September 2018 Music Thread

[folkmamma]

Hi all! Our lovely host Waffle is away at the moment and has asked me to start this months thread.

Here is a place for us to share stories, ask for advice, and generally support one another through our DCs (and in some cases our own!) musical journeys. All are very welcome, from the early beginners to the very advanced. Some people have been regular contributors for years, but we also have a lot of newcomers and love welcoming new contributors to the MN Music Thread team. I became aware of this group about 9 months ago via the NCO 2018 thread and I now spend more time here than on Facebook... .

Over here, I have Noo, just turned 11, violinist, violist and pianist. She is playing at aroud G7 standard on violin (first study) and is starting JD this month, eek!. Noo is also an associate member of NCO and this year joined the Pro Corda ensemble training programme, which she loves above all else! She is also very into musical theatre and regularly performs in professional and semi-professional shows - it is a challenge to juggle it all, but somehow we do. This month is a biggie for Noo as she starts secondary school as well as JD.

DD2 is Moll. 8yrs old and plays cello and piano. She is a very different kettle of fish to big sister - every bit as able, but some self esteem issues, together with a slightly quirky personality, mean her journey is not often quite so smooth (and mine completely turbulent!). Working towards G3 cello this term (although she doesn’t know it yet) and will go for a consultation at Noo’s JD sometime this term also.

I’m sure Waffle will drop in to update us on Goo, Rara and her own musical self once she gets back from holibobs.

Good luck to everyone with back to school, changes in school, new routines and audition prep! I predict September will be a busy month on the thread!

Over to you....

Yes but much better than an average/poor state school - they may only do 7/8 GCSEs but something like 60% A/A* even including a lot of non-native English speakers. I have children in an excellent state school which is far superior academically as well as sports, drama etc. However, I used to live in an area where the two state schools were awful and know others in a similar situation. Not saying this is widespread but for some people this is an option.

I was worried quite a lot about the academic side, but at the moment I am OK with it. I mean, he is only Y7 so there is still room for adjustment and experiment I suppose. He seems to be enjoying the curriculum including sports (surprise, surprise!).

I went to the school today and as I entered I spotted DS climbing a massive tree with friends. When he noticed me, he waved at me and carried on climbing and chatting with friends. The staff told me he's settled well and really he's like being here for years. They said he is very confident and knows where to get a help when he needs.

As I saw he's enjoying his new life there I felt I could ease down my worry a bit. He certainly seems to be in a right place at this stage. Well, it's still too early to conclude this way, but at least for now I can relax.

Anyway, it seems like I'm the only one who is suffering from this change.

To cheer myself up, I booked Wicked! Still haven't seen the musical. DS liked Popular played at NCO So I'm taking him during half term.

For those with Dc at a music specialist school, how much music per day is timetabled for your DC? I know practice would be on top

DS doesn't seem to have lots of playing opportunity yet because he is not in any chamber nor orchestra at the moment. They claim half a day is dedicated to music but it doesn't look like it, well only in DS's case though. For instance, piano lesson (half an hour) was only 'playing' lesson today and the rest was Maths, Science, Language, Art, etc. They have long lunch break too (that's when DS was climbing a tree...).

Patricksviolin it is good that they are easing your Ds in gently. And love that he feels relaxed enough at school to be climbing trees

Really interesting to hear about the music school experience. There must be a lot of settling in to do with new school and starting secondary and boarding and new instrumental teachers too.

Had a big row with DS about practice today. The bonus screen time trick no longer seems to be working. Feels like any boundary I set he will push and push. "That was good practice wasn't it?" Eh no it was 3 minutes long and you ignored all the mistakes.

DD is practising Christmas carols. Random, but a lot of sight reading has happened.

Thanks owlm. They are rather really nice actually, trying everything to make us newbies feel at ease. Weekly boarders usually come home only Saturday night. But they agreed DS could go home on Friday and come back on Monday, which means he is away only 4 nights each week - much better than him being away 6 nights!

PM sorry I'm lazy.
It sounds pretty similar but obviously varies as they go up the school.
The long lunch becomes rushing to see a teacher about prep as you missed her lesson, eating lunch, performing in a concert or watching the concert some are compulsory for all students available but others are optional and you have to be registered at so many per term, not many.

There's very little if any P.E but if you read the ofsted reports it's not a secret. No RE but incorporated in PHSE.
School starts at 8.30 if assembly or 9 if not, but they have already warmed up/ practised by now, well the boarders have.
It ends at 4.30 but you will have had either a music lesson or choir or instrumental lesson during this time.
Then after 4.30 it's either lesson or rehearsal then tea at 6.00 then after tea prep or practice, depending on the day.
There's always downtime before bed, the boys tend to enjoy gaming or football. The girls enjoy the gym or chatting with friends.
Weekends they usually rehearse saturday mornings, then sometimes mine comes home, other times she doesn't.
Scouts go in once a week and they can do DofE, mine throws herself into this and is really enjoying herself.
Then back Sunday evening after mum cooks her favourite roast lamb, yuk!

@catkind hang in there. Did you listen to the podcast shared on Cluster? I've found it really amazing on the subject of practice!! Definitely worth a listen when you get time xx

Ooh i haven't folk. Will try it.

Make sure you have a notebook to hand!! I intend to listen again and make notes....

Would I be able to join cluster for a listen also please?

