teachers will be the ones who run the orchestras etc. so won't be able to be made redundant from those roles and then have them filled.

There's more about it, including links, in this article but the deadline is Monday so you'll need to act quickly if you want to complain!
hastingsonlinetimes.co.uk/hot-topics/campaigns/urgent-east-sussex-music-services-under-threat

didi i think its a massive negative step to cut the music service. So many kids will miss out on oppotunities

Didi that's such a shame . So far our music service is hanging on but I agree it doesn't make sense to cut the music lessons as they keep music accessible to all . I imagine it's because schools are stopping buying into lessons because their budgets have been cut . Hopefully if they do cut the lesson service the teachers will group together and still offer lessons and individual schools will be able to offer lessons to children . Hopefully this will still work out cheaper than private lessons ( and is more convinient) but I can see many KS2 pupils missing out on whole class lessons - and maybe their only opportunity to learn an instrument . Having said that dd is now the only one still playing cornet in her year so I doubt she will be offered school lessons next year - I've said I'll pay for the teacher to come in . Her school are keen to offer music but don't seem to understand that she still wants cornet lessons ( luckily I think ds's teacher will step in if need be)

Our local county music service was converted to a trust several years ago, I think when the county council was disbanded and a number of local/unitary authorities were set up and this seems to run pretty successfully. Lots of very dedicated teachers in a number of local hubs. They still do whole class lessons in schools, although budgets are getting tight for school budgets. We were at a concert last night bringing lots of woodwind ensembles together from across the county, from entry level to some of the county ensembles. Very healthy numbers.

I’m in East Sussex, petition signed and have emailed the councillor and joined the Facebook group. I think my MP might be a little preoccupied this morning........I doubt this is her priority today.

All my local muso friends have also signed.

Just hope that the decision today is to go to consultation. Petition has more than 10000 names now so fingers crossed.

Current proposal is to cut lessons but keep music centres - but who will play in music centre ensembles if the lessons are cut?

Fingers crossed it’s consultation and not the decision of one counsellor -which is the first problem to get through.

Yes windmum it doesn't really make sense to cut the lessons . Certainly lots of players at our local music hub have private lessons - including Ds now but many many more learn through the music service in schools. Without these lessons and whole class opportunities I'm not sure that Ds would have found the trumpet and it was all the beginners ensembles etc that really inspired him in his first couple of years - they showed him what music making is all about

Whole class lessons are fantastic and should be saved - especially for children who don't have instruments at home. It would be such a shame to lose them. Unfortunately that scheme got watered down in our area although the music hub does run cheap introductory group lessons. The problem with that is you have to already know about them and be in the habit of checking the website.
Well done Goo on the solos and hope you're feeling better, Waffle

If anyone else wants to sign the link is here
democracy.eastsussex.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=500000014&RPID=501109016&HPID=501109016

Thank you so much everyone who's signed !

Signed. Thanks for the link.

Signed.

Unfortunately I can't access to Cluster any longer. Not sure what happened but it doesn't allow me to access. I saw some people posted (got email notifications) but sorry can't check them.

Losing. The. Will. To. Live.