I am new to this forum and would like some advice. My DD 9 years is currently learning piano and cello.We are not musical but both her teachers are very pleased with her.She has recently passed her piano grade 2 with merit and doing her cello grade 3 in the spring. If you dont know anything regarding music how do you support your child. I do ensure that she practices regularly by gently remainding her but she loves both her instruments.I am a bit anxious as she progressed through the difficult and higher grades - how will she cope?
I would also appreciate if anyone knows summer course in cello/piano for someone this young preferably a non residential.Thanks in advance.

Don't worry, no reason she shouldn't carry on doing well even if you can't help with the musical side of things. Encouragement and space to practice counts for a lot and if you aren't sure about things then do ask her teachers. I'm sure they will be happy to explain thingsand to rell you if there is anything that you can do to help.
It depends where you live or if you would want to stay in a hotel but Chethams Piano Summer school have a course for young pianists below grade 5 and you could take her daily rather than have her board.
You can find information here.

Welcome to the Forums. The Hindhead music centre in Surrey runs summer courses, including one for young cellists. The website is here.

Hello, and welcome to the forums! My daughter also plays the cello (among other things). The summer holiday things she has done with her cello include Oxford Cello School, details here, which can be non-residential if you live close enough, Young Strings Venture in the Lake District, details here (last year's course) and Musicale, details here. She didn't really enjoy Oxford Cello School but was only 7 and around grade 1 standard at the time, so I think she found it all a bit overwhelming.

I fall into the category of slightly musical parent, as I do a bit of recorder playing, though not terribly well. As my daughter is also a recorder player, though much better than me, this has enabled us to have a lot of fun music making together at home and elsewhere. Also, in our case, I decided that I would study some music theory at the same time as my daughter, and we took several of the exams up to grade 5 together. I think we both really enjoyed helping each other out with past exam questions, and there was some healthy competition between us as well. So, you may think you know nothing about music now, but it doesn't have to stay that way, and I think you will, in any case, learn quite a lot, by a process of osmosis, as your daughter moves up through the grades.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Did not expect so many responses so soon. Musicale has a course near us. Has anyone or their children been on it.

My own kids have been to Musicale in the past and some students went last year to our local one and had a wonderful week. There is a great mix of attractive music to play and the staff are lovely!

There's also a great independent course that runs at Withington Girls School in Manchester if anyone is NW based.

My daughter has been to Musicale every year since she was just turned 8, and is now 13, so she seems to enjoy it! I worry that she doesn't get so much out of it now she is playing at about grade 7 level (on clarinet, which is what she tends to play there in preference to cello). However, she still wants to go, and they do seem very good at accommodating a wide range of different abilities.

Oh Fantastic we will probably book her into one of the summer course near us.Thanks a lot.

Like you I'm a nonmusical parent. I have gone through a whole series of emotions whilst supporting my daughter now 14. I have learnt so much over the last five years but I sometimes still feel worried about making the right decisions. I've had lots of helpful advice from people on these Forums which I very much appreciate.

I have felt out of my depth at supporting her through the higher grades on instruments but you learn as you go along. Ensuring that she has excellent teachers who have her best interest at heart has been my main role and finding funding for instruments, courses etc.

I wish you and your daughter the best and welcome to the Forums.

She has absolutely fab teachers for both her piano and cello.Infact We are looking to move and one of the criteria is that it sould be fairly accesible to both teachers. . We dont insist on exams and I am just glad that she can play the instruments and enjoy it .Want her enjoy it for the rest of her life. I just sit with her when she practises and try and encourage her.But am finding it hard that cant help her when she says it is sooo hard.

Just been looking at the course fees. some of them are so expensive.If she goes to musicale, atleast we dont have to spend on the accomodation

Hi and welcome to the forums!

I'd suggest a couple of additional things:

- I think having a "musical" house definitely helps. We always tend to have some music playing in the house, either music CDs or radio. Not that you should limit it to classical, by the way, far from it. Try to give her exposure to as much, and as varied music as you can.
- Have you thought about taking her to a symphony concert? That way, she can experience the thrill of seeing a live orchestra (I find it thrilling, at least... ), and also see the cello being played in an orchestra.

Best of luck!!

