May Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

Have a new thread for May... you all managed to fill the April one!

This is a place to chat about music lessons, exams, practice, aural, theory, performances and anything else you like. We have many regular and occasional posters (some of whom are learning themselves) with children ranging from complete beginners to very advanced. We do try our best to make sure everyone feels welcome!

I am mum to Goo (12) flute and piano, and Rara (9) cello and clarinet. They play in loads of school groups, South West Music School and NCO, although practice isn't going too well at the moment. Later in the week, all three of us are taking part in a big community concert, which will be lovely.

Go team MN! A great day all round xx

Sounds like a good day all round Good luck tomorrow Druid ( I'm sure Gcse revision is overrated !- he'll be fine !!)

We went to a festival as well yesterday. My DD both violin and piano. Her violin piece only be polished in two lessons, but she really likes that piece so worked very hard. She hope she can be invited to perform her violin piece, but she was asked to play her piano in the final concert. She is disappointed but she now knows she has to work harder on violin if she really wants to play violin in the final concert in the future.

I'm so sorry your dd's disappointment, violinandpiano. But she worked hard and hopefully enjoyed the experience? to her wonderful achievement in piano.

One of DS's quartet mates are performing quite a few solos today and tomorrow - she plays insane numbers of instruments so there are endless choices for her. But it's prob the way to go as it seems the more you participate the more you can enjoy the event! DS could try solo as well next year.

Chamber music needs different kind of skills and awareness from solo performance and we could see who was and wasn't experienced in the format quite clearly. The children in DS's quartet were all pretty strong players individually but still like a baby in the chamber world. But that was why the festival was so good as it was so open and what's a great way of learning from each other.

Wow, lots of amazing festival achievements this weekend, well done you parents ( as well as the dc, of course!) it takes so much energy to support the dc so they can participate and achieve, and sounds like a very advanced level of festival too.

We haven't heard from waffle though?
How are you?
How was your community concert? I hope you all enjoyed it.
Also I guess the deadline for exam entries must be coming up... Hope you aren't having a hard time deciding whether to make entries. if you are.

Well done to all the DCs who have taken part in festivals this week! I am reading everything, but don't have any news at the moment. I've been quite unwell and am off work. I have 5 exam candidates this term - 3 initial recorders, 1 grade 1 clarinet and 1 grade 3 saxophone. And 33 music medals.

Goo had her first flute lesson in 6 weeks, and was very hard on herself and spent most of it in tears. However, she has her braces off now, retainers on, and already sounds better.

Concert last week was good. I played with my steel band, Rara sang in her school choir and played her cello, and Goo was in the Junior Choir, Y7 steel band, Senior steel band, orchestra and flute group. She loves her school!

I would say, from dance festivals, that different festivals often have specific 'cultures'.

One might be friendly and supportive, one might be very overtly competitive, one might pride itself on a high 'absolute' standard, others aim to give those of all standards a taste of performing and meaningful feedback. Some are dominated by a specific school, others have a set of competitors from different schools of comparable standards.

They also have different 'levels' - there is an unwritten 'pecking order' in terms of standard, and the highest level schools don't enter the lowest level festivals and vice versa. The choice of adjudicator tends to match the aspiration of the festival.

If you don't like a specific festival, try another.

Also, is there a heirarchy in music festivals,as in, do they feed winners up to the next level? In dance, All England Qualifying festivals (which feed up into regional competitions, then into nationals) are supposed to maintain an 'absolute' standard for particular 'qualifying' marks, whereas at other festivals, it is fine for an adjudicator to give medals and a good mark to whoever won the class on the day, even if of a lower 'absolute' standard.

Interesting to read the comments on festivals as I have been heavily involved in them for years. Haven't heard of an adjudicator not awarding anything before! Have heard of a few instances where no 1st place, but 2nd instead.

The federation of festivals have regional finals where each festival can send 1 performer from each discipline but I'm unsure if every region holds one of these. I know north west and Yorkshire do. A lot of the festivals have an overall 'rose bowl' for each category too which is competed for in a separate class made up of winners from across the day.

You turn your back for a minute and suddenly it is a week into May and the thread is 8 pages long!

It has been a busy week musically with both dc taking part in a concert last weekend and DD1 doing a school concert mid week where she appeared in 7 items. At one stage it was as though she was on a luggage carousel; she would go off stage on one side with an oboe and appear on the other side for the next item with her sax. Exhausting just to watch!

DD2's bassoon teacher was telling her that the head of music at the school she is going to in September is planning on having a bassoon quartet which will be nice. That pales into insignificance though in comparison to the 15 harps in the combined senior school/junior school harp ensemble in DD1's concert!

Double I was already amazed by the bassoon quartet - but 15 harps! Your Dds are doing amazingly with all their performances and ensembles.
I love reading all the festival news and just wanted to say in my view any young person who gets up on stage and performs to an audience has achieved something special. As an adult learner who very occasionally tries to do this I am just full of admiration for them!
Not much to report here as GCSEs overshadow everything a bit, but DS has Wimbledon tennis, a tour and a percussion festival with our local music hub in July so he's got lots to look forward to once exams are out of the way!

Not much news here, except I am organising a small concert at my children s school for any of them who take lessons. There are no festivals in easy reach here and many parents wouldn't be able to take them, so this is our answer. Some get to play at end of term assembly etc but it is quite rushed as it is a busy programme. Not new for lots of schools but first time we have done this. We are hoping to have a performance workshop beforehand to help with nerves as many of them have never played in public. Any tips welcome!

Horsey that's a fab idea I like the idea of a workshop beforehand too !!
Waffle for a continued recovery. Pleased the braces are off hopefully Goo will get her confidence back
Loose I agree about the performing . As I child/ teenager I hated doing solos and so am amazed that my 2 don't seem to mind . I have however realised that I am much more confident performing singing now ( in a group mind !!) I think all my nervous energy is now directed towards the dcs!!

Not much music here neither. DS has gone to Guildford with friends for a boys' day out - perfect for a day like today.

horsey, apparently eating banana is good. Maybe giving them as a 'pre-performance snack'? May have physiological effect if you tell them it helps with nerves...

Dancing daughter is doing a song and dance solo for the first time this festival.

She is infinitely more nervous about singing than about any of the dance solos - including the new ballet solo on pointe on a high stage that gives me the heebie jeebies and makes me want to run along the front of the stage flourishing a safety net.

I find this quite funny, because I would have thought that performance anxiety would have worn off after 7 years of competitive solo dance and 8+ as part of troupes. Apparently singing 'is different'. Who knew...

DS - who LOVES performing - is balancing AS revision with lots of performing / listening this weekend, as theer's a local festival (of the performing, not the competing, kind) on. Not doing much for his sleep quota...

Physiological??? Psychological !!

Very well done to all festival participants this sunny weekend!

Hope you feel better soon Waffle!

Oh gosh, cantkeepawayforever, when are his AS exams?