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Extra-curricular activities

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

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Original poster

Passive aggressive dominant sevenths

30 replies

Korg · 07/05/2018 18:00

Dc has grade 8 at the end of term. I reminded him that other candidates will be practising a couple of hours a day so ten minutes wouldn’t kill him.

He has now played the same scale 50 times. 🙄 waiting for maturity to kick in...

OP posts:

Wellthatsit · 07/05/2018 18:24

Hahaha. Not a bad thing to practice a scale over and over!

Original poster

Korg · 07/05/2018 19:37

Yep, then he followed it up with Hot Cross Buns: a lesser known part of the Grade 8 repertoire. On the plus side, as you say, he really knows that scale now

Perhaps it’s just too hot outside and I should back off and let him practice as little or as much as he wants, and experience the consequences of his decisions...

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Kutik73 · 07/05/2018 21:33

ONE scale x 50 times at one go? How long did it take for him to do that? That's seriously amazing. When you have school/clubs/journey/homework, it wold be very hard to secure a couple of hours daily for most people...

DS has g8 next month. Let's hope ours do their best. Good luck!

Trumpetboysmum · 08/05/2018 08:12

Ds is having to try and fit in that much at the minute and it's a nightmare . I find making as few comments/ suggestions as possible best otherwise it can often end in a big row . Difficult when you know your suggestions might actually help though . Ds is doing grade 8 next year I think - I am dreading having to be a scales nag

Kutik73 · 08/05/2018 10:15

It's impressive he manages the amount of practice daily at secondary age (or am I being overly scared by the forthcoming school workload?? ). He is doing amazing, Trumpet. I think the journey to and from school is actually quite important. DS will prob spend 40-50 mins one way from September. If we lived 10-15 mins away from the school, he could practice half an hour or so in the morning (2nd study maybe?), then another half hour after school (1st study scales/skills) then he still has time for working on 1st study pieces and dealing with heavy homework and digital pleasure.

Trumpetboysmum · 08/05/2018 10:39

Yes it's 5 minutes home in the car - or much longer if he walks / goes to the chip shop with his friends . Personally I'm hoping the practise eases off soon it's just that he's added the jazz exam on top of all the stuff he normally does and at the minute the pieces / techniques he's learning are quite a big step up

Kutik73 · 08/05/2018 13:12

I don't think Trumpetboy's practice eases off no matter he takes exams or not as his ambition is beyond grade exams!

DS's teacher doesn't expect heavy amount of practice for young age/pre-g8 so we've never had pressure. But the expectation seems to change for older age/post g8. I seriously don't know how DS is going to cope with the demand. The teacher said he would just have to learn to be super efficient so quality than quantity. But that's the hard bit to achieve!

Trumpetboysmum · 08/05/2018 13:28

Yes I keep talking to ds about quality of practise, apparently I don't know what I'm talking about his teacher really doesn't expect him to practise that much , but he does have a lot on the go currently.

Kutik73 · 08/05/2018 14:06

Are you sure it's just 'currently'? He always has many things on the go!

Original poster

Korg · 08/05/2018 15:50

Ds has got a bit better at doing useful practice, but his music teacher has commented that sometimes when he’s meant to be practising, he will spend time in a reverie producing flurries of beautiful seniquavers rather than the scales or the pieces he’s meant to be doing. He is in Y7 and manages about an hour a day, six days a week, on his main instrument, with extra bits fitted in here and there. He also spends time singing (he’s a chorister) which I suppose helps the overall musical development, and almost no time on his second study, and gets away with it.

OP posts:

Trumpetboysmum · 08/05/2018 16:21

I'm sure he'll be fine Korg and I bet he makes hot cross buns soon me amazing

Trumpetboysmum · 08/05/2018 16:21

Not soon me sounds !!

Original poster

Korg · 08/05/2018 16:45

The hot cross buns did sound lovely, as did the Chopin he wasn’t meant to be playing, and the theme tune to The Worst Witch from CBBC

If only he would divert some of this energy into the things he’s not so good at: his pieces do need work, and he has never done particularly well at scales despite me telling him that scales = free marks. I’ve decided to bite my tongue for a bit and see how it goes. He had g5 in his second study earlier this year and despite me witnessing literally no practice he walked away with a good mark, so I’m ever hopeful.

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Trumpetboysmum · 08/05/2018 17:43

I know how you feel Ds is doing jazz grade 5 at the very last minute really his pieces will be ok and his scales if he practises them - not so sure about the aural though Ds of course thinks it will be fine !!

Kutik73 · 08/05/2018 17:45

An hour x 6 days would be quite good for busy secondary school DCs I think. It may not be enough for higher level but still manageable to cover necessities if efficient enough (or am I being optimistic..?). But, oh dear, the beauty of being a child, they do love wasting time don't they? To be honest I like DS to have time for drifting away into his own world with his beloved instrument as it makes him creative and spontaneous in some aspects but when they have little time and so many tasks to tackle, I have the urge to nag or remind him what he is supposed to do within the limited time...

