October Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

Welcome to the thread for October, which is open to ANYONE who wants to discuss music lessons, practice, exams, auditions, instrument hire/ purchase or whatever related issues you'd like to. Newbies are especially welcome, and we have some each month, often with beginners. All of our kids were beginners once.

I have two DDs. Goo is 12 and plays the flute and piano. She can also play recorders and the piccolo, but doesn't. We've just moved her to another piano teacher because the first one retired, so it's nice to hear her practising again. She has been learning for about 2.5 years and hasn't done any exams... nor is she intending to. On the flute we have extended range scales, the Chaminade Concertino and Bizet's Carmen Fantasy at the moment. She plays in 7 school ensembles and does NCO and South West Music School, although she's likely to be leaving both at various points during this academic year.

Rara is 10 and plays the cello and clarinet regularly, and recorder sometimes. She's vaguely working towards Grade 5 on both, but it might end up being 4 on the cello because of various aspects she's behind in... we'll see. I am still teaching her the clarinet and am currently super fed up because however kind, patient and helpful I am, she behaves in such a horrible way. We can't afford lessons. Ho hum. Rara also does NCO and SWMS. Under 11s will be beyond her, but she'll carry on with SWMS for now.

I am a teacher of woodwind!

So DS's school is not far from what Green described - wake up at around 7 am and light out at around 9.30 pm. Breakfast is 7.15 - 7.45 am so DS prefers waking up just before 7 am so he can read a book a bit, wash and change clothes then has breakfast. He then does some morning exercises before any lesson starts.

However, I disagree all the points of boarding is to have a shorter day. They board because they have a longer day, don't they? Usually the journey time is used for extra-curricular activities/extra study/organised social time, etc.

But usually for these extra you have to wake up earlier to have it done because usually it can take a child up to an hour or more on travelling everyday, 5 hours a week(many does more and its not enjoyable with public transport disruption. The only reason I possibly consider boarding is for her not having to travel during week day and has everything done dyring the week then we will have her a whole from Friday evening. Apparently, this is illusional.

I'm a bit confused Green. I don't know why you suddenly think it's illusional. DCs don't spend silly amount of time on journey as you expected and if it's your reason for considering boarding school there is nothing illusional about it. I assume you understand the school you are considering runs 7 am to 9 pm for y7-y9 and presumably happy about it, no? As I said it's not far off from DS's schedule at his school. I only disagreed with your description of 'shorter day', that's all. They don't have a shorter day just because they don't travel. They just do something else instead of sitting on a bus or tube. I know only DS's school and a few well-known boys schools though. Girls boarding schools are out of my radar for obvious reason. But that's my understanding and impression on general boarding school...

So we are saying the same thing here Patrick. My point about “shorter”=waking up later and go to bed earlier and still be able to do the same numbers of activities compare with anyone who has to travel.

We first thought about it because my very close work colleague sends both of his children boarding and he said they love it. We met them often too. He says one thing which relates to our situation that both parents dont see them much during the week either and picking, dropping during the week are inpossible with both of them work in the city. He said it was really hard at first but then they both love their schools. Apart from the emotional and us being selfish because we cant imagine how we could do it, cost is a problem. It costs £35k a year or something, it is huge for us.

DS is at a standard day school. He's up at 6.15am, out of the house just after 7am, arrives at school just after 8am. On an "early" day, he's home at just after 5pm; on a normal "late" day, he's not home until 6pm.
At the moment, he has a cello lesson after school once a week, which is after a late - so on that day, he's out of the house from just after 7am until 7.45pm. On Fridays, he sometimes has to stay at school until 5pm and then go from there to youth orchestra (grabbing something to eat in between), and doesn't get home until 9.30pm.

Currently, he only has 2 "early" days.

So obviously it depends on which school and what kind of activities you do. If you are a serious swimmer they are up before sunrise almost everyday. Some DCs have to travel a long way like Floot's but for some DCs it's only 10 mins walk to school.

