Autumn 23 Music chat

[horseymum]

It's autumn term already! I'm sure there's lots of music going to happen this term. Welcome to anyone who wants to chat about your child's music activities, whether current or things you hope to do. It's a friendly group with experience at many different levels.( I've learned so much) No question is a daft one and don't be put off by chat about higher levels, all our children couldn't play a note once.
Come and ask about starting music lessons, which instrument to choose, exams, music festivals, specialist schools, orchestras and ensembles. We love talking music.
We also love to share music exam successes or struggles etc ( you can't always shout about these on FB!).
Feel free to do a wee intro if you want, although it's still public so only share what you want to.

Sight reading is part of the assessment process for JDs so working on it would make sense. My DD is pretty good at piano sight reading and i put it almost exclusively down to her enthusiasm for learning Adele songs in addition to her piano lesson pieces - she has always played lots of extra things and the main thing with sight reading is that you improve by doing lots of it. She also does a piano trio (the 3 people playing one piano variety) and that has really helped too. Basically lots of playing where you just have to play through and keep going.

georgedawes tuners - most people seem to have some variant of this one: www.thestringzone.co.uk/korg-ca1-electronic-tuner
I've had mine for many years, it's had one new battery and its main problem is i tend to mislay it. Or one friend just has a phone app now.

Going back to cadenzas melodiousthunk no, mostly not written out by the soloist I don't think, mostly either set by the composer themselves or from standard options that have been composed by great players over the years. But obviously to establish the latter someone has to decide to do their own thing and compose a new one, and a few modern big name players do that too.

Thanks thirdfiddle! She's always used a phone app before, but new teacher says has to be separate one now (no idea why!).

Separate one better as you can take to orchestra rehearsals and less distracting maybe. Also cheaper if it falls off the stand and breaks compared to phone.

I’m sure a separate one is a good idea @georgedawes (new teacher sounds serious). Must admit that dd just used my phone and now uses hers- currently grumpy with her ‘always flat’ A.

checked her school timetable this am- another new ensemble- this week ‘early music’ til 8pm to go with all the others. Didn’t even know the bassoon did early music.

Oh I'm sure you and the teacher are right! Just amused me to be another music thing I really have no idea about.

That really is a music school minisnowballs! I didn't think it was possible from what you'd said previously to cram any more music in!!

Is anyone going to Chetham's open day this weekend?

@FlightoftheTumbleBee my DH teaches one of those instruments at one of those JDs so feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

Junior Guildhall, Junior Academy (RAM) and RCMJD are all equally good and equally tricky to get into. Unless you want a particular teacher then it often comes down to which one is more convenient to get to, and many apply to all 3 so also comes down to where you get offers.

Grade 8 in under three years is going it some @FlightoftheTumbleBee! DS took nearly five, and I thought that was good. He is OTOH a prodigious sightreader, as loves just to play through stuff. It means he relies on it rather, instead of learning stuff properly.

His school is having a music day next week - he's been asked to do a turn, and will sing and play Piano Man by Billy Joel! Parents aren't invited, annoyingly!

I think it's amazing what children can do if they try. We have a Ukrainian ward (she's 16) - had never tried the piano until she got here a year ago and had 20 minute school lesson with her former host family. She had no piano there, but now she's moved in with us.

Her grade 3s are sounding fantastic- I'm so proud of her!

First child in my house to ever ask my opinion on anything musical too.

@georgedawes my son went to Chetham’s for 6th form, he loved it. Enjoy the open day- it’s a fabulous place.

@georgedawes we never got to the open day because of train strikes last year (plus ca change), but Chetham's were so kind and welcoming to DD when we went for consultation lessons etc.

The Director of Music seemed to really like bassoons! Enjoy yourselves.

@minisnowballs the DOM is a horn player so is a huge advocate for endangered instruments! He’s also an excellent person and has been a big influence on my boy since he first encountered him.

His school is having a music day next week - he's been asked to do a turn, and will sing and play Piano Man by Billy Joel! Parents aren't invited, annoyingly!

