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Extra-curricular activities

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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:
Original poster
thirdfiddle · 14/07/2019 21:46

Yes I'd have been a lot more tempted to upgrade at grade 3-4, DD was a long way from that when she was on a 1/4 size.

OP posts:
FiddleOnTheRoof · 15/07/2019 16:28

Finally.... DC did it
Yeah!!! High merit on the grade 5 theory exam Grin Now time for some serious dieting lol. Thanks all for support. Here’s to anyone still waiting x

242Mummy · 15/07/2019 16:55

Congratulations!! Well done to all the music-loving children!

hidingmystatus · 15/07/2019 18:25

@Trufflethewuffle Yeah, complicated, isn't it? For composition the choice is pretty limited.

Thistly · 15/07/2019 18:52

Well done fiddle on the roof dc! That’s great
Still no news here. Dd has now told me that she did just get it done as quickly as possible on the day, as she was feeling unwell.... I had said she should stay for at least 1.5 hours, but she was out sooner and passingly no comment on how it went at the time. Fingers crossed! Hopefully will find out tomorrow.
🍰 🍰 for anyone still waiting too.

Thistly · 16/07/2019 22:11

Gah, can’t believe i’m Still in the waiting room! .... anyone else? Someone pop their head round the door and tell me about an amazing concert their dc performed in please!

I’m getting sick of 🍰 🤢

rivierliedje · 17/07/2019 08:10

Sorry thistly
Got my results yesterday (finally, after a few calls). 127 Which I am very happy with. Though there is a small part of me that wishes for three more points Blush

Do you know when you'll hear?

Lotsofmilkonesugar · 17/07/2019 13:27

Well done everybody on the great results! We had late practical exams so still waiting , hoping the school music staff will be kind and email over the summer break rather than waiting till September!

Thistly · 17/07/2019 20:04

That’s fantastic river! Well done to your dc.
Finally heard from music centre; a merit for grade 5 theory! Well done dd! So proud of her. She has achieved so much more that I did already.

Goodbyekittymum · 17/07/2019 20:10

Well done to your dd Thistly
Was worth the wait. Time for more CakeGrin

ilovesushi · 17/07/2019 20:59

Hoping any trumpet mums can help - my son has a solo performance at his primary school leavers service tomorrow. Practicing this evening and the trumpet is 'bubbling'. He's had a go draining the spit but it's still making noises. Usually when we can't rid of the sound we just wait it out, but clearly that won't work in this situation. Anything I can do? Sorry if I leapt in mid conversation by the way. Thanks!

Jensboys · 17/07/2019 21:12

Ilovesushi, try taking out the slide where the spit valve is and use a sheet of kitchen roll rolled up tight to clean into the slide. Also try the same where the mouthpiece is inserted. We have a cleaning kit from Amazon that is worth buying for the future. My older ds gives his trumpet (minus the valves) a bath now and again to give it a good clean. Very important to dry out well afterwards though.

Thistly · 17/07/2019 22:48

Thanks GoodbyeKitty. She’s pleased 😀.
Goood luck for your swift arrival of results
Lotsof. Here is some 🍰 and also 🥂

Trumpets and in fact all brass instruments are a total mystery for get your head round.

I wish our brass teachers were a little more into teaching maintenance... it’s vital!

Original poster
thirdfiddle · 17/07/2019 23:52

I wish our brass teachers were a little more into teaching maintenance... it’s vital!
Yy to this. And lessons for parents too please.

OP posts:
MidLifeCrisis007 · 18/07/2019 07:07

DD had a real 'mare yesterday. Her accompanist arrived late for her grade VIII so she had to do her exam in reverse (study, sight-reading, scales, aural first) and then wait for him to do her pieces. He arrived just in time (ie 10-15 minutes into her exam) - but there was no chance of a run through of her pieces.

Not ideal! To be fair though, I think I was more stressed than she was!

Boyskeepswinging · 18/07/2019 07:16

Midlife Oh my goodness! How awful for you both! On the positive side it'll make a great example for future conservatoire/uni/job interviews when asked about stressful or unplanned situations and how brilliantly it sounds like she coped with it. Demonstrates great resilience and flexibility!

