Autumn / Winter 24 - music thread

[northerngoldilocks]

Feels like time for a new thread for the new school year!

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.

@Compsearch now you mention it I remember my DS went through a phase like this. When he was a toddler he used to sing nursery rhymes all the time. I wouldn't say he has as beautiful singing voice as yours but he did love it. Maybe around the time of starting school, to be honest I didn't take too much notice, he stopped singing around the house. He still hums when he's playing or immersed in something. He also started to talk to me a lot in a rap style or we'll talk to each other in a funny singing style. Now he's 7, he does sing more, especially when he hears something funny, and it's more intentional singing to learn a song, rather than just humming.
So if this is similar to what your DS is like, then I'll encourage you to take no notice but just find songs you know he'll like to inspire him. And maybe also sing a lot yourself. He might forget about the shyness and starts to sing with you. Unfortunately this is something I can't do myself, I'm not a musician and most times when I sing, he'll shout "OUT OF TUNE!" very rudely, unless it's something I know already by heart .

I'd never thought about how annoying the discrepancy between singing and other instruments is, but yes! If they can 'just sing', up to a certain point they just need to learn the words and off they go. No fingering or instrument mechanics to take into account.

DS is now so sick of his diploma piano pieces that he's had for a term or so now. Can't wait to get them out of the way! It's like chewing gum - go over it too much, and the flavour leeches out. Think he'll be doing it this month...

He's been invited to play in a concert this weekend – the best of John Barry – with a brilliant orchestra in a prestigious venue. But instead he's got to go and get exposure on a bleak hillside to get his DofE award...

I'm guessing money has had to be shelled out for the D of E? I would be very, very tempted to cry off myself.

I'm think he doesn't want to let down his team!

@herbaceous I wish DD2 were sick of her diploma pieces - however I suspect they don't get played enough for this to be an issue! I guess it is natural given it is her 'second study' nowadays.

Spoke with her last night - she's got whatever horrendous lurgy is going round the boarding house and seems to have neither strepsils nor paracetamol (bad mummy).

She now says she's completely lost her voice and has an hour of bassoon lessons, a quintet, chapel choir and a selection of lessons today. Poor kid! At least no singing lesson, she says.

Thank you for your replies @minisnowballs and @chickentikkasalad - that is reassuring that your DS is similar - I do really hope it comes back!

@minisnowballs you are so right about the car - I remember having the best chats with my mum as a teenager on the way to and from things. Unfortunately I can’t drive (embarrassing) and though we do have a car we rarely use it - we are zone 3 London and use public transport or cycle most of the time. I will try and engineer more singsong opportunities!

Hope everyone else is doing well. @PhotoDad sorry if I missed it but what subject is your DS applying for? DH and I met at Cambridge - had the best time - but I remember the application stress very well! Best of luck to all of you!

I think that you also get some good chats going cycling too @Compsearch so don't worry. We cycle to Saturday music (one of the benefits of being a flautist) and DS chats the whole way. Usually about minecraft though or some detailed discussion of an XKCD comic strip, but i'm assuming at some point we might have actual conversations. Its a nice part of the day though and as he now has an 8:45 flute lesson its pretty quiet on the roads.

@Compsearch He's trying for NatSci. Fingers crossed!

@northerngoldilocks @Compsearch - we are also zone 3 and mostly cycle (I can drive, I just hate it)- DD2 did used to sing while cycling, but then DD1 used to shout at her. So she stopped.

So perhaps just having a nicer sibling is key!

Friday night kitchen singing to a Disney soundtrack also very popular in our house - but we are very lowbrow I'm afraid.

This thread has been quiet for a while - how is everyone?

DS did the Benedetti Session a couple of weeks ago and it was absolutely brilliant. I was a bit worried for him as he’s a young 6, and it felt like a lot to drop him off in the morning with a load of strangers, especially as he’d also never played in an ensemble before and has only been playing the violin for 5 months! But he had worked so hard on his parts beforehand and he just loved every minute. The little concert was great! His first words to me when he got out were can he do the intermediate orchestra next time, so I think he found it very inspiring. There were also lots of other little boys his age which I was glad about - had a slight concern it might be mainly girls and/or older children.

I’d highly recommend this for anyone with string players. The whole thing cost about £12 which is ridiculous!

that's so lovely @Compsearch - and fabulous value. All quiet here as I try to concentrate on DD1 and foster daughter as we go to seemingly every uni open day in the country. No music for either of them so I'm up to my ears in nursing, linguistics and widening participation rules.

DD2 seems to be getting on with the music down at school, and we go down on Thursday for her concert and then pick her up for her two week half term- during which we have to take her to Horncastle for an NYO Inspire day, at which it emerges she needs to be there at 945 as an 'ambassador' which has necessitated some speedy premier inn booking!

Well done to your DS @Compsearch it sounds fantastic! Glad that he enjoyed it! A friend of mine also went to the same session and her DD loved it too! Will keep my eyes open for the next session for DS.

DS is very much enjoying his online musicianship class. It's very challenging stuff (theory and aural training) for a 7 year old as he's learning with kids a few years older than him. But I think he's just about coping and has improved so much. I am certainty very happy about it as we don't have to travel. Comparing to JD's, he is missing the orchestra and the friendship side of things, but he gets to do his other hobbies in the afternoon which he won't be able to carry on if going to London. So atm it's working quite well for us...

@Compsearch So glad he enjoyed it. The staff are super experienced at running these things but it can still be daunting going into a big event like that.
We're on half term here so plenty of practice scheduled in ( but not actually happening yet!) One audition for conservatoire confirmed, one audition for NYOS scheduled. No exams thankfully, got a pause on them for the next week while.
If you haven't spotted it, the BBC Young musician competition has been on TV, can catch up on iPlayer. Some fantastic playing. ( Obviously been some discussion about the change of format, but that shouldn't detract from the incredible young people).

