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November Music Thread

688 replies

Wafflenose · 30/10/2018 22:09

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.

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catkind · 28/11/2018 17:36

I got DD a mini wooden violin from Amazon. It came with a stand but I thought we could hang it on a ribbon on the Christmas tree. Can't find a good piano or horn alternative for DS at the moment...

catkind · 28/11/2018 17:44

Also on Xmas presents, can anyone recommend a book of music for fun playing, about grade 2ish violin or piano? Could be christmassy but doesn't have to be. Bonus points for jazzy/pop type violin for contrast with Suzuki pieces.

folkmamma · 28/11/2018 17:45

The upgrade books are good Cat!

Wiifitmama · 28/11/2018 19:24

Mine have all refused to sing, and as they were all home educated, they never had to. But as they got older and joined ensembles, singing became somewhat mandatory in those so they learned. DS2 (my very very musical one) is now having some singing lessons to catch up a bit as the others in the ensembles are all much better than him.

Tomorrow starts crazy few days for us: ds3 has his audition for Junior Musician of the Year, the next day is ds2's grade 6 piano exam, and Monday is ds1's cambridge interviews (not musical, I know, but causing just as much stress for me!!)

horseymum · 28/11/2018 19:52

Not sure what grade the micro jazz books are, might be worth a look. Music room website usually gives an indication what level they are and you can sometimes see a page or two on other websites to judge.

raspberryrippleicecream · 29/11/2018 08:19

Wifit good luck with everything, and especially the Cambridge interview.

DS2 was a Chorister, so singing obviously a huge part of his life. He is still singing at 16 but went through a stage of not singing as much and stopped singing lessons. He wants lessons again now and has opted for more singing. I was told that as boys' voices change they often back off for a bit, this was certainly true for DS.

DS1 was highly pleased in Juniors to have targeted lessons in something that meant he missed school singing!

catkind · 29/11/2018 09:09

Thanks folk and horsey, will have a look at those.

druidsong · 29/11/2018 11:53

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Withdrawn at poster's request

cantkeepawayforever · 29/11/2018 16:33

Am I allowed to grumble that 'audition results will be passed to admissions on 28th' should not mean that we're still hanging in there waiting to hear at close of play on 29th.....

No fingernails here. NBB is exhausted.

catkind · 29/11/2018 18:12

Eek cantkeep, that's just taunting you. Better they hadn't said a date. Is that the first choice? Everything crossed!

cantkeepawayforever · 29/11/2018 18:19

Yes, it's first choice. Given DS is anyway in the middle of a rehearse-and-perform November / December marathon plus multiple auditions, the whole 'could get the result any minute' stress is something we could have done without.

Thought things were moving earlier today - friend auditioning on 1 of DS's instruments got a rejection - but nothing. NBB could be lower in the alphabet, could be that he auditioned on 2 instruments (and thus confused everything), could be a different result from friend...could be that admissions person went home with flu.... who knows???

littleladsdad · 29/11/2018 18:36

I'm feeling the tension with you can't - I've been waiting for decisions on things far too many times this year, so know exactly how you feel! We have another couple coming up soon too. Fingers crossed for NBB.

Crazygirlmama · 29/11/2018 19:21

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cantkeepawayforever · 29/11/2018 19:29

He has agreed he will contact them on Monday if he doesn't hear anything - balance between seeming overly pushy and just needing to know and move on ...

Wiifitmama · 29/11/2018 19:48

I am crossing fingers for all those waiting for results, but could someone tell me what NBB stands for? I am trying to keep up with this thread but there is so much I don't know!

Alsoplayspiccolo · 29/11/2018 20:00

Oh, cant, the wait is excruciating! Will you hear by letter, or email?
Hopefully, tomorrow will be the day and it's good news - still got everything crossed for him.

Piano exam day for DS tomorrow. I'm resigned to thinking what will be, will be. Apart from losing my sister, DS has been ill all week with the horrendous cold that's been doing the rounds in our house for the last 3 weeks, and the dog's been in the best for an ultrasound today and has to go back for further investigations on Tuesday (possibly cancer), so I'll just be pleased if he does the exam and it isn't a complete disaster.

cantkeepawayforever · 29/11/2018 20:03

NBB = NoseBleedBoy.

He had a somewhat exciting run-up to his Grade 8 Jazz clarinet (his Maths textbook looked like a prop from a horror movie...) and this thread kept me sane while we battled through the 'does he or does he not take the exam?' quandary.....

cantkeepawayforever · 29/11/2018 20:04

Will find out by an e-mail to the boy saying 'Your UCAS Track has been upadted', though previous result (reserve offer from 2nd choice) has also come through by direct e-mailing of a letter to him.

Wiifitmama · 29/11/2018 20:08

Ah! I thought it was some type of exam, or maybe a conservatoire that I didn't know about! It all makes much more sense now!

Ds3 through his audition this afternoon happy with how he did. Onwards to ds2 at grade 6 piano exam tomorrow.

PancakeMum6 · 29/11/2018 20:10

Hope your DS hears soon!! The wait must be agonising.

Another niche question here (sorry everyone!) - I’ve got a 7 year old with hearing aids and a birth defect that means she just has sort of half an arm (She has an elbow but not much after that). She’s moving in this weekend (bio sister of DDs 1, 2 and 3 - who are all adopted) and has been really interested in the violin so I’ve just ordered a custom made prosthetic tool that can be attached to a bow. However I wanted to know if getting a longer bow (which would make it easier for her, especially when starting) would impact the sound?

TaggieOHara · 29/11/2018 20:23

What a fascinating question Pancake. A longer bow will be fine. The teacher should mark your DD’s middle of the bow, point and heel, according to the dimensions of her arm - as is common for all children when they are growing into a too big bow.

The middle is where her elbow would make a right angle and the point is as far as her arm can extend while keeping the bow parallel to the bridge. The heel will depend on the set up of the bow holding device.

I assume you have seen the videos of this chap prestigeonline.com/sg/people/-/meet-adrian-anantawan-canadas-one-armed-violinist/

Amazing talent!

Very best of luck. Let us know how she gets on.

PancakeMum6 · 29/11/2018 20:44

Yes Taggie those are the videos that totally enthralled her! Along with one of a Paralympic swimmer who has a full prosthetic arm and plays the violin beautifully.

I’ve got her a quarter size violin but am going to take her to test out which length of bow works better once the prosthetic arrives (it’s a very similar design to Adrian Anantawan’s).

My older DD’s teacher (she learns through secondary school) is going to come to the house to teach her and is very excited about the challenge. I’m nervous but excited - she wistfully told me the other day that she’d ‘always wanted to make music but I don’t know how’.

Lotsofmilkonesugar · 29/11/2018 21:09

Good luck to cant and NBB, that’s very tough when his friend has heard already... hopefully tomorrow will be the day 🤞

Mendingfences · 30/11/2018 06:01

Hope today brings good news for NBB!

druidsong · 30/11/2018 07:33

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