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.

Hello all!
Am I too late for this spring thread?
Can I introduce myself? I'm new to Mumsnet and I have DS 6 who plays violin and piano.
Violin was his choice when he was 3 ( had to wait till 4 to find a teacher for his age). Piano was violin teacher's idea.
He much prefers practicing violin and is already got his heart set on one of the specialized musical schools for secondary LOL :-).
He plays at local children's orchestra and just got moved up to the intermediate strings to play with the bigger kids. He had a bumpy first orchestra session and was a little upset. I had to ask a violinist friend round to help him on the new piece. He's now all set to go back after half term. I'm very nervous how he'll do at the big orchestra and whether he'll be demoralised or more motivated :(.
Just trying to join you mumsnet gang as I'm sure I'll have lots of questions in the coming years as we're not musical at all!

Welcome @chickentikkasalad your Ds sounds like he loves his music. There's no daft questions here, we have kids playing at all different levels with all sorts of different aspirations. I've learnt lots from here.

Ha ha chickentikkasalad, we do seem to have got stuck in Spring, but never too late and welcome! Your son sounds very keen! My DD is also an early starter violinist, though the other way round in that she likes piano even more. Sorry he had a scary rehearsal, but sounds like he's dusted himself off and ready to go.

Sounds like we have a similar setup to your local orchestras, DD joined aged 6 and has progressed through to the senior orchestra now aged 11. Each time they promoted her I was er are you sure, they're awfully big, we were thinking in a year or two ... but musically they've been right and she's loved the challenges. I'm sure your little boy will too.

Socially though I'm glad DD's now where she can stay put and the age range can catch up with her. In a couple of years look out for things like National Children's Orchestra Projects for some fun playing with own age group.

welcome @chickentikkasalad - your son sounds really keen. That is so nice that he knows what he wants! As horsey says - no stupid questions here - everyone is so helpful and supportive.

Thank you horsey, third and minisnowball for the warm welcoming. He is very keen for music and learns very quickly and has good sight reading and techniques but his timing is hit and miss 😌 . When he joined the beginners orchestra his timing improved a lot as there is a conductor to keep timing. He loved the orchestra, but after sometime he started to say the pieces are far too easy he’s finding it boring. His violin teacher also says it’s not helping his timing anymore that’s why she moved him to the intermediate with the bigger kids (they are mainly 10+ years old so a lot better at timing:). Hope his timing gets better again. At least he’s now more enthusiastic about rehearsal.
Violin teacher says it’s really difficult to teach timing that’s where the orchestra will help.
What’s your experience of your littles ones when they were younger? Or were they just naturally very good at it?

He's probably a little young yet but practising with a metronome will really help him.

@chickentikkasalad - metronomes and recordings have always helped my dd... recordings or playing with someone else might be easier when very young. To be honest, at your son's age my dd wasn't playing any instruments at all. We tried her with piano lessons but she kept kicking the piano so we stopped (!) so he's doing very well to focus at all in my very humble opinion.

Some ensemble playing sounds like a excellent recipe for improving rhythm and pulse.

Do you help him practice given young age? You could try things like getting him to clap the rhythm of the piece while counting the beats aloud before he plays it.
Ensemble playing really will help though, you don't have the option of slowing down for the difficult corner (or indeed rushing at the difficult corner DD👀) or having a second try at the note that went wrong.

Welcome @chickentikkasalad. I think its very definitely still spring and not summer as my cycle to work without a coat this morning was ill judged!

On the timing point, both my kids haven't been great at this 'naturally' and my son in particular. I have noticed a huge difference though as he has more experience in ensembles, and its true that the beginner groups only help a little bit so hopefully will just come with more experience in the intermediate orchestra.

In terms of enjoying the sessions, it might just be that its a learning curve for him, but I would keep an eye on whether he's enjoying it once hes done a few weeks. At his age it just needs to be fun really rather than off-putting. DD plays violin and complains a lot about her school strings group as it isn't very good so she finds it really dull, but then can find the holiday youth orchestra quite intimidating, especially when she moved up orchestras or sections, though by the end it has always been the right move for her and she's happy with it.

As others have said, a metronome or help with clapping the beat can really help too. Learning to play in time is a skill that has to develop in the same way as holding a bow or where to put fingers on strings and at 6 he's still really young so lots of time to work on it.

