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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

Summer 21 music thread

183 replies

squintsoftheworldunite · 25/06/2021 07:49

Hello peeps....

Decided (on a grey, drizzly late June morning!) that it was time for some summer music thread fun....!

My DC is coming to the end of a first term at specialist school, just had first public concert and was reminded of the absolute joy of public performance. We got a couple of exams out of the way before the new beginning, a theory exam coming up this summer but that's all. Some exciting summer music, including a solo performance at a "grown up" concert and some music courses to keep said offspring busy. Excited to see NCO auditions return, even if they're recorded only... Hoping for actual courses next year!

Thanks to those who paved the way in times gone by with the music threads!

OP posts:
yodaforpresident · 29/07/2021 13:00

You also try using an incognito window in chrome - I had this recently where I could only access a website if I opened an incognito window first. I only found out because their tech support people suggested it.

gogohm · 29/07/2021 13:09

Well I think I've graduated from this thread, finally ... dd is off to study music in September. She's also able to sing enough weddings to help with the cost thankfully. Best of luck for next year for all of you still in the school system

QueenMabby · 29/07/2021 13:26

@chocorabbit

That's brilliant *@KittyOSullivanKrauss*

Our boys are not musical and have chosen other subjects so it's not a problem for us. It's absolutely great that you have chosen the school that best suits you!

Good luck to the rest of you with your exams, whether theory or instrument.

Does anyone know if you do the performance exam, can the 4th piece be of a higher grade or completely outside their past exams list?

@chocorabbit I think it can be anything!

For DD’s g5 performance she played a v modern South African piece by a living composer. Think it might have been in an exam syllabus in SA in the last 20 years but it was “alternative” to say the least!

I think as long as it rounds out the overall performance nicely it’ll be fine.

chocorabbit · 30/07/2021 10:26

Thank you @QueenMabby!

I quite like modern composers!

thirdfiddle · 30/07/2021 17:20

Theory practice papers working today. I didn't do anything differently so perhaps the system was just down yesterday. Now need to convince DD to use her scrap paper not just try to work out the whole lot in her head. She's passing but so many unnecessary errors. I guess she hasn't had much call for exam technique up to this point in her life!
Next job G5 aural.

Congrats to your DD gogohm! College updates and perspectives welcome too :) must be a point where all these grade whatevers seem very beside the point.

Patchedcabbage · 06/08/2021 09:18

Does anyone have words of wisdom regarding braces and clarinet playing? DC has just started to work on G7 pieces and will start GCSE Music in September. Did your child adjust to fixed braces? Did you pay for Invisalign?

Wetellyourstory · 07/08/2021 21:06

My DC was in the same position, had traditional train-track ones for 3 years and found it didn’t affect clarinet playing. Took about a week to get used to but other than that, no problems. Tried to ensure the routine tightening wasn’t the day before any orchestra etc as it can make your teeth ache for a day. When they are finally removed, try not to have an exam fairly soon after as time will be needed to adjust then too (week or two).

Yr10mom · 08/08/2021 07:20

@Patchedcabbage dd has had both traditional and now invisilign. seems very child specific butt dd was in a lot of pain when doing v long playing days with traditional - was doing nco etc etc. when she had her regular tightening she playing was often too difficult for a week or so - it was quite a battle with the dentist before big events! removable are not painful at all for her but they spend a lot of time ‘out’ which does affect progress. her current dentist works with a lot of young players. you may do fine with traditional but may be in the too painful category (hopefully not)

Patchedcabbage · 08/08/2021 08:23

Thanks both, well I guess that's both sides of the coin right there!

raspberryrippleicecream · 10/08/2021 21:05

Not posted much recently, but some folk may remember me from the original thread.

Youngest DS got A level results today including an A* in music, very proud of him!
He and his friends are organising a concert in a couple of weeks which will be amazing!

raspberryrippleicecream · 10/08/2021 21:09

Also not clarinet, trombone, DS had train tracks fitted on March, a month before his Grade 8 exam. Didn't dare postpone either, the braces should have been fitted a week after the first lockdown started. He has been fine mostly, some loss of tone but able to play

minisnowballs · 12/08/2021 18:19

Brilliant news for your DS raspberry! Well done to him

PaddingtonPaddington · 12/08/2021 20:26

Congratulations to your DS @raspberryrippleicecream. What an achievement!

OneLovelySister · 12/08/2021 22:12

Jolly well done, raspberry’s DS Star

QueenMabby · 13/08/2021 08:42

@raspberryrippleicecream - brilliant news! Well done your ds.

