Okay folks - I am aware that I may be opening a can of worms here but why does this topic piss so many people off?

[Theclosetpagan]

I mean if someone has deemed a child G+T (or is it G or T) why is it that they seem to be flamed when they post about any difficulties here?

If the label has come from outside the family and the family struggle why can't they post here saying "Help" without people leaping in to say "your child sounds normal to me"

For what it's worth I don't have a child labelled as G+T but am glad I don't given the response some posters get to this topic.

Surely it's okay for some children to be extra bright. Or is it that there is distrust of this label?

Just interested really.

dd has the same teacher for cello and piano, so she always 'staggers' the exams. Piano next, then cello, and then theory.

I'm going to do the theory ones myself I think (one grade behind dd). Since I go over the stuff with her I feel I should have a personal benefit! and I never did theory as a child, just the intrumental grades

You have to do them after grade 5, don't you. Good idea to get some credit for it

You have to do GRade 5 theory before you can do Grade 6 practical. After that you don't need the theory.

Yes, didn't phrase that very well, sorry.

I had to stop doing the practical exams, because I'd not done the theory, and at that point I was fairly comitted to a future in science. I carred on having the lessons, and working on the music though. kept it up unitl I went to university. Sadly I then was too outclassed by the music students to play in uni orchestras!

Fun though.

mb - that's the problem with the flute, which is why my kids are going to do strings!!!

One of ds's teachers had never done a music exam in her life, just did grade 8 in order to qualify for some teaching course. It's perfectly possible to do without them, isn;t it?

absolutely tamum - they are a measure of where you are. Unfortunately a lot of people will 'only measure by grades' (pupils AND parents). And some pupils really need the regular exam as an incentive.

If he's talented musically I;d move him from the keyboard to the piano tbh (music teachers may disagree).

I knew someone at Oxford who had been training for the Olympics (gymnastics). He did it for years and years. Up early, back after school, very dedicated. Then one day when he was about 14 he changed his mind and gave it all up. Couldn't be bothered with it anymore. His dad was furious apparently (he thought if you had talent you should follow it). We had rooms next to each other one year and he used to do somersaults along the corridor.

I think she would have had to have done great 5 theory, because they don't let you do grades 6, 7 and 8 without the theory at grade 5.

I know of a lot of kids who miss the theory grades 1-4, and jump to grade 5. there are even text books out there to help you do it.

I really enjoyed my flute lessons, and going to the county orchestra on Saterday mornings. We used to get there on the train, and all meet up. Sigh. There are a bautiful boy who used to play the flute (2nd flute so he was in the row behind me!). I had *such a crush on him, and he had no idea who I was!

Thinking about it, that train was like the uber nerd express

I played the flute as well. Reached Grade 7 then got to uni and discovered all these amazing players who were far better than me so I stopped..... Would like to start again one day though. (And my music teacher used to say I was muscially talented, although I suspect she meant not tone death rather than gifted).

Oh yes, mb, she must have done theory I'm sure, just hadn't done any practical exams. I have to say tortoise that they do seem to work well as an incentive for ds, he likes having something to work towards, so they can be useful, can't they, just depends on people's attitudes really.

gess, snap, I was doing grade 7 pieces when I left school, and thought myself quite good, until I went to university. I'm quite good at music, and do have a very good musical memory.
My DB is masses better than me though, and is a self taught guitarist. He can knock out Bach with the best of them, which I think is rather amazing for someone who taught himself to read music.

MB we could have formed the crap flautists band

LOL. Do you know, I'm sometimes quite scared about how much we have in common!

You were 'after my time' I think, or If we did cross over it would have been in my post grad years, where I was too busy doing mildly pointless experiments all hours of the day

I'm glad dd plays the violin rather than the cello, so much easier to carry around!

She's just had a new one, full size this time

There was someone at school who was in the finals of young musician of the year (my school was very musical- well not the school itself the people in it), and she played the harp. Bloody hell - try lugging that around..... (Violin would have been much easier)

I'm an ex-flautist as well. Did County Youth Orchestra. But gave up round about 6th form level, as just couldn't find the time for practice, and my weekly hour long lessons were spent chatting with my lovely teacher!

Gess - I TOTALLY agree about piano not keyboard - in fact I think I said that to KM on a different thread (possibly the cello one). You can always move to keyboard from piano, not so easy the other way round as you don't develop a pianistic technique. I am radical and don't even think you should use Clavinovas, though I know lots of people like them on here. I hate them!!!

gess - I got to the northern finals of YMoY, and had a very scary day at RNCM in Manchester - I was about 15, and all the other competitors were at Chethams and RNCM, and I was on piano, and not anywhere near as good as them. YorkieGirl came with me, and another friend, and my Grandma, so was a very nice day out, although I didn't get any further in the competition!

I'd be surprised if there was much difference - does he do keyboard at school? Is there a peripatetic piano teacher? Could he practise at school if you don't have a piano at home? Is there somewhere that stocks second hand pianos near you? You can often pick up something ok for not much money.

As a guide, I charge £11 for half an hour, which is slightly under ISM rates, but feel more comfortable with that as the parents have to help with my children!

My dd does 3 instruments at school, piano, violin and singing. Singing great as can practise anywhere and carry the instrument with you at all times lol

peripatetic means visting teachers - so a teacher visiting your school is a peripatetic teacher - they tend to be a bit cheaper in school.

If you can stretch to it, it would be a better investment I think!