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.

And /fl - or/-tist . Starting like floral. In my accent anyway. Or if you feel self conscious about using it before you're heard it, she plays the flute :)

This is it, she can't quite sort it for herself and it's too complex for me to guide her. Hopefully she'll be further along by Easter and we can work on something simple but longish together.

Mine has their lessons in school time rather than privately so probably not worth asking, do you think?

Thank you. I always say she plays the flute. Flutist would be easier!

Mine has their lessons in school time rather than privately so probably not worth asking, do you think?

Do you have contact details? DC started piano in school but did on a couple of occasions have lessons privately at the teacher's house in the holidays. Really depends on the teacher and their setup.
If the teacher is generally approachable, you could also ask them for any suggestions for things to keep your DD busy in the holidays without being too difficult to do independently. They are the best person to know the right level after all. Again, some teachers who teach in schools are more than happy to be in contact (okay, particularly about enthusiastic little ones), others don't have time for that even if they'd like to, so it is a bit of a sound out what they're receptive to.

Thank you @thirdfiddle this is all encouraging I'll definitely ask the piano teacher to see if there could be a plan for Easter then. 🤞

Hello, long time lurker here. I have a 4yo DS in reception who is on the Guildhall kindergarten course and just started learning piano.

He’s extremely musical (we think has perfect pitch) and desperate to play the violin but Guildhall don’t want them to start until year 2 so we’ve started him on the piano instead. DH is actually a pianist and prof of piano at one of the London conservatoires but DS flat out refuses to learn from him! So I’ve been teaching him (with my grade 6 piano…🤣) using the piano adventures books and he’s really enjoying it so far. I saw them recommended on here and think they are excellent for the youngest learners.

We’re so keen for DS to play and get as much enjoyment from music as we did (I play a brass instrument and met DH at conservatoire though am not a musician now) but also conscious of not putting pressure on him. DH and I both came from non-musical families, started “late” (9/10) and music was our thing that we loved independently and had to fight to do. We clearly can’t recreate that for DS but also conscious that he has and will have so many more opportunities than we did.

It’s been lovely to read how people’s older kids are getting on. I was in the NYO and honestly feel like those musical experiences were some of the best of my life. Made friends for life there too.

I have to agree it's really great to hear about how older children are doing, I've been learning so much just by lurking about on here!

@SweetforOrchestra quick question for you, is there a way you can tell if a child has perfect pitch?

@SweetforOrchestra I love that your child won't let actual conservatoire professor dad teach him! Mine is also an older one- studying a brass instrument at conservatoire and loving it. He's hoping to make a career of it.

@Teapotkitten we think DS has it because he always sings in the original key. I do not have perfect pitch so took a while to spot that. He also sang perfectly in tune from as soon as he started singing as a baby. We didn’t even realise this was unusual until we had DD (who is 2, and sings like most 2 year olds!).

I’m sure there are ways of testing for it before the note names are learned, but we haven’t bothered trying to find out. Once the child knows the notes it’s just a matter of playing to them and asking them what you’ve played.

Thanks @SweetforOrchestra , I was wondering because my DS can name notes after hearing them and reproduce things he's heard by ear - my mum said she suspects perfect pitch but then also said something about him needing to be able to sing the notes (I take everything she tells me with a big pinch of salt though). He hates singing so I don't think he'd do that even if he could...!

No, he doesn’t need to be able to sing them - it’s about being able to identify what he’s heard.

Most musicians end up with good relative pitch - where you can work out a note once you know what another one is, and after years of playing in orchestras I’m pretty good at identifying an A when I hear it and can then usually work out what else is going on. But my friends with perfect pitch can tell you what note a lawnmower or a creaking door is sounding, which I couldn’t do in a million years.

@SweetforOrchestra that's interesting, I think I'd need years of practise too - I just played a quick game with him where I'd hold a random key on the piano down, with him looking away, and he was able to correctly say which I was playing, before looking to see if he'd got it right. He thought it was brilliant fun but then tried to do it back to me, I didn't have any idea though! Guess he might have it, I'll have to see if he starts telling me what lawnmowers and doors are playing...!

Ds has perfect pitch. It can be a double edged sword. And yes, he tells us exactly what note various household objects produce!

My secondary school music teacher had perfect pitch. School orchestra must have been torment!

I'm sure I've heard somewhere that perfect pitch is quite common in young children, but lack of musical exposure means it's often lost.

