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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

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October Music Thread

995 replies

Wafflenose · 01/10/2018 22:17

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!

OP posts:
littleladsdad · 20/10/2018 08:07

June/Patrick It's been wonderful to have been able to talk to someone who's ds has embarked on their journey at the same time as my own. I really hope that you'll stay around.

Trumpet just like my dw, you are so very reasonable, which I appreciate! I keep being told 'he's only 13'. I wouldn't have been so concerned about the clothes if we hadn't been going to The Peak District for our half-term break. Brrrr Grin

TaggieOHara · 20/10/2018 08:11

June - I’d be personally sad to see you go, for what it’s worth. It has been a huge privilege to share (in a small way) your family’s musical journey. Take care xx

TaggieOHara · 20/10/2018 08:15

Good luck to Noo!

Lotsofmilkonesugar · 20/10/2018 08:23

Thank you everyone for the clarinet stand recommendation... Hercules it is then, as we certainly need something sturdy! Good luck to minifolk minilittlelad and anyone else doing performances and auditions.. and june I hope you don’t leave. We can all air our worries and questions on this thread as we are all in the same boat, just trying to do the right thing for our DCs ... It’s been really good to hear your experiences 🙂

disorganisedmummy · 20/10/2018 08:26

Wishing Noo the very best of luck. Loads of luck to all those doing auditions today.

Happy half term to everyone. It couldn't have come at a better time for both my ds's. Mini disorganised is still exhausted and has been battling a cold all week. He's bounced back from the disappointment of not getting into Guildhall. He had a lesson on Thursday and talked over the feedback from the head of strings. We've kind of left him alone to get his head back together and will chat more with him over the break as to what he wants to do. I'm hoping he will want to audition again but it has to come from him.

TaggieOHara · 20/10/2018 08:57

Oh - I forgot Littlelad. Very best of luck for the audition! I love the packing story. Before the days of kindles and ipads, I was the same. As a postgrad student (in my 20s!), I set off for a three month field season with a rucksack full of novels and journal articles. My few clothes were in rags by the time I got home! I have never been the most practical... Fortunately, DS2 takes after his practical dad.

Doubleup · 20/10/2018 09:08

littlelad you could try taping a list to the inside of the suitcase? Sounds like you might need a stash of extras at home, just in case of a repeat. Grin. Were the clothes you listed just what he was wearing?

June/Patrick - don’t go!

Floottoot · 20/10/2018 09:18

Littlelad - both!
DD got home from school for half term last night, walked in the front door, put her school bag down, walked into the kitchen...and promptly burst into tears and was hysterical. When I could finally understand what she was saying, through the sobs, she'd that second realised that she'd left all her school books, pencil case, singing books etc in her locker at school, because she'd forgotten to get them after a rehearsal.
So, she's off for 2 weeks and the school have said her year are meant to study for 6 hours every day ( year 10) plus she's got a history test when she gets back...and everything's locked in at school!!

Folk, Open House concerts are lovely! Is it in the LRR? Noo will be fantastic, if her rehearsal video is anything to go by. 😀

Floottoot · 20/10/2018 09:23

DS played 2 bourees from a Bach unaccompanied cello suites yesterday, in a school scholars' concert.
It was in a cathedral, so you can imagine the acoustic. 😍 I was worried how it might go, as he's been so busy he hasn't practised as much as usual, and the second Bouree had been proving tricky ( the pair are grade 7 and he took grade 5 in March, so quite a step up) but he played really well - musically and sensitively, if not quite note perfect yet.
One of the nicest thing about his school ( among many lovely things) is the connection with the cathedral. I don't think of myself as religious, but there is something about just being in there, listening to wonderful music that is so soul-restoring and uplifting.

littleladsdad · 20/10/2018 09:24

Thank you all for the best wishes - we are on our way in a few mins. Good luck to everyone else's dc doing musical things this weekend.
double The solitary pair of jeans were in the case - he arrived at the station yesterday wearing shorts! Grin I will try your suggestion!
I like your story very much too Taggie - ds seems to take after his laid back mum.

Trumpetboysmum · 20/10/2018 10:00

Floot your poor dd - i hope you sort it but I think school are putting her under far too much pressure ( that’s a crazy amount of homework ) it sounds like she needs a good rest.
Good luck today Noo

druidsong · 20/10/2018 10:45

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

folkmamma · 20/10/2018 11:00

Thanks all - girl done good! She played well and the only 'slip' was one I didn't even notice so no one else would have! Her old teacher came to watch, along with DH, DD2 And MIL, so she had a cheering squad!! A great first experience.

