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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:
Hertsessex · 07/06/2019 16:55

Which CYM? There are several - my son joins one of them and has lots of fun :)

sunnyflowergarden · 07/06/2019 22:04

The one at Morley College. We are going to see it next week. Really hope it’s the right place for her as she will need to give up her usual local Saturday orchestra. I could not find many parents reviews on them.

Hertsessex · 07/06/2019 23:11

OK my son goes to a different one. To be honest orchestra is the weak point although lots of other good stuff but the one at Morley College probably much better.

Hertsessex · 07/06/2019 23:12

FYI BBC Young Musician 2020 applications opened today for those on here grade 8 plus level.

horseymum · 08/06/2019 15:19

Ooh, we have a friend who is hoping to enter, soooo hope he at least gets on TV. No idea how many rounds there are so how realistic this is. Not saying what instrument as his family may not want it ' public' knowledge he is entering.

Hertsessex · 08/06/2019 15:47

Category final on TV is the third round out of five. Very tough to get to that stage even if really good. Know some incredibly good people who didn't make it.

Alakazam8 · 08/06/2019 15:48

Hi Just discovered this thread. My lo has started playing Clarinet at Christmas and plays the ukulele. She has autism and learning difficulties but is very good at music. She has perfect pitch (I’m told). She will be working towards Grade 1 clarinet in September.
Wanted to ask advice- she has started picking out tunes by herself, for example she played ‘its a hard knock life’ which she’s learning at dance lessons and Havana just by ear and made few mistakes. Is this unusual
Or something to expect? I played piano and a bit of guitar when I was younger but the clarinet is new to me. What else can I do to encourage/develop her further?

Original poster
thirdfiddle · 08/06/2019 18:37

Alakazam, welcome, lovely that your lo has music as a talent alongside her difficulties. It's a lovely welcoming world to be part of.

I would say normal at some stage but not so common after only a few months? A very good sign when it happens as it shows a) that they have clicked the link between which key to press and what sound you want to make, and b) they're getting the point of it all which is playing music that you like! Definitely encourage her to play around. I sometimes look out parts on the internet for whatever they're bashing for example if they want to do the whole song and can only work out a phrase. With DD sometimes I ask her "can you play ..." where it's a tune from an assembly or nursery rhymes just for practice and playing something different. She does her favourite piano tunes on violin and vice versa too. Improvising making up their own tunes is fun too.

OP posts:
Thistly · 15/06/2019 23:48

Hi everyone,
I am a lurker on here, just come on to ask if anyone else is in the ‘music theory exam result waiting room’ after today’s exam?
My year 8 dd sat her grade 5 with a little reluctance today. Hopefully she will pass it, although she is not a practical exam aficionado, so it’s not like she has taken it in order to be able to get her grade 6...
we will see what she does
If anyone cares to join me, I have Cake

TaggieOHara · 16/06/2019 00:35

DS2 did his grade 5 theory exam today too. He seemed quite pleased with himself, but was not brilliantly prepared as he has had a lot on his plate over the last few weeks. We’ll see how he goes.

Good luck to your DD 🍀

minisnowballs · 16/06/2019 07:09

Sunny I missed your message- sorry and welcome. Dd2 is at cym- she loves it and is just finishing her first year. She’s much younger (9) -but the older ones always seem to be having a ball. Happy to talk more if you have questions. Hope your dd is pleased and enjoys herself. I was also worried about giving up a teacher and Saturday orchestra, but it is now dd2s favourite thing

4strings · 16/06/2019 09:02

Another with a dc now waiting for Grade 5 theory results! Dd did it yesterday. Youngest there, and was shepherded into a holding room with loads of teenagers and not told where she would go when she came out. There was no steward, just a school caretaker and two invigilators (she’s done theory exams before at the same centre). When she was let out of the exam room the poor child wandered the corridors for a bit until she found the caretaker. All a bit disorganised.

Thistly · 16/06/2019 09:24

Thanks Taggie... i’m Just glad she wasn’t too hyped about it. Hope your son gets the result he hopes for.
4 strings, yes the way it works does seem a bit off for younger children. I guess with a younger child you hang around the building; I went to a play park with my younger child as he would have gone up the wall in the waiting room and been asked to leave. No phones allowed in the room, and an indeterminate leaving time definitely create a confusing moment even for the teenagers.

PetraDelphiki · 16/06/2019 10:00

I just solved that issue by doing g5 at the same time as dd!!! Which was highly amusing! I just thought if I’m going to teach it to her I might as well take it...

4strings · 16/06/2019 10:06

Yes, I stayed and insisted on waiting in the holding room on the grounds that she might go back there. She was taken there as soon as she got there (15 mins before he starting time) and had already been taken into the actual exam room by the time I’d got to the holding room. So I couldn’t even tell her where I’d be waiting.

I know this is mn, and we’re generally supposed to send our dc down the mine as soon as they can walk, but dd is 11 and still at primary school. I’m minded to contact the ABRSM about this because it doesn’t seem right.

We knew a few of the teens that were there from music centre and they are 17/18: they were also confused!

Dd was entered by her piano teacher, who also teaches an adult with autism. I can’t help thinking how hard that situation would have been for him to navigate.

4strings · 16/06/2019 10:07

Petra that’s a great solution!! I did mine 2,254 years ago and doubt I’d come anywhere near passing now! As it was I got 67 on that occasion...!

Thistly · 16/06/2019 10:19

Petra, what a good idea! I might aim for that for my younger dc, if he seems musically inclined. frankly I feel my brain may be too addled. I could get a few marks for the Italian terms but that’s about it!

bostik · 16/06/2019 11:34

Another G5 theory mum here! Felt horrible dropping DD off yesterday as she's also little but she was quite chipper about the whole thing. She took G1 theory a couple of years ago and just finished SATS so she knew the format. How well she has done is another matter - she finally passed a couple of old papers before the exam but never with flying colours and still struggled with reading the question properly, checking the clef, etc. Still, at least she left the exam room feeling positive - a scraped 'pass' will suffice! Fingers crossed :)

Thistly · 16/06/2019 13:17

Well I take my hat off to those of you who have taught your children personally!

Thistly · 16/06/2019 13:18

Fingers crossed and cake all round! I guess it will be 15th July by the time we hear the results.

KittyOSullivanKrauss · 16/06/2019 16:01

Well done to all those who took their theory exam yesterday. Glad DD came out happy bostik.

bostik · 16/06/2019 17:37

Thanks Kitty, I'm not giving away the huge pile of past papers just yet until we get the result. I can't wait to be rid of it, it's very messy!!

TaggieOHara · 16/06/2019 18:05

I don’t think we will get the theory results until September as term ends on 5th July. I’m pretty sure DS2 will pass. He has done so much theory, some of it must have sunk in. Anything beyond a pass is a bonus!

tiredmumneedssleep · 16/06/2019 22:50

Hi All,

New here! I have a DD(8) currently working on grade 3 Violin. I'm not musical myself (stopped at grade 3 piano) so I'm of no help to her at all!

This thread is great for sharing ideas and getting advice! Thank you!

FiddleOnTheRoof · 16/06/2019 23:36

Also new! But a long time lurker...lol! DD sat the grade 5 theory Saturday. Can I have Cake too Smile.
Longest 2 hrs ever as I made her stay in the room to check, check and.. check again. So hoping she passes.
Petra what a great idea. Never sat a music exam in my life but after weeks of theory with DD, reckon I could probably pass lol.