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!

Our first MFY on Friday - dd was on bass too! I was amazed at the variety of pieces etc and just how committed all the groups were

Cantkeep - poor him but I imagine he noticed where others would not. Clarinets really seem high maintenance in comparison to strings.

Luckily, he was also at MFY on Thursday - Saxophone - and that went really well, so on balance I think he'll be fine.

Can't keep that's awful when something like that goes wrong . Hopefully he's feeling more positive today - like others have said i bet the audience didn't really notice at all

Poor cant . It sounds like he handled a difficult situation with great professionalism. I hope he feels better soon.

Term has ended here, but there are Lots of choir things going on for DS2 (concerts and recording sessions). I am also opening up the conseratoire-Taggie for the holidays as it is the only chance for proper instrumental practice and progress!!. So far, however, DS1/2 are too busy on the x box doing massive-boss-battles-with-no-save-points to enrol, . I do envy others on this thread with their super conscientious children!

Alexandra The Boy has had a brilliant week - well done to him and I bet he was chuffed to bits with his mention by the adjudicator!
And big congrats to the dcs who were doing the MFY - it’s an amazing experience - DS1 went last year - and they are all stars for performing! Stepping in for someone else on a different instrument at the last minute is particularly brave!

Lots of lovely things happen ING, well done to everyone. I very envious of all the opportunities available in other parts of the country.

We had our music service concert last Thursday, DD's last one playing in concert band. She was shocked to be awarded the annual trophy for service to the music centre. She often feels in both her brothers' shadow so it was especially lovely. She's been 8 years in that group and a year in the feeder group.

Her hired Bari sax will be returned next week, which feels very strange after 5 years!

DS2 is still busy. County Youth Orchestra rehearsal today, performance tomorrow. Four days off timetable at school to help with Primary Music Week.

Well done to The Boy, Nosebleed Boy and ministring at MFY (though I don't what it is but sounds fantastic!!)! And fantastic news to raspberry's DD.

Oh Taggie, it's the same here. DS would happily spend lots of his spare time on his instrument as long as it's 'freestyle'. As soon as I point out he hasn't done 'practice', he gets restless and somehow can't start any work (oh I need pee, I got bitten by a bug, can you check if something in my eye?, oh I forgot to bring water bottle, I have to check with daddy what time we are leaving, etc), and now he's gone to play footy with dad... He appears to be conscientious but oh no he needs plenty nags to make him done things he is supposed to do!

Well done to stringchild's, Alexandra's and cantkeep's minis on their MFY performances. And fab news for raspberry's DD!

cantkeep - I hope your DS has recovered now. Sounds very frustrating but totally out of his control of course. Am sure this has happened to so many even extremely well-prepared professional musicians. And if Alexandra didn't notice anything afoot then probably 99.9 percent of the audience also did not notice. It will feel worse for him of course as he will know but perhaps will feel reassured that a) it happens to everyone and b) it wasn't so disastrous that the audience noticed.

Raspberry that’s lovely - well done your dd!
Patricksviolin that prevaricating sounds very familiar to me! I’ve had a chirpy email from ds2’s cello teacher reminding us to practise scales over the summer. she’s chirpy because she knows this means me having to enforce scales practice. As soon as scales are mentioned, DS2 has found a zillion pieces that need more urgent attention plus other distractions. Can I outsource this, I wonder?? He’s off to France for three days so I have time to think of the necessary threats or bribes!

Ds is pretty good at practising ( just not scales) dd much less so . Though even Ds in this heat needs reminding what to practise!!

It's my little one who's good at practising, DD. Both kids bizarrely don't mind scales at the moment, but sure that will change once the volume kicks in! Do you do a scale lucky dip loose? 2-3 a day as warm-up, keep them ticking over.

catkind lucky dip is a good idea, thanks! may have to start with a light version to boost confidence and then move on to include all the hard ones! He’s much better at piano scales.

Hello everyone, been lurking for a while during SATs ( I teach Y6) and report writing but now the end of term is in sight. And how am I spending this glorious first weekend without reports etc? I am encouraging DS in his scale practice - or at least in my fictitious other world I am, complete with the smell of home baking and birds tweeting at the window. In this real world, I am screaming banshee woman, possibly putting him off music for life, because I will not accept that four days before Grade 7, it is a good use of time to be bashing through something he has downloaded from IMSLP for fun and the minute I suggest an improvement or tell him to redo it he turns into an eye-rolling, toilet-needing, drink-needing, emptying-out-everything-that-can-possibly -be-removed- from -a- French horn type of teenager. (And we're only one week in - to being a teenager, that is!) Oh how I wish I could be a smiling icon of positivity.

Hello, Pollymalex104.

DS can be super diligent when 'the moment' comes but unfortunately it's not as frequent and predictable as we wish! When he is 'in' his learning power is full-on but for the rest of the time he is slow, day-dreaming, living in a different planet kind of creature. I was told it's a boy thing. Apparently girls are more consistent. It's probably a bit too generalised though.

Oh, thank you so much to everyone for their kind words.

DS is much better this morning, distracted by a final lesson for his Grade 8 (and much intelligent sympathy from his teacher) and finally getting paid for his job.

Alexandra, I read your post exactly - I think - as you intended it: as an informed and critical listener commenting, rather than someone who just says 'it was lovely, dear' to everything, however awful! Thank you. There is a video of the performance, which DS won't listen to yet, but I think when he does he will realise all was OK.

To clarify, as Clarinet 2 (of 2), he is the usual bass clarinet player. However, in the absence of the usual excellent bassoonist, he was given much more to play on the bass than usual, at a couple of hours' notice.

Slightly frustrating. I went to brownie camp with DD2 this weekend leaving DH and Noo home alone. Very specific instructions re: practise as she has piano exam in 8 days and has barely touched the violin this week (too hot/ too tired/ too late/ too much going on...). What happens? They decide to go off kayaking and visiting DH's brother and Noo spends hours in the hot tub with no sunscreen. She is now over tired and sunburnt and not remotely in the mood. He's quick enough to moan about the expense of all this but I'm the only one committed to making the most out of it. Grrrr....

Ah, folk... Once I was away for a week leaving all the instructions to DH (mainly where and when DS had to go for after school activities). DH managed to ignore non-sport activities which ended up DS missing his piano lesson (very bad as it's 1-1). DH's excuse was he couldn't find the teacher's house. One simple bus ride took to her place and I also told him which stop to get off. He travels in and out of UK almost every week. Surely it shouldn't have been a complicated task...

Does my nut Patrick. I get told off for eating money leaving lights on or buying food and not using it. But he's happy to waste considerably more money by letting her get away with not enough practice between lessons.... 😤

Waves hello to polly

That's frustrating folk - especially the sunburn bit.

It's so hot at the moment. I got very tetchy (again) with DS re his viola practice today. Am hoping it cools down a bit soon before I manage to put the DCs off music practice for life . I heard them talking earlier about which 'mum' I was in the YouTube video about 7 music mums .

Japanese I am probably almost all of those mums at times
Trying to stay awake here as need take Ds on his music tour in an hour - I've sent him to bed for a couple of hours sleep not sure how much more he will get tonight - he's very excited !!