DS has another singing gig in London tomorrow! And, naturally he has a) got a sore throat and cough, and b) has done little to no practice.

This is exactly the scenario for his similar gig before Christmas, and he a) recovered and b) pulled it out of the bag. Let's hope the same thing happens! He's getting paid quite a lot!

Dd has perfect pitch- can name any notes eg from radio etc. she can also hear a tune she hasn’t heard before and replicate it exactly immediately on her clarinet. However she struggles with reading music, probably doesn’t see the point!! I’ve never asked her about general notes from household objects…

How do you know someone has perfect pitch?

don’t worry, they will tell you!

Oh dear, like that is it?! 😂

On a different note (!), when does it become important to have done grade exams?
DS's teacher doesn't teach to the grades, but lets them take them whenever they're ready, so no pressure there. He was given some music for the initial grade way back in the summer, and although he easily did it by himself straight away, it was never mentioned again... He's enjoying the lessons and clearly making lots of progress (eg recently played a grade 3 piece he'd decided he liked the look of with no problems) so I'm not really bothered at the moment, I just was wondering if there are things he would need a grade exam for in the future?

Ds has never done a graded exam. But he found Grade 5 theory useful for uni applications.

The grades are up to you and your teacher. I think it's sad seeing kids slog through three pieces, do the exam then start the next three exam pieces. They should play a wide range of pieces, perform to family and friends where possible, do festivals if they want to, play on their own and with others. If doing exams fits in, then do some. Mine have only done some and usually when comfortably above the grade ie already been playing pieces of that standard for a while. They are too expensive to do them all and actually take time away from progressing. It's useful to do grade 5 theory as that opens up the higher grades in the future. DD 2 is resolutely refusing to, thereby putting any further grades off the table just now!! Most orchestras etc just say a certain grade or equivalent standard and may ask for teacher reference. That's only my thoughts though, others do it differently and it will suit some kids to have them to aim for.

As an alternative perspective from a clueless mum. I thought we'd never go down the exam route and the teacher was very relaxed about it but until DD had the idea of an exam in her mind progress was extremely slow. Now she's absolutely flying through the pieces of increasing difficulty and all because of the idea of the exam, that's she's really keen to do.

She might be an aberration but for her the exam system seems to be very motivating.

Mine did do all the grades and it helped him. He’d got used to getting high grades and thought he was pretty good. Until grade 7. He passed, possibly merit, I can’t remember but it gave him the kick up the bum needed. He knew he needed grade 8 distinction (or equivalent, but easier to have the bit of paper) and he worked much harder and got it. It probably helped him get into the 6th form of his choice (specialist music school) which then helped him get into conservatoire. He hasn’t shown any signs of doing any sort of diploma although I’m sure he might at some point, he plays as well as his peers who have done it.

@Comefromaway ha they certainly will!! Dd can do the household appliances too!
it has helped dd to do the grades but now she is Grade 5 ish they seem less important as she has parts in orchestras and other things to learn that are equally challenging and (shhh!) more fun!

Good morning everyone. We are starting to look at summer courses now and wondered if anyone had any recommendations for a clarinet or jazz course? DD plays at grade 5 level currently. Any information would be gratefully placed.

RCS in Glasgow do a national wind ensemble, I don't think it's auditioned and you don't have to be Scottish. Two levels grade 3-5 and 6+. Non residential but it's not hard to find accommodation if you book early.

Hi @yodaforpresident - i always hear about the national youth jazz collective but I think she's too young? For clarinet, London youth wind band has a tour, but I think it's 12 and above and again don't know how old she is...Kent Music has a summer residential, as does Wells Cathedral for woodwind I think.

On grades - DD1 hates them and doesn't do them - DD2 does. Very much a matter of personal preference. Though DD2 has just been told she needs a (and breathe) £2000 flute to do justice to grade 8 - she's on a Yamaha 211 at the moment. Her teacher has written in her book 'most people have open holes but you have small hands... they sound the same' (and has underlined 'they sound the same' twice). She's suggesting an Altus... any expertise welcome.

And, as we grapple with the funeral arrangements for my mum, we've finally had the confirmation of DD2s government MDS funding for specialist school in September. We'd kind of talked ourselves out of the whole thing because funding decision took so long for her - so now we've got to make the decision over whether she goes all over again!

They've said they'll give us some time - but how on earth do you compare a familiar and happy life in a large London comp with an unknown and rarified rural boarding school? No idea how you get your head round that at the age of 13 - i can 't do it at 45.