Ah Patricksviolin that sounds so much better. 4 nights feels like a camp rather than boarding. I guess they are really very experienced at settling little ones.

RomanyRoots it sounds like your DD has to be bpretty organised...but sounds alot more like 'normal' school life than I expected. I had a 'full on' other world view in my mind.

@owlm sent you a PM

Ds was keen to go in October Romany but I'm holding out till January as I know he will want to try to go once he looks round !! I'm holding off because for now at least it's been a positive start to the school year and I think I'd rather he went just for 6th form rather than in year 10 ( if he can get in ?) but if school and his 11 million GCSEs gets too much then we may have to rethink !!

owlm

Trumpet, I know ideally you like your DS to go for 6th form (after he gets GCSEs out of his way), but if he insists, will you consider starting at Y10 as an option? I'm only asking as I wonder how GCSEs cooperate between two schools. If we decide to move DS back to 'normal' school, our option would be either at 13+ or 16+ to minimise possible disturbance for GCSEs (but of course if he is extremely unhappy then we'll move him without waiting for the right timing). But I noticed quite a few GCSE year groups joined DS's school this year. Perhaps it's not that complicated as I think, or perhaps they firmly know what they want so GCSEs is not a huge concern for them?

Wednesday12th September

08:30 - 09:30 Music
09:30 - 10:30 Maths
11:00 - 12:00 Music
12:00 - 13:00 Music
14:30 - 15:30 German
15:30 - 16:30 Practice
15:30 - 16:00 Inst. Lesson

19:45 - 20:30 JAZZ: Jazz Improv group

Friday14th September

08:30 - 09:30 Double Sci
09:30 - 10:30 Music
11:00 - 12:00 Practice
11:00 - 11:30 Inst. Lesson
12:00 - 13:00 English -
14:30 - 15:30 Practice
15:30 - 16:30 Art - ART
17:30 - 18:00 Inst. Lesson

Obviously where it says music it could be any of the things they do, I removed any identifiable parts of the time table, but gives an idea of a couple of her days.

They do have to be well organised, but dd struggles here, so she does get lots of help, I can't fault school for this.
One of her options is Art she has help organising work to meet the deadlines.

Trumpet

6th form is a good idea and he wouldn't be a new starter on his own, about half the students are 6th form too.
Perhaps only about 35 juniors covering y4 - y6
There isn't a huge choice ito options for GCSE or A level, but I think as they are there for the music it's broad enough iyswim.

Romany that looks like his ideal timetable but he currently manages to fit some musical activity in at school most days - though nothing like as much as that and I think they have agreed to him having 1 free a week for extra music ( so they are trying)
Patrick Ds is currently doing a 3 year GCSE course for all subjects which started last week . If he did move schools it would have to be in year 10 then it wouldn't matter if he either had to repeat work or start a new syllabus as he would still have 2 GCSE years at a school before the exams . They won't usually accept in Year 11 because it's too disruptive . TBH I'm sure he'll stay put until 6th form but we also have to decide what his extra music will look like from next year onwards as I don't want sudden changes in Year 11 unless absolutely necessary

Romany, I think ive said before that your DD reminds me of mine a bit. DD has now just started 6th form having done far better at GCSE than we could have hoped. Not a string of level 9s but the equivalent of As Bs and Cs so good enough.

When she was assessed as dyslexic the Ed Psych said she would need a reader and a scribe for GCSE and not to expect much so she has turned that on its head!

She is starting with 3 A levels - music, English and RPE and we will see how it goes. Starting 3 rather than 4 means she has plenty of time for various music activities, usually starting with Early Morning Practice and finishing the day with an ensemble etc.

Those thinking about 6th form entry - our DS1 did this and was like a kid in a sweet shop, took on too much and ended up repeating a year. I've heard this happening to others too. We wish we'd moved him for GCSE. Interestingly, at DD's first tutor meeting the new 6th formers who have just joined were gently warned about this.

Trumpet - I feel your juggling😊 dd negotiated with the school that she does music practice rather than one set of double games per week; she still does the other games periods plus swims. It does help (but means she doesn’t do team skirts which I am sad about) but it’s still no where near as “good” as Romany.s timetable. To be honest I worry about all this more tham dd - she is intent on trying to make this work (but I know there still isn’t enough practice given their homework loading and he relive of sleep) but wonder whether she really can once she hits yr9 onwards

Trumpet, the increase of the academic workload prior to GCSEs seems to happen at specialist school also, at least at DS's school. Y11 are expected to study quite a lot through a day. Obviously nothing like normal school though. But even at specialist school, you've got to learn balancing and juggling academic and music. Little ones (Y4 and up) also have minimum an hour individual study time allocated every day which is more than DS's 'normal' primary school expected (he got an hour homework per week or so at his primary school!).

There's juggling to be done whoever you go I think . My concern for Ds is the number of GCSEs he's expected to take . In my mind for Ds 9 would be sufficient ( though his extras are subjects that he really enjoys) . I really admire his school for making sure that they all have access to a broad curriculum to 16 it just gets tricky if you have a serious commitment outside of school - but he won't be the only one

Trumpet, haven't got long as dd on her way home ill, just a monthly but has made her so poorly this time.

She is doing 8 GCSE's compulsory: Music, Maths, sci x2, Eng x2, German, (sort of compulsory) and Art.
They obviously do humanities but they weren't her choices.
If she gets a few she'll be fine for future study at conservatoire as they ask for bare min compared to uni's.