Summer term 2019 music

[thirdfiddle]

A new installment of the long running music parent threads. Everyone is welcome from complete beginners to grade 8 and beyond. Thanks as ever to the lovely waffle for starting the threads up and looking after them for years. What are your plans for the coming term? Any exams, auditions, festivals, new instruments? Please come and chat.

And just to introduce me and my minis:

DS is rising 10 and doesn't believe in practice much but enjoys a good play through whatever he's learning. He plays piano and horn and has recently done grade 2 on both.
DD is 7 and rather more enthusiastic, she plays violin and piano. She plays in a little string orchestra which she adores. She has done grade 1 on piano and working on Suzuki book 3 for violin where we're avoiding exams so far (hooray!).
I am a keen amateur violin/viola player, and hack at piano well enough to mostly manage kids' accompaniments so far.

Thank you for starting a new thread, I'm a serial name changer who's not posted much since the trolls (I do think there's still one that pops up occasionally, if it sounds unlikely, it usually is!).

Your dd sounds very keen and sing orchestra sounds very cute! I am embarrassed to say that I've been largely put off pushing music to my little ones due to my eldest DD having it become pretty all encompassing but now I feel a bit guilty. They wouldn't even put in 10 mins accompanied and cajoled practise a day so I stopped their lessons but plan to start in September again with flute for the 11 year old if she likes and piano for the 8 year old.

My DD1 is a chorister and from September will be a specialist musician in the same school. As a non musician this thread has been absolutely invaluable and demystified so much for me.

string

Hello. I don't post often (usually when there's a crisis!) but mum to DD, 15 who does piano, oboe and voice. She's just sat grade 6 singing exam and anxiously waiting on the results of that and of a JD audition she did last week for piano and oboe. Audition seemed to go well but I'm so conscious that its so very competitive, particularly for piano so am not holding out much hope. (but I'm the one feeling very anxious about it!) Results not expected until May :(

Grade 5 oboe is next in line in June. She's not ready for Grade 8 piano so that's likely to be November. Anyhoo, I want her to change singing teacher as she gets lessons at school and the teacher is always changing her lesson time. She is about to sit Nat 5's next year so I also no longer want her to miss lessons for other subjects for singing. I am getting a bit of resistance from her- watch this space!

We do have a slight problem of not being able to afford a full size cello for her so will be investigating loans etc over the next few months. We sent her to a audition class with a very successful teacher who let her play her cello so she has high standards now! I was thinking to approach benislow - does anyone have any experience?

Hi swaying and cocopops, good to have company :)

cocopops your DD sounds very busy! Fingers X'd for exam and audition results.

Swaying, we're not at that stage but a friend's son has a lovely violin from Benslow at the moment. It seemed quite straightforward, I think they just needed a letter of recommendation from the teacher. They went along and there were a few to try. Certainly worth investigating, cellos are scary expensive.

Thanks for the new thread! I needed a good break from it all, but am glad to see we're still continuing. Yes, there is a troll who still pops up occasionally - scenario changes every time, always involves girl children/ stepchildren and some unlikely claims. There's also a blast from the past who thinks I talk rubbish about recorders, exams and all stuff diploma related, so I'm not saying much at the moment.

I have Goo, 13 who was my reason for starting the threads in 2011. She is a diploma level flautist, intermediate pianist, budding composer and lapsed recorder player. She has a laugh and basically twiddles her thumbs at school, and we've basically burnt our bridges with her current Centre of Advanced Training. So she is going to Guildhall JD from September. It's 3 hours each way, so a massive commitment. I hope it works out well.

I also have Rara 10, who just got a good merit for her Grade 5 Clarinet exam, and who will take Grade 5 Cello at some point - probably next year. She has also done recorder and likes to nick my saxophones from time to time. A very different character to her sister, and a selective mute, she hates exams (only does the odd numbers), hates singing, and said if I ever make her do JD she will just give up!! So she's with South West Music School. She's way behind with the stuff she doesn't like... namely scales and theory. I have taught her since the age of 4, but am passing her on to another clarinet teacher when she goes into year 7. Yippee!

Thanks for starting this threads- I find it all so useful. Dd2 is my keener musician. She’s nine and plays flute and cello- will take grade 4 flute next term and is waiting for the results of grade 2 cello. She studies her first instrument at cym in London - and her second at school. Her sister (11) learns violin and piano - and will probably take grade 4 in autumn on violin- piano is very new and she has just taken grade 1. Joy to see her playing in the orchestra at secondary and with the borough music service now- but she doesn’t exactly shine with her love of practising right now!

Dd is starting her singing diploma after Easter but she's older than most here I think though. She's a choral scholar so not much of a surprise.

Hi everyone!! I've pretty much been lurking since trollgate, but like Waffle, am pleased the thread has continued and am popping in to say hi!

I have DD1, 11, violinist and violist at JD playing around G8 standard, piano not at JD, frustratingly jiffing around with minimal effort somewhere between G4-5, and voice for funsies to support her other love, MT. DD1 has a busy few weeks of residential courses over Easter, followed by her assessed platform performance at JD, so things are a little intense for her right now. Oh, and a LAMDA exam in amongst all that, just to add to it all!!

DD2, 9, is my little cellist/pianist. She's just changed teacher on cello so we're going through a difficult phase of technique adjustment. Much needed, but she's not very compliant (with ANYTHING) so it's very hard work just to get her in the practice room. She has G2 piano coming up in May, in which she will either get a high distinction or will scrape a pass. Nothing in between and I have no idea which!

