Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

Summer term 2019 music

855 replies

thirdfiddle · 01/04/2019 14:50

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.

OP posts:
MirandaWest · 02/04/2019 10:53

Hello - I occasionally post on these threads so thought I’d have another go. I have DS who’s 15 and plays guitar and piano. Doesn’t read sheet music but is pretty good. Enjoys composing and also did grade 5 theory a few weeks ago (anyone know when results for that come out). That’s the only grade he’s done.

DD is 13 and does a lot of musical theatre, sings (has grade 4 exam next week) and plays the flute a bit. Was going to do grade 4 last year but panicked and has also stopped lessons but is happier for having decided to stop lessons.

owlm · 02/04/2019 11:31

Hi all, I also don't post much, mainly because I am quite fierce about protecting Dd's identity. Sometimes, I feel quite guilty sharing her journey. But the wealth of knowledge from everyone has helped me so much that I cherish these threads. So I will continue to jump in now and then Smile

I have DD who is music mad at the moment. Plays violin, piano and bit of viola. She's loving MuseScore for composing. She sings, plays in orchestra and music pretty much dominates our week. Festivals and auditions coming up which are exciting and daunting Flowers Here's to a great term of music making Wine

PetraDelphiki · 02/04/2019 11:38

Hi all

I have dd(12) who’s having a disastrous run up to g6 violin in about 4 weeks (teacher still hasn’t agreed b piece), is playing viola to a similar level and working on g8 trumpet (teacher thinks end of summer, I want to hold her back for a while ...she needs a good distinction so I can rub it in the face of the school music department)...

She’s off to pro corda next week with some of the others on here I think!

Wafflenose · 02/04/2019 12:13

Goo is likely to travel by train independently to friends/ family to stay overnight Fridays, then onwards the next day. I simply can't afford to go with her each week, GH works 2 Saturdays out of every 4 and I can't keep taking Rara too! Our only car is 20 years old and we can't afford anything else at the moment.

Wafflenose · 02/04/2019 12:13

DH not GH! Got GH on the brain...

Original poster
thirdfiddle · 02/04/2019 13:08

Lovely to see some familiar faces and some new faces popping up.

OneLovelySister sounds like she has it all under control! To make exam day pleasant, I pick them up from school with plenty of time and have a private run through at home. Arrive at venue earlyish and make sure kids have a book to read in case things are running late. Have a play through or top and tail (beginnings/ends/any tricky corners) at the venue. And feed them cake before sending them back to school :) Might have shot myself in the foot mind you, they seem to consider it a rather pleasant hour or two out of school and now they want to do more exams... Good luck tomorrow! Let us know how she gets on.

OP posts:
Mendingfences · 02/04/2019 15:08

Sounds like a plan waffle it is easier when they can travel alone a little

cocopops · 02/04/2019 17:01

Mirandawest- ABRSM theory results are to be posted online tomorrow.

MirandaWest · 02/04/2019 17:20

Thank you cocopops - I entered DS on his teacher’s instruction so I’ll get to see then. I hope he passes - he seemed to think it went OK

OneLovelySister · 02/04/2019 19:23

Thanks for the reply, thirdfiddle.

DD’s exam is actually first thing, which suits her fine as she’s a morning person and an increasingly bad-tempered musician as the day wears on, tbh. Hopefully no late running that early on, but we’ll take a book in case.

Good tip on the top and tail - I’d never heard of that but it makes sense!

Unfortunately for DD, we’ll be dashing off afterwards to catch up with a school trip (that she really doesn’t want to miss) so no leisurely cake, but I’ll take a flask of hot chocolate as a treat Smile

horseymum · 02/04/2019 20:07

Hi, I never got round to sorting out login when the site went down ages ago but thought I would pop back in! Ds1 plays piano, dd2 oboe, piano and recorders, and dd3 , piano, and dabbles with recorder until she can start bassoon. I play double bass and run a modest recorder group at school. Fairly quiet musically as DD 2, who does the most has a long term lurking virus so barely able to manage school, hence very little music making. Can't really make plans for any exams, had to miss her festival class. Hopefully she can manage orchestra concert after the holidays but playing oboe when you are not 100 % is tough! Glad to see a couple of other Scots too!

woolleybear · 02/04/2019 20:41

Hi All. I have dd 12 who has just done clarinet grade 5, results not yet out though she says it went ok ish, and who is doing grade 3 Bassoon this term coming as she is still stubbornly refusing to miss out any grades on either. Next clarinet exam wont be for a good while though.