Taking my dd to a music residential today. She’s so nervous bless her - doesn’t know anyone else going and I’m very proud of her as this is way outside her comfort zone!

minisnowballs · 13/08/2021 10:12

That's super brave Mabby - hope she has a ball. My two both did a PGL residential this summer (each went alone) and came back buzzing. Sure she will too! I'm off to take dd2 to her holiday music lesson - not sure how delighted she is by this news...

Mendingfences · 13/08/2021 13:10

The end of the holidays for us, school starts again on monday. Timetables are beginning to tick in an so far no crashes 👍

minisnowballs · 13/08/2021 16:33

Trying not to cry, not sure whether with laughter or hysteria, about the email I've just received for DD2s holiday music course (non-residential).

Casually appended to all the usual gumpf about nut-free lunches, 2b pencils and string players bringing their own rosin, is the killer phrase

'flautists to bring a piccolo (if possible)'. Particularly loving the brackets round 'if possible' as if it obviously is if you only try. We do NOT have a piccolo.... Sometimes I feel that they go out of their way to deliberately alienate non-musical parents.

Also, Where the hell do I get a piccolo?

Wrinklyeyes · 13/08/2021 18:27

minisnowballs - do not get me started on the inclusivity (or lack of) in music education & training. I can be on my soap box for hours 😬

I would really not give a second thought to the piccolo requirement. Do you know how many flautists there are going to be in total? I should imagine they would only need one or two piccolo players among them.

If your DD is desperate to take one then you might be able to hire one from a music shop which does hire. But I wouldn’t go out of your way just for the course. They will not be expecting all flautists to take a piccolo.

minisnowballs · 13/08/2021 19:00

Thanks Wrinklyeyes. I have told them we do not have one.

I am not sure they care a lot about inclusivity on this particular course, at the local private school. All of the advertising is about 'excellence' and 'talent'.

Last time I sat in the audience I appeared to be the only parent who wasn't a musician. Never mind...dd2 likes it and that is what matters.

Mendingfences · 13/08/2021 21:29

No piccolo here either minisnowballs. I can often be found with a bag full of extra music stands and the occasional white shirt (and clothes pegs for pinning down errant music when playing outdoors but no piccolos 😉
Most music stuff we've been involved in is fairly low key - one particularly memorable morning was monday morning drop off for a strings supper course where it soon became apparent that at least 2/3rds of the juniormost orchestra had no idea how to open their music stands and neither did their parents so whilst the conductor tuned and roisined many small instruments i was on music stand duty. At least i could be usefull for something 😁

Wrinklyeyes · 14/08/2021 06:21

Last time I sat in the audience I appeared to be the only parent who wasn't a musician.

Just out of interest - how could you tell? I know sometimes it’s just an instinct. But am also wondering if there was anything obvious? E.g. singing along in four-part harmonies or something? Grin

minisnowballs · 14/08/2021 07:21

Wrinklyeyes- lots of chat and queuing beforehand (I’m naturally nosy)- also they all knew each other! Wish they had been singing

Mendingfences · 14/08/2021 07:37

When my eldest started taking part in music activities in our nearest city (rather than pur very rural area) there was deffinitely a feeling that everyone in the strings community knew each other. Now we are part of it I see it is not quite that simple but there are clearly alot of people who now each other though music activities, the private school networks and quite possibly other links that I am unaware of. Most importantly, once we entered the 'scene' (eldest started in the talent program) people have been very welcoming and yes alot of them are musicians 😁 but far from all. I guess i count as a very very amateur musician, i play in a small brass band but that doesnt count for much when it comes to strings 😁

Wrinklyeyes · 14/08/2021 07:41

Mini - I find the whole social/anthropological side of the musical world fascinating. I expect it’s the same with sport or other activities which tend to take up a lot of time or commitment from young participants and their parents.

Earlier in the holidays I went to a concert where DD was playing. This was held on a Saturday afternoon 2 weeks after the state schools had broken up for summer, so probably 3 weeks or so since private schools had finished. The audience was mainly made up of family members of the DCs playing - parents, grandparents, siblings.

Every sibling in the audience was wearing a hoodie from their independent school. This was 3 weeks into the school summer holidays. I was on my own at the concert and was curious about so many kids wearing their school hoodies in the middle of the holidays so I started googling some of the schools on my phone. All prestigious private schools in different parts of the country - I counted at least 6. I wonder how many of them were told by their parents to wear those hoodies or how many of them thought, I know, it’s a Saturday in the middle of the holidays, I’ll just put my school jumper on to go and watch my brother/sister play in a concert.