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....

patrick very glad you are feeling a little better. It is natural for you to have some ups and downs as you get used to the new arrangements . It is lovely to hear about how all of the mn thread DCs are settling into new schools. How is Noo getting on Folk? Did she enjoy senior strings?

floot and others - sorry you have had lurgies. Everyone other than me had a cold last week. Floot - that is probably why you had practice troubles. Viruses can brew for weeks. Hopefully normal service will be resumed soon

We had a rather lacklustre start to the week, as I slept through the alarm and so didn't do any music with DS2. However, I think he is almost on top of the audition pieces, with just a little work on intonation and dynamics required in the second one (extracts on cluster if anyone is interested).

Also, we are debating tempo. I want a nice safe tempo (still very fast!). DS2 wants to go for broke (play the fast piece as fast as Oistrakh!). Fortunately, my Dad is accompanying him, so will keep him under control!! Definitely better in tune and safe than 1% chance brilliant, 99% chance car crash.

Noo is good thanks @TaggieOHara! Senior Strings going well - she's been promoted to 3rd desk, 1sts! They have their first performance of the year on Thursday at the school open evening. Will only have had 3 rehearsals and the programme is.... ambitious!

Glad to hear Mini-Taggie's audition prep is going well.

@TabbyTigger I think you are some kind of super-mum, I can barely manage 2 DC's with their extra-curricular timetables, and between them they don't do anything like 30hrs!!!! And kudos to your DD too, that is commitment 😍

@Floottoot Hope things are settling down for you

Patrick, so glad you are feeling a bit better.
We have long weekend coming up/ exeat for those that use it.

This thread moves so quickly and covers everything from choosing from 3 violins, travelling to schools and jd's, washing recorders, audition prep,
exams, and practice. etc. That's just a day or so

I know. This thread is pretty amazing thanks to all the willing contributors new and old but seriously I really think Waffle should win a medal one day if MN decides to award the best thread or something. Honestly, I am sure this thread has changed quite a few people's life. I still remember how I started posting. DS had just started showing his interest in music and as a non-musical parent I sought advice. At the time DS was more of a sportsman and a wild monkey than a musician. I've learnt so mach along the way and look what has happened to us now!

Taggie, I watched mini Taggie on the channel (I have access to the channel, finally!). He's amazing, and his grandpa's piano is lovely also!

Thanks patrick so much. I feel more motivated to get cracking on DS2’s practice now

Yes - totally agree with patrick about this thread. It has been a huge support to me over the last year. And it is such a joy to watch the DCs (and their parents) grow and develop.

Waffle deserves some sort of mn housepoint at the least

I'd be fascinated if some of our veterans could link us their first music thread. If not too revealing with name changes.

It’s literally 30 hours out of the house - I’ve not included school senior band (takes place in form time and school lunch) her music lessons (she comes out of class for them) and the two lunch time netball practises she has. It does include 21 hours of dance, 5 hours of diving, 1 hour of after school orchestra and 3 hours of after school netball... even thinking about it all makes me tired. The dance “rest day” that her teachers insist on features two hours of diving and a netball practise. Probably not quite what they had in mind... diving was meant to be a casual addition this term (replacing last year’s 2 hours of trampolining) but because of all her strength and flexibility she’s immediately been drawn into doing extra sessions already. I can see it becoming more serious and her once more having a tussle between dance and something else. I’m thinking of trying to nudge a drop in netball - maybe go down to the B team (one less after school and one less lunch time a week) if she wants to pursue diving in more depth. I only manage to coordinate it because she’s old enough to travel alone/with friends and we’re lucky enough to live in London which makes transport easy if I was doing the ferrying we’d have no hope and a toddler and baby would be coming everywhere...

And absolutely agree with everyone praising the thread here - such a lovely community. You must be so proud of how far it’s come waffle!!