Brilliant choice of song. My son sand and played New York State of Mind for his uni auditions.

Chet's was indeed brilliant. What a place! Think DD would definitely like to go, but doesn't want to board before 6th form and I worry being a day pupil would just be exhausting. I was surprised at just how good the academic side looked though, which is very tempting given the school she is currently at. Difficult decisions ahead..of course no place even guaranteed if she does apply.

I don't know about the English music schools but St Mary's in Edinburgh gets top of the league table. I guess when you put a load of motivated kids together, they work hard at both music and academic. It gas really small classes too.

NYO - have heard the auditions were pretty brutal this year. A number of this year's orchestra did not get places for next year.

@horseymum in the 2 years DS has been in NYO there have been quite a few musicians from St Mary's

@Alsoplayspiccolo did your DS get everything sorted for his Conservatoire applications?

I took DS to the Woodwind & Brass Open Day at RAM on Friday. It was a really interesting day and the head of woodwind was so passionate about his role preparing the students to get jobs in the music world. Did anyone else go?

I’ve heard of a couple of wind players that didn’t get back in.
Really tough - I’m kind of glad that DS won’t have to face the possibility of that happening next year.

He did manage to get his applications in, thanks, PollyAnna8844, but it was all very eleventh hour in the end and very stressful! Relieved that he can now focus on preparing for auditions.

Good to hear the RAM open day was good. The strings day was online this year and it was really hard to get any real sense of the department ‘vibe’.
DS decided not to apply there, as he hasn’t actually visited, which is a shame as I had a very happy year there as a post grad. (George Caird was head of wind back then and absolutely lovely).

George Caird was head of wind back then and absolutely lovely).

George Caird was principal of Birmingham when my husband went there.

It must be really hard if you don't get back into any orchestra after being in, we'll see how this year goes before putting DD in that position next year. She had a few friends audition who didn't get in so feels in a very fortunate position. Good to hear about the RAM open day, I follow the head of wind on twitter and it always looks great ( I guess that's social media though). We're visiting the Royal Welsh college whilst visiting family in half term. Not an official open day but there's a concert on anyway so a good chance to see a bit of it. Will report back if anyone is interested for next year!

If you want any info I’m happy to help. It’s academically very good, boarding is great and obviously the music is amazing.

@georgedawes so glad you both enjoyed. It does seem to be an extraordinary place. I don't think I'd worry too much about the academics -their results are brilliant if you're comparing with a standard school - there are quite a narrow range of subjects though which is what my DD was worried about as they weren't the one she wanted and she'd already pick her options.

On the boarding, we've just had DD back for her first exeat weekend. She seems very happy boarding (though it was hard to let her go back), and mostly very happy with everything else too - a few niggles obviously..

So though I miss her it feels like she is coping. She said 'I was really happy at my old school, but I feel more 'me' at this one - more people are like me'. Which is nice.

Her old teacher was fairly scathing about the 'nine bassoon reeds' issue - we popped in to Saturday school to return an instrument and pick up an exam certificate. Nonetheless she has found her four more....getting there.

@Alsoplayspiccolo well done with the conservatoire applications! A relief.

Thanks, minisnowballs.
Glad you had a lovely weekend with DD and that she’s enjoying boarding life.
Did she get the train home/back?
I had a 5.5 round trip on Friday, again yesterday, and we’re doing it AGAIN tomorrow to watch DS perform solo in a lunchtime concert.
This was the first weekend trip home that DS complained wasn’t long enough, he passed his driving test a few days before term started and is feeling frustrated at not being able to enjoy his new-found freedom.

wow @Alsoplayspiccolo you are a nice mum! She got the train there and back and taxis from the station to school. Great re driving test!

Does anyone also get performance anxiety on behalf of their kids?

The new term has brought lots of new opportunities for my two and I’m a nervous wreck!

It might be just my age, or the fact that the kids are getting older and things start to matter more.

Ds really, really does not like self-tape auditions or assessments.

Pit band audition for conservatoire show submitted but I really wish they would go back to in person as it really stresses him out!