August Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

Welcome to the new music thread for August - a place to discuss anything you like to do with learning instruments/ singing. We have child and adult learners on here, and all standards from toddlers experimenting with music to the very advanced.

It's coming up to 7 years since I started the first thread, and I have been flagging a bit lately due to a long illness. When I started the first one, my daughter Goo had just turned 6 and was about to take her Grade 1 recorder exam! She is now 12 (13 in two months), has done her Grade 8 Flute (result currently under appeal), is thinking about Grade 8 Recorder next year (having not played since Year 6) and is learning the piano. Piano hasn't gone well this term. Her teacher has been going on lots of last minute holidays and also has another job now, so Goo has only had two piano lessons since Easter. Teacher has now decided to retire from teaching, so we need to find a new one. Goo has never, ever performed on the piano and hasn't taken any exams either. She has been learning since she was 10, and was recently learning pieces by Bach and Chopin, although I have no idea what she is practising at the moment.

I also have Rara (10) who plays the cello, clarinet and recorder at a good Grade 4 level. It doesn't come naturally to her at all, but she's more inclined to work at things... when it suits her. She plays the clarinet most, but swears she's in love with the cello. Her bass clef reading definitely seems stronger. We have started and stopped theory three times. I think she is more than capable of doing it, but she's distractible, longwinded and feels the need to reinvent the wheel. I have decided to wait until she's ready to do the whole lot in one go... hopefully when she is a bit more mature and developmentally ready. Goo had it done and dusted at the same age and I find it hard not to worry about Rara at times, but in many ways she's just as able... but on her own timeline.

I usually have 80-90 woodwind pupils on my books - mostly recorder these days, although I'm a clarinettist really. I currently have a clutch of little clarinets, a couple of flutes and a good saxophone pupil, so plenty of variety.

Patrick he may have a bit of a slump a few weeks in, after the novelty has worn off but before he feels completely connected to his new environment. We see this a lot with new undergraduates ('5th week blues'), and I remember it from school. In most cases, it is a temporary phase, and the school will be experienced in dealing with it. It is also not unique to boarding school! DS1 struggled a bit towards half term when he started senior school as a day boy.

So - if there is a slump, try not to worry too much (easier said than done, I know).

Patrick - yr7 is also a v tiring adjustment to any school; we didn’t overload this summer (end of trip 7) for that reason. Expect a tired Christmas holiday!

Thanks Taggie. That's what DH said from his own experience.

string, you are wise to let her have a rest after such an adventure of adjusting to new environment, juggling schoolwork, scholar's duties, JD, NCO and more. I am sure she's charged well and is now so ready for the tired Christmas!

Strangely DS going to the boarding school has calmed down some of my worries. I just couldn't see him being a happy child juggling all the commitments thrown at him on top of daily long journey. I think I can imagine him being more capable at 13 or so, but he doesn't appear mature enough and organised enough yet. No doubt he'll have packed schedule at the school he is going though it's different kind of juggling which he can probably handle better than juggling multiple things at multiple places at this stage.

Whole back on GSCE Music....

Thinking of asking if DD1 can do it early, maybe start the course in Y8. Thoughts?? Too much???

Just not sure she's going to get much out of actual music lessons in school!

Ds doesn't get loads out of school music lessons though he is set his own work . The head of music even told him that the start of the gcse course would be more about getting everyone else up to speed !! Ds will do his own thing and see it as an enjoyable gcse - I think he's going to have enough on his plate with the other 10 subjects he is still asking ( daily at the moment) to go to music school . I've said ( again) that we will see how it goes !!

Cheers to druid

Re taking GCSE early, I was warned that some universities don't appreciate that. Apparently they prefer those who juggled all in a year (limited timeline) to those who managed to score high over a few years (understandably they didn't need to juggle as efficient as those who did all in a year). Perhaps better to check the benefit of taking it early.

hmmmm, all good points! maybe not then.

My thinking was that it might enable her to do triple science instead of double if she wanted to when the time comes - she will definitely want to do drama, and has to do either of french/spanish and geography/history. They can only choose 3 options if doing triple science. Although double science served me well enough so it might not be that much of an option. And i suspect with Noo, completely irrelevant anyway..... lol!

You know me, always over thinking / planning!!

Folk, re taking music early - perhaps another option might be to start it late. Ask if she can skip school music lessons and have a free period to practice for a year or three and join her peers in year 10.

I don't know how much the curriculum has changed, it was always an easy lesson for those of us who already did a lot of music. Then it's quite nice to have an easy lesson sometimes, and we spent a lot of lessons hanging around in practice rooms "composing" (aka playing stuff from shows/queen songs that classmate brought in). Maybe they make them do more work now though!

