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Christmas and January Music Thread *Thread title edited by MNHQ*

365 replies

Wafflenose · 07/12/2018 16:54

Hi all,
Here's a new thread for the festive period - possibly including a bit of January if I'm away and unable to start another one in time. The old thread was making me nauseous.

I am a music teacher, so pretty busy athis the moment. I have just had results for 12 pupils' exams... 3 pass, 7 merit and 2 distinction. My DDs didn't do any this term, but have 9 concerts between them. Goo is 13 and plays the flute and piano. Rara is 10 and plays the cello and clarinet. What are you all up to musically?

OP posts:
bostik · 13/12/2018 11:30

Didi what a fantastic thing! I have an autistic son and I can relate.
I thought of you yesterday Piccolo. I hope you are ok.

Alsoplayspiccolo · 13/12/2018 11:54

Thank you, bostik. I'm wiped out today, emotionally and physically. Trying to have an easy day, but keep bursting into tears - I guess the real grieving starts now.x

Mendingfences · 13/12/2018 12:12

I think you are right about the grieveing starting now piccolo
New concert for me and the dds tonight. Looks like we may be down a soloist (winter lurgy strikes) so we may be doing some quick rejigging during warm up tonight (i have my fingers crossed that i dont inherit the solo....)

Lotsofmilkonesugar · 13/12/2018 12:25

piccolo 💐

Mendingfences · 14/12/2018 06:24

Well i inherited the solo and it went ok, phew
Best bit was dd2 had invited her double bass teacher, and lovely guy that he is he came! (An hours journey each way!)

Doubleup · 14/12/2018 07:15

Glad it went well last night Mending and lovely for your dd that her teacher made it.

Helenluvsrob · 14/12/2018 07:27

Hi wafffle anybanyone ejo remember me 😂
Just checking in to see how everyone’s Xmas music is going.
Had husbands school Xmas concerts this week and I was very devoted and went to both - year 3 /4 and year 5/6. Small boys are so wriggly ! But they clearly had a great time. All abilities showcased including a lovely bit of a back cello suite from a 9yr old from memory!

My kids are doing ok. DS depping at the cathedral messiah for money ( wow!) and going to Leeds today for youngests clothworkers consort mammoth weekend of advent candlelight tonight and two messiah performances st the weekend then we get to bring her home from uni - yay!

Keep up the music. It’s so worth it for them. Eldest still singing loads too.

Doubleup · 14/12/2018 07:40

Hi Helen, nice to hear your news Smile. Happy Christmas!

Trumpetboysmum · 14/12/2018 08:01

Hi Helen - the comment about the wriggly boys made me smile - I can safely say that 3 year olds are even more wriggly Grin ( 1 more nativity to go today !!)
Lovely to hear your news - yes I hope all our dcs continue to make music a part of their lives whatever path they choose
In other education news this week I heard that a teacher from the midlands somewhere I think has been nominated for an international teaching award because of his commitment to school music . He’s basically turned a school around not by cutting music( as so often happens so they can do more English and maths Angry) but by making it a major focus of the curriculum ( it’s a primary school and I think they can all do up to 7 hours a week !!)

raspberryrippleicecream · 14/12/2018 08:03

Hi:Helen lovely to hear from you.

I can echo Helen's words about keeping it up - we've been to DS1's uni Christmas concert this week. It was fab. No music students in it, as there is no music degree at his uni.

Waiting for Grade 8 piano results here, DS2 very disappointed with his performance on the day so we'll have to wait and see.

squintsoftheworldunite · 14/12/2018 08:20

raspberry hugs for DS. Hope it’s not as bad as he fears!

School festival of music today. DD has a solo piece and also a big solo within an orchestral piece that’s been specially written for her so I am looking forward to it.

woolleybear · 14/12/2018 08:23

Good luck raspberry with the results.

Following NCO thread so congratulations and commiserations where appropriate to those going through that.

I saw mention of the NPSO on there and wondered if anyone had any experience? Particularly with the grades for the main/training orchestra? Dd is at the boundary of them at grade 5 level of she went for it with clarinet.

MeltingWax · 14/12/2018 08:26

I have also been having a nose on the NCO thread - congratulations to all DCs who have gained a place. And I hope anyone who didn't feels like trying again next year. The standard across all the age groups sounds incredibly high.

LooseAtTheSeams · 14/12/2018 08:58

Hi Helen good to hear your news and I hope my dcs are as busy with music once they leave school as yours are! All the signs are good at the moment!

ealingwestmum · 14/12/2018 09:46

Lovely to hear your update Helen!