I do take her to coffee concerts in the city ( must admit I dont understand anything) and she plays in school training orchestra.Does any one have tips regarding scales- piano and cello. She skipped her grade 1 cello and went straight to grade 2 cello.Her teacher is fab and he teaches her beyond grade 2 and then he puts her to the exams(his words). She is stuggling with the scales.Everything looks ok when she plays to me.I have bought the CD for cello Abrsm released but do they do one for scales.

I can recommend the "Little Cellos" course run here and the "Children's Holiday Music". They can be either residential or non-residential (if you're close enough).

I'm a non musical parent of a musical 12 year old and a somewhat musical 13 year old.
I think there are some real advantages to being non musical in this situation. I'm always massively impressed by what the children do musically and I find being a non critical but appreciative audience encourages practice.
I can still remember my completely non musical husband trying to criticise them. Nutter!!!
There are ways of practicing which help you improve the things that need improving and the best person to advise you are her teachers.
Good communication is vital. Share that scales are proving difficult and ask for advice on how to practice them. Teachers will be happy to tell you. They have probably already told your daughter but she hasn't bought into their ideas. You can help to support her.
A couple of times we have used a lesson to go through what a practice should be like and it has been very useful.
Different teachers have different good ideas and I grab them all. We use envelopes labelled "grate" "okay" "need work" because my daughter is dyslexic and scales move between them. Sometimes we use smiley faces instead of words.
One thing I have learnt is this. It doesn't matter how slow something has to be played to get it right. The getting it right is the important thing. Once it is right speeding up is relatively easy.
Something that is really hard to learn is that playing a piece from start to finish repeatedly isn't the best way to get better. I do sometimes ask my son which bits of his piece he is going to work on in his practice in an effort to stop him just playing from start to finish.
One last thing is that it is never too early to think about Theory because without the Grade 5 Theory you can't do grades above Grade 5 with instruments.
This website is a fantastic resource. I've had loads of questions answered here.
Enjoy what is going to be an interesting journey.
Dora

Cant agree with you more Dora. I am in complete awe in what she can do ( honestly cant believe that my DD can do this) so always appreciate what ever she does. My Husband does not really bother with any of the practise etc., but listens to her and he always encourages. Her cello teacher will circle what is the tricky bit in the piece but she just plays the whole piece at a time- may be I will ask her to concentrate on the circled bits from next time onwards.

Cant agree with you more Dora. I am in complete awe in what she can do ( honestly cant believe that my DD can do this) so always appreciate what ever she does. My Husband does not really bother with any of the practise etc., but listens to her and he always encourages. Her cello teacher will circle what is the tricky bit in the piece but she just plays the whole piece at a time- may be I will ask her to concentrate on the circled bits from next time onwards.

Some good advice from Dora.

My other half keeps well out of anything musical He occasionally finds out he's involved when he sees his bank statement Oboe reeds are very expensive

Welcome, notaclue!

As a non-musical parent, I completely empathise with you. I've learnt so much along the way with my daughter. I've found out that although I cannot play any music myself, my ear has certainly improved in the last year or so, and I can often tell if something just doesn't sound right (that's a huge achievement for me!!).

You sound very supportive and it's great that your emphasis isn't on exams.

Along the way, I've tried to learn as much as I can about music-making, music theory and violin repertoire that I can so that I can help her in organising her practice, nag her when necessary, encourage her when she's down on herself, and give her a pep talk when needed. There's some good advise already about creating a musical environment- listening to as much music as possible and taking regularly to concerts where possible. Good, experienced teachers are crucial.

It seems that you're already doing all of these things anyway!

Daughter has realised now that scales can be the the basis for reliable and sound technique and so she doesn't mind practising them anymore. But, don't think she still enjoys them. A scale rota has helped to ensure she warms up with scales. Certainly, the tendency to play through a piece was there with her too in the earlier days but, as some other people have recommended, taking bits of a piece apart to work on problem areas is more useful in the long run. It also makes them think about the structure of the piece in much more detail.

My daughter hasn't done the summer musicale course, but she did their Easter courses at the Queenswood School for last 2 years which she really enjoyed. I think Gd 5 is the level needed for their youngest one but there might be some flexibility. Also, Hindhead was a great course that she really enjoyed 2 years ago. As your daughter advances, you could also look at Pro Corda course for her, which is age-banded.

Good luck!

Thanks a mum. I have choosed Musicale as they have a course near us so no need to board. If she enjoys they then we will look into Hindhead.Thanks for the suggestions.