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.

I should stress that where we find this a lot of sport we are coming from a very, very low base - whereas it sounds like all of your children were in very sporty schools before.

Post-covid PE in a large London comprehensive has mainly involved walking very slowly around the field. She did used to do dance which was at least a bit more active, but that didn't count as sport, apparently.

My son decided at school that if he had to play hockey he was going to make sure he was protected so became a goalie, covered in all that gear. He enjoyed it so much he joined a team for a year.

Mine was goalie too- he loved it. He kept dislocating things playing rugby so spent at least one autumn doing hockey with the girls instead.

Mine has the additional fun of hypermobile joints and frequent dislocations. It’s a nightmare because his weakest joint is one of the most crucial ones for his instrument. He never dislocated it playing hockey though.

It does feel frustrating when GCSE/ nat5 music is not challenging but they won't let you do practice in that time. If the children were advanced in maths they would push them on. It lowers aspirations as they don't need to try. I heard a friend's daughter who goes to an ambitious independent school say ' I don't need to play anything harder than grade 4 I won't get any more marks'.
On the sports question, I'm lucky that both DD are part of our triathlon club which isn't very risky. They both ride occasionally and I did do less risky things the week before a big exam but generally think some sport is essential for musicians, healthy mind and body.

If the children were advanced in maths they would push them on.
They so don't.

Can also agree with the fact there is virtually no extension for those advanced in maths in state schools. I see music in school (eg class music) a bit like learning Spanish or something- but turning up as a native speaker whilst everyone else is leaning to count to 10.

Oh, we get a handful of kids each year doing maths exams one or two years earlier ( maybe 3?), and the kids have been put in with older classes. I tried many times to get DD to sit music early but wasn't allowed.
Yet if you complete advanced higher maths you are fairly well prepared to read it at uni but advanced higher music is miles off the level to enter a conservatoire. The expectation is so low because they want to make it inclusive. Which is clearly good for many reasons - DD has friends whose parents would never have supported learning instruments but who are learning keyboard/ guitar/ bass guitar etc in class and will do well.

Think that might be one of the ways that Scotland and England differ now- used to be the case that they'd sit maths early but now it's not encouraged. Music is obviously much more of a gap though between further study and school- DS spent year 7 doing c major scale on a keyboard (1 octave) and a few other bits. He plays piano at grade 6- wasn't exactly engaging. He has the head of music this year so will see how that goes. If they did composition that would be fun for him but think that won't come until gcse and not sure if he will sit that or not as will depend on other choices

It must be hard for music teachers, in DD's class she is the only one who can read music I think, so very much like the native/beginner language example @northerngoldilocks

It seems a shame when there's other things DD could do - accompany the choir on piano etc (no they use a backing track) and so on. Talking of maths - tbh I'd rather she had extra maths lessons than music at school, she'd get so much more out of it (and save the extra money we're having to pay for tuition!!)

Oh that is interesting horsey. No great move to accelerate able maths students here, they won't even set them at DC's school. DD is currently just excited about there /being/ music lessons at school. We'll see how long that lasts.

I think we have to bear in mind that school music courses are designed to put them in a position to study music at university, not conservatoire which is a lot more specialist/vocational.

Hello,
I have a very musical 10 years old (year 6) daughter who is looking into Guildhall summer school next summer. Has anyone DC tried these courses?
My DD is going to sit grade 5 in violin, piano and singing before Christmas, also a cathedral chorister. Her previous violin and piano exams got distinction on all. However, the downside is she has ASD and her social skills isn't as good as her peers, and struggles to pick up social cues sometimes.
Any advice please 🙏?

Hi Angel, she does indeed sound musical. Three exams in one term on top of choir commitments😮😮 I suppose at least you get three goes at the aural tests.

Don't know about Guildhall courses specifically but I do think music kids tend to be a very accepting and inclusive group. They have built in shared interests and while it's social it's also very structured. I know it's not the same as having ASD but very shy DD has struggled to connect in her local youth orchestra which is mostly a lot older than her, but doing things like NCO Projects has been great socially.

@thirdfiddle Thank your for your reply. Yes, I have also looked into the National children choir and orchestra. My DD would like to try too, but she has Easter commitments with the cathedral, so she can't go to these a week long residential courses on Easter and summer.
She has tried other local orchestras, but her level is well above others kids in her age group. It also has become too bored so she stopped.
Don't get me wrong, I am not a tiger mum, she only practice one another day for each instrument and singing. I would say probably 5 or 6 hours practice a week for everything when running up to the exam period, sometimes even much less than that. Also, 30mins lessons each week each instruments and singing during term time.
I think it is all down to her concentration.

Busy girl! Hopefully someone else here will know about the Guildhall courses. Great ability to have efficient practising. Choristering is such a brilliant musical background, it will stand her in good stead on any instrument.

sounds frustrating about the local ensembles. DC's have always been good about moving them up on merit regardless of age. Even if I was initially resistant in DD's case maybe they were right. She has always had ensembles she loves musically, it's just been the social side.

Considering the number of music things we go to we've come across remarkably little of the tiger parent thing. That I can identify at least. And the ones that try to aren't very successful.

I'd looked at the guildhall summer courses in the past and discounted them as thought they were aimed at those who hadn't done ensemble playing - or at least not much. Now struggling to find them on the website so can't check if that assumption was reasonable.

@northerngoldilocks I saw these Guildhall summer courses for kids were on FB ad on around May this year. Then I checked on the website, however we had already planned our summer holiday, so I didn't bother to ask for details 😅.

Have a look at NYSO, Angelkid.

https://www.nyso.uk/courses/

They have courses for various ages and abilities, and the tutoring is a very high standard.
My son went a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it.

@Alsoplayspiccolo thank you so much for the link. I will need to check if DD can do the Easter residency course. She has chorister commitment on Easter. It is why we are interested in guildhall summer course. The 9-12 years old sinfonia orchestra standard is definitely much higher than many others!!!!

@Angelkid your DD sounds extremely musical with such a diverse musical interest! Good luck in all her exams! She must be such a brave girl 👧

Thank you @Alsoplayspiccolo for the NYSO idea - I could try DS auditioning for the 7-9 age group one. I guess they meant 7-9 when the course happens not when auditioning right? The JD's specify an age on a specific date but this one doesn't . DS is 6 but will be 7 before Easter. There's nothing to lose if I apply!

There’s space to enter DoB on the application form, chickentikkasalad.

You could also look at Pro Corda, Angelkid.

https://procorda.com/

@Angelkid not sure if the attraction of the Guildhall courses was that they weren't residential? If this wasn't the key component though then there have obviously been lots of ideas upthread. I'd also looked at the National Schools Symphony Orchestra and the Kent Music summer schools as options - though both are also residential. Depending on where you are, I know of a couple of holiday orchestras that are non residential in South London - but others could possibly have more depending on location.

@Alsoplayspiccolo I see there's a space for DOB on the form. I just didn't know whether they need you to be 7 on the 31st Aug before the start of the school year, as required by most JD's. DS had October birthday so he would have to wait for another year if that's the case. Anyway I've submitted the enquiry on their webpage so hoping for a reply.

I’m guessing it’s age at the time of the course, or maybe it’s a broad age guide and not a requirement?
I’m Im sure you’ll be fine - fingers crossed.

Hello, the guildhall summer courses for kids aren't residential, it is a week(?) course.
We can stay at my friend's place at London and take my DD to guildhall daily during the course, so we are attracted to it.