I’m trying to keep up with all the news - sounds like things are going well for most (glad you enjoyed your weekend patrick and glad Noo is enjoying secondary school!) and I hope things start to shake down soon for you floot. The beginning of the year is always a big hurdle - hopefully you’ll have adjusted and worked out what’s manageable by October.

I love these threads - not able to keep up with them so much these days although great to hear dcs are settling into their new schools well.
DS1 is managing to juggle most of his music activities with A levels - just dropping one ensemble. He has a pretty full timetable and is very busy!

Sounds like everyone is getting into the swing of new term etc. I always find it takes a few weeks to settle then once new routines are established I wonder what I was worried about!
All change here for DD - first day of JD last Sat was a success, she already loves her new teacher even though it was a difficult decision to leave the previous one. Definitely the right thing in the end.
First couple of percussion lessons at school seem to have gone well - I had a phone call after the first one 'Mummy I just don't think you realise how exciting that was'!! We do not have a big house or a posh shed, so that will be remaining firmly a school thing!!
She has also decided it would be good to play the trumpet after seeing Mike Lovatt play with The BBC Big Band at the weekend - that will be a no!!

Fingers crossed for those starting with new teachers.

DS has also started with new teachers for both piano and violin. He really liked his violin teacher at jd and it was a great shame to end with her just after one year together as it'd been working so well (she just got him instantly). His lessons with the new violin teacher started last week so it may be too early to know how things go with her but DS said he liked her so that's a good start. I haven't met her yet and I don't know when/if I actually see her as I am not around unlike before. I feel a bit weird I don't know the teacher and how DS is learning as I was always with him in the past.

Zero information about the piano teacher from DS. Sounds like she/he didn't leave much impression on him last week but it's only a brief lesson compared with many other things so it probably doesn't really weigh much in his mind at the moment.

We left both teachers of piano and violin in a good term so that was a relief. The violin teacher said 'come back any time!', and the piano teacher said her role as a teacher to DS had completed so no point him coming back to her in future - from now on we keep in touch as a friend.

Aww, thanks so much everyone! Very sweet. I will find my first ever thread in a minute.

I am a bit worried about where the music stuff is headed (or not) with my two right now, but probably mainly because it's the start of term and they've just been ill, so hardly any practice has taken place for a good week. Neither has any kind of performance or exam coming up either, and as you know Goo has always needed an incentive to practise!! Every few months I come back to wondering if I'm doing my best for her. School-wise yes, she's at the best school in the world, and is one of two children from a year group of 240 who's been picked out to take part in a 4-year challenge programme including day trips, debating, running a pretend business and starting university visits/ workshops from Year 9! So all good on that side. She doesn't have to bust a gut luckily, so is enjoying her life. The music clubs made school worthwhile in Year 7, but we can now tell that they are as good as they're going to get. We weren't expecting her to enter Y7 as the most advanced musician in the school (had she gone the previous year, there would have been loads of Y11s better than her) but it all means that the standard of all the ensembles is very low for her and doesn't inspire her to work at all! She also refuses to play solo or audition for anything! So we're stuck in a sort of limbo of being way ahead of everyone at school, not good enough (or willing) to try for JD, and disliking her current CAT provider. I think she has practised the flute and piano for maybe an hour each over the past couple of weeks.

On the other hand, Rara won't like the super academic school quite as much, but will find the ensembles perfectly challenging. She has been sicker than Goo so no practice is happening at all. I am thinking of pencilling in an exam for her next term, to get her back on track once she is well, but we'll see.

Waffle - we also had some disappointmrnt that school aren’t able to run senior string groups/orchestra this year; they have tried to make up with chamber work but not the same. We have made some other changes but I still wonder if this is the right option. Will pm you. Aren’t your two getting ready for NCO auditions though?

string Nope, Goo won't play to ANYONE any more, and I don't see the point of putting Rara through it.

Really Waffle? Your girls are so associated to NCO in my mind that I don't feel it's right for them to miss it. I know it's my personal views and you will do what's the best for your girls though.

