Spring /Summer 24 - Music thread

[northerngoldilocks]

The old thread was filling up, so here's a new one to talk about music activities. Come and talk about music lessons, choosing instruments, exams, auditions, specialist schools, orchestras or whatever other music activities are going on. Everyone is welcome, from those with total beginners to those whose children are studying music at advanced levels. Ask for advice or share successes or struggles. There's loads of experience across a wide variety of instruments too(though bassoon's are weirdly popular on here - you'd think that every second child plays one!).

It's really hard when you like a teacher. I'm planning to move younger DD soon for her secondary instrument but keep putting it off as don't want to offend current teacher. A circumstance has arisen that makes now a good time so I just need to bite the bullet!
I do actually remember elder DD having two teachers for a while when one was not fully well. They absolutely shared notes and there was no confusion ( partly because main teacher retained control, just could only do alternate weeks). I think when they get older and do courses, masterclasses etc they have to learn to balance views of more than one person and judge for themselves. We just get strict messages from JD about it. Makes it hard over the long summer but one teacher does extra ones which helps.
It's a quiet house here as elder DD has left to go to NYO tomorrow and younger just pottering around but away next week. Got two nice concerts to look forward to though.

@horseymum enjoy the quiet- I’ve just dropped dd2 off at her national youth choir course- she’s very excited as she loves a few days of singing.
meanwhile (phew!) dd1 passed her grade 6 viola. 112 - we are genuinely delighted with this- i thought she’d failed as her scales were dire. Hooray!

Well done to @minisnowballs dd1 for grade 6 viola! Congratulations!!
Hope everyone is enjoying music activities - we can't wait for our holiday after DS's crazy March.

DS had another excellent lesson with his new teacher today. She was VERY VERY strict about tuning and techniques I thought at one point DS was going to get upset and burst into tears. But no he kept trying hard and in the end he did it! Wrist position fixed, fingers stayed in place and every note was in tune and they also fixed the tricky timing/rhythm issue. Old teacher was aware of all these issues/bad habits but she let him off saying he's too young. In fact I wasn't sure they are fixable but the new teacher tried and tried and together they made a massive progress in just 2 lessons - she didn't want to intervene too much just before the exam. DS was bubbling with excitement on the way back and couldn't stop talking about what he has just learned! Old teacher knew there'll be a time when DS will grow out of her but we didn't think it'll come so quickly. I think we'll have one more term with both teachers then move fully onto the amazing new teacher. It's also about time as the old teacher can only teach up to grade 6 and DS is fast approaching as he just learned a grade 6 piece today. Still sad to leave the old teacher but it'll have to happen sooner or later.

Well done to your DD @minisnowballs - that must be a relief! They always think it’s worse than it is.

@yodaforpresident thanks - that is it music lessonwise for DD1 for now - she's going to play some folk (she plays awesomely by ear) but doesn't really want any more lessons or grades and stuff so it feels like a good sense of completion.

Having two very different children is so odd with this stuff - one who pushes herself all the time with music and the other who really has only ever done it to be sociable. I tell myself that at least no-one can think we're 'tiger parents' in any way - as if it was coming from us they'd both be more similar!

Great news on exam passing @minisnowballs. DS also pleased to find out he had passed grade 6 piano- in his case with the most efficient merit ever (120) so seems like all that enforced scale practice and time with the metronome did make a difference.

We are on holiday and as predicted the only instrument to come with us was the ukulele and event that hasn't made it out of its case.

DS has orchestra from Monday - Thursday next week and DD has a violin lesson on Monday and then orchestra Tues - Friday so a week off this week is probably in order!

Well done mini @minisnowballs number 1!

We have a new cello in the family and oh my God the difference! Previous 3/4 size sounded pretty bad so I just always assumed dd wasn't very good. New cello and BAM! All of a sudden she sounds amazing!

It busted the budget rather but her teacher put all four options through their paces and helped dd choose the right one for her. She's stuck on a name though. Any one else's dcs name their instruments??!

It did really strike home the cost of music. Instruments and all the add ons are expensive and the cost must be a real barrier to so many people. It's made me quite sad in a way.

@QueenMabby sprog decided to name their first nice cello "violoncello d'amore" or "cello d'amore" for short 😁as it was much better than the very battered stentor they had before. Recently moved to a full size cello and it has been named "forever cello" as it will probably take them beyond grade 8. An orchestra friend has a flute called "Monique" so it seems anything goes

It is a massive barrier unfortunately Queen Mabby. It makes me sad too.

@QueenMabby yes it is a HUGE barrier. Those who do end up getting the grants and things that help often seem to have started very young (so musical but impecunious parents or particularly good schools) or to actually have been pretty well off in the first place to have got to the stage to get the support. Makes me very, very sad.

