January to March 2019 music thread (Title edited by MNHQ)

[CruCru]

Hi all

Here is the new music thread for January - I hope no one minds me starting it.

I am mum to a son (7) who is learning the piano and trumpet and a daughter (5) who is learning the piano and violin. I am having piano lessons and played the trumpet as a child.

Some of the people on these threads (and their children) are fantastic musicians. Some are more like me. All are welcome.

Thank you to Wafflenose for all the time she has spent managing these threads.

Third And money ... lots of money ... whether that's through coming from a wealthy family, a family making sacrifices for their kids or through scholarships a really good musical education ain't cheap.

Ha, very true boykeepsswinging. Even at our early stage.

Money. And time.

Even music costs a fortune nowadays. We spent months trying to find the right exam dress for diplomas. I think boys have that a bit easier!

I love the clarity online from the exam boards, these days. Back in the day, when I was putting children in, you would get some very weird exam results, sometimes. I love the breakdown for marking online. It’s very helpful.

We spent months trying to find the right exam dress for diplomas
What, wait, you need to get dressed up to do your diploma?! Is the usual hoodie and jeans combo a no no

Diplomas! Apparently supposed to be full length dress AND age appropriate. Black. But we had to go dark blue for one child and very dark red for another. Tea length. As in nice lunch time concert.
But Licentiate is supposed to be an evening concert style - so that will need to be full length. So I guess we will be getting something made.

You see, boys have it so much easier!

Talent, money, good teachers and supportive family would all play an important part but I would put sheer love of the thing and hard work above everything else.

You've got to love what you are doing and that'll be the motivation to be better each day, not to reach highest grade quicker nor to win a competition, but simply be better than yesterday's yourself.

And hard-work... I think extraordinary work-ethic is so overlooked, as if it's almost proof of lesser talent. But it is a lot rarere to possess, definitely a lot more than 'musical' talent.

For instance, places like JDs and specialist schools are filled with so-called musically talented and hard-working DCs. Then you will see maybe one or two who have a totally different level of dedication and work-ethic and those are the ones who shine most in the environment where musical talent isn't rare. You know it, yet many can't apply themselves to that insane level. It's not that others are lazy, but extraordinary work-ethic is a talent itself. Perhaps the most important talent to 'make it'.

None of our greatest musicians left their footprints in the history with natural talent alone. Almost all had extraordinary amount of motivation and work-ethic.

Charlie bird Parker is a great example of someone who was just utterly dedicated. It’s hard to decide whether to let them spend hours and skimp elsewhere, or whether to keep everything in balance. I mean - kids nowadays are supposed to do an hour of sports/fitness, plus at least an hour’s reading. Plus homework. Plus something to benefit community.
Someone needs to work out a way of fitting more than 24 hours into a day!

Diplomas! Apparently supposed to be full length dress AND age appropriate. Black
Blimey, I had no idea I suppose I just thought it was like another (harder) grade exam. Oh well, thank you for letting me know. Sounds like normal concert wear will be fine rather than the usual hoodie!

I’ve had to learn a lot. The programme notes component has now disappeared from ATCL and LTCL (from the next session), making them far easier to achieve than ABRSM diplomas for younger players. There’s is so much reading, academics, analysis etc in ABRSM diplomas, the diploma boards are quite different now.

I looked on the Trinity website and it says: Dress, which should be suitable for a public recital (jeans and trainers are not considered appropriate dress)
So thank you so much for giving me the heads up!
We are going down the Trinity route as the Perc list on Trinity is so much more interesting than the AB list. And it sounds like way less extra stuff for Trinity, too. Bonus!

Gosh which diplomas require all that? Trinity only say dress as if for a recital, no colour or length specifications, and I thought they were the stricter board on dress.

Sorry to keep going back to this topic but was still thinking of the hardship of music career. DCs who achieve high musically when they are still quite young tend to be bright and do well academically. So it may be no brainer for them (and parents?) to look for different directions. I know a few DCs who got grade 8 distinction for several instruments while they were still at primary school and none of them have never thought of music career. Interestingly they all happen to be heading for medicine!

Neleus the only kids I know who want a career in music have only ever wanted to do that since they were little. Yes, they are bright but will not consider anything else. They are unbelievably single minded. It's a bit like kids who want to be artists or dancers. They're not fools, they know how competitive it will be but it doesn't matter, they couldn't possibly consider doing anything else. Then you get kids like the ones you are describing who, yes, are great musicians but their world will not stop turning if they have a day job and just do gigs for fun in their spare time. And thank goodness for that because there aren't enough jobs out there for the driven ones as it is!