X post I'm slow... If it's about fitting in more courses she wants to study, you could look at doing music outside school completely? Generally given all the time on extracurriculars I'd say less GCSEs not more, but I do remember that stage of not wanting to give anything up yet!

Universities tend to be suspicious of applicants who have spread out their core subjects over several years, with low grades and multiple retakes. This tended to be a pattern with modular GCSEs. Students would 'cash in' what they had and move on, retaking as and when possible. Schools put their weakest students onto this track so that they would leave with something.

One or two subjects taken early with top grades is fine from a university point of view. DS1's school (who gets ~40% their cohort into Oxford/Cambridge) used to do maths early with the top sets, so that they could get going on the A level course in year 10/11.

Folk in Noo's case, she could do the music GCSE as an easy option with her cohort, or do it early, or do it as an external candidate. Or not bother at all, and do Grade 8 theory + performance diploma instead and go straight to music A-level.

folk I know it’s a little different but my oldest three have all taken languages early to facilitate more options - as we speak French/Russian/Farsi/Dutch(/Croatian on Wednesdays...) at home doing various exams made sense so they have something to show for their polyglotism, and has for example enabled DD1 to do two whole different languages plus triple science and still have an option to spare (which she’s now decided is going to be music, thanks everyone!). However I feel it may be slightly different for music as recognitions like grades/diplomas plus general experience can all be completed out of school, and she’ll definitely not be bored in year 7-9 music - from what I can tell it’s mostly just messing around, no-one really takes it seriously at that level and they see it as a good break in the timetable (which can feel intense and difficult in year 7!).

And if it comes to GCSE and she can’t find time in her timetable, I imagine it must be possible to do it externally - DS did dance with his dance school in year 10 as opposed to with his main school. DD2 is also planning on doing this!

I think there's another compulsory one Druid. Not sure though! We'll see - if it's an option, I'm sure they'll bring it up anyway. Getting ahead of myself 😘

druid I think most schools only do 9 as a standard with the new GCSEs - triple science is often an option on its own. DS did 11 GCSEs in his year 11 (back in 2015) because he had up to 5 options on top of triple science + English x2 and maths, whereas at the same school DD1 has only been offered 4 options on top of double science + English x2 and maths. The new science GCSEs are meant to be a much heavier workload I believe...

A thought on taking music GCSE early or out of school or somehow missing some lessons. Depends on the grade you are aiming for but it is not as easy as it seems even for people who perform to a high standard. I know lots of excellent performers who didn't get A. Getting A on the composition is not easy and requires lots of help for those who haven't done much composition before (most people) and the written paper has a lot of content and like most subjects a certain technique to learn to get high marks.

Goo is going into a science set where they have to do triple science (making 7 of her GCSES compulsory) so will only get 3 options. I am very antimpressed early entry unless guaranteed a top grade... I wouldn't want her to take any subjects next year and get equivalent to an A or B when she could get a top grade at the right age. She got a 7+ for English this year so could conceivably get a 9 next year, but that's not an option. In music, Maths and science she got 5s, so taking them in a year or two would not be a good option for her. She isn't good at everything BTW... Lots of grade 3s and 4s, with 2 for Spanish and Dance!

Gah, anti! No idea where impressed came from. On holiday with no computer, and useless on phone.

I agree it's better to wait I think then at least if you don't get a top grade ( and that's what you're aiming for ) you won't be left wondering what if I'd waited . I agree that it's difficult to get top grades in music just like any other subject . For our Dc the performing part will be fine ( you don't gain extra difficulty marks for playing anything above grade 5 standard) but the other two parts will still take work . But Ds likes composition and has wide ranging music tastes so I think it will be enjoyable . Certainly he will still be working at his own level I imagine as the head of music has said he should aim for a top grade ( but I've told him not to set his heart in a grade and just to see what happens) music isn't set and he doesn't go to a selective school so like most of his subjects he will have to make sure he motivates himself to do well . Ds is also expected to do 3 sciences waffle - but he likes them so is keen . It's great he has kept a broad curriculum going into year 9 but I do think 11 subjects is too many exams in year 11

A word of caution about picking options too far ahead. Dcs school have changed things every year.

DD couldn't do her preferred options (which is why we ended up with Photography, nor could DS2. DS1 was able to chose his but wouldn't have been able to in subsequent years.

DS2 is doing science x 3, english x 2, maths and 4 options, geog, French, RE and Music. If hed been doing GCEs this year he would only have 3 options and I'm rather sorrry school expanded it again.

He wanted computer science, but it was the same block as Music. He opted for Comp sci, then wobbled and chose music.

Curricular music didn't impact much in Y9, because it was a rotating block with drama. I complained they only spend 1 lesson a week on Creative arts, when he spend 1 lesson a week on Art and a double on DT, both of which he hated.