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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!

OP posts:
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folkmamma · 06/04/2018 22:12

cat & waffle who were your faves..??

Kutik73 · 06/04/2018 22:12

I think at this standard anyone could win. Luck, condition, and personal taste seem to play a big part. Although sometimes a clear winner can emerge.

se22mother · 06/04/2018 22:16

We watched the final live 2 years ago. All the players were incr

MirandaWest · 06/04/2018 22:40

Am catching up with the strings final. Found the biographies of all the finalists and found it interesting that there aren’t any really young ones. I remember there being 12 year old winners in the past - doesn’t seem to happen now.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 06/04/2018 22:42

folk I loved E's elegance and the double bassist for being a bit different. But my (imaginary) money was on S before the competition even started.

Both kids were on TV. I don't watch TV but my friend took photos of them on screen at the same time as Sheku! I was on the radio yesterday.

OP posts:
Trumpetboysmum · 06/04/2018 22:47

No I noticed that Miranda though one of ds's fellow students at AYM is playing in the brass final and she's only 15 . Just finished watching on catch up ( still packing for NCO earlier!!) so Ds has gone to bed v late . Absolutely amazing and mesmerising performances by all of the muscicians. I particularly enjoyed the guitar ( my instrument so I'm biased ) and the double bass . Ds loved the cellist. It was a pleasure to watch it with him he wasn't so into all the different instruments last time round . He did notice how 4 out of the 5 went to specialist school so we're back to that discussion again Grin

Trumpetboysmum · 06/04/2018 22:49

String we're also going to the final v exciting though i think dd is going to wriggle but I didn't want to leave her out Hmm we are also going to get back v late I think

PetraDelphiki · 06/04/2018 22:52

Thanks cat dd is a brass player and her school is partnered with the school one of the finalists is at so very keen to see!

MirandaWest · 06/04/2018 23:04

My favourite player wasn’t the one who won.

Kutik73 · 06/04/2018 23:08

DS liked the guitarist and I liked the double bass player. But the cellist was amazing too. I mean, all of them were amazing really!

Kutik73 · 06/04/2018 23:11

We also discussed and compared the sound of the instrument of two violinists. We can't seem to stop thinking of our violin hunt!!

AlexandraLeaving · 06/04/2018 23:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

catkind · 06/04/2018 23:41

Same here Waffle. Seemed in a different class to me. Really enjoyed the bassist too.
Lol at the violin comparisons kutik.

folkmamma · 07/04/2018 06:21

We are up hideously early to go and get Noo from Pro Corda. Haven't heard a word from her since Tuesday (and very little before that) so excited to see what they've all been up to! I've had to bug Taggie for updates and did get a nice message from the Course Director so I know she's been having a ball.

Re: BBCYM, I too thought S would win, especially as she had been there before 2 years ago. She is amazing, we spent quite a bit of time with her when she did a house concert at BFF's house in September. Extremely driven young lady and very mature for 18 - I think she will end up conducting as her main 'thing'. Mum was lovely too, very down to earth and laid back. Nice to hear S was a very normal child!

Although I was actually rooting for the bass player.... so emotional! And how great would it have been to champion a less common instrument in the final!

Trumpetboysmum · 07/04/2018 06:47

Folk I am also up very early to take Ds to Dorset . Hope they all had a great week at pro corda and you enjoy the concert . I thought S was quite extraordinary I really couldn't believe that she was only 18 so mature and I did think she would win though she wasn't my favourite I suppose . No doubt she will have an amazing career she was in total control on that stage and looked like she was really enjoying it . I really liked the double bass player too ( as well as the guitarist ) . I think Ds liked the cellist best because he was different and exciting he had gone up to bed but was listening in and came rushing downstairs when he's finished playing to tell me how amazing it was ( so I guess that's what the judges heard too but it must be almost impossible to judge at that level they were all stunning )

folkmamma · 07/04/2018 07:32

Safe journey Trumpet, I hope he has a great time 😊

TaggieOHara · 07/04/2018 07:47

Thanks trumpet - I hope your DS has a wonderful time too.

I haven’t seen all of the string final yet - just the two violinists. Both amazing in different ways! I think kutik is right about selection of a winner, especially across different instruments.

See you later folk!

Xennialish · 07/04/2018 07:50

We’re gping to the final too and will need binoculars but very excited. I did think perhaps S suffered from not coming across as a ‘young musician’ any more (she hardly did two years ago!). We all loved the guitarist, everything about his performance...all surprised at the winner but I remember being surprised last year so I think it must be so different in the hall. Two school friends gave each other the most enormous brat hug when the winner was announced which was lovely to see. I noticed that they’re mainly young adults too.

Xennialish · 07/04/2018 07:50

BEAR hug, notgbrat hug!

stringchild · 07/04/2018 08:05

Hi Trumpet - have a good trip;will wave going the other way! Hope da has a great aweek as dd has had.

I loved the guitarist; they were all amazing - and seems most had been/are at specialist school which is interesting....

LooseAtTheSeams · 07/04/2018 08:18

I really liked the guitarist as well. They were all amazing, though. I am so looking forward to the percussionists next time!
Kutik I did wonder if you'd be comparing violins! I love your thread, it's fascinating and I know nothing about violins.
Waffle radio?? Tell us more!

Trumpetboysmum · 07/04/2018 08:18

String glad she had a good week enjoy the concert. Yes the specialist school thing was interesting and so our discussions continue !!

Xennialish · 07/04/2018 08:34

I wonder if specialist school and or home ed (Stephanie was home ed or online school as took a levels so early I thought?) features more with strings and maybe piano than other instruments? The choristers at dd’s school are often guided towards instruments with less of a practice hours requirement at the age they’re singing so much, was too late for dd but she’s practicing less than half, maybe a third the hours her string instrumentalist peers at specialist music school do.

Trumpetboysmum · 07/04/2018 08:38

I had wondered that too - I shall be watching where the other finalists study with interest

stringchild · 07/04/2018 08:42

Xen - yes I was wondering the same; I have told dd if she has any real aspirations as a professional string player, specialist school at y9 or 6th form is prob essential (for her, am sure others can fit it all in better than us!)