Thank you all for the ideas. I tried metronome and recordings a long time ago but it only confused him. Last time a few days ago he has almost got it. He tends to listen to other people playing better than the recording somehow. I do stay with him at practice but he doesn’t like to accept any help from me because he thinks he can do it all by himself!! It drives me mad that he’ll listen to my friend or violin teacher really well just not me!

@northerngoldilocks yes very good point I’ll keep an eye on the enjoyment. But he is a kid that loves challenges so hoping it’ll work out alright

@minisnowballs interesting on the focus side. He focuses a lot better with violin than piano. He’s also a lot more cheeky at piano lessons than violin lessons. I wonder whether it’s the instrument or the teacher that he loves!

@Comefromaway thank you - definitely something we’ll do when he’s a bit older . Currently he just either completely ignores the metronome or complains it distracts him :)

Mine was also the smallest in every orchestra for years and years- most concerts I couldn’t even see him 🤣
He’s 19 now and very visible.
I agree with the others- ensemble playing is the best for so many skills.

I second (third? Fourth?) the benefits of ensemble playing.

Dd is at the top of her "fun" out of school orchestra and lead her section for the first time this week. She quite likes being one of the oldest and most experienced (some of the other cellists are tiny!) and doesn't seem in a rush to move up. I think that's partly because despite the fact that she plays at a reasonable standard (currently on g6) she's 5th or 6th cello at school due to a number of excellent players including 2 or 3 at diploma level. Being looked up to as one of the more experienced players has given her a real boost of confidence.

With regards to the pp and beating time, my DD's piano teacher used to play her pieces to dance to to help her feel the rhythm and timing - dd used to step around the living room in time to the music as "homework"!

I don't get to watch my DS's orchestra now they moved to a room - that's why I'm so anxious don't know how he gets on!

@QueenMabby when DS was in the beginners he was the smallest and youngest but he was coleader of the first violin. He used to love it but got really bored and said he needed more challenging pieces. He's grade 3 but they were playing pre-grade1 stuff I think.
He's musically where he should be now as a third violin but needs to get used to working harder I think 🤣

@QueenMabby the dancing idea is excellent I might get DS to try that or tap/ jump the beat!!

This is reminding me of being a small suzuki student and playing our pieces while marching round the room. DD at courses has sometimes done a thing called dalcroze, which is sort of dance-ish but about counting and rhythm for musicians. Not much help unless your music centre does it, but it does show it's something they all need to work on.

Excellent! I was worried my DS wasn't good at rhythm and therefore not musical enough. If it could be learned that's not too bad. I was just worried that everybody else had it naturally but you guys have assured me that's not necessarily the case!
Thank you ever so much for sharing your experience and ideas.
Why didn't I discover this wonderful virtual place earlier!!

@chickentikkasalad some kids are definitely better at it than others, but not sure that there are any who don't need to focus on it. Anecdotally in my non statistical sample size of 1 girl and 1 boy, girls are better at counting (the piano teacher said this was his experience too with young beginners) but they all get better with training.

On the focus thing re piano, DS used to try to chat to the teacher whilst playing whereas on flute he obviously couldn't. I think there is something about how on piano they don't have to hold the instrument and so it allows them to faff about more! Some of it might be teacher too. DDs new amazing teacher (the one who is sadly moving) is so intense in lessons that there is no time to think of anything else!

Hmm... There may be some who don't need to focus on it... I was confused when DS's piano teacher asked us both when I collected him after a lesson how he was counting, because he doesn't. Her question makes more sense now!
I don't know how he times it, he just does, and he's very good at it! DH keeps suggesting we should get him a drum kit but I'm not up for that!!

@northerngoldilocks Our piano teacher said the same thing about boys and girls and how he has to hold the violin so he can't faff as well! But the teachers are also very different. Violin teacher is much more loving and nurturing and DS listens better. Piano teacher also lovely and encouraging but more strict and DS just rebels more!
The collective words from all his teachers including drumming teacher is that he's good rhythms when he focuses, he just doesn't like the long notes and the rests without me reminding him anyway. He gets it when I remind him but keeps forgetting. I think there's a patience issue...

@Teapotkitten that's amazing how your DS is naturally talented at timing. That's one hurdle over and the most hurdle in our experience. You might have got a very special child there!

Super happy to report that DS came out of his rehearsal with a big smile on his face today. 2nd time with the bigger group they're mostly teenagers. They learned a new song so everyone was sight reading. So obviously he can cope when everyone starts at the same time. The first rehearsal he joined in with a song when everyone else has practiced a few times. That's why he couldn't keep up! We'r both hugely relieved!