Boyskeep, DS wanted to be a footballer, astronaut, novelist, etc... Music became important only a couple years ago. He isn't still not that single minded and isn't very aware of the competition and hardship. He doesn't really announce whether he wants a music career specifically, simply because thinking of a future career seems to be still so far away for him. He is just a child who enjoys and thinks music all the time. He even sings in sleep! His world will stop turning if it's taken away, now.

Every time I hear all those single minded, set their heart on music since very little etc stories, I feel he may not be as driven as he should be therefore it's my responsibility to introduce him to the wider world and help him redirect his path before too late. Currently I am letting him enjoy the world of his dream without any worry though.

Hard to be a musician but hard to be a parent of an aspiring musician too...

Currently I am letting him enjoy the world of his dream without any worry though
Absolutely, why stress about it? If he is getting a rounded musical education part of that will include being taught the reality of a life as a professional musician. And that will help him to decide. But, yes, do introduce him to the huge variety of careers out there. And of course a career in music isn't just being a performer or teacher, there are so many paths to follow like orchestral management, administration, finance, stage/venue management, all the techie jobs like acoustics, sound management, production ... It can do no harm to open his eyes to the options a musical boy can have in life.

I've just thought that my previous post was unnecessarily sexist. I only referred to a musical "boy" because both Neleus and I have sons, but of course all these musical careers are also available to girls. I should have said musical "child" and I apologise if I caused any offence - it was not intended

I dont know anyone who is working as a doctor or having children doing medicine, most of the time none of us knowing what they are heading to, in whatever the direction I agree work ethic is the most important. We have to trust the schools, the kids decisions for their future, to me whatever she is doing, try not to do it half heartedly(and lesson for me to learn via 11+ that what ever she doesnt like, want to do, she also shows it in the interview with intention of deliberately fail it, there is something to think and learn for the future from the parents perspective). To be honest, learning about human, cancer researching, coding and computer science, space etc...all might have nothing to do with music however life without music isnt as great, definitely life with being able to play music is a better life.

We are back from our holiday and all suddenly sick like dogs while London is so sunny and beautiful so full rest for us today(and loads of laundry for me) then hopefully could be back to school/work as normal tomorrow (hopefully).

And Shaky, thanks so much for sharing and heads up on diploma, indeed, everything is so costly. We had to cancel the violin lesson today because they are both sick, the only good thing is I wont have to pay for it(we pay for each lesson).

Genuine question but why do people want to take diploma? Maybe I just hadn't realised before but I seem to see a lot of people taking it. Is it just a natural progression and something to enjoy and tick off or something more? I had enough trouble getting my DS to take grade 8 (taken on one instrument kicking and screaming a bit when he could probably do on three or four) and he is of the view that if you go to music college and perform at a high level in the end it doesn't matter. My other children have taken grade 8 but no real interest in diploma and music will only ever be a hobby for them. I guess maybe useful if you don't go to music college but want to prove high level?

shaky
I think the Coke had a lot to do with Bird's stamina, tbh.
There are some wonderful stories about him being thrown out of Birdland
I love hearing the stories of the Jazz greats, though. They all led terrible lives, not something I'd wish for my dd.
I find it hard tbh, at times. Once they start reading biographies themselves.
Mine was even shocked reading about Janet Baker (opera singer)

Herts, why do people take any grades? They like a challenge, they like the sense of achievement, good for focussing on a programme? A lot of people will take preparing a diploma as an excuse for giving an actual solo recital too, which might take more of a kick for those outside music schools/junior colleges. A friend did one as an adult amateur to give her a focus for lessons and practice. In my case though, I suspect teacher gave me an exam to do when she thought I wasn't practising enough!

Genuine question but why do people want to take diploma?
My DS has been playing pieces at diploma standard for some time now so his view is why not get the piece of paper to acknowledge that? It was his decision to do G8 as well, we've never pushed that side of things. Which is why I had no idea about the dress code

Thirdfiddle - true just like any other grade i guess. I haven't looked into much but just seems like a lot more effort and expense than the normal grades.

Boyskeepswinging sounds like your DS has a good attitude. I have tried the "why not just get the piece of paper" argument with DS even on grade 8 to no avail.

Herts Expensive, yes, but less effort than grades as for Trinity you're just playing the pieces. No more scales, aural, sight reading ... As I say, my boy was already playing several pieces on the Trinity list anyway so he thought why not?

Have you pointed out to your DS that you get UCAS points for grades 6, 7 or 8? Would that help as a motivator?!

Yes clutched at those straws already :) He seems to think if you go for an audition at music college irrelevant whether you have grade 8 or diploma if you play brilliantly (which of course in his mind he is convinced he will.....)