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.

Happy practice is everything I wish for too QueenMabby, yay!

Good point thirdfiddle! My first started violin at 7 together with almost everyone in her class and by then she has been playing piano for nearly 2 years. We had to drop school lessons as almost everyone else did after couple of terms(they do 30mins during lunch break, group lesson and they didnt have a great teacher so everyone lost interest).

Thank you so much minisnowballs and muggleaunt for the cello book suggestions. I'll look into those. I also found this. If anyone has used it and can tell me if it's any good I'd be grateful:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Easy-Melodies-Cello-Instrumental-Folio/dp/1480384372/ref=mpssa111?ie=UTF8&qid=1552249566&sr=8-1&pi=ACSX2366SY340QL65&keywords=easy+cello+music&dpPl=1&dpID=51MS2WpYIvL&ref=plSrch

QueenMabby, DS is also struggling with motivation during practise probably because he compares his cello playing to the piano. He's doing great with his cello but finds it hard to see because he's preparing grade 3 piano so he's much more competent with this (exam will be summer term for him). I also can't help him as much with the cello. Sounds like your DD is doing great.

KittyOSullivanKrauss - snap! This is exactly it with DD! A part of her just can’t get why she can’t pick up a second instrument and immediately play it to the standard of her first. .
It’s a real battle sometimes but she is very musical so I know she’ll get there. It’s just hard to get her to see that.
Hope your DS’s piano is going well. What board is he doing? We’re doing ABRSM.

My DD is backwards, she needs convincing that she's good at violin which is her stronger instrument! I think piano just sounds cooler to her because of the playing tune and accompaniment together aspect.

Confusion caused by learning several instruments at the same time may depend on the choice of the instruments. I assume it's a bit like learning language - sometimes learning two totally different languages is easier (less confusing) than the ones from the same root. DS started piano first but violin was added shortly after so he was still a very beginner pianist. I don't recall any confusion but it seemed only accelerated the progress of each instrument. Time management wasn't a problem neither as the priority was very clear from the beginning. He rarely practised violin at home for the first couple of years. And the priority simply swapped when he told us he preferred violin to piano. He may have had a problem if he had picked two instruments from the same family. Luckily the combo of piano and violin worked fine in his case.

Anyway I always think when a child is keen that's the best time to start.

QueenMabby yes, ABRSM here too. He needed time to work on sight reading & rhythm but he's getting much better at these.
He likes string instruments and wants to play in the orchestra once he gets to secondary school so I'm fairly sure he's keen, but just a tad frustrated.
Thanks for the comments about second instrument practise Neleus, that's reassuring.

I keep having wobbles about this specialist school audition. I really don’t know, still, if I’m doing the right thing by going through the process. I think dd is amazing, but is she that good, and am I setting her up for a fall?

She’s 11 and fairly adamant, at the moment at least, that she wants to play professionally.

4strings- they wouldn’t ask her back for a main audition if they weren’t interested- they turn plenty away at advice and assessment audition....

Thanks for cello bow recommendation. On order (express delivery). DD2's G2 Exam is Friday and ensemble leader says she needs it in case the other one 'explodes' on the day- which really doesn't fill me with confidence. Rehearsal yesterday with slightly fierce accompanist reduced dd to tears... just hope she's less scared on the day. How I HATE music exams.

Also thanks for the cello movies recommendation book muggleaunt. I have it - (because dd wants to learn hedwig's theme) do you know which of the pieces in it are the easier ones? (is it in difficulty order) I genuinely know nothing about cello and never see DD2's teacher (learns at school) so I can't work out what is hard and easy. I don't really understand the cello - extensions, positions etc, which makes it very hard to help.

Good luck to minisnowballs and 😮at fierce accompanist.... not what anyone needs just before an exam

Minisnowballs, can you switch accompanist, they shouldnt be the one adding additional pressure at all.
Neleus, thirdfiddle: I might give it a try for couple of lessons to see how it goes, will report back(not this week lesson though as its canceled due to a clash with another plan)

Hi guys. I'm looking for a bit of advice. Apologies if this is too long!
My DD8 has been playing her cornet for around 18 months. She chose the cornet independently and enjoys playing it and playing in a junior wind band once a week.
I always made it clear that I wouldn't force her to play. I asked her in September if she wanted to carry on and she said yes. She is preparing for her grade 2 in July.
This weekend she said she wants to stop. She is mad on drama and wants to do more of that. We've always said that she can only do a max 4 activities a week and she sees band as a barrier to this.
I don't want to make her do something she doesn't want to do. However it would be great if she could at least get to grade 2. She hasn't done grade 1 as teacher felt it would just delay her taking grade 2 this summer.
I've asked to speak to her teacher but looking for advice. In the last 2 weeks she has been reluctant to practise at home, which she previously did 2 times a week plus band and lesson.

Hi Manic, Any chance you can stretch the four activities rule? Is there something particular she wants to do and can't for drama? For example I'd count cornet as one activity - whether she practices at home or by playing in a band it's still cornet practice. (Obviously doesn't help if it's a cost constraint.)

I tend to not let them give things up on a whim or DS would never leave the house. So I think even if she is going to give up, it wouldn't be unreasonable to ask her to stick to it till she's got a grade to show for her efforts. I want them to consistently want to do something for a few months before they take on a new activity, so tend to apply same to stopping one.