I'm a reasonable amateur violinist and lapsed clarinettist, lamenting the reality that I can no longer demonstrate the tricky parts of DD1's pieces because I can't actually play them! I noodle around with my folk trio when time allows.

Thanks for the new thread!

I have 13 year old violinist (at jd type arrangement 2 hours from home) who also dables with piano. 11 year old with flute / double bass and an 8 year old drummer who also plays piano.

I play brass (probably about the level of the 11 year old) and for those of you on the last thread i survived the triangle solo on sunday!

Good to see you again waffle will the travel be train or driving?

Hi everyone. I usually find time to post on these threads a couple of times a year. I lurk the rest of the time and love to see how everyone is getting on.

I have DS1 who is in his first year at RAM where he is studying organ. DS2 is also now away at university where he is studying English but potters away with his saxophone. DS3 no longers plays.

DD is in year 12 at specialist music school and hopes to go on to music college. She has just returned from a music trip to Berlin which she loved. Doing open days and consultation lessons at the moment. A very busy year or so coming up. I think the plan is ARSM in the summer.

It's lovely to think how long these threads have been going on.

Hello everyone! Thanks for the new thread, great to hear how everyone is getting on.
We have a 13 year old DD who is taking grade 8 flute tomorrow (eek) .. just encouraged her into bed with a book in the hope of an early night! Also 3DSs oldest plays French horn, second one has just passed grade 1 clarinet and youngest plays a very small (and frequently dropped) violin. It’s actually his second 1/4 size as the last one cracked!
Good luck to everybody waiting for exam and audition results and well done to waffle s DD getting a place at JD, hope it goes well.

Hello everyone, I wasn't really on the last thread as I missed the intros and then didn't want to wade in but have been on previous threads.

I have DD (12) who plays piano, cello & recorder and DS (10) who plays piano & viola.

DD has just passed Grade 5 treble & Grade 5 descant recorder & we are still waiting for Grade 3 cello results. DS is waiting for Grade 5 theory results (hopefully this week).

In the summer term, DD will be sitting Grade 5 piano & possibly Grade 6 theory. Still waiting to see if DS will be ready for Grade 4 piano or not. They both have festivals coming up too - on recorder for DD and piano for DS.

DS has been learning the viola for nearly a year - no exams taken on that yet.

Trying unsuccessfully to save up to buy DD a full-sized cello when her teacher says she's ready - we rent a 3/4 size at the moment & she's moaning that she's the only person she knows without a hard case.

Hello! I am a more cautious and occasional poster now because Of the trolls and because of being outed. But I still love these threads. They have been a life line!

I have two DSes - mainly here I post about DS2. He is 10, a chorister and plays the violin and piano. I have taught him the violin myself since he started at 7 but reluctantly for both of us, we are starting the process of finding a proper teacher.

Hi all, I’m new to the threads (though not MN) having found you while Googling for advice on helping DC with music exams. Hope it’s ok to drop in!

DD (nearly 9) has her Grade 1 flute exam on Wednesday, 14 months after starting the instrument, with five or six months work under her belt on the pieces etc. She’s worked hard and everything sounds good; I’m not a musician but feedback from her teacher is encouraging.

I don’t want to make a big deal of it, as it’s her first foray into the exam world and most important that it’s a positive experience, but if anyone has tips for low-key support especially not inadvertently making a big deal of it I’m all ears

PS Intrigued about the music thread trolling. Of all the places on MN where one might expect it (and I’m a regular in one of them!), I wouldn’t have guessed here. The mind boggles

Hi all and thanks to all involved in setting up new thread. I hadn't picked up on troll activity, sorry to hear that.

DS 1 16 plays double bass and has grade 6 exam coming up this term. He joined a second orchestra this year and has just got an electric bass. We are considering a trip to a double bass summer school in Germany this summer.He needs a new double bass.

DS2 10 started the uileann pipes this year.
They aren't easy but he has a good teacher and is getting on well.

Dad does music practice in our house.

Swaying- try Future Talent? Or AYM?

Hi everyone, first time actually posting! Been really interesting reading what goes on music-wise in other places.

Have DD(9) playing violin. She just sat G2 and now catching up on trad stuff in time for summer music festivals.

Also have DS(8) playing accordion. First music festival performance coming up in the summer.

Wondering if anyone has got any experience of the RCS trad exams for accordion (and/or fiddle?).

@stucknoue hello , can I ask how much formal singing / lessons your daughter did before becoming a choral scholar. My daughter has none at all planned for years 9-11 but it seems a pity. Wondering if school choir (high standard) and the occasional big service will be enough to keep her hand in. No idea what she will do in sixth form but hopefully sixth form college rather than specialist school will leave more room for choir and money for lessons.

So glad Goo has a plan now, what a journey each week though! I feel really lazy as I was hoping for a boarding place for dd and we live less than two miles away. She quite rightly has not been offered one. Rara sounds like she's flying. My cellist had to learn all the scales up to grade 6 over the February half term for her audition and then was most disgruntled to be asked for three really basic ones.

My daughter also moans about the lack of a bright white hard case. Artfully battered and bestickered of course!

We have a new double clarinet case arriving sometime today!

Regarding journeys i have considered calculating our music mileage for each kid but decided i'd probably scare myself
Next weekend is going to be a shocker 680km of driving between 2 of them, the third thankfully har no music plans.....

We are spoiled. I generally book music teachers who come to the house but am considering a piano teacher about quarter of a mile away and a flute teacher on the adjacent street ! We live in a cheap area near a city centre so it's basically full of musicians in house shares. A cautionary tale I sometimes think.