Spring 23 music thread

[thirdfiddle]

I saw some sunshine today so it's officially spring! Here's a new thread for all things musical.

With a nod to those who started the series, well before my young folk picked up an instrument or I braved the vipers of MN. This little corner is for support only, and bragging about your young folk's musical achievements is positively encouraged.

How are things looking for new year? Anyone new want to join us for a chat? Any lurkers want to delurk? All welcome from pre beginners to music college and beyond.

Do check she knows how to use the mouse correctly to answer the questions before the real thing. Sounds really stupid but my DD1 got 0 out of 10 on chords (her strongest bit of the paper) which we thought was odd given it is multiple choice. When we enquired further it turned out she had not dragged and dropped the notes onto the stave, merely clicked them and they didn't register. She got the actual pass mark - thank GOD - otherwise I would have been pretty cross.

hi everyone, hope it’s ok to join
I am not very musical myself but my DD 13 is a keen pianist. At the moment she is only playing piano, she did the Grade 5 theory online last year and she is playing Grade 7 syllabus. She also plays other music for fun. Currently her piano teacher is abroad so no lessons although I’m planning for school music lessons next year. The last grade she took was Grade 5 Performance but I don’t think she has to do grade 6. Do you think it’s possible to skip to Grade 7? Also would it be better to carry on with piano to a high standard or to introduce another instrument? Because I know that in higher years of school, she will have less time to play piano. Thanks

Hi @twinklypiano - skipping grades is fine. DD has done 1,5 and will do 7 in the summer. Her teacher doesn't like to do 8 without 7, but that's his preference rather than based on any rules.

Re introducing another instrument- does she want to? My DD added violin after piano so she could play in ensembles which is more sociable, but I wouldn't make her if she wasn't interested?

@twinklypiano You can skip grades. DD did G2 piano in year 3, then Covid started and she did G7 in year 6. I don't think she's going to do more grades. She's on G8 and above at the moment, in year 7, and happy to continue according to the pieces her teachers throw at her and what she's interested in.

Re second instrument, DD took up violin in year 3 so she could play in orchestras and ensembles. In that respect I do think it has a huge advantage as piano is a rather lonely instrument. She enjoys the violin (on G5 now) and it opened up many options for her.

Gosh yes do skip grades. My only issue with grade 7 is it is a lot of very hard work for a grade that isn't grade 8. Probably makes sense not to try to do grades in between teachers anyway, and when she's got a teacher again and settled down any technique things, teacher and your DD can see whether 7 or 8 is most appropriate.

A very able pianist would pick up another instrument quickly and playing in groups is really fun. She could consider a rare instrument with a view to lots of group playing opportunities. Is there anything particular she has an eye on? Or styles of music she likes e.g. orchestra, rock band, big band etc that might influence her choice? Don't assume it would slow her down on piano, our piano teacher says the more instruments they have the faster they learn. (Though that causation may go the other way round!)

As everyone says @twinklypiano definitely skip any you like. Dd skipped five on flute (covid) and has only taken five on bassoon but grade eight repertoire now.
only caveat is that I think you can’t take the diplomas without a grade eight in the instrument or a related one (so violin if it is viola etc). They cost a bomb as well so there is an incentive not to take them!

We've missed grades too. On piano dd didn't do 4 and isn't doing 7 and will do g8 when ready.

On cello she's only done grades 1 and 4 and is playing pieces around grade 6 now which she may or may not take. Decision not yet made.

For dd piano is her "serious" instrument and cello is more learnt for the pleasure and enjoyment of ensemble playing. She plays in two orchestras at school and a trio. It's great for the social side and she's made friends across the year groups at school because of it.

@minisnowballs DD is nearly 13 and went from mini bassoon onto full size when 11, she's now mostly playing on a short reach but no problems playing the full stretch one. She's 5'5" and got a big hand span and will grow more so if we buy one, it will be full size. She's only on the short reach as that's the better of the two the region owns. No one else is playing not likely to so she's the only bassoon. Hence applying for NYO inspire to meet some others! She's also doing a NYOS ensemble this summer, so hopefully some bassoons there.

@twinklypiano welcome! Glad your DD is enjoying piano. We definitely don't do all the exams- too expensive and slow down progress and reduce the variety of repertoire played.
I would echo a pp saying to consider a rarer second instrument, more opportunities! Starting violin at 13 is relatively late so harder to catch up. Look at double bass, bassoon, tuba, trombone, oboe, all endangered instruments and often started later. With regards to having less time, I find elder DD is more efficient with her time, she also stays up later. She has rationalised her hobbies too and only does music and some sport a couple of hours a week. Therefore she actually has more time for music than when younger. She will also have some study periods next year and a practice period in music and fewer subjects so I think it will actually be easier. Although she is very focused so makes it look easy. Two instruments help each other.

thanks for the info on theory test. Are there any practice versions that can be done online to enable dd to understand what is required of the online exam- we work on paper and she might struggle with the change of methods?

@Alakazam8 there is an online mock on the abrsm website (only 1 though)

@horseymum thanks! Your DD is a giant compared with ours, who is pushing 5:2 on a good day. She started at ten on a mini and only got the short reach at 11 and a half - I sometimes wonder whether she's really big enough to play the bassoon at all. Anyhow, new school confirms they have short reaches for her for now and will help us sort a proper instrument when necessary so I guess they know what they're doing! So it's just a few months of working with what she's got.