Floot those are really long days - I’m not surprised your ds has to revise on the bus !!
Ds here is lucky because he can walk to school so he leaves at 8.15 and is back by 4.30 . They don’t do extracurricular after school often ( apart from sports matches and ds doesn’t do those) because most pupils travel in by bus - so they have a long lunch and do orchestra etc then and finish school just before 4 . If hes organised he somehow manages to fit in lunch , a quick kick around with a football and some music !! They also have rehearsals etc in registration to fit it all in . So his day is really full on but it does mean that by about 7 he’s usually had dinner and a music lesson or practise and is ready for homework . In the week it’s all a bit relentless and he doesn’t get anytime to himself but it’s not wasted travel time, he loves the walk to and from school . So I get what Green means and think if I could afford it I might in London consider weekly boarding , though green you should beware that they always seem to have lots of homework at the weekends too - ds and dd have a day of that to look forward to today

I suppose one advantage though if you play music and go to a day school is that you can take part in non school related ensembles in the week . I had a conversation a while ago with someone who thought ds would be a good fit for their ( private boarding / day) school lots of music etc , but thought that he would get all the music he needed there. Even as a day pupil the longer days would have made it difficult for him to fit in other commitments , but I’m not sure that that would work. Brass band for example is mostly adults and rehearses in an evening and I think it’s currently one of his favourite , and most beneficial musically, things to do.

On another note where do people find music competitions / festivals etc for their dcs to enter? There only seems to be one round here and ds had to pull out of it last week because NCO changed their rehearsal dates !! The only other one I could find had entries from a very restricted geographical area . Are there any that you are allowed to travel to ? He only needs one or two a year maybe ? , but I’ve realised that the one “ problem” with going to a state school and not a specialist school or one as a music scholar is that there are few if any opportunities each year to get the practise at solo performances. He’s going to volunteer to play at the Christmas concert but I don’t think he will be allowed this year as he had a “ turn” last year . ( So I’m still left wondering how we make this state school/ wanting to be a musician thing work if he doesn’t get all the opportunities he needs ) Competitions seemed to be a good way forward- if I can find any !!

Trumpet

www.federationoffestivals.org.uk/festivals-a-z/

Seems quite comprehensive!

Thank you Taggie I will have a look

Morning all. Thanks so much for all your good luck messages. It meant such a lot!

The audition went well we think. I was with him in the rehearsal but he went in to the audition room on his own but I could watch outside on a tv though the sound was turned right down 😩.He played his pieces and scale perfectly in the rehearsal but in the audition he unfortunately made a mistake in one of the pieces where he had a group of semi quavers and his fingers got left behind 😬. The sight reading went ok,it was a grade 4 piece. There wasn't any aural and then they interviewed him. He was asked why he wanted to come to Guildhall and he answered that he wanted to be a professional violinist and play in orchestras all over the world. I'm not sure if that's what they're looking for. They then asked him how much he practices for and he replied about an hour a day. And that was it!! It was over with in 10 mins!! We now have the agony of waiting for upto 2 weeks to hear. I'm trying very hard to be pragmatic about it but that's not really me! I won't lie in that we want it so badly for him because he has worked so incredibly hard all year for this.
As soon as I hear, I will let you all know. X

Hi atrumpet look at North London Music Festivsl - it’s v good apparently and def one people travel to; we will do it next year I think. There is a list of festivals if you google but it’s hard to tell which attract s lotbif competitors and which you will be in a very small class

Glad it went well disorganised and fingers crossed!

It was the North London Music Festival which DD played in last year. It was a good experience for her - am planning on entering the DCs again this year - in the graded sections for piano and maybe DD on recorder. I was also thinking about the East London one.