Floot, it may be a blessing in disguise that DD has left her books in school. And certainly not the end of the world. Bless her, she sounds pretty stressed out by it all 😔.

Bet it was a bit special hearing DS play in that environment!

Trumpetboysmum · 20/10/2018 11:05

Druids I thought the same thing about the Tear 10 homework !! Don’t want to derail this thread but I wish I was marching today too - instead I’m sitting in the car while ds has a trumpet lesson !!

Trumpetboysmum · 20/10/2018 11:05

Year 10 homework !!

Floottoot · 20/10/2018 11:18

Bravo to Noo, Folk - I bet she shone. 🌟

Rest assured, I am taking the 6 hours advisory with a large pinch of salt! It's ludicrous - the head told all year 10 parents that she expected 2.5 hours every weekday night, and 6 hours a day every weekend and holidays, plus no family holidays and no sleepovers.
DD would suffer if she did even half that - she has ADHD, poor working memory, poor executive functioning skills and qualifications for 25% extra time, so everything is much harder work for her to learn and she needs lots of support. I'm not prepared to sacrifice a happy child and home life for mythical grades she could never achieve.
It's her birthday next weekend and we have lots on this week, so missing books are indeed a blessing.

Doubleup · 20/10/2018 11:31

Well done Noo!

Druid, I’ll be with you in spirit!

folkmamma · 20/10/2018 11:33

Druid I'm sure we are all with you in spirit xx

Doubleup · 20/10/2018 11:37

Floot, does the school head think she has robots? Nothing balanced and healthy about that! More likely to cause burnout, unhappiness and rebellion! Is this another example of the fallout from school league tables? Sad

MeltingWax · 20/10/2018 11:42

Well done to Noo and floot's DS! Noo looked very professional in the photo on the cluster site.

And good luck to minilad!

Knittinganewme · 20/10/2018 11:45

DS usually spent this half term on a music residential so did no school work at all. An expectation of six hours a day is ridiculous, there's no wonder that so many children feel under pressure because the reality is that they are under pressure. For the vast majority of them what they do at 18 is not determined by what they did at 16 and their life path won't change if they get a B rather than an A star. It matters to school of course because of their results. Yes, we want then all to do their best but not at the cost of their well being.

I know someone with a child who has spent the best part of two years in hospital receiving treatment for an eating disorder that started with school in Y10. Exam results VS child's health - no contest.

cantkeepawayforever · 20/10/2018 12:14

6 hours is ludicrous. DD has Y11 mocks starting the day after half term ... and is spending 4 days at a dance festival, after one of which she is going along to a Halloween attraction with her friends.... She has a rehearsal tomorrow, so will be working for a maximum of 4 days over the holiday.

The school are insistent it is a marathon not a sprint, and as DD will work steadily from now until GCSEs, having a break doing something else at this point in the year will do her no lasting harm.

(BTW, if you do want to retrieve her books, it is very likely that someone will be in the school during the half term - admin staff, caretakers etc often have contracts which entail work during school holidays, and it may well be that e.g. half term holiday clubs may use some of the facilities. Trying to e-mail someone - finance manager or site manager is usually a good bet - or even sneaking by early next week to see if anyone is there, could be a way of retrieving books 'on the quiet' so you can produce them if, and only if, DD is ready for them)

LooseAtTheSeams · 20/10/2018 13:13

That is madness. You maybe don't want to be quite as laid back/bone idle as DS1 who now admits some more work in Y10 would have been a good idea but I completely agree with Knitting. The school is clearly more bothered about results than mental health. Get a good revision book for history, scan someone else's notes if possible and focus on that. There is a long way to go yet!
Druid good for you 

Floottoot · 20/10/2018 13:46

Funnily enough, there was no mention of mental well being or the need for relaxation, good sleep etc by the head. The only thing she said in that direction was that girls shouldn't be going to all the extra drop in sessions, because that might indicate an issue.
I can't believe that a high ranking, indie girl's school (GDST) isn't up to speed with the risks teenage girls, in particular, are at from pressure at school.
I've suggested to DD that she does no more than a couple of hours a day, and focuses on the subjects she needs a bit more help with - sciences and maths.
Great ideas about sneaking her books home, if we can, and I'd already suggested that she gets the history stuff from a friend.

Other than that, we're planning to take her to the theatre and some live cinema screenings of plays, because she enjoys drama...and it's fun!

LooseAtTheSeams · 20/10/2018 13:56

Romany completely forgot to say congratulations - bet you're having a lovely half term!
Couple of hours' work a day plus treats sounds perfect Floot!