Do you think anything particular is putting her off cornet? Is she already practising exam music and if so since how long? My two have had exam music since November and are getting fed up with it now, but at least exams will be out of the way soon.

Thanks @thirdfiddle
I certainly don't want her to give up on a whim. I think possibly the exam music is putting her off. I've asked her to request some modern stuff to keep her interested.
At Christmas she was really keen on it - loved playing concerts and volunteering to play to family if they came over.
The band may be the problem. Her friend has recently switched to another band which would be tricky for her to join. And it's not very good. It's a total beginner band and I think she's probably lacking a bit of challenge now she's been there a while.
I think I could persuade to keep going as she really likes her teacher.

Does she have to do the exam? My dd decided six months ago she didn't want to do any more exams on the piano (or at least not for a while) and that's proved to be a really good motivator as she tackles things without added pressure.

Actually the exam isn't the problem at all. I think she like the idea of working towards something.
It's more her feeling that she's missing out on other things. She even told me that she doesn't like missing out on school time when she has her 20 minute lesson.
I'm seeing if we can switch to the other band. If she's with he friend in a more challenging group she might feel like she's getting more out of it.

Hello, ManicGirl. I am also one of those mums who usually want to support what DS wants to pursue so I feel how torn you are.

I was there actually. DS was previously mad on football and he was in an elite team receiving great training. But he changed his mind like your DD, coincidently when he was also 8 (nearly 9)! He still liked football but wanted to do it less seriously so that he would have more time for music. We were quite shocked at first as he was always seen as a sportsman and the change was so not expected. But he was persistent enough for me to start supporting his will and we both started 'a campaign' to DH as he didn't take it easy and was in a total denial of this new DS! There was even tears as DH was so stubborn and DS was so disparate not to disappoint his dad but at the same time he wanted him to be more understanding. It took DH for a loooong time to finally accept his boy genuinely loved music. I still feel a pain by just remembering some incidents happened between DH and DS. Though, now DH is a wonderfully supportive dad (trying to learn to be a music dad but still no clue ).

As DS still enjoyed football, we adjusted the weight and let him continue to complete a course rather than removing him all together. At some point it was too much to handle as his musical commitment rapidly increased but in the end he felt good about that he 'completed' rather than leaving half way of what he started. It was a balancing act, but was so worth it, for him.

So, if your DD still enjoys cornet but just want more time for drama, I'm prone to suggest she could reduce her musical commitment (rather than stopping) and keep both activities at reasonable level and see how things go. Perhaps you can tell her she could drop a band but continue lesson till grade 2, or continue a band and lesson but no daily practice is required etc, then review the situation once the exam is taken or a term ends? In DS's case, music took over greatly in the end. It might happen to your DD too. But it may be good to have the overlapping period?

minisnowballs can you ask around for another accompanist? Does your DD have a piano teacher who could step in? The accompanist shouldn't be intervening or speaking in the exam, so the exam should be easier for your DD than the rehearsal.

In the cello movie themes book, DS's teacher started him with Cantina Band. I'm not sure if the book is in order of difficulty. I'm a non-cellist too.

Thank you so much for your advice. You've all been so helpful.
DH is actually very unhelpful as his only memory of music lessons was being forced to learn the piano because his parents had one and wanted him to use it. He doesn't really see any of the other benefits it brings like confidence, listening, perseverance etc.
I think I'm going to see if she can do the extra drama she wants and still carry on with cornet until July. If I switch to a different band that might help as well.
I won't make her practise as much.
We always encouraged her to try new things. I think the downside of this is there are only 7 days in the week!

Thanks all. I think we will stick with the accompanist - but I do take all of your points. She has accompanied all Dd's sister's exams, so we know what she is like - and she did dd2's first one as well. I know she'll be quiet on the actual day which will help.
Dd2 usually very spoiled nowadays as she has a fab accompanist at CYM for her first instrument who is both encouraging and gives her lots of practice time, but she doesn't learn cello there and of course they only enter their own students, which is fair enough, so she can't use him. I think the fact that cello plays very much second fiddle (ha!) to flute for her, means that she is too aware of her failings with it - plus she does find solo performance an ordeal.
Hopefully it will be OK on the day.

Does CYM provide accompanist for exams?? How lucky!! DS's jd didn't so we had to arrange one privately. After having experience of piano exams only, (so no accompanist ever needed), the extra expense on top of the exam fee was a bit of shock... And it was for grade 8 so the exam fee alone was quite significant!

Just to share my heart attack moment of today...

DS had a performance this morning so I drove him to the venue. Once arrived he had to sort out a few things so I told him to get on with it while I unloaded his stuff (he was carrying many things). I was driving back home in the middle of heavy traffic when my phone rang. It was DS and he asked me where I put his violin. And my eye caught his violin case nicely sitting in the back seat...

I made a u-turn and after 40 mins of my effort I managed to pass him the violin through the car window, just in time for the performance. He missed a proper warm-up, and I missed a doctor appointment which I waited for three weeks!!

Still haven't done bringing an empty case yet...

I've done letting DS wear a wrong coloured shirt for a concert and we did this passing through the car window thing back then too. Ha.

I've done the empty case. Luckily just to a rehearsal!