Spring Term 2020 music thread

[squintsoftheworldunite]

Thought I would start the ball rolling on the first 2020 music thread since I’m awake. Happy New Year all of you and your lovely little musicians. Carrying on the long tradition of music threads here begun moons ago by wafflenose .... hoping our threads continue to be a place that’s welcoming to all, whatever standard, experience, backgrounds or situations of music bring you here.

2019 brought incredible music experiences for us, our biggest year to date. Exhausting but incredible. We said goodbye to the year with a final music lesson to end what has been an amazing first year on a new, and now first study, instrument. We’ve had a year free from practical exams but full of auditions and performances and so much to look back on with gratitude. I certainly couldn’t have predicted 2019 this time last year! I hope we can say the same of 2020 this time next year. Happy New Year xx

Results are supposed to take a week but they said to allow 2!

Glad the clarinet exam experience went well. No exams this term but a music festival for the girls, regional and school orchestra concert where DD is doing a solo and wind group piece ( school one) then a school music competition. DS also has a jazz concert so it's a busy term! As long as it doesn't all get cancelled for the dreaded virus.

Glad the clarinet exam went well Alacazam.
Grade 3 cello this term for my dd but a couple of weeks left yet. Good luck for all other dcs and their exams and comps. Piano comp for her coming up too - solo and duet.

Can I join? I'm a violin teacher and just found out that one of my newest and youngest students passed her ABRSM grade 1 violin with Distinction (135/150)! I'm over the moon for her! Got 6 more exams to go... Hoping for some other nice results!

@Syrinx89 Must be a talented student you’ve got there to get such a good mark. When did she take the exam? Good luck with the other exam marks.

@alakazam8 Thank you, she is talented but works very hard. Only started 6 months ago! She did the exam on Monday 2nd and we found out the result yesterday. The new system advertised 'within a week' but we were sceptical... And rightly so! Are you waiting on some results?

Yes - was told a week too but we’ll see... that’s very fast to go from beginner to Grade 1 in 6 months. She’s done well (and must have worked hard)

Looks like the singing exam may need to be cancelled for dd, who is hot and coughing. A minor issue in the current situation, really, but she wanted to do it before the a level exam term started.

Hello all,
Completely new to mumsnet but have been reading through some of the threads recently as my daughter had her initial cello exam at the beginning of the month. Have found it all so enlightening as a completely non-musical parent. Daughter getting super into playing now - think exam was a real boost - but sadly all lessons now been cancelled due to obvious factors (she has individual lessons at school). Any tips on staying motivated for the next 6-7 weeks (minimum!) with no lessons would be gratefully received!

Hi Syrinx89 - well done your little pupil, and teacher too!

Hi Pes, how lovely your daughter is enjoying it so much. Good questions re lack of lessons, I wonder how many others are or will end up in that situation. Did teacher give her any new music post exam yet? If nothing else, perhaps she could try teaching herself some of the other pieces in the exam book. Our lessons still going for now, but I have some idea if we have to cancel to feed them a challenge piece as a long term project plus some easier pieces for sight reading/ keeping interest. Youtube is good to see how things should go if she isn't sure. You can't ask teacher to do some skype lessons? That's my other idea. Teachers won't want to lose their income stream either.

Their ensemble playing is an absolute highlight for my kids, we're wondering whether (or more when!) those are going to be put on hold, or indeed if we keep going if they are still on. Wondering whether exams are going ahead too - going to be a lot of cleaning of piano keys if they are.

Very difficult times for music and musicians generally, many self employed teachers and performers.

@thirdfiddle she had one lesson after her exam and her teacher suggested learning pieces for the grade one exam with a view to taking it in June - however teacher has now said given the disruption will probably be best to do the work and move straight to grade 2 next year.
She’s taught herself slurring (which sounds fine to my ear at least!) and is playing her two pieces with some sight reading from other books we still have from the teacher.
I’m just conscious I have no musical ability so I’m wary of her cementing bad habits! She’s only just 7 and started in Sep so this seems even more possible if you see what I mean!

DS2 was just talking about staying motivated. Constant emails now with things being put on hold. NYO inspire next week, JD, Cathedral choir, music service. His school concert is postponed too. I think he is going to set himself some challenges.

Waiting, without much hope, to see what will happen with his organ exam.

However, we managed most of our local Festival last week and DS had a great week. Won classes on three different instruments, a highest mark trophy for one and also a most inspiring performance.

Pes might Skyping be possible with the teacher?

Peripatetic teachers here are finding some schools have banned them until further notice, but all inter-school activity has been stopped too

@thirdfiddle and @raspberryrippleicecream Skype is a great idea - will definitely consider that after the Easter break if this continues!
Really feel for all the music teachers - dd’s school have cancelled their exams and all extra/curricular activity entirely.

Well done to your DS, Raspberry! Love reading about all these successes - it’s like there’s a whole world out there that I’m just beginning to discover!

ABRSM exams cancelled....

Oh no! I thought they probably would be but still hoping!

Just saw Abrsm had cancelled all exams from Wednesday. Haven’t heard from either of DDs teachers about lessons but just had an email to say her audition had been cancelled.

Yes, just had an email to say that the ABRSM exams are cancelled. Our school have asked that they take place in May instead.

My DD had practical grade 6 exam yesterday. How lucky! As from tomorrow all the exams are cancelled.
She is 11 yr old got grade 5 distinction but she said the aural test was a disaster! How upsetting! Her score will go down for the aural test but I hope she will learn to give aural the same importance than practice.

Gutted (but understand) that exams are cancelled. DS’s g3 cello was due Friday. She also had a piano comp cancelled at the weekend. First world problems I know, but they’ve all been working so hard!

Yes- dds flute too. She’ll go on to grade 6- but of course now has the problem with getting the five theory first too- which she was supposed to take in June. None of it matters in the grand scheme of course- but hard to keep motivated.

Our first remote lessons will be happening this week, both teachers have chosen facetime so we'll see how it all works. I did have to make the kids tidy up so there was space to det things up 😆

Well we just had the result through this evening and she passed. We are certainly celebrating- it’s nice to have some good news in amongst everything that is going on!
Those remote lessons sound like a great idea. Not sure yet what will happen to her lessons as yet.

Well done to her, Alakazam! It sounds like it was a real achievement. I hope she can carry on. Do you know about performance assessments? They seem to be used often for adults who don't want to do exams (I did one), but they're also useful for children with special circumstances. It's like an exam, but without the supporting tests, and with only feedback rather than scores. Still run by ABRSM and with the same examiners. It could even be something to try the term/year before doing the real exam, depending how difficult she finds it.