November Music Thread

[Wafflenose]

Welcome to all musicians/ parents of musicians, young and 'mature', beginners and advanced, plus everything in between. This is one of the nicest corners of Mumsnet and the music threads were started for my older daughter towards the beginning of her musical journey, 7 years ago. Everybody on the thread was a beginner once!

I have recently seen "we're not a musical family", "I'm not musical" on here quite a lot, and would like to gently challenge that... perhaps you may not have found the right instrument/ teacher yet, or have no desire to play, but I think that everyone is musical. It's not a special something that is limited to certain individuals, although of course everyone's aptitude and natural ceiling varies. I have had the pleasure of teaching almost 1000 people to read and play music now, ranging in age from 3 to 96 and incorporating a range of additional needs, and I think they all got something positive from their lessons! What our young musicians most need from us - whether we play ourselves or not - is lots of encouragement, time and space to practise, and of course the constant taxi service and financial support we give to their lessons and ensembles!

I have two DDs, Goo The Energy Conserver (flute and piano, lapsed recorder and picc player) who is pretty lazy and complacent at the moment and just wants to enjoy her life, and Rara The Awkward (clarinet, cello, recorder) who tries hard... when it suits her! We have nothing special lined up this term, but possibly piano and clarinet exams for next term. Goo claims she wants to dust off her recorders and theory books to get another couple of Grade 8s before she leaves school. I'll believe that when it happens.

Over to you.

Lol Crazy!!! Grass piano sounds..... interesting!!

Family folk consists of Noo, 11, violin and viola at JD, piano and singing not at JD. Taking a break from NCO / County ensembles this year to concentrate on settling in to Y7 and JD. After a flying start she is struggling a bit emotionally.

Moll, 8, cello and piano. Much like 'Rara the Awkward' she's quite brilliant when she chooses to be. Currently trying to coax her into the practice room in a non-confrontational-don't-light-the-touch-paper kind of way, which about sums up our life. Sigh.

I play violin, whistles Ava sing in a folk band for fun.

Happy November all! Xx

Whistles Ava??? Whistles AND sing 🙄

I'm also grateful to Waffle for these threads but particularly this time as it's just reminded me today is a deadline!!
Anyway, I also was non-musical but now play around grade 5 standard on piano thanks to lots of encouragement on here! DS1 is 17 this weekend and plays bass guitar and drums. He is currently loving A level music and drowning in homework.
DS2 plays cello and piano. He is nudging his way into grade 5 theory. Both dcs play electric guitar - for a 'fun' instrument they seem to be putting a lot of hours in!

I have DD, just turned 15, and DS, 12.

DD doesn't consider herself musical, as she can't read music, but she has singing lessons and is in the senior school choir. She has ADHD with related difficulties, so is struggling her way through year 10 - all very stressful.

DS plays cello and piano, as a music scholar at a cathedral school. He is taking grade 5 theory next week, grade 2 piano in a few weeks, and is working towards grade 7 cello next term.
He plays in a range of school ensembles, county youth orchestra and has just auditioned for NCO. He isn't all that fond of practising sometimes ( a lot of the time!) but loves tinkering about on the drums, guitar and ukulele.

DH and I are both pro musicians, having met playing for the same opera orchestra.

Did Goo do her NCO audition in the end, Waffle?

Hi, I have DD 12, finally starting to settle into secondary school after a rocky start.

She plays clarinet, no exams for now after a traumatic grade 4 but playing about grade 5 level. New teacher has already helped her regain the love of it, she also plays it in our area wind and and has been asked to join a quartet. She's already done one solo in a school concert.

Bassoon as second instrument, heading towards grade 3, though concert next week so practice is for that currently. Plays this in the junior orchestra at school.

We are also attempting to work through to grade 5 theory in the next couple of terms but it's hard work!

Ooo, shiny new thread a bit early - thank you waffle.

I have DD (Year 7) who plays piano, cello and recorder and DS (Year 5) who plays piano and viola.

It has worked out that DD has a bit of a mammoth exam session this time around. She is sitting Grade 5 theory next week as well as Grade 4 piano, Grade 4 descant recorder and Grade 3 treble. She also plays in a school ensemble and 2 borough orchestras.

DS is sitting Grade 4 theory next week and Grade 3 piano. He has been playing the viola for about 6 months.

I did a music degree (well half of one - jointly with another subject!) many moons ago and still mess about a bit on the piano and oboe.

Hi - I did ask on the October thread but I think it got quickly lost under a lot of other messages so I just want to check once more if anybody has any input on the City of Leeds Youth Orchestra?

Sorry Pancake, we are down south so no advice I'm afraid.

Thank you to waffle for the new thread, it’s great to chat to other people with musical families!
I have DD(13) who is an increasingly keen flautist and also plays the piano. We’re aiming to get grade 8 done this academic year so she can audition for the county youth orchestra ( very competitive for flutes! ). She’s doing grade 5 piano this term as well. DS1 (11) is just about to take grade 4 French horn. I’m impressed with him as he only switched from cornet in January and has worked really hard. He plays piano too, working on grade 2 pieces. DS2(9) has dyspraxia and a few other difficulties but is making a go of the clarinet... a lot of chewed reeds! Thanks to the advice on this thread we now have a very sturdy clarinet stand so the poor instrument stands a fighting chance of survival. And finally DS3(8) is doing his piano prep test this term and started the violin 6 mths ago and is loving it.
It’s quite noisy at our house 😂 I sing at the local chorus which keeps me sane. We are supposed to have singing lessons as a condition of membership of the chorus which I’m actually really enjoying... and the kids get to nag me to practise for a change!