Mine played in the first conservatoire concert of the year yesterday. Sudden sickness in the section-20 minutes before the concert meant he had to sight read a different part.
He's also had the second round of a professional experience scheme which was a rehearsal/workshop with his instrument section of a professional orchestra. He absolutely loved it and they had a pint and a chat after! Happy boy so far this year.

Glad the Benedetti session was good @Compsearch - we've never managed to get DD to the in person ones - the last London one was before she started learning and since they've been focused on regional days. She's enjoyed the online sessions though.

@Siriusmuggle - sight-reading different parts sounds nerve wracking but probably great experience so a great opportunity.

My kids had their school musical last week - they were both in the band. We so impressed with DD - its her first term at secondary school and she was playing 1st violin. Was lovely to see her playing so confidently - such a boost for the start of secondary (and for those of you who remember how weird her primary was about music for her, such a welcome change!). It has meant that despite playing loads of violin and flute last week they've both hardly practiced though -so time to get back into a better routine before we go away for half term. DS needs to have a play through his NYO Inspire parts too to make sure they're ok, as no time really when we get back.

Loving all the music going on.

Dd has a school play this week - not a musical though.

Piano comp this week - just first round. Fingers crossed she makes the final - we should hear on Wednesday.

She's v thrilled as she started a new cello piece last month - her first grade 8 piece - and her teacher said she's progressing really well on it and can play it in a concert early December. It's given her a real confidence boost.

Lovely to hear all the news.

My daughter is in her school musical next week and she's really enjoying the whole thing socially too. First time playing for a show and learning the idea that you "play until x is at part y/finished z" is different to her normal orchestra pieces.

Its taking its toll though as its gcse year and she's also a teenager with all that fun it bring so as much as I'm glad of the experience I will be glad when it's over and she can have a bit more down time after school.

Its very strange not driving her to music lessons which has also given us an evening back. I think we made the right chocie as she's quite busy and loving the orchestra and musical and it's nice to be fitting lessons in to. We're also broke 😬.

Her Saturday orchestra has lent her a picollo. She isn't loving it but she thinks it might be partly the instrument too. At least she's getting a go!

Christmas performance is in the local theatre so that will be lovely, and first time she's been in the actual orchestra rather than training bands.

NYO inspire - anyone else doing Wales? We're going the night before and Premier inning it too, although I saw on the schedule the NYO - ers go earlier and are dotted about the orchestra. What a lovely idea.

She'd love to do nyo but isn't sure her flute playing will be in that league and is aware there are a lot of flutes!!!

Exciting on the piano comp @QueenMabby - what did she play?

I got DD's piano teacher to agree that she could hold off Gr 8 piano for this time and so she's doing some new pieces and its so nice to listen to new stuff. She's been really enjoying her lessons the past few weeks too - they've been sightreading pieces from the new gr 8 syllabus to see if she wants to swap anything out and playing the 1st movement of Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique which really love so its a welcome addition!

Also @GeneralMusings - nice that DD is getting to try a piccolo - they're tricky at first and there are definitely people on this thread with kids who are way better qualified to talk then me - but from someone who's DS has just started playing, the embouchure is different to flute and so its not just the same as playing a smaller flute. I bought DS 'Piccolo Piccolo!' book from Just Flutes as its a book to help flautists learn picc - it seems to help quite a bit. He also had a lesson with the school flute teacher who very kindly offered to help him with it at first (lovely as she's not his flute teacher but does run the ensemble!). Is there someone at orchestra who can give her some pointers? Otherwise DS found some of the 'how to play piccolo' videos on you tube quite useful.

Hello lovely music people, I wondered if it was ok to drop in here and ask some advice?

DD(16) is about to take her Grade 8 piano. She had a fairly slow start due to starting lessons overseas, then moving back to UK and disruption with teaching in Covid and one lovely teacher moving away.

Eventually we found someone who has taken her from grade 3 to grade 8 in just over two years. But now we are wondering what to do next. The teacher has been very grades focussed, and is expecting to push on to diploma. However DD seems quite keen to move on and find a new teacher. The lessons so far have all been group work so it might be different if she saw this teacher one to one.

She has also started a second instrument in the last year and is hoping to take grade 5 in Feb/March. So maybe a break to focus on that instead? She loves the piano but I’m not entirely sure how much she’d practice without the structure of lessons…

A Chopin waltz. Can't remember which one!

@Delam welcome! Your DD is very dedicated to get to grade 8 in a group lesson. If time/ finances allow and she still enjoys it, lessons will still be useful. My DC enjoys playing at church, has accompanied another student and also tried some chamber music with friends. Maybe she could do something like that which is improving her skills at playing with others but isn't more exams. There are also festivals and competitions she could try too.

@GeneralMusings I hope she enjoys NYO inspire. There should usually be at least one full orchestra member in each section to help out. Obviously some of the inspire members can be as good as full members and may not have auditioned for whatever reason, but also for the popular instruments the larger numbers may mean lots who are good enough don't get in. If she wants to apply next year, doing inspire is a good way to get a feel for it. Also the audition day is free, so if you get invited for the second round, it's a good day out. In the past there have been some extra inspire things such as a specific flute day I think, though not guaranteed they do them every year. Doing an auxiliary instrument helps too.

This year one of the NYO Inspire days is only flutes - DS is going to the flute ensemble day. Unsurprisingly, being a boy he's in a minority!

Ah we've not been invited to anything other than the initial day so maybe she didn't make it to the flute day.

She does oboe but not to grade 8 standard.

Thanks for the piccolo suggestions!