We're currently realising DD needs a piccolo. That's a cool £1000 apparently for the one her teacher approves of. And it's not even her first instrument!

New cello is exciting though. We still have a battered old 3/4 at home - it's called Blossom. Last one was called Cherry. Something to do with the wood colours I think. For some reason cellos get names in this house but not usually other instruments - perhaps it is because they are sort of person-sized and shaped. Last bassoon was bartholomew but current incumbent is nameless. Flute names never stick.

Congrats on the new cello! We seem to have picked up another instrument on loan as according to teacher the one she had on loan wasn't good enough for upcoming concerts so he found another one. She's now got a taste for rather expensive instruments. Need to set her sights a bit lower when we buy before she leaves school.
Cost is a huge barrier - I look at our council orchestra and wonder what the improvement would be in sound ( and motivation?) if everyone could upgrade even one level of instrument. It's too expensive for many people and also not a priority - as a non musical parent, if a £70 violin 'works' why would you even pay £250, let alone £1000? There are grants and instrument loan schemes but many require the player to be at a good level already, the parents to be really engaged and aware of these things and also fit the financial criteria. Filling out forms is fiddly and success rate is low.
For us, rarer instruments have provided massive opportunities but are hugely expensive and fickle, requiring frequent visits to a repairer and costly consumables.

wrong thread

DD's bow alone would have been £600 new. Fortunately it was slightly less due to being second hand. The cello was so expensive but her teacher says it'll last her for life so that's something I suppose! She'll only be getting little birthday and Christmas presents this year! She's ok with that.

I do feel bad as her older brother doesn't get nearly as much spent on him! Suddenly a £200 hockey stick seems very reasonable!

New cello sounds exciting @QueenMabby - I've always heard that you're supposed to spend 1/4 to 1/3 of the value of the instrument on a bow. DDs bow is definitely not in that category- mainly as it's a 3/4 CF one but she still likes it and hasn't yet grown enough for a full sized bow. She doesn't like the full size one that came with the violin though so will need to upgrade it for her.

Have you insured it for her? When I went to collect DS's new flute (on my bike) I was standing in the carpark on the phone to the insurer to add it to my policy as had a sudden worry that someone might drive into me on the way home!

We didn't spend nearly 1/4 on her bow. More like 10%! It's a lovely wooden one though and she loves it.

We will insure through Allianz I think. Just need to sort that and then remove the school one from our household insurance.

We will be around 10% for DD too for now. Maybe later on will get her a better one! Also use Allianz for insurance as didn't want to be making any claims on the house. I still have both flutes on ours too- but the premiums on a Yamaha 211 aren't v much!

Hope everyone who's DC are on Easter courses are enjoying them. Have had about three words from DD which I think is a good sign!

@horseymum i have had one confirmation that one of the pieces is 'cheesy'

• one of the pieces is always 'cheesy' - she hates anything that isn't a) difficult b) in Latin or similar and she also has a particular hatred of things like 'body percussion' and actions.

Also apparently there was a ceilidh last night WITH THE BOYS (this is girls' choir, so a new development where they do some stuff together)... but she didn't dance with them.

The food is apparently better than at her school.

That's it.

Hi all. It’s lovely to read all the dc’s music activities. Has anyone’s DC done the Chineke! Junior’s summer residential course before please? TIA.

There is a very exciting potential orchestral project in the pipeline for ds, just waiting for the i's to be dotted and the t's crossed. He rnf me last night at 12.30am excited and unable to sleep!

Ooh comefromaway, that sounds exciting! &How lovely that it's you he needs to tell in the middle of the night.

DD back from her orchestra course and had an amazing time. I'm such a sap, all those young people having so much fun playing away on stage makes me tear up every time. Sod the grades, this is what it's all about 🎶💕

Congratulations for @Comefromaway DS, you must be so proud of him!
Well done for @thirdfiddle DD. Glad to see young people putting the efffort in and enjoying themselves!

So it's confirmed. Ds is off to Belgium this weekend. He will be playing in an orchestra accompanying some famous west end stars (with a few isolated piano solos). He is beyond excited.

@thirdfiddle I definitely get emotional at kids concerts, whatever level.
@Comefromaway that's brilliant news, how exciting.
@BBLY not done Chinese but mine have loved every residential they have done so I would say to go for it. There's something so special about spending time with other young musicians. When did arrived at hers, she thought she'd only know two people but plenty of others said hi right away.

Thank you @horseymum! Would love for anyone else who have done this particular residential or have worked with Chineke! Junior orchestra before to share their experience please. Thank you everyone.