July Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

Hello, I have just realised it's time for a new thread! Feel free to discuss anything musical here - any level at all, from total beginners to advanced, and adult learners are welcome too!

I am a teacher of woodwind, currently limping towards the end of term (July 24th... can't wait!) and have two DDs. Goo is 12 and plays the flute and piano. At the moment, she's doing the bare minimum, but she has won the Y7 music attainment award at her enormous comprehensive secondary school, so we get to go to an awards ceremony next week. Her piano teacher is about to retire, so we're looking for a new one. Rara is 10 and I would say is now a joint first study cellist and clarinettist - it doesn't come easily and she's progressing at an average rate, but a good Grade 4 on both. She spends most of her time reading, drawing, doing origami and swimming for a club.

I have so far managed to get through 27 music medals this term (6 still to go) and 4 Trinity exams (1 ABRSM still to go) and about half of the concerts!

Apart from not having any venues near us though I like the new online booking and it all sounds like exciting stuff next year !!

IF he gets in ( which as always is a big if !!)

Trumpetboysmum, Blackheath auditions are at the start of the October half-term and the venue is very close to us. Maybe a teen trumpeter house swap is in order!? Or you and DS could be found a bed at ours the night before?

Had a quick look at the application form. I agree, I like the new system. It eliminates the waiting period of wondering when and where after submitting.

DS brought back his SATs results today - Greater Depth across all the subjects. Not too bad for someone whose life is all about music and sports (where is study time??)!

Patrick
Thank you for the offer SE I but these will clash with AYM and they are really strict about them going to enough courses and they aren't allowed to start late or leave early etc . So we've gone with Grantham will probably stay overnight so it's not a really long journey before hand ( this is mainly a problem because of limited warm up time) but he says he can do buzzing in the car !!

Trumpet so you need to either purchase good headphones for the car journey or book an accommodation near the audition venue.

No celebration nor treat for DS's SATs results by the way... Partly because we don't celebrate results normally but also because I'm a bit upset by his pre-teen attitude. He'd been always quite sweet and thoughtful to me, but I can see it's changing these days. Not sure how much to take it as a growing process. Sigh.

Hello guys - long time lurker and NCO mum here. Just wanted to chip in to say I liked that we could choose timeslots for the audition but for perc you need to book two and, believe it or not, you need to enter the same entry information for both slots, even though it's one audition. So whilst it's a great improvement on previous years it certainly could be improved further. Like, how about more perc slots in half term? We also have to travel over two hours to audition, otherwise we have to miss a regional rehearsal. It's madness, I tell you, as they are so blinkin' short of percussionists as it is - doh!

I've entered DS for NCO but half term dates dictated the choice of venue, so it's a bit of a trek for us. Also today I made an enquiry about late entry to NYO - the more, the merrier I say!

I've only just looked at the fees!

Ds is waiting on NYO till at least next year mightvdi NYO inspire though

Sorry for the typo !! It should say might do !!

All, do you have any suggestion for around grade 8 level non-syllabus couple of piano pieces which can impress a panel from a 10 years old (sorry I still havent been able to be regular these days). We have nearly 3 months to learn them. Tks xx

No suggestions Green sorry , just popping by to say Hi and I hope things are ok

Hurray, my dd passed with merit her g5 theory! So pleased for her. Hoping that folkmamma druidboy Japanese Gillybeans se22 and all others got good results too.

Hello Greenleave, is it for audition or festival? No suggestions as I don't really know which pieces are which grades, sorry. Hope someone more knowledgeable will come in to rescue you very soon!

Big hurray to Thistly's DD!

Today DS was asked to play something short on the piano for this Thursday's Y6 leavers service. He loves any opportunity to perform BUT none of his piano pieces are 'short' these days! He has the last performance with orchestra tomorrow evening - the rehearsal starts straight after school so zero time to review old short pieces. He could have practised today but he told me this when he got in bed... Why?!

He is also playing a solo violin piece tomorrow morning at school (talent show)... Again, he told me this today...

I thought the last week of primary school would be more relaxing but it seems he can't escape from the juggling business till the end!

Thanks Pat,

Hope last minute boy pulls it off! Sure he will.

Missed a few pages, including lots Of results. Well done everyone and hope there’s more good news coming.
Particularly hats off to those who prepared their own dc for exams.

My dc are miles ahead of me in music so this seems a great achievement to me

Wondering if anyone could give me some advice. DS is learning violin through colourstrings. He is 6 has been learning for one year. I'm massively proud of the effort he has put in but at this point doesn't seem to be getting the idea of pitch :-( I'm wishing I hadn't let him start an instrument so young and worrying if this doesn't work out is he going to be massively put off from starting another instrument later. Any advice? Is it normal for them to be very out of tune at this point? The teaching all seems really good to me.

Well done to your DD Thistly!

starpatch my DD3 turns 6 in a few weeks and has just started the violin (at her request). She’s only had 3 lessons so far so has mainly been practising how to hold the bow/instrument, but she’s loving it. Is your DS still enjoying it? If he’s enjoying it I don’t think you’re losing anything or putting him off, he may develop a better sense of pitch as he understands the concept of reading music more/ plays familiar pieces. He’s still very young! DD3 can sing in tune and sing back melodies but she doesn’t know the notes on the violin yet, I’m sure she’ll develop that skill with time.

Starpatch no experience of learning violin here but I agree with Tabby as long as your ds is enjoying it that's fine . And just encourage lots of singing ( nothing formal just at homes fine ) that's a very natural way to pick up pitch. In fact that's all my 2 did at that age . Plus I know lots start on violin when they are small because you can get them in different sizes etc - but it's a really difficult instrument to get started on because you have to effectively create all your own notes .

Starpatch don't worry, it will come! I have a cellist and a violinist here, both started at 5/6. I worried for a long time that DD2 might be tone deaf (this was an alien concept to me as I just assumed she would follow me and DD1) but she is now 8 and has 'learned' pitch over time. It turned out her ear is actually very good - she didn't have the vocal control to sing back in tune, and learning to coordinate fingers on a string instrument is just HARD! Both of them
Still have moments where they can't be arsed!

Encourage singing, especially in choirs if available. I'm assuming there are tapes on the violin to mark finger positions? Lots of slow, diligent work with a piano (or pitch generator on your phone!) playing a note and getting DS to carefully listen and copy. When doing this, ask him after each attempt if the note he played was too high, too low or ok (make a game of it!). It doesn't matter if he gets it wrong, the point is to teach him to listen. The right answer will come with time. Then take same approach with scales. I'm guessing you have good pitch or you wouldn't be worrying! So you will be able to help a lot. Gentle coaching xx

Thanks Trumpet,

Its for an oversea festival. My teacher suggests couple of Bach pieces(we are stuck with Baroque style most).

Hi everybody, although I've been a lurker for some time this is my first ever post so please bear with me! 😄
DS1 (6) plays violin and DS2 (3) has just started the cello (DD still crawling around in nappies). They are also learning through Colourstrings and I would say the beginning is incredibly slow, but if you stick with it it's quite amazing. As the others have said, lots of singing and solfa (which has also increased my own aural skills lots!) and the intonation will come!