Thanks string . Yes that’s the problem with the one here - not that I really care if it’s a competition or not it’s just the getting up and playing solo ( and dealing with nerves etc ) that ds needs more experience of. Bizarrely when he plays with an orchestra even if he’s got a high profile solo he doesn’t seem fazed at all ( he said it’s because he’s in his orchestra bubble !!)
Glad it went well disorganised I’ll keep my fingers crossed you hear soon and that it’s a positive outcome

Interesting discussions about length of school day etc. Our experience last year was similar to Floots. DS would leave the house at 7am and arrive home from school after 5:30 tired and still have homework & piano/trumpet practise to do at the wrong end of the day. At his new school, he practises every morning before the school day starts. Further practise and ensemble playing are scheduled as part of the school day (this ends at 6pm most days). Homework is scheduled for 7:30pm & they just seem to get on with it, perhaps made more tolerable because they are doing it together in their rooms.

Trumpet has your ds considered auditioning for the NCBB? If he enjoys playing in the brass band he'd really love the NCBB! The summer course is heavily subsidised and so great value - I think around £450 this year - and doesn't clash with NCO.

Herts He gets up at 6:58? Surely he could sneak another minute in bed!

@disorganisedmummy hopefully they won't keep you waiting for 2 weeks. Keeping everything crossed for you all. Xxx

I’ll have a look at that littleladsdad thanks !! I bet it clashes with AYM though ( most things seem to and I spend my whole life negotiating on his behalf !!)

to all those with DC feeling the tiredness that comes with Autumn term and so much on.

DD’s lack of sleep schedule is too sad to put on here again, even though it has actually improved this year; but she relayed a poinant picture of her Friday mornings recently...

Where she and her ensemble teacher sit in silence eating their breakfasts at 07.45 whilst waiting for the others to come and set up. Her second intake after the first at 05.10 (in pool at 05.40); her teacher’s after her cycle into school. No words needed between them...just a mutual respect for each others’ morning starts

Amazing effort and discipline from miniEaling xx(shamelessly typing these words while in bed and the whole family hasnt woken up yet:(.)

Trumpet: you are so right about choices outside schools for music especially.

Homework: when my daughter first started at school I was shocked learning the school doesnt support many homework neither and talents academic program nor any academic competition. Still within a year, from not being to speak English well as a billingual child(we only speak to her in our language) she can read, she can then do maths, then reads alot while love maths. They learn through play rather than us Southeast Asia sitting doing homework since young age(this attitude starts to change now, middle class started looking for schools with better activities rather than extremely heavily academic schools(aiming for national and international awards in fields). But reading from here, secondary is a beast compare to primary. Eventually, real works have to kick in to keep being competitive among others( around the world too).

Thst’s what sundays are for green

they learn through play. So true.

it’s still not ideal, but better than what it was. I moved her clubs recently as whilst the old one had fantastic coaches (olymipian credentials), but, it did not understand the need for a young person to retain balance; and with the long hours both ends of the day, all the joy was sucked out. She cried every evening she was so exhausted, physically and mentally.

Now DD, whilst yes. She has to do early mornings, she’s found the passion again for swimming, music and academics because her current coach recognises what it takes to retain swimmers at the older teenage stage, when normally they start to drop out. DD says many of her peers will be dropping rowing, music etc and other things as studies ramp up at Xmas. I now see her 3 school days at home from 16.30, it makes SUCH a difference to her general attitude, but making the changes to clubs/timetables and teachers onboard took some behind the scenes persuasion. Change, loyalty and fear of letting others down are a constant that I am sure many of us deal with having multi tasking DC.

Sorry. My phone writing’s not great.

Final one from me for you green: as tough as the coming months are for your DD1 re prep and schools etc, it’s also very exciting!

She’s very talented, and naturally picks things up with real accomplishment. Yes, I know you are at times challenged with her motivation, but once you reduce comparing her against where you think she should be and let her find her own pace (which is already pretty fast), she will find her joy. It won’t always be on a upward trajectory though. Often it comes with being around other motivated children and step up to senior school. See it’s not all bad from Y7

Mumsnet should have like/love button for me to appreciate posts, many are yours Ealing xx

I wish there was a like/love button too Green! So much sense on this thread 😍