We are now seriously off topic, but the problem with clarinet scales is not, I think, that it is not a "C instrument" but that the register key puts everything up a 12th, which is why some fingerings are like descant and some like treble recorder. MM started with recorder, but still prefers clarinet scales. Just personal taste, I guess!

I agree with the comment on exams and funding. It is difficult to get funding without it. I have usually been asked to send a copy of my daughter's mark sheet when applying for funding. Although my daughter is at a JD, I have always asked her Head of Music at Secondary School and her individual music teacher for any necessary references for funding. Her teacher was performing in Japan and was able to write a reference and email it direct when I sent the request via a text! Whereas getting hold of teachers at the JD is not easy.

These days it is much easier to scan and email letters of reference plus URLs of performances on myspace and youtube. First time I did this I had to ask for help on this forum I didnt even know what a URL was! Recently we had to send a CD with a funding application - it was very badly made in a great hurry - as I had "lied" and said "yes we have one right here, will mail it tonight", when of course we hadnt got one .
A year ago there is no way I could have made a music CD in a matter of hours, uploaded and sent it with photos, reference letters and all other paperwork to the relevant funding body. Now I can. Thank you forumites

Sorry if I am being a bit dense and missed this in one of your posts, but WHY will Beth stop sax lessons after G8? My daughter got a distinction at G8 on trombone last march (she was 11) and has continued her lessons - exploring repertoire, entering festivals, gaining performance skills and crucial technical skills too. In fact, she missed most of last term lesson wise due to a combination of her teacher being unavailable and my daughter breaking her arm and my goodness didn't it show! The snow made things tricky at the start of this year but she has managed 2 lessons in the last couple of weeks and has one booked for next week and is back on a roll now. Lessons at post grade 8 are critical for performance to continue to develop when the player achieves G8 young (as I am guessing Beth will as I seem to remember her only being a year or so older than my daughter?) in my opinion so it might be worth thinking about continuing the sax lessons rather than starting harp.

My logic is that she should then focus on the flute and play the sax for fun only, which is what her sax teacher did. She is now studying the flute at Guildhall. But you are probably right. The trouble is post Grade 8 I would prefer her to have lessons at the Conservatoire and that is going to be hard to fit in with piano and flute even if she has singing lessons at home.
I need a new plan!!!!
Dora

Then she can learn it as an adult! There wasn't a harp teacher anywhere near us when I was growing up, so I only started lessons aged 28 and (finally!) treated myself to a pedal harp.

Does her current teacher not go beyond Grade 8? If she does and you are happy with the teaching I'd stay. If the teacher has little or no experience beyond Grade 8 I think I'd change after 7.

It is possible to do 3 studies or maybe you could switch Piano to outside the Conservatoire.

The difficult thing I find is working out where I to go next.

Poor teacher. If everyone thought like that she'd never get experience of teaching to Grade 8.

In fact how did she ever manage to teach up to Grade 7? Why didn't everyone leave after Grade 6?

... Come to think of it ... how did she ever get to take students therough any of the grades.

"Yossarian"

Her teacher is a very experienced full time member of the local music service who came highly recommended by her last teacher.
I am very happy with the work that she is doing with Beth. Because they have an hour a week she is able to spend time on aural and they have also done some improvisation which I assume is extremely useful for Beth.
I guess I think of music services as going up to Grade 8 and then passing children over to other bodies. Since I have little/no experience of any of this I'm more than happy to be corrected.
So time for a new thread I think. "What do music services do?"
Thanks
Dora

Some teachers are happy to take students to a certain point and then for them to move on. I was unsure if that was the case here. I would only change teacher if I couldn't see any progress or for other reasons which perhaps don't relate to teaching at all.

I was trying to establish why Dora felt the need to move or quit after Grade 8.

Just had a thought that most students take Grade 8 in year 12 or 13 so post teaching isn't a problem.




I think you will find it varies between Music Services and instruments. There are post Grade 8 students at ours though not many. There are Jazz Grades too if Beth is interested in improvising.

One of our teachers was talking about post grade 8 and the technical things needing to be covered along with expansion of repertoire. A couple of years worth of work mentally planed already

Well as a guide, I worked for my local music service for over 10 years and I teach beginners to post diploma level on all brass instruments (except tuba which I only teach to G8 as I just don't know the repertoire well enough past that) but the children I taught solely within the music service rarely made it past grade 6 or 7 due to the duration and timetabling of the lessons. My private students who are doing upper grades/performances (Grade 7 and beyond) all have an hour long lessons a week which can't be accommodated in the school/music service set-up.

Our music service in Berkshire will take you at least as far as first diploma level. Youngsters are prepared for diplomas if they want to do them, but those performers who definitely want a career in music are advised to join one of the London junior conservatoires and encouraged to audition for NYO or NYWO.