MidLifeCrisis007 · 18/07/2019 07:57

It's funny you say that boys but I always say to the kids that preparing for music exams is such a life skill - the working hard beforehand, the controlling of nerves, the confident delivery etc I think kids who have done lots of music exams before they get to public exams cope much better with the pressure.

She's an oboist which is one of the harder instruments to play when stressy! Thankfully her examiner was lovely and very understanding of the situation.

rivierliedje · 18/07/2019 09:03

Midlife That sounds very stressful! You must be proud of your DD for taking it in to her stride so well.

Thistly that was my exam, not dc's Grin
I know what you mean about the brass. I played for a few years as a child. A few weeks into lessons the teacher made me cry because my trumpet wasn't working properly and he was angry that I hadn't fixed it. But he hadn't explained what was wrong with it and what I needed to do.

FiddleOnTheRoof · 18/07/2019 14:48

Well done Thistly DC... that’s amazing news and no more waiting! Cake is great but too much does tend to bring on the opposite effect...lol x

Boyskeepswinging · 18/07/2019 16:54

Midlife if I were PM I'd make every child either play an orchestral/ ensemble instrument or sing in a choir. It teaches so many great life skills. My DS is a percussionist so he's learnt fantastic team working skills along with the confidence to roll his timps louder than the whole symphony orchestra put together! And, yes, if you've got the cajones to take a grade exam then that's great preparation for the grown up world.

ilovesushi · 18/07/2019 16:57

Jensboys thanks for the tips on de-bubbling trumpets. My instinct was to dunk the whole thing in the bath before I read your post. Not sure how I would have dried it. Thankfully the trumpet sorted itself out overnight and he played really well - Hedwig's Theme in the cathedral - amazing acoustics and very atmospheric and emotional. And thankfully bubble free!

minisnowballs · 18/07/2019 19:06

well done all theory takers, and river for your exam - superb stuff! We are winding down happily for summer - my little flute player has split her lip open so struggling to practise at all (or talk), and term is nearly done. Saturday centre is over and we have our weekends back!

I idly looked at the piece dd has been set for cello grade 3 (watkins ale) on youtube yesterday. The lyrics are very, very rude (though elizabethan, so obviously quite archaic). Someone at ABRSM is having a laugh there - and to think I felt guilty about forgetting to turn on the explicit filter for dds karaoke birthday party!

Thistly · 18/07/2019 19:32

Thanks Fiddle, yes, I’m sick of cake! Really pleased to be done with results for the exams auditions and so on, really looking forward to the summer and hoping to hear lots of playing around with music as they have the opportunity to do that with all lessons off for for a few months.

River, i’m So sorrry I assumed it was your dc waiting the results... i’m Actually even more impressed for an adult to go for the exams. It’s something in the back of my mind, but not sure I ever will.
Well done!

It sounds like most people have had theory results now,,, well done everybody for going through the process. Seems like mostly passes, but if your entrant didn’t make it this time, hopefully the experience has meant they will be able to approach it with more confidence next time.

Quite a few practical exams still to hear, so all the best to those people. Hope nobody has to wait til September to hear.

rivierliedje · 18/07/2019 20:19

Yes, it is so much nicer having made my own entry, just being able to get them myself. I hope nobody's school or teacher makes them wait till the new term for results.

I would highly encourage it thistly. I hadn't had a lesson in six years (or in fact a cello) when I picked it up again about 10 months ago. I only had three lessons right before the exam, which was possible not the best strategy, but it felt really good to practice at my own tempo and only at my on behest. I'm considering grade 5 next, and I finally have the courage to work steadily through a sight reading programme for piano, in the hopes of one day getting it up to standard for the diploma. I did all 8 grades as a child and scraped through the sight reading only once. Failed miserably both times I attempted the diploma.

OneLovelySister · 18/07/2019 23:22

Congrats to all the successful theorists!

And jolly well done, rivierliedje, great result (I’m sure you’ll get your 130+ next time Smile)