Sorry pancake I’m afraid we’re in the south too but I’m sure someone on the thread will know

Hi everyone. DD9 plays violin and piano. She's in junior orchestra, plays in a chamber group and sings in a junior choir. She's auditioned for NCO for the first time this year. There won't be any exams around here for a while, so just prepping for christmas concerts.

We're off to a residential violin workshop this weekend for 2 days - not quite sure how I am going to be involved in it - we'll see.

Nice intro waffle!
I have DS year 5 who is awkward in his own stubborn way, playing piano and french horn. And DD year 2 who is currently thoroughly cooperative, violin and piano. No flashy levels, all around about grade 1 except DD's violin which is maybe a bit further on. And I play violin and viola and just about manage to bash piano accompaniments.

Thanks Waffle. I too agree wholeheartedly with your intro .

I have two DSes: DS1 (13) who plays the piano and DS2 (10), who plays violin and piano and is a chorister. Like many on this thread, DS2 plays in NCO and Pro Corda. He hasn’t done any violin exams, but is doing them on the piano.

Hello all,

I have 2 DCs - DS (17) is the musician. Known to these threads as 'Nosebleed Boy' for events surrounding his Grade 8 clarinet, he then added Grade 8 saxophone last term. Currently auditioning for jazz courses at conservatoires for next year - had 1 audition, got 1 for his first choice in a couple of weeks, then the rest in December. Definitely marginal ... may not get in anywhere,. may get a choice or two, trying everywhere that offers the course 'just in case'. Trial lesson last year for conservatoire led to an unexpected audition for jazz course at junior conservatoire, which he is loving. Also usual round of school production, county jazz ensembles, county youth orchestra etc.

DD (15) dances. A lot. And yes, we do have simultaneous A-levels and GCSEs this year.

To relieve the stress, and because DS has had so much fun with it, I've taken up the clarinet courtesy of county music's 'Learn as You Play' group. I am genuinely terrible, but it's a lot of fun!

Love the intro Waffle. Deep down I’d love to pick up an instrument.. sadly lessons are quite expensive and all extra cash goes on DCs music lessons, courses etc.
Dd14 plays violin and piano is a music scholar at her school and goes to JD on Saturdays as well . She’s also been in NCO for the last 5 years. No exams in a while on violin and preparing for grade 5 on piano in the summer term. Year 10 at school is quite intense so we’ll see how it goes.
DS7 plays cello and just started piano lessons this term. He’s never done any exams but now both cello and piano teachers have decided on exams next term.. cello grade 5 and piano grade 1! Not sure how we’re going to manage that. Both DCs do music theory. Although DD just announced she will no longer be doing grade 6 theory classes at JD instead she’s going to learn it herself?! Not sure where she’ll find the time for that
DD is quite keen to do procorda . Does anyone know what the audition process is like?

Lost track of October so trying to keep up with November. DD year 7 plays clarinet, piano and sings taking grade 7 clarinet, grade 7 piano and grade 4 singing this academic year - All ABRSM, still not sure of the order but trying to avoid them all in the same session, she enjoys exams!!! I’ve convinced her to park grade 6 theory for the time being as there is lots going on at school and this is just for ‘fun’ - who does theory for fun!?! She’s been in NCO since year 4 and composes as often as time will permit and has self taught Sibelius software.

I play clarinet, got to grade 8 in my teens then didn’t play much until I picked it up again 5 years ago. Can’t imagine life without it and playing duets together with DD is pretty awesome!

Decaf Pro Corda is just wonderful. Noo auditioned last year - very relaxed! Same format as usual auditions (2 pieces, sight reading, they tell you to prep scales and aural but she never got tested on those elements). Somehow didn't feel as intense as NCO (although her NCO auditions have all been very lovely, its just the stakes somehow feel a bit higher, so maybe we felt more pressure for NCO auditions....). Once you are in, you're in, so no re-auditions. Our letter for this year was worded as an invitation, so I am guessing they maybe lose a few that aren't quite up to standard along the way by not inviting them the next year? This is just a hunch though. I believe they are happy to consider video auditions if it's going to be a pain to get to central London to audition. I would think your DD will get in easily given the level she is playing at.

Out of interest does PrCorda offer the same value for wind players or perhaps we should consider ProCorda for piano? Or NSSO if NCO does come off this year? Or as an alternative even if NCO comes off? Does anyone have experience from a wind players perspective? Interested by NSSO as they get 1:1 tuition each day too according to web bumph

Decaf - another enthusiastic vote for Pro Corda here. It is a lovely contrast to NCO.

Wind, I was looking at NSSO as a possible alternative if NCO doesn’t come off. They were scouting around for bassoons last year, but the course was while DD2 was still in school - and she had NCO to do. Was your DD in U11s last year?

DD1 (15) plays oboe in various music centre and school groups, and also in the county orchestra. Grade 7+ on that and due to take Grade 7 on her fun instrument (sax) at the end of Nov.

DD2 (11) plays bassoon in a number of ensembles at school and the music centre and has done NCO for the last 3 years. She plays guitar at around Grade 3 and has just started piano lessons.

Hi Double- yes u11s last year!