@Alakazam8 A I think there is a practice paper online at ABRSM you can do on the computer - and you could always try the ones for lower grades too just to get used to the format and the computer. But someone who has a child who has done it more recently will know more (@northerngoldilocks ?)

I think that there are papers for each grade 1-5, we definitely accessed 3 last summer when she sat that.

@twinklypiano Hi, and welcome.

Definitely skip grades. DS plays 2 instruments, got Grade 8 in both, but actually only took 4 other grade exams in total, two in each instrument.

In terms if a second instrument- DS was a late starter in music, though he still went to conservatoire at 18. He picked his second instrument based on three things - the style of music that he liked, in what instruments a really good teacher was available, and what locally available ensembles were likely to have vacancies for at a suitable level. So for example, violin was out - too late starting to join age appropriate ensembles. Bassoon was out - not used in his preferred genre and good players of his own age already filling available seats. Double bass - out because no good local teacher.

Good luck and have fun!

Thanks everyone :)
So while I’m trying to sign up for piano lessons at school, DD wants to learn a new piece which is harder! (her words) What would you recommend? Do you think she could look at grade 8 and try those for fun? And if it goes well new teacher could possibly try for grade 8? For the 2nd instrument she’s thinking oboe, horn or maybe viola. She could play in ensembles then.

She could pick one of the grade 8 syllabus pieces and see what she thinks. What has she done other than the grade 7 recently? DD is learning Chopin's minute waltz alongside her grade 7 stuff 'for fun' if that might be of interest?

Can't comment on the pieces but oboe is SO in demand here. Literally one player in the county band! So many opportunities for oboists, more than bassoonists.

So while I’m trying to sign up for piano lessons at school, DD wants to learn a new piece which is harder! (her words) What would you recommend? Do you think she could look at grade 8 and try those for fun? And if it goes well new teacher could possibly try for grade 8? For the 2nd instrument she’s thinking oboe, horn or maybe viola. She could play in ensembles then.

Perhaps get a mixed anthology or two and let her choose. It's good to get out of the mind set of 'grade 7 piece' and 'grade 8 piece' and just find music that you like. What sorts of styles does she enjoy? Debussy's children's corner is lovely and iirc I did one of them for grade 8 which wasn't particularly hard notes wise. Or get her some chopin mazurkas or nocturnes or something - mix of difficulty, she can pick her own level of challenge. Sure people here might have some other suggestions, it's a while since i learned and my DC aren't at that stage yet.

I know some people would disagree but I have always been for having a go for fun at things that might be too hard to play for a performance yet. DD did one such between teachers, new teacher let her carry on with it for a bit, but then also revisited it a year later to show her how much more she could make of it at that point. Already have another formerly aspirational piece earmarked to dust off next term as DD wants that piece particularly for a performance.

It's likely a new teacher won't want to dive straight into preparing for any exam, they usually take a while to bed down and get to know each other, and often there are adjustments to make to technique. I wouldn't even think about what exam when at this point, leave that to teacher and student to work out.

Any of oboe, horn or viola would be much in demand round here :)

I think that its a really good point @thirdfiddle that a new teacher is unlikely to dive straight into an exam syllabus - there is a bit of time of working out where they're at and whether there are areas to work on.

When DD was finishing up with her last piano teacher he suggested she play Grieg's 'Wedding Day in Trolldhaugen' and her new teacher worked on it for a while with her before they put it aside to concentrate on the Grade 7 work. It was all just about there but not performance ready - she might pick it up again later though (when her hands grow mainly!). It was good to learn something that was different and harder than the things she'd been doing. Similarly with the Chopin minute waltz, its just a different technique and style to the pieces she's been working on so its been good. She was also playing Debussy's 'la fille aux cheveux de lin' which was beautiful and definitely worked on different elements of playing / expression - might be something @twinklypiano your daughter could enjoy playing - or perhaps the Deux Arabesques if she likes that type of music?

Other things on DD's 'wish list' to play at some point (bearing in mind she's only quite young so still hasn't heard loads of music) are Glinka/Balakirev's, The Lark and Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique. Both might be a little way off though!

@northerngoldilocks

Would also recommend Debussy’s Children’s corner. Also some of Grieg’s Lyric pieces or Chopin Fantasie Impromptu.

Do any of you lot know about drama, as well as music? DD2 has to do a two minute monologue to audition for her new school musical. Not quite sure where she'll find something suitable - and the audition is on Zoom as she's obviously not there yet. Any suggestions very gratefully received!

How old is she? And what is the musical?

@Comefromaway shes 13 and I think I might have misidentified it as a musical- more an ensemble play with singing- treasure island.

She is doing gcse drama and has done lamda up to grade 4 a while ago with all distinctions (but her last one was a joint exam so nothing she can use and the one before a Shakespeare so would be a bit random).

For younger children I would tend to steer them towards LAMDA monologues or the trusty Jean Marlowe monologue book. Roald Dahl is especially popular.

I’d try to find something from a similar time period with similar character types.

@Comefromaway - you are brilliant. I've ordered both, and it's reminded me of the Dawn Treader monologue she did in Year 6., which might just still work, even though she's much older.