Startle Music

One Mad Muso Indeed!

In June 2021 (a year later than planned!), I successfully completed Grades Initial to 8 on nine different instruments on the same day - a world first! The endeavour attracted a huge amount of national attention, and thanks to the generosity of my friends, family and the public, I managed to raise £2362 for two local educational charities.

My final results were:
Initial Grade Trumpet - Distinction
Grade 1 Guitar - Merit (missed Disctinction by 2 marks)
Grade 2 Trombone - Distinction
Grade 3 Cello - Distinction