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

She sounds like an enthusiastic little musician secrets.

Hello, hope you don’t mind a slight hijack! I have a tiny DS (20 months) who is obsessed with the violin (he literally sleeps clinging on to his plastic toy one). He’s obviously too way too young for lessons, but for those of you who recognised their child’s interest early, how did you encourage them? Are there any good classes (we’re in London) that anyone would recommend?

We listen to music together all the time, sing constantly, encourage him to clap along (he can find and keep to a beat, and sing in tune already). I feel like that’s probably all he needs for now, but what are the next steps and what age should we be taking them?

@HarrietM87 my eldest DD was exactly like that at the same age (minus sleeping with the plastic violin 😂). We did lots of mother and toddler music groups, and she's always been exposed to a wide range of music. Like, all the time! In the end we started Suzuki violin at 5 1/2 (later than planned due to circumstances). She's proving my early suspicions right and exceeded all expectations.

Knowing what I know now, and if I lived in London, in your position I'd be looking at the String Training Program at Guildhall or the equivalent program at Junior RAM. It's not too early to look into this - he can't start for a while but kids are signed up years in advance. Also, Suzuki start kids off very small, sometimes around 3yrs if they're ready. There's a thriving Suzuki community in London.

Hello secrets. As thirdfiddle said you can get full marks with any of the pieces so there should be no advantage in choosing harder pieces. Some people say it's better to avoid obvious popular ones as you'd be compared with so many people hence the marks can get harsh. Or some people say the opposite - popular ones would be better due to the charming tunes etc. The examiners are a human after all so hard to predict... So I suppose it's best to go for the pieces you love and want to play/learn.

Anyway that's what DS did and the teacher encouraged. Whenever DS said 'that looks hard' or 'which one is harder?', the teacher would say 'don't choose a piece because it 'looks' harder or easier but choose what you like and want to play'.

I haven't posted on here for a while, glad to see the threads are still running. I recognise a few names, hello! Is waffle still around?

I am just dipping in for some advice.

My DS came very late to music. He started guitar 2.5 years ago, made extremely rapid progress (by practising 8-10 hours a day ) and now plays in a local jazz/blues group with adults + takes a class with a jazz pro.

More recently he started playing piano at home (self taught - also taught himself to read music). Last September he decided to sign himself up at the conservatoire in our town (we live in France) and he will be taking the equivalent of grade 8 in May/June. He also takes music as one of his baccalauréat options at school.

With such a late start he obviously has a very limited repertoire and rather patchy theory knowledge. Nevertheless he is interested in doing a double honours degree in a French university involving music (and physics). The entry requirement include a written and aural test involving among other things rhythmic, melodic and harmonic dictation and sight singing. He has never done any of those things and the entry tests are in 3 months!

My question is how would you prepare for this (be honest if you wouldn't even attempt it) and whether you can recommend any apps or internet resources.

Thanks magna and third . I was a bit puzzled about it too as I thought that they would all be similar, but Home on the Range is supposedly harder than The Happy Wanderer. I have no experience of singing grades so will be guided by the teacher. She is very enthusiastic about singing and is very keen on folk songs from my home country!

I'm afraid I don't have any experience of singing grades as DS's instruments are violin and piano. But just to back up my assumption, DS did 5 practical exams between two instruments (up to grade 8) and he played some of the hardest pieces, the easiest pieces, the most popular pieces, the least popular pieces and he always got more or less the same results! I think you are right to trust and follow the teacher's guidance though. Good luck!

Hi mistigri, yes waffle still drops in from time to time. Brilliant to hear your DS is doing so well and enthusiastically. I think on uni tests your best bet is to find a tutor to get maximum information about what's involved and advice. If you explain to the tutor how quickly he has learned the practical side and the time he's prepared to put in they will understand normal rules don't apply. That said, my previous experience of French systems and I don't know if this is still the case, is that in attempt to be impartial they can be quite rigid, test scores only no other circumstances considered. Have you thought of also applying in other countries? Or is there an option to start with physics and change course once you're in the door? I wouldn't bet against him given what he's done so far, but just thinking for contingencies.

Secrets, thinking about it, DS did score lowest on the "easy" piece in one of his exams. Though from the comments a large chunk of that is teacher's fault, she insisted on same tempo throughout when a key feature of the piece was switching between a slower and a faster tempo for contrasting sections. And also partly because it got neglected in practice as "oh I can already play that"!

Hi, I hope it is ok to post here. My DD1 is 12 and working towards grade 7 flute this summer. She has also recently started piano and is becoming more and more obsessed with all things music. She has researched herself all the Sat music schools in London but, for us, it is not a realistic option. I work full time, we live in Lincolnshire (with rubbish train access to London) and I also have dd2. I would, however, be prepared to take her to a London for a summer school at one of these institutions but I can't find anything suitable. Do RAM or anywhere else have anything like this please?

