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....

taggie that sounds very hectic!
We had a crisis last night as DDs 4 month old ( and rather expensive) flute suddenly broke while she was practising... the B key stopped working altogether. Poor DD was in tears and has gone to school all sad looking ☹️ Looks like a trip to the repair shop this morning for me!

Taggie, DH's back now, but not from a business trip... He was away for taking part of an iron man race in Weymouth. DS was slightly disappointed dad had gone away for the night he's back home and it was only the second weekend he's back from school. It would have been more understandable if it was for business really. But then DS knows that's his dad!

It sounds like Taggie family has such a busy week (but perhaps it's almost the norm for you....)!

to miniLotsofmilk about her flute. Hopefully it's nothing complicated.

Patrick

So pleased to hear about ds last night, I hope this means he's settled.
I think he's done amazingly well, he was straight in there with no worries, he's bound to have some blips.
I think until they get used to it, I'd say first half term, they are really tired as there is so much effort required in remembering and learning everything.
The music will pick up as well, I'm sure. I can remember something similar with dd, everyone told her how much music there was and then there wasn't. All of a sudden it picked up and she found herself in lots more ensembles and solo performances.

truffle
Your dd sounds amazing, I know it can seem hard when they have to work so much harder than their peers, mine has just got over the "it's not fair" stage and knows she has to knuckle down now.
I can't go back as will lose this post, but what is the subject with the 3 letters, I can't remember them now was it ?PE. I'm sure I'm being stupid not recognising it.

Finally, phew, long post When I spoke about difficult parents I wasn't meaning parents at dd school, it was more of a general we've all met at least one parent like this Tbh, I've noticed far fewer at the music schools, but that might be just meeting the ones who aren't "my child is better" type

PatricksViolin Thank you very much for your input. Choose Putney centre, at least it has a grand piano.

Romany, I'm actually glad they've started with less music (well for DS's point of views anyway so there may be enough music actually!), rather than the opposite. It always works better for DS to be wanting more than feeling enough. He needs to feel hungry to be motivated.

Re, my kid is better kind of parents, I don't think you'll meet many of them at your DD's school, Romany. I suppose the higher you go, the less you feel like that as you are surrounded by so many gifted children, DAILY. In fact you rather feel so lucky for your DC to be with those amazing musicians. I am still pinching myself, and whenever I see someone's performance (I'm at the school quite a lot last few weeks!) I feel like, 'can he really be here with you guys...?

Better, I don't play piano so I don't know how bad their piano is. But I was told you would have to press quite firmly to make a sound so you have to consciously play firmer to avoid 'silent note'. You have to be careful not to play p or pp too delicate, if you know what I mean... Hope it helps. Good luck to your DS!

Romany its RPE which is religion, philosophy and ethics. She has always found it interesting and did really well at GCSE so decided to continue.

A lot of written content but that's inevitable at A level if avoiding maths and science.

truffle

Wow, that does sound interesting and if she really enjoys it, I hope it's in the bag for her.
There aren't many subjects now, especially at GCSE where the emphasis isn't on lots of writing, if they aren't scientific or mathematical.
I had forgotten about Art though and mine is quite good, so she may opt for this in a couple of years.
I love the sound of RPE, good luck to her

Wells sounds amazing truffle .
Hope the flute gets fixed soon lotsofmilk. Ds managed to trip and dent his recently purchased quite expensive trumpet in the summer ( in the middle of the nco course ) luckily it's still playable but he was so upset and shocked at the time . It wasn't a good phonecall home !! We need to get it fixed at some point but Ds isn't keen to give it up for too long !!

Hi all. Noo loved her first day at JD on Saturday, but seems to be really struggling mentally with practice this week. She just keeps saying 'it's sooo hard'. In reality, it's no harder than it was before, but she's decided everything is now more difficult. I'm hoping it is just that it is a lot to process, what with starting secondary school too, and she will settle down as we get into the term. Anyone else having / had a similar experience??

