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Extra-curricular activities

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

Original poster

Autumn 21 music thread

334 replies

thirdfiddle · 18/09/2021 11:44

Well, we started the summer thread on a rainy day so how about an autumn thread on a sunny day?
Welcome all parents of musical young people, from total beginners to total professionals. Please come and chat in one of the friendliest and most helpful corners of MN.
What's new this term?

OP posts:
Spudina · 23/10/2021 16:02

Hi all. I have a DD who is working towards Grade 2 cello. I have a bit of a random question. There was a film recently made about a drummer who was losing his hearing, and the Guardian did an article about heating loss/tinnitus in musicians. Some of those interviewed said that they had started with problems after being in school orchestras etc. This has worsened the weird phobia/anxiety I have around noise. I’m worried I’m damaging the DDs hearing by getting her to play. She has been invited to a group ensemble and I feel irrationally anxious about it. I see that SpecSavers do ear plugs that reduce the decibels for musicians. Do any of you have experience using them? I will try and link the article if I can find it. Thanks. Apologies for the long (crazy) post.

doesanybodyhaveamap · 23/10/2021 16:21

@Spudina there is growing awareness of this issue. DD is at specialist school and they have just issued noise reduction ear plugs to all their musicians. You can pay lots for custom fits, but the ones you buy inexpensively off Amazon etc do the trick well enough, especially for normal school orchestra type levels. DD and lots of her peers have been wearing them for a while (just off-the shelf ones) and she finds them helpful (she is generally very sensitive to noise so they get a lot of use!!).

Mendingfences · 23/10/2021 17:02

Ds is a drummer (amongst other things). He wears ear defenders when he practises drum kit and his teacher varies a lot so he often plays hand drums (bongos, congas, djembe) which are easier on the ears

Spudina · 23/10/2021 17:09

@doesanybodyhaveamap thanks so much for the reply, that’s really good to know. I will have a look on Amazon.

Original poster
thirdfiddle · 23/10/2021 17:24

Cello is generally a good bet for noise - in most orchestras they're seated well clear of any heavy percussion or brass. Cellos don't get loud enough to damage anyone's hearing.
I guess it depends what you do, how often, any amplification etc. Early stages strings likely to be absolutely fine so while I'd keep it in mind it's not going to be a problem just yet unless they go to sort of school who have huge orchestras or likes amping things up loud. Even brass players in early stages just aren't that loud.

OP posts:
Spudina · 23/10/2021 17:50

@thirdfiddle thanks that kind of what I thought. She has been doing a strings ensemble all through lockdown via Zoom. She has been invited to her first face to face one and that’s what’s set off my anxiety. They will be really infrequent but I think I would feel better getting her into wearing them when she is playing with other musicians. I don’t want to put my anxiety into her either however.

Original poster
thirdfiddle · 23/10/2021 19:52

I think ear protection in any string only ensemble would be over anxiety territory. String sounds are v gentle.

OP posts:
northerngoldilocks · 23/10/2021 22:57

I'd tend to agree. Ear protection on a string ensemble would be overkill I think.

Trumpetdad · 24/10/2021 02:06

NYO advice on ear protection
www.nyo.org.uk/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMTcvMTAvMTgvN212cXFjN2VvMF9OWU9fR3VpZGVsaW5lc19vbl9IZWFyaW5nX1Byb3RlY3Rpb24ucGRmIl1d/NYO%20Guidelines%20on%20Hearing%20Protection.pdf?sha=c0029140bcffb21e

We have ER20 protectors. But very hard to persuade DS to use them as no one else is. The children music groups need to make it mandatory

Wrinklyeyes · 24/10/2021 05:30

Thanks for posting that Trumpetdad - very comprehensive.

northerngoldilocks · 24/10/2021 20:41

Thanks for posting that, I've just bought some for use at youth orchestra. DS plays in a concert band there and generally doesn't have any brass next to him, but does sometimes have a piccolo directly behind so think getting him used to the idea of wearing these is a good idea. Also probably for flute ensemble more generally.

yodaforpresident · 25/10/2021 15:12

Thanks for posting - have gone for some vented ones for DD.

horseymum · 25/10/2021 18:13

If definitely going to look into this, wasn't much point during covid but they they are at least playing with some others I will. Thanks for the info and the reminder.

Spudina · 25/10/2021 18:14

@thirdfiddle sorry I wasn’t clear. The string ensemble will be joined by all the other ensembles (brass etc).
@Trumpetdad thanks for posting.

Original poster
thirdfiddle · 25/10/2021 19:24

No worries my mistake!

OP posts:
londonmummy1966 · 29/10/2021 15:33

Can I ask all of you with DC at London Saturday schools if you have a secondhand instrument selling scheme? I need to get rid of a 7/8 cello - it was DD's "spare" for school to avoid taking the good one on the train several times a week. I know CYM have a donate an instrument scheme but I would like some of the £2500 I spent on this back really. ........

horseymum · 29/10/2021 15:53

Could you drop a note to all the cello teachers to let them know, often pupils will buy on a teachers recommendation. We got our first oboe through the teacher, and hopefully doing same for second. I don't mind if there is a bit of " commission".

londonmummy1966 · 29/10/2021 18:35

Thanks horsey - I don't think that the teachers would be prepared to recommend a cello from a "random" - I suppose I was hoping that there might be some online resale scheme where I could advertise it. In the past i've sold instruments on ebay but was hoping to avoid the commission...

doesanybodyhaveamap · 29/10/2021 19:42

There are noticeboards in Guildhall where people stick up posters of instruments for sale.

lanthanum · 29/10/2021 21:35

@minisnowballs

Given the girls' music school's terrific fondness for moving students from oversubscribed instruments onto more unusual ones in the wind department, I don't really understand why they same doesn't happen in strings given the HUGE number of violinists.

"Flute is it?" one parent remarked to me about three years ago. "You'll be getting a bassoon soon..." She was right.

  1. You need a viola teacher, or at least a violin teacher who isn't scared of the alto clef.
  2. You have to convince the child (and sometimes their parents) that learning a new clef is not that big a deal.

Oh, and viola is bigger and heavier, although possibly you can avoid youngsters realising that's a problem if they're young enough to be playing on a violin-strung-as-viola.

londonmummy1966 · 29/10/2021 21:42

@doesanybodyhaveamap - thank you -do you know where they are and how I could access them? DD is a JG alumna so perhaps not as cheeky as it sounds?

Trumpetdad · 29/10/2021 21:45

@londonmummy1966 I’ve used Gumtree/eBay in the past.
Also try reverb.com/uk/
Final choice is music shops, who will sell for commission.

doesanybodyhaveamap · 29/10/2021 22:30

@londonmummy1966 best bet is probably to get it to someone that goes in regularly-l and ask them to pin it up for you. I'd do it for you but DD has moved on. You could try emailing the JG admin team - they might stick it up for you. The boards tend to be in the corridors that access the teaching rooms,
So lots of parents hanging round!

minisnowballs · 30/10/2021 06:48

@ianthanum - take your point on the heavy. On the teacher though- dd’s first teacher was the local violin and viola teacher. Hugely popular, loads of pupils and had taught for ages. She was first study viola herself from a child. Dd was the first child she had ever taught viola - all other parents had requested violin.