I had a school concert before the summer holidays and totally mucked up my solo and also i got my fixed braces and i can't get a decent sound out of my flute. and all of a sudden over the holidays I have started to hate music and never wanted to practice and wanted to just give up.

I think i am just getting out of it now though cos i actually felt like i needed to practice today (maybe because of a panic as i'm going back to school soon and the fact that i have chosen to do GCSE music!) but i was just wondering if anyone else has ever got like that.

That happened to me a few years ago. I was having a rough time at school, my time was limited, my parents were nagging me to practise blah blah... I got to absolutely hate the piano, and anything to do with it. I insisted on giving up after Grade 2, and after trying to persuade me they eventually let me.

I didn't touch a piano after that for... oh, about three weeks. Because, stopping lessons gives you this amazing feeling of freedom, when you realise you don't HAVE to play the thing, nobody's making you do it any more. It makes music something you play for fun, instead of something you're expected to do because you've always done it and your family are paying for it. That's why, pretty soon, you feel like playing again

So, instead of doing lessons for a bit, I just took it easy and learned some new pieces. And then when I had to do Grade 5 a few years later because my sixth form required it, I got into it happily again because I was doing it for ME. We all get sick of music sometimes, but don't give up! Or at least, not totally.

xx

Hey I am a flautist and I also have fixed braces..it's a pain isn't it!!!!!!!
Just stick with it your sound will improve once your ambrechure (sorry I can't spell) gets used to having braces.

I got exactly like that when I first got my braces on, I couldn;t play my flute without crying!!! I just used to hear myself and think omg I'm gonna have to wait until I get my braces off until I get my tone (which I worked really hard for) back. But i got over it and so will you I still have my braces on and get quite a nice tone..I did lots of sonority work to get my tone back and it's still nowere near as good as it was but it's getting there!

I am also starting GCSE music next year and haven't practiced because my lute's been getting repaired for ages..but oh well!
lol
Alex
xxxx

QUOTE (Jade @ Aug 19 2004, 06:42 PM)

I had a school concert before the summer holidays and totally mucked up my solo and also i got my fixed braces and i can't get a decent sound out of my flute. and all of a sudden over the holidays I have started to hate music and never wanted to practice and wanted to just give up.

Thats what happened with my art..my teachers were giving me a tough time and i was trying my best and everything.

so i really started oto hate art.
Heck i even turned to music just because of what hapened in school!

I think we all go through this, or something similar~ it's like what I was complaining about in my post re Practise or rather lack of it, I think its over on page 2. Dont worry about it too much, I'm sure your enthusiasm will come back, in my case, I've made an effort to do at least 15mins everyday, no matter how tierd I am, an my pieces are gradually starting to come back!

im suer your just going through a little phase Jade!!

keep at it and im sure youll love it again soon!!

if u dont ull have me to answer for!!!!lol

Hey Jade!
I think loads of people go through phases of not liking music in some way, whether they get fed up or otherwise. Surely it shows that you really don't hate music or you wouldn't be here asking us if others had felt the same way!

Its horrible when you first get braces, I know when I got mine I despaired because I was making loads of progress with my flute and suddenly I had a mouth full of metal and I couldn't play. But it doesn't last! Honestly! You do get used to your braces and in a week or two if I was a betting person I'd bet you'll be able to play fine. Try not to get too frustrated, if I knew one person who said that braces took no getting used to and they could play a woodwind instrument fine straight away after getting them I'd be inclined to say that they weren't telling the truth.

Don't worry about the solo either. It happens to everyone, I've mucked up solos with my orchestra before now. I bet it didn't sound nearly as bad as you thought to the audience, and making mistakes and knowing you've made mistakes can only make you a better musician because you will learn something from them, no matter how big or small they were. It might seem like the end of the world at the time, but it DOESN'T mean you're a bad flautist! Like people have said, everyone goes through rough patches, and I'm sure you'll feel better about music soon. Just try not to worry about it too much.