Maybe her personal standards have suddenly shot up and she is finding it hard to meet her own expectations folk. She is also probably knackered. I’m sure she will settle soon, once she has found her feet at her new school and jd. and for both of you xx

DD2 is having a few issues with practice at the moment - great timing with the NCO audition coming up! She is struggling with homework and lots of demands on her at school with mandatory orchestra due to being a music scholar and extra hockey sessions as she has made the school team. She had her lesson tonight and the teacher has set out a practice plan for the hour that she needs to do each day. Might have to find some way of expanding the hours in the day without it going late into the evening! Didn't Hermione manage to be in more than one place at the same time? Must ask JK Rowling for the secret!

DD1 has about 8 weeks to get everything up to speed for Grade 7 sax. She didn't want to have it hanging over her until the summer with GCSEs coming, but she has lots of other stuff to juggle too - art coursework, composition and performance for music, D of E practice weekend, county orchestra over a long weekend, music scholars' concert,, school concert.......

@Doubleup your DD2 I'd Y7 too, isn't she? Maybe its all part of the adjustment....

Yes she is folk. She's exhausted trying to fit everything in - and quite frankly, so am I. Looking forward to half term already and we haven't finished September yet!

Sympathies double and folk. Starting secondary is heavygoing!

We are all still quite knackered here with some not very effective practice going on. But DS2 is doing his very best and I am hoping that the adrenaline will carry him through the audition. He really does know those two pieces back to front and inside out, but is a bit jittery and is making silly mistakes, with a bit of sloppy bowing!

DH is going to drive out to collect him tonight, which means we will get him to bed by 9 rather than 11 and we will take it easy tomorrow morning and over the weekend.

folk and double - it definitely sounds like they’re just adjusting to their new routines and environments. Secondary school is just generally so much more tiring - the day is longer, you have to walk miles between classrooms. I remember when DD2 (my super-energetic-30-hours-of-extra-curricular child) got home from her first day she just went straight to bed for a nap because she was so tired!

We’re all getting used to having a 15yo in the house here - not had one for four years so we’re just getting back into the joys of GCSE pressure meanwhile DD3 is really making remarkable progress on the violin for her age (only 6), probably because she practises twice a day most days. She’s absolutely determined to be included in her older sisters’ little music group that’s sort of established, where they improvise and compose together all the time. I’m so impressed with her!

DD1 is enjoying music GCSE so far too! I can’t believe that I’ve now taken on having 3 GCSE years in a row...

druid that is really interesting, thanks for posting.

Thank you patrick and trumpet and sorry to hear about the dented trumpet at NCO... I’m a bit annoyed with the dealer we bought the flute from as they are saying they may not cover this on the warranty as it doesn’t usually happen on this level of flute and maybe DD has damaged it. When I explained it broke when DD was practising in front of me they said she could have knocked it ages ago and that would have caused the problem.. DD is sure she hasn’t and I believe her. There are certainly no marks or scratches on it. Anyway it’s now arrived at their workshop so we’ll see what they say once they’ve looked at it. 🙁 On the plus side DD has cheered up and played her piccolo instead yesterday .. a bit shrill but fun!

It sounds like a lot, Alex. But I did two music exams during my GCSE term and it was perfect - practice was a nice break in between studying, and after GCSEs were finished, I had nearly a month to do nothing but practise!

Really interesting druid. And basically describes the difference between DS and DD. DS will make the same mistakes for months on end if left to his own devices. Next question how do you get a child to learn to listen to themselves critically?

I'm on a train to Watford, going to meet ds for his first exeat weekend. By the end of the weekend I should hopefully know (almost) all there is to know about music school life! Going to try to catch up here en route.

That's interesting druid
My dh tells his students and dd to practice getting it right.
You get good at what you practice, so if you practice getting it wrong, this is where it will stay.
Play as slowly as you want to, but don't get it wrong