She is flying with opportunities that she is getting now at secondary school and it’s lovely to see her enjoying it so much. First performance with the senior concert band a couple of weeks ago and she was amazing.

LooseAtTheSeams · 03/04/2019 08:46

I have DS1 (17) who plays bass guitar, guitar and drums - plans to take grade 8 drums at some point. He informs me he is starting a jazz group with some friends and they will rehearse over Easter. I'm hoping they are too disorganised and put this off until after AS exams...
DS2 (14) is working towards grade 7 cello. He has G5 piano exam today. I'm trying not to think about it!

zeemama · 03/04/2019 10:01

Hi all, I’ve posted a few times before, have a 10year old son who plays piano and hopes to go to music specialist school one day. He auditioned at Junior Guildhall yesterday but his regular piano teacher is on GH staff so keep reminding him that he can’t lose whatever happens. They said it takes about 2 weeks max to hear back, anyone auditioned there recently? I also wasn’t aware of trolling going on but never that involved. Good luck to all and nice to see some old names @wafflenose :)

minisnowballs · 03/04/2019 10:20

so nice to hear so many musical journeys here. DD2 just had her Grade 2 cello marks back. A 125 merit looks pretty good given that her teacher put her up a cello size two weeks before, and she'd only played once on the new bow.

It felt like a risky strategy so I hope she's pleased with the result!

folkmamma · 03/04/2019 12:32

@zeemama hope the audition went well!! GH are taking anything from a few days to just over 2 weeks at the moment. I have friends who have had yes' at both ends of that timescale, so there's no rhyme or reason! Hope you don't have to wait too long.

MirandaWest · 03/04/2019 12:40

I looked at the associated board website which says theory results will be available this afternoon. I feel it is afternoon now Grin

zeemama · 03/04/2019 12:55

Sorry @folkmamma, didn’t see this so pmed you. Thanks so much for your advice and well wishes. Hope ds won’t have to wait too long and unsure what to expect: letter or email..?

Lotsofmilkonesugar · 03/04/2019 13:09

Well done to minisnowballs DD. And good luck to everyone waiting for results

Original poster
thirdfiddle · 03/04/2019 13:25

Brilliant minisnowballs. If more than a bit random of the teacher. Did your DD have a massive growth spurt or something? I'm all for not organising everything around exams but for the sake of a couple of weeks?

Fingers crossed zeemama. From what you've said he sounds like the sort of kid who would thrive in that environment. I know it's super competitive though.

Lovely to see so many familiar faces even if some of you are just touching base. The trolling thing was weird.

horsey sorry to hear your DD has been ill, hope she can feel more herself soon.

OP posts:
minisnowballs · 03/04/2019 13:38

Growth spurt. Ha, no! Dd2 is famously little for her age and never seems to grow much (competitive parents are always asking me how old she is because they think she is a tiny prodigy). I think her teacher just thought it would sound better on a half size and that she could handle it. Which she clearly could - though I wouldn't mind betting that nearly every mark lost will be on intonation due to the change in size. We shall see.

Good luck to those waiting on results/auditions.We just have one G1 piano to go. Dd1 was very chilled about it so I'm not too worried

Iwantedtrianglesnotsquares · 03/04/2019 13:47

Benslow are fantastic. I borrowed an instrument from them for many years. I can’t remember if my teacher had to fill out the form, or if it was my parents. I remember going aged 16 to try violas our in a room at benslow. It was amazing. They also have bows not just the instrument.

Original poster
thirdfiddle · 03/04/2019 15:23

mini, DD is the opposite, she's very tall - will never get any prodigy credit! It does mean we got away from the squeaky violin sizes quickly though, she's been on a half size since not long after turning 6.

Good luck with the grade 1 too. And hope OneLovelySister your DD's went well too. Now I have a lovely picture of you speeding off down a motorway chasing a school coach!

OP posts:
zeemama · 03/04/2019 15:32

Thank you so much @thirdfiddle. DS knows piano is extra competitive and it’s his only instrument so we’ll see... exciting anyway.
Well done @minisnowballs!

MirandaWest · 03/04/2019 16:49

Have checked again and DS passed his grade 5 theory Smile Am also pleased as I didn’t prod him at all, he just got on with it (was having lessons on it with his piano teacher)