Spring /Summer 25 - Music thread

[northerngoldilocks]

Time for a new thread for spring!

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.

@amr78 that's fantastic! You'll all be glad to be moving on to some new pieces I'm sure.

Congrats @amr78! 😁
My DS has Asperger's and masking is really exhausting.

@amr78 that's fabulous news. What a superstar!

Brilliant news @amr78- you must both be so pleased

Evening all! So long since I posted, and so much seems to have happened to everyone!

GCSEs all over - A-level music on the horizon.

DS submitted his diploma piano recording, despite his teacher thinking it won't earn him a distinction. But he was sick of the pieces, and they'll never get any better. So I reckoned to not let perfection be the enemy of the good, and that a diploma at age 15, even if 'just' a merit, is better than not doing it for another year or so!

Re drama, DS did it as well as music, though it was a toss-up between that and Latin, and loved it. It's quite structured, so even if a child isn't a natural performer, it isn't too hard to get decent marks. I believe, however, that DS got full marks in his practicals. Natural performer...

Re Rodulfus, don't sweat about the white shirts. A two-pack from Sainsburys is super-cheap, and may well come in handy anyway. DS did a course in Liverpool and had a blast. The teachers are amazing, and singing in the two cathedrals was such an experience.

More showing off - DS got the senior music prize for outstanding contribution. He's all 'I don't do it for the prize - I do it because I love it', and is v dismissive.

Hello everyone,

Just catching up with all the lovely news of your musical dc.

I’m a bit sad today - I did my Grade 5 cornet exam today and it did not go well. All my pieces sounded better earlier this week and even in the practice room ☹️ A lot of the high notes didn’t sound, I don’t know what happened.

Having got merits for Grades 1, 2 and 3 (I skipped gr 4), I’ll probably scrape a pass for this one.

@bendmeoverbackwards Well done for getting to your exam and putting the work in. A few blips are normal and people are generally not that good at judging their own performance. Hopefully you can find some fun pieces to play now.

Hello! Can I ask for some advice about cellos? DS2 is growing and needs a full size cello. He has a run of the mill Stringers Symphony cello at the moment and his teacher thinks he needs a better cello and that we'll need to spend a good amount of money on a decent one. DS2 is working at grade 8 level at the moment and is 13, so he'll get lots of use out of it. How much money do you think you need to spend to get a "decent" cello and can anyone recommend a good shop? We're in the West Midlands, but would be happy to travel.

Three more concerts to go, then we're done for this academic year! Hope everyone's enjoyed all the concerts this time of year!

My friend got that model I think for her child as they approached grade 8 and is happy so I think your ds has been lucky to be on something fairly nice already, so maybe you are looking at even more serious money. You'd get more for your money second hand but might need more expert help choosing. I guess it's how much you are prepared to spend. With woodwind the price points are more defined and whilst beginner ones are expensive for example the oboe, a genuinely professional one ( ie that principals are playing in orchestras, not just labeled professional model!) is not completely out of reach (when bought second hand). I imagine with cellos you can pay tens of thousands quite easily though. Maybe if he's serious you could look at one of the instrument loan schemes for quality instruments. Especially as he will get lots of use as you say. I think there's the cherubim trust and another one beginning with b someone else might remember!

If you can get down to it then Thwaites in Watford is worth a look @GreenTeaWhite as they often have trade ins from Purcell School down the road. They are proper old school luthiers so the set up is great too. Might be worth a chat with Benslow as well as they have a range of instruments to loan.

I'm overwhelmed just thinking about how busy some of your kids seem to be! I thought mine were doing too much. We've got to a crunch point here, and I'm meant to be in two places at the same time. DD4 has 'watching week' at her dance class, while DD8 is playing in the end of term concert at the music centre. My feeling is that a concert probably trumps watching week so I should go to that, but I'm slightly worried that I'm short-changing the younger one. After all, isn't her big sister always going to be a step ahead, so doing more important things? And it's not like there aren't plenty of concerts - she's doing one the following weekend, too (and has decided to learn something entirely new for it, of course, because she's bored of the exam pieces she could play in her sleep). How do you decide what's fair when there's a clash?

Having relayed all the info about the Rodolfus course, DD is most excited about the news that there's a daily cooked breakfast. So much for art and beauty!