Since DS decided which one would be his 1st study, the 2nd instrument has been pushed to the back bench and presumably it will keep losing their place! The teacher once jokingly advised DS to practise his 2nd study at midnight in his dream.

Original poster

Korg · 08/05/2018 18:01

Yes, they do like wasting time! The annoying thing about these children who don’t practise and assure us parents they’ll be fine is that they often turn out to be right!

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disorganisedmummy · 08/05/2018 18:48

Omg I feel everyone's pain!! Ds is in Year 7 and is working towards grade 6 violin so a bit behind your fab kids. He does an hour a day about 6 days a week usually split in to 2 sessions. I'm sitting in on his practice and it's doing my brain in cos he faffs around so much 😩. He is struggling with the homework,ensembles,orchestras and Music school. He won't give anything up though. He's at a point where he needs to really pull his finger out to get to the next level if you get me. He's not very good at independent practice partly because he has Aspergers and struggles to concentrate for that long. Currently he's playing the double violin concerto in D minor by ear!!😡. Lovely but not what I've asked him to do! I need wine!!

cantkeepawayforever · 08/05/2018 20:16

DS is working towards his second (Trinity Jazz) Grade 8 in 2 terms, doing AS level exams for 4 subjects and maintaining 2 county level orchestras / bands weekly, not to mention learning to drive and a wide array of in-school exdtra-curricular activities, both musical and other.

He doesn't manage an hour a day of solo practice. However, what he does do is concentrated and useful, and the various performances etc he does hone things like improvising which are a key part of the syllabus... Fingers crossed....

crazygirlsmama · 09/05/2018 11:51

I'm very sorry, I shouldnt have laughed but I really did.... I can just picture my DD down the line doing the 50x at one scale and then Hot Cross Buns. I'm really sorry, but that was very amusing. Kids are little turds sometimes! I hope you guys find a more helpful practice routine moving forward! xx

MidLifeCrisis007 · 09/05/2018 12:48

DS did his grade 8 last term on a bare minimum of practice, although he does spend a few hours a week in orchestra and ensemble rehearsals.

He got 127 which is really respectable but irritating close to a coveted distinction.... His chances of getting in the NYO have disappeared as a result. And all because he dropped 4 marks in his scales.....

Kutik73 · 09/05/2018 13:20

MidLife, you don't need a distinction for NYO, do you? Teacher's letter would do, as long as a child is at NYO standard. But I understand your frustration. I always tell DS do your best then no regret no matter what the results. He instantly forgets but one day he'll get it...

MidLifeCrisis007 · 09/05/2018 14:01

It does say on their website that you need to be Grade 8 distinction standard to apply. DS 1 is an oboist and we know one of the oboists in the NYO and she is simply streets ahead of him (and a year younger too). He's busy enough as it is, so doesn't need any more extra curricular activities/distractions.... but it would be an amazing experience to be part of it for a year or 2 nonetheless.

Kutik73 · 09/05/2018 14:43

So they don't ask Grade 8 distinction on paper but distinction 'standard', which I assume your DS will be qualified.

Also comparison often doesn't give us correct judgement. I think somewhere like NYO are looking for more than the appearance. I mean you have to be at the expected standard, but after that, musicality, mature understanding in music, those qualities speak louder than difficulty of the current study/distinction on paper. So someone who is more advanced/younger wouldn't give you a clue if your DS has a chance.

You don't need to go for NYO as you already mentioned. There are plenty amazing musical opportunities. But I just thought to drop some words if you are limiting your DS's chance just because he missed 4 marks. He has every right to try and see.

Kutik73 · 09/05/2018 14:47

Sorry I didn't mean to sound patronising... Forgive me if I come across like that. I've been actively involved in DS's musical journey less than two years so am still very much a beginner as a musician's parent BUT my last two years were rather condensed and I have learnt so much along the way. I am just willing to share what I learnt/heard/saw/witnessed (as you can see from my violin hunt thread!).

Trumpetboysmum · 09/05/2018 16:33

I too would encourage your ds to apply with a teachers letter . Ultimately it will be down to the audition so it's just a case of getting them to the point that they are listened too . And given that he was so close , also it's for oboe no violin or flute !! Ds I'm sure will apply next year but may not yet have actually taken his grade 8 ( holding off and hoping that with a bit more maturity he doesn't much up the aural!!) so he will have a teachers letter - not sure if it will be enough who knows - and we're pretty sure he won't get in for a while ( if at all) the trumpet players are all older . But like you say there are also lots of other opportunities.
Also well done to your ds - it's a really good mark

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