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.

My son got accepted to Junior Guildhall this morning. Not even 48 hours since the audition. Thanks everyone for your good wishes and advice!!! 💓💓💓

Congrats Zeemama and MirandaWest

Well done Zeemama and Mirandawesr. Dd still waiting inn abrsm results from exam sat on 12th March. Delays like this make me think we’ll switch to Trinity 😩

@zeemama yaaaaay!! Congratulations 💖

Congrats to both your DCs!

Well done to both! Great news

Great news!

Thank you so much!! Can’t wait to tell him haha he’s still in school.

Congratulations to all the success!

Lovely to see some old and new faces here. Thanks thirdfiddle for starting the new thread.

I have a 11 years old violinist/pianist/composer. His main passion is violin at the moment but he loves studying orchestral scores and has a natural aptitude for theory and aural. His current dream is to be good at violin with no practice...

Very well done to Miranda's DS - and zeemama's DS, how exciting!

Lots of congratulations for hard working kids! Love the comment about wanting to be good without practice!! Thanks for good wishes for DD. We'll just need to take this term easy. Glad to hear of those passing theory without huge amounts of teacher input as all mine just potter through the workbooks. It will only become a pressure when they need to get grade 5! At least I can still help them at this level. I think here is a club at high school though so that might help. DD is going to a school where they can do a bit extra of a subject, so she is doing extra music. Mainly to be in the same class as her friends, I think they think they will spend all the time playing but I hope they fit in some other stuff too!

Hi Everyone, I've been around for a little while but I tend to drop off when work gets busy - must try harder! I learn so much from these threads and I'm very grateful for everyone sharing their insights and experiences. I have a DS and a musical DD. DD (11) has been playing violin since y2 and studying now at G6 level but hasn't taken her theory yet. Hopefully this will happen this summer but it is MUCH harder for her than playing. She has had the same teacher since she started and LOVES her more than anything. (Refuses any talk of JD because that would mean leaving her beloved teacher.) Teacher emailed recently - wants to talk to me about a 'couple of things away from home' (she comes to the house to teach DD) during the holidays - I'm convinced she is moving away... horror! Not only the reality of it, but where on earth am I going to find a teacher that she loves as much??

I feel for you! DDs oboe teacher ( who is really a professional bassoonist) has said she might need an actual oboe teacher after the summer. I can't imagine trying to get another teacher, he is lovely and comes to the house. Am hoping he forgets he said this!

I am dithering about entering for grade 3 cello (abrsm) this term. I can do the aural, and am even fairly confident about the sightreading and scales. I'm not so sure about the pieces, because I don't have a teacher. I think that is my main worry, I don't have a teacher so nobody is telling me whether I'm ready or not. Also how does one go about finding an accompanist?

Well done for the passes!

Thanks for the new thread. I have a DS aged 9 who plays piano and will be doing grade 3 in the summer. He's also started cello this year and has an opportunity to play in a low key string group next term which I think will be great for him.

Wafflenose: please can I ask a bit more about South West Music School at some point? Maybe in a pm?

Well done to all those who've had exam results/auditions recently.

Of course, I have one child about to leave after 5 years, and the other one probably staying.

rivierliedje that is brave! Is there any possibility of getting some lessons? A few to gauge where you're at and what to focus on even if not regular? Failing that maybe record yourself and listen back / compare to YouTube recordings of people preparing for the same exam? Knowing when to pitch for an exam is one of the things i leave completely to kids' teachers. Knowing the local accompanists is another thing I'd start by asking my teacher I'm afraid. If not you could try asking a local piano teacher, they may do accompanying or have a senior student who does, but if not they're likely to know someone.

Ok ladies- need some perspective. DD is still waiting on ABRSM results from 12 March exam. Today is last day they should e posted on,one, according to ABRSM website.

Last week I emailed the singing teacher to ask if she had heard anything as some of you had had results for exams after my daughter’s. She responded “ tell Dd I will tell her as soon as I know. She must relax! Life is too short.”

No communication since then (a week past thirsday). Is this acceptable?

Thursday......

We waited about 6 weeks for some results once. Maddening, definitely, but the dates on the ABRSM website I tend to use as a guide.

That said I’d not be too thrilled with that sort of response from a teacher. Sounds like she’s forgotten how important these things are to young musicians.

Thanks 4 strings. I thought that was an odd response too- particularly as it’s a higher grade which gives
UCAS points and my dd is 15 and these things matter at that age!

Telling the parent who just asked about the result 'relax, life is too short'?? She could have more empathy as a teacher, could she...?

Here's hoping he forgets horseymum! It's so great when they love their teacher... rivierliedje, I think I would contact a local piano teacher and see if they can recommend an accompanist - just a thought. Kitty, my DD goes to SWMS, this is her first year. I'm not 100% certain about it but she certainly loves going and we will probably re-apply next year.

@cocopops that response would irk me as well. She’s worked so hard, of course she’s eager to know. Fingers crossed!

horseymum, I hope your DD is soon on the mend

woolleybear, fingers crossed for the Grade 5 results. How lovely to see your DD performing - that’s what it’s all about, really.

LooseAtTheSeams, how did your DS’s piano exam go?

minisnowballs, how was the merit received in the end?

MirandaWest, well done to your DS

zeemama, huge congratulations to your DS - he must’ve impressed them to get such a quick acceptance. How did he react when he got the news?

thirdfiddle, thank you, DD says she made a mistake in one of her pieces but was happy with the rest. The accompanist handled the warm-up, which I was glad of. Fortunately, not least because I can’t drive , there was no motorway chase involved. We just had to make it to the next station along from where the group were setting off and join them on the train. In the end we didn’t even have to rush, so had time to pick up a celebratory cookie to eat on the platform (Funnily enough, it actually was a large fancy jammie dodger!)