@TreeAtMyWindow that's tricky. Maybe explain to the older one you'll come to the concert the week after instead? Can you get another parent going to specifically wave or smile at her so she knows someone is watching her.
Also mine judge courses on the food and the quality of card games played with friends!

@bendmeoverbackwards I'm sure it went better than you think. We are our own worst critics! Fingers crossed the result is better than you think but if not, it's okay to be disappointed but you should take satisfaction in the effort and the progress. Don't let it stop you making music and enjoying making music. (Speaking as an adult who scraped a pass in an absolute car crash of a grade 5 piano exam last year)

Thank you @NimbleFox

You have now strengthened my belief in the Grade 5 curse 😂. I realised after my exam that is the third instrument I’ve played which went wrong at Gr 5. Piano grade 5 - scraped a pass after doing well in previous grades; clarinet - failed grade 5 after a distinction for gr 3 and merit for gr 4.

What is it about grade 5? Anyone else?

@bendmeoverbackwards very impressed with you doing your grade 5 - I would be terrified. Swear it is worse for adults.

I confess I have also fallen victim to the grade 5 curse. I failed grade 5 piano as a teen- retook and scraped it but never went any further. Must bear it in mind as (teacherless) DD2 records her pieces for Grade 5 this month.

She is done with school for the summer - having won the year 11 prize for music, played Mahler 5 in the cathedral and been in absolute floods of tears because the upper sixth bassoonists are leaving. We've now taken her away for two weeks without ANY instruments. The withdrawal is extreme.

Congratulations to all those who've just done summer grades! My DS did both of his Grade 8s in the week after his last A-level exam, which was a little intense. He is very glad to have squeezed those in before he officially left school. New adventures await, and I hope he continues with his music at university!

Well done to mini name change - music prize against that level of competition is very impressive. I'm sure the bassoonists will be back to visit - most DC don't seem to stay away for long. One of my DD's mates will be back as a GMA next year!!

@bendmeoverbackwards full of admiration for you doing grades as an adult - I just don’t think my nerves would allow me to do it! Grade 5 curse here too as a youngster - a handful of distinctions in violin, clarinet and singing up until grade 5 then rapidly headed southwards thereafter! I scraped through grade 8 violin and clarinet in the lead up to A-levels but did manage a merit in grade 8 singing - I think the swig or two of port beforehand really helped!
@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest congrats to your dd on her prize. A wonderful achievement! We’re having an enforced rest here too as ds on work experience this week and then we’re away. He’s really pretty tired so hopefully will do him good.

Congratulations to your DD @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - winning the music prize at a specialist music school is outstanding!

and congrats @amr78 and @PhotoDad and anyone else I’ve missed with exams/results.

@bendmeoverbackwards well done to you for even attempting an exam as an adult - I would be terrified. I’m sure it went better than you thought!

Thank you for all your kind words, still waiting for results, hopefully won’t be too much longer.

Im a glutton for punishment, I’m already looking up gr 6 pieces!

My dd reminded me that the reason I started the cornet in the first place was to join a brass band. And I’ve now done that! After playing in the development band for a few years , I have just joined my local brass band. Love it so much especially park bandstand concerts. The music is a bit challenging but I’m getting there gradually.

I crashed out of grade 5 cornet as a youngster .. don't fret. I've now played in brass bands for 43 years and nobody asks what grade you got lol. Brass banding is great fun and often very family oriented

Hello to fellow brass bander @Lightuptheroom 👋🏼 I’m enjoying it so much and have met some nice people. I had no idea that some people play for multiple bands and dep for others. Currently on 3rd cornet as a newbie but I’d love to do a solo one day.

Im also going to Wessex summer school this year for the second time.

Lol. One of my friends does 5 different bands and deps as well! A lot depends on if you chose to belong to a 'contesting' band, that's all divided into different sections. I choose to just do it for fun, 3rd cornet is actually harder work because you rarely see the tune. I play repiano and dep on flugel.

We are a contesting band. Promoted to third section last year and competed in regionals in March this year and came a respectable 4th. I didn’t play in the competition as I’d just joined but I leant the test piece in rehearsals.

5 is loads! Impressive.