I wanted to say a massive thank to @Waffle too, we are not great with mysic and still doodling along, however without this thread we wouldnt get to where we are.

It took me sometime to figure out the name change as I missed few threads. I dont think I have seen drummers mom either, miss her posts.

We havent had any exam for a year now and we misses it, it helps us to gauge standards and keeps up with scales. I am planning of Summer exams next year, maybe for both instruments.
We have finally finished the school application forms(secondary starts next year). There will be 5 Indies and 1 grammar and it seems alot(the Indie applications are expensive, Wycombe Abbey is the most, the amount of picks and drops are crazy, almost 3 times each Indie and 2 for Grammar). We might drop 1-2 nearer to the time. I couldnt book time off for next year yet which almost all Indie exams will be in January. I have to trust her group tutor(1.5hr/week group of 7) and her music teachers as I could only ferry and pay. Still hats off to many parents who are so much more supportive. I tried to tell my mom the other day that I am not lazy, just getting old and tired.(mom complained that I hardly see the kids during the week while she was here in the summer and that she did better for me when I studied for my exams before).

Hello again Green and thank you!

Patrick I did book two auditions, but don't even dare to tell Goo. I did it months ago, but now know she won't be persuaded. Rara is refusing to try on the cello, and realises that she won't keep up with the pace on her clarinet. One of my little pupils is having a go though. I helped her mum book the audition and I chose the pieces for her... and she has now decided to have lessons at school with someone else, so I can't take all the credit if she gets in.

Original thread!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/extra_curricular_activities/1343317-Support-group-for-parents-of-children-taking-music-exams

Green, 'being supportive' doesn't apply to only physical support (look, I am not with DS at all now but I regard myself 'supportive' ). I know lots parents spending more time with their kids yet not as supportive as you are to your DDs. In my world you are a caring and supportive mum. Otherwise you won't be on this thread in the first place.

Oh Waffle...

Name changed. You can figure out who I am...

There are lots of good ensembles at DS2’s school, but as usual he is in with the beginners. ‘Now every play an f SHARP; not quite Tarquin, we need to make a BIG GAP between our first and second fingers, well done! Now - who knows where G Sharp is...’ nothing wrong with that type of group, and it is well run. It was ideal for DS2 two years ago. But it is a bit of a step down from violin 1 in the NCO.

They do know what level he is at, as he plays grade 7 and 8 pieces very well in the concerts (with lots of praise from the HoM) and They know he is in the Nco, Pro Corda etc. However, he hasn’t done exams (yet) and I am not prepared to send him to the school teachers, who would not be a good fit.

I don’t know what to do. I’ve tried emailing but no response. . It won’t do DS2 any good if I get a rep as a mad pushy mother. This year especially I need to keep an excellent relationship with the school so he is looked after well on the big tours, and they respond to me if I have proper welfare concerns (not just silly stuff).

It is annoying though, as We have to get up early on Saturday and spend the whole day driving back and forth to school and choir, also I am spending 5 hours plus waiting around (4 hours for music school, 1.5 hours for choir rehearsal, 2x 1.5 hour round trips in the car) It is exhausting and destroys the weekend. Remember he is busy on Sunday too. I wouldn’t mind if he got something out of it, but he doesn’t.

Does anyone have any advice? Sorry for the rant. I am so envious of those of you who get to go to jd. I don’t know if DS2 would get in, but it sounds so amazing.

I would just email the Head of Music and ask if there are any other ensembles he is eligible to join. I asked ours in person for Goo at Parents' Evening, as we're in a similar situation. But I know him quite well.

The original thread, I was there with my other username talking about dd doing a grade 4 in something, perhaps violin.

All those that aren't on Mnet anymore
I liked colleger, she isn't here now and Julie Michelle Robinson gave me some lovely theory resources. Theas spoke sense too, I miss her from the many other threads too.

raspberry was on the first one too.