I think your point is very sensible David. Our youngest wants a career in music but I'm perfectly prepared for her to change her mind. I haven't tried to influence her one way or the other it has to be her decision.

As for enjoyment she is getting lots of that too. She particularly loves the Harmony Orchestra, with it's variety of players, and Juniors for playing opportunities, socialising and learning. It's hard work, yet hopefully it will help with the long term decision.

I do think though it's better to prepare for a career in music, if that's what they think they want, even if it's not persued it ultimately. We've seen threads about people who decide in sixth form they really want it and don't have all the qualifications or experience to fulfill their dream.

I was talking to a lday recently whose daughter had gone to ballet school in her early teens then on to London company and had some time with Ballet Rambert. Then, aged twenty, she decided she didn't want to be a ballet dancer after all and is looking for work as a nanny. But I don't think she or her mum regretted what she'd done. I do think her mum felt she'd missed out on the normal part of being a teenager though and having time to relax. I'm a great believer in it being a bad thing to have every moment filled with activities, even if they're things you want to do. I think everyone needs time to be bored and do nothing for their mental well being.

At least she had the chance to try and find out it wasn't for her. Maybe in a few years she might think about teaching.

It's not always easy with a busy musical life but at least there are times when you can socialise at band. My daughter has done well for spending time with her friends this weekend

I can't remember her ever being bored. When she's time there's always the kitchen to dive into and a cake to make.

Its never quite so straight forwards is it though. At 16 they have to make subject choices. My daughter was trying to keep her options open between medicine and music but by trying to do this she would have had to 3 science A levels plus music. Also to practise her instrument and to do some voluntary work in a hospital. It was clearly going to be too much. So she chose music. (she can always change her mind at a later date) She has been told (masterclasses, tutors) that she ought to be practising 4 hours a day if she wants to make it as a musician. But still the English schools ask you to do 3 academic subjects at A level.

Both careers she chose are highly competitive and so, yes, hard work does overtake fun on the daily basis. To achieve in either of these areas does involve a lot of pressure. Sometimes I wish she had never picked up an instrument - that she went to school and then went out having fun with her friends in the evenings. Or that she was able to play music at a 'fun' level, whatever that may mean. I don't quite know when music became so serious although I do know that many teenagers feel pressure nowadays. But you can't change their personality and if you have a serious minded offspring you just have to go along with it, being in the background to provide a balance - if they will listen to you!

Having said all this she loves the highs of her successes (finds the setbacks very hard to deal with) and fundamentally she loves performing. And a lot of socialising goes on in orchestras.

One of the benefits for me of having children was to learn to live for today. Beth knows that there is no pressure or expectation on her to be a musician. Her other career plan is to run a kennels!!!! It is her life. The deal is that if she has the lessons she has to practice but the Junior Conservatoire is a one year at a time deal.
We do try to fit her practice in round the other things she wants to do and as has already been said there is a great deal of socialising within music which she enjoys.
Interestingly from the age of about 9 I adored maths, lived it and breathed it. Never changed my mind. We seem, as a family, not to switch interests very much. I still enjoy pretty much the same things I did when I was a child and my children have been pretty constant so far. And if that changes I will enjoy what we move on to. Music was not a significant part of my life at all until all this happened and I'm having fun.
Dora

Mu daughter is only 9 - the other day shewas wondering how she can be a musician, an author and an astronomer at the same time. She is interested in all of them equally. She came up with the idea that she will bejava script:emoticon(':D',%20'smid_5') an astronomer at night and musician and author in the morning - dont know how long this phase will last?

I like her thinking. Live music is often played in the evenings so she could perform and then go straight out to her telescopes. Sleep in the morning and then write before performing or during boring bits in rehearsals or while the sky is cloudy.
Dora (the "can do" girl)

When my daughter started having piano lessons aged about seven, she said she wanted to be a farmer and a piano teacher and decided she could combine the two by teaching the cows to play the piano

I believe someone I know had his harpsichord built in a similar manner by the local tech college.

I think it depends on the person, I had to grade 5's (piano and flute) and a grade 3 (singing) in the space of a week a fewyears ago but was well prepared so didn't mind and now have to grade 6s (flute and singing) and a grade 3 (guitar) in this session and again I'm nto particularly bothered but you should definitly only do waht you can. And considering Beth is only 13 that probably is a little over loading!

Fortunately for us Beth's flute teacher has said she doesn't want her taking anything else in the same session as the flute. I do have a possible solution though. The Grade 7 will be at the beginning of July and school seem to run a special visit around 20th July. I might enter her there for the singing and piano.
Dora