Autumn 2020 music thread

[thirdfiddle]

Oh go on then, let's have a new music thread. Spring wasn't good.
What's going on music parents? Are they going back to real live lessons? Is it all virtual for Autumn? Have they sustained interest over lockdown? Any new starters want to join us - or new departures for established musicians?

Hello
I am new too.

What does JD stand for in this context?

Hello orchidsonabudget. Welcome. It stands for a junior department on a Saturday at one of the conservatoires.

Hi Ashard

Business as usual at dd music school. This week is music course before half term. They are just doing lots of recordings, still have the visitors into the school, but not parents for concerts.
Mine is a wind player so lots of quartets, octets, not sure about Big Band I'll ask.
Singers and choirs still going too, and lots of smaller ensembles for the classical players, and orchestras. .

Welcome to new people, not my thread, but wanted to be friendly.

Dev - I'm so sorry you've lost the funding. It feels so massively unfair. Hoping things are better for all concerned soon.

Thanks for the welcome. I think my dc are perhaps in a different league than these here - how brilliant to have such committed and talented children

I will still keep lurking as think I can learn a lot

I can't comment on specialist music schools but on ds's state college btec music course it's business as usual except no public performances.

Dd attends a specialist dance college and again it's business as usual but singing limited to slightly smaller groups of up to 15 and no public performances. But they've been sent hone twice for 14 days in the last month so apart from the first 3 weeks of term have only done 1 full week.

Lovely to see both new and returning names popping up! And dev, at least as much your thread as anyone's if you're a founder member.
Orchids, I'm with you - not on the serious music pathway. DD might go that way, she's only 8 and working hard. At the moment she seems too shy to really be a performer. Her current preferred career options are actor (being prepared to speak in front of strangers might help there too DD!), baker or writer.
DS is more the 5 minutes a day on each instrument school of thought. Which I have some reservations about but he's just about getting away with as he does willingly play every day. If he was going to give up one it would be piano, but that's so useful if he wants to do gcse so I don't want to suggest it.

Hi to all new posters and Dev how gutting about the funding. Such a shame.
Has anyone’s dc done their online abrsm exam yet? Dd is recording for her g5 piano performance exam this week. School are sorting it all and I think they’ll do all the uploading etc as they are a “centre” but has anyone got any experience of what the turnaround time is/what the marking is like etc?? Thx.

Orchid

Definitely stick around, my dd was about 8 when these threads started and she's 16 now. Some of us go back a long way, some new and all those in between.
All sorts of different instruments and schools and everyone so helpful

Nice to see some more people joining the thread, we all need support. All our kids were beginners once and not everyone reaches the same lofty heights, we all have something to share so ask/ share away about exams, instruments, practising, auditions, anything really- someone will be able to help. Our woodwind teacher is coming back face to face for only about the third time since March. Can. not. Wait. Kids have missed the in person teaching so much, zoom is so different.

Face to face is so much more rewarding, although i cannot our teachers efforts online it was clear it was very much out of the comfort zone for some.

Welcome new people! No lofty heights of achievement here - but I've been very grateful for all of the help I've received from other parents on this thread.

DD2 is supposed to take a practical grade 6 on flute this winter. I am nervous - she's not had a lesson in person with her flute teacher since March and there doesn't seem much hope of one before the exam. Her grade 5 was cancelled and I'm aware there's a massive gulf between them. And she's just started secondary so there's plenty else going on to take her attention away from melodic minor scales.

I've just managed to find an accompanist - which was tricky enough and has involved lots of conversation about ventilation and masks for rehearsals. Her teacher was keen for her to take the usual practical rather than the performance exam but I'm really not sure if it will go ahead (we are tier 2). Just have to see I guess.

Where she does get one-on-one lessons on other instruments, they are so much appreciated, but I know all teachers are doing their best in their own circumstances.

Minisnowball, that must be a challenge doing the exam without a face to face. I know my dds have progressed in many ways with zoom but not I think in tone as that seems harder to pick up on over zoom. It must be so stressful for teachers and musicians, not knowing what the right thing to do is, for them and their pupils. I think it is even harder in schools as they have do little control over the size of room , ventilation etc, whereas when private can have a say in it. I think the lack of ensembles is going to kill the joy of music for many kids unfortunately.

Hi everyone! Have popped in and catching up - long time member with name change.

@Ashard20 re: specialist schools, we switched from JD to one this year by happy coincidence. So relieved as DD getting a much more consistent experience than if we'd stayed at JD. Lessons currently 50% online, 50% in person but returning to all face to face and restarting ensembles after half term. Also getting all her specialist academic music in person and additional performance classes etc.

Sorry to gatecrash but anyone else having difficulties submit abrsm performances? I’ve tried many times and it keeps timing out

Hi all, another newbie! DD grade 5 violin was cancelled in the summer but she did get a place at chethams after a 6 week long online audition. We were expecting her to start September 2021 but have just accepted a place to start January 2021 😀 Does anyone here have any DC attending Chets atm? I am struggling to find any online forums for parents with DC at music school.
She also has her first face to lesson since March tomorrow and is very much looking forward to it.

To update, I managed to upload using my phone mobile network eventually. What a nightmare!

Hi 3littlerabbits, well done for getting it in eventually - and good luck with the result in due course!

Hello and congratulations also to threegrl! I know we have some music school parents around, though some prefer to be quieter as it's a small world and easy to "out" yourself. 6 weeks audition, wow, what did she have to do?

For those uploading to ABRSM - dd got her results today a mere 11 days after uploading her G5 performance exam so hopefully your wait won’t be too long 3littlerabbits.
DD v chuffed with her distinction (just! Her teacher said the examiner had been very strict) and will start now bringing theory up to speed for the exam in March 2021!

Thanks thirdfiddle. It was similar to the zoom lessons she had been having. They gave her things to work on between each session and sprung different techniques on her to see how quick she would pick it up. Also tested sightreading, pitch etc... was all quite relaxed really

@QueenMabby congratulations to your dd on the distinction!

Mine has been at a specialist school since September, he’s in 6th form. It’s been 100% positive. Music lessons have been a mix of face to face and online. Ensembles are smaller (orchestral brass, octets etc) and no public performances. The school are being brilliant and doing all they can to facilitate playing and performing.

Do we assume ABRSM Theory exams at public venues will go ahead next week? Nothing so far from ABRSM, but going ahead seems a little out of step, when so many other activities where ‘unfamiliar’ groups are in public venues together for a period of time are being cancelled...