Keeping fingers x’d for you Raspberry that the result’s better than he expected...

minisnowballs · 14/12/2018 09:48

Sounds like some amazing christmas music going on. So inspiring. My DD2 - having vowed she would not touch the flute again this week after her exam, pulled it out this morning in order to perfect (!) the Handel Giga she was given last Saturday by her teacher - as she wants to play it for the talent show at school.
Thrilled to see her playing again, amused that she has worked out that Handel is unlikely to be a primary school crowd pleaser so has decided to segue into Baby Shark at the end (wonder if her headteacher - who is a classical violinist) will be horrified or impressed.

glorious · 14/12/2018 20:02

Thank you everyone for the stories about children with performance anxiety. It's great to hear that we're not alone! She seems to be feeling more positive now a little more time has passed, and I think doing a few performances of the school Christmas show (class singing) helped as well.

Didi that's wonderful! Well done DS!

Catkind just regular lessons. She did observe Suzuki lessons for 2.5 years from the age of 1 (just coincidentally he childminder's children learnt Suzuki), and I think that's why she was so keen to learn and picked it up quickly. But we moved house before she was old enough to start lessons. We met the local Suzuki teacher but they didn't click and I felt she was too dogmatic. So we found someone else and started lessons at 4.5.

Doubleup · 14/12/2018 20:04

Sympathies on the wait for results raspberry. DD1 did Grade 7 sax at the end of Nov and wasn’t entirely happy with it, but we won’t know the result until mid-Jan when she’s back at school and had her lesson. Although thinking about it she goes back to two weeks of mocks so unlikely to have a lesson until w/c 21 Jan Sad

In other news both DD1’s oboe teacher and DD2’s bassoon teacher have said this evening that they want them to take Grade 8 in the summer. I feel the need for a bit of a boot camp over the holidays to kick start things. We may be getting hold of a cor anglais in the next week or so for DD1 to play which is exciting. Would be hired from the music centre, but apparently it’s a nice one. Much excitement when I told her.

catkind · 15/12/2018 10:20

DD just has regular lessons too glorious, I just wondered given she is little. We do do Suzuki pieces at the moment though, total nostalgia trip as I learned with Suzuki myself.

DS was cute in his Christmas concert. Didn't realise he was one of only two selected to play a solo! Benefits of playing a novelty value instrument. I think it was a bit mean they didn't fit in a few more actually, it only takes a couple of minutes and there are no performance opportunities normally unless they play piano. I don't feel like the head values instrumental music, and the only teacher who did has left.

Good luck to raspberry's DS with the results and doubleup's DD1 in due course. Cor anglais sounds like an exciting development - is that with an ensemble in mind?

Doubleup · 15/12/2018 11:23

Catkind, she already plays in a double reed ensemble (with her sister) and there are a couple of oboists who playcor in that already. It’s more of an extension thing, coupled with the fact that the head of woodwind wants all the oboists in the county youth orchestra to have a cor too. She’s very much looking forward to it.

horseymum · 15/12/2018 14:56

Only been lurking this month, always a busy one musically, but lovely. Dd2 passed her grade 1 piano, which was a relief as she had only just started letting anyone listen! Dd1 passed grade 4 and got a reserve place in NYOS juniors on oboe ( so will go on the training ensemble unless a place comes up.) We have 3 school choir outings, 2 assemblies ( choir and recorder ensemble), one school carol service, a nativity play a church carol service and a care home carol service this week but I love it! Lovely to hear that double ups DD is getting a chance to play cor, our music service is meant to have one but haven't been able to locate it. Maybe it will turn up. Not sure how big you need to be to play it.

Doubleup · 15/12/2018 15:21

Not sure how big you have to be for the cor horsey, but they are quite heavy - and obviously longer. DD1 will have no issues with that as she’s taller than me now! I’m hoping she has stopped growing.....

Well done your DDs for their exam results and for the reserve place for NYOS. She’s still very young from what I remember.

horseymum · 15/12/2018 15:30

Thanks! She had only been playing for 15 months at audition time so it genuinely was just for experience. Now we have the tiniest chance she may get in. However, will be happy to go on the training course as I think the leader last year was wind director at the conservatoire, so if he is doing it again, it should be really worthwhile. DD fancies cor as she plays all the recorders and likes the difference in tone across instruments. I think she will be some time before she is strong enough. Does it take a very different technique? Her teacher is actually a bassoonist so doesn't have one. Although he did have a heckelphone for a concert which he let her try! Think there are less than 100 in existence! Currently playing Christmas carols in the house on the bass recorder, a welcome change from the descant!

Mendingfences · 15/12/2018 16:54

Another crazy day here, a broken ferry dock added a 3 hour drive each way (plus 30 minutes on the ferry) to what should have just been a 30 minute ferry ride..... but we did it the kids were brilliant in concert and we've taken the opportunity to stop in the city for dinner out and some late night shopping Grin

catkind · 15/12/2018 17:56

Doubleup I think that's great they get them all to have a go at cor. Too many adult amateurs look nervous when offered one.
I had to look up heckelphone horseymum, that is cool! We had a bass oboe in for a recent concert but heckelphone's a new one on me. I wonder how different it sounds, seems to be more or less the same range.