Don't know about London but in Scotland we have quite a few summer opportunities such as one of the national professional orchestras doing a daily summer school, the conservatoire doing wind and string camps, Edinburgh youth orchestra, Scottish schools orchestra, then there are residential ones like NYOS. I think there will be non auditioned opportunities out there, you may just have to dig around.

KATE3003 Dulwich Youth Orchestra run summer courses. not London, but Opera north have a summer course. Wells do woodwind week. There’s the national youth concert band. Pro Corda West take woodwind players
.

Hi kate3003 another flute mum here! You could look at NYOinspire if she attends a state school as they’re eligible from 13... When she’s a little older you might want to try the Oxford flute summer school.. it’s quite serious but fun, most of the people that go are sixth form age or above but teenagers can go too. DD went last year at 14 and enjoyed it but was a bit overwhelmed at times by the standard.. on their website it says the lowest group is grade 5 to 8 and she had done her grade 8 so I thought she’d be fine but the majority were diploma standard and above. She did learn a lot but it wasn’t the fun holiday course I’d envisaged!

Thank you for all the suggestions, that is great! She has got a place on one of the NYO Inspire days for Sep 2020 after she has turned 13. I will look up the other suggestions, thank you! The Oxford flute school def sounds good for when she is older; is nice to see the options as none of them came up on my googling!!!

Hey all!
Just had to seek you all out to let you know that DS has just got an offer from Trinity! One of those lovely Guaranteed Conditionals!
Yeh! He did it, he got a place at one of the brilliant UK Conservatoires!
We are all so happy and excited, and so relieved too!
And Greenwich is such a cool place, I'll be able to go and watch him in concerts, and sit in their cafe looking out at the river like on audition day!
I grew up in Blackheath so I know the area well - will be lovely to visit more often in the coming years

Trinity Laban! Surely the Hogwarts of the musical world 😊
Also feels like the final page of one book, but then just the start of another!

Juggling Thank you for sharing such lovely news. All the best to him in the next chapter of his life.

Thanks Knotaknitter, feeling proud and relieved!

Juggling brilliant news. Congratulations.

KATE3003 I wasn't sure if you were just looking at flute summer schools. Ds2 has done Chet's piano summer school for the last two years and really enjoyed it. They have changed things a bit this year, and are offering a new Junior course, which wouldn't actually have suited DS2, but looks great.

Inspire days are fab and she will love it. Anyone else reading, booking is now open for the March days.

Juggling, no idea what a guaranteed conditional is bit assuming it means he's in - congratulations

Yes, it means they liked him at the audition thirdfiddle and he's in as long as he passes his A levels (2 Es required)
This is standard for the conservatoires, and a definite bonus I'd say compared to the Uni route, although I hear from friends that they're offering more unconditionals these days.
The stress is just earlier in the year if you go the audition route!

Ah that's brilliant. Exciting times!

Congratulations juggling! A great achievement!

Thanks everyone! Still feeling on cloud nine for my boy!
He's gone to Blackpool this weekend with his brass band for the British Open championship
It's been lovely messaging everyone with the good news
If he goes to Trinity (still thinking of keeping his reserve for Birmingham as a first choice) his grandparents will be able to visit him for any concerts and just a walk by the river as they're only about half an hour away in South London.
We all have so many memories of Greenwich, the park, the Cutty Sark, the foot tunnel under the river, from growing up in Blackheath (lived there until I was 8)
Thanks for reminder about NYO Inspire events raspberryripple
DS took part in a great day with them in Sheffield recently and I think they have some Ensemble days coming up which could be really good experience for him. Looks like they are open to late applications for some of the brass instruments.

Congratulations Juggling, sounds like a great opportunity and lovely to spend some time living in London. Even better with grandparents close by!
My dd will be taking her grade 1 clarinet in early March and I’m just wondering if you more experienced musical parents have any tips that make her more likely to pass. She is practicing well and her pieces are perfect but she has additional needs and although she has extra allowances if there are any tips that could make a difference, or anything I won’t have thought of as a beginner that would really help.
I’m not bothered if she passes or fails cos it’s amazing that she could even do this but it would really boost her self esteem to pass (and if she didn’t have the additional needs I would be looking at specialist music education for her as she has perfect pitch and loves music so much) thanks

Sounds like she's very well prepared alakazam. Very important exam technique: post exam cake . Only other thing I can think of is if she's feeling uncertain about it, could her teacher or someone else you know do a practice exam for her? You can also do practice run throughs at home sometimes, so pieces/scales/exercises in the order she will do for the exam. Just so it's all really familiar.

Thanks- post exam cake is a great plan. I’ll speak to school and make sure we can get the extra time out! I think I’ll need cake, or something afterwards too!!
I want to make it as easy as possible for her so am doing everything in mixed orders for her as I was worried that if I did it one way and the examiner changed it, it would completely throw her and she would refuse to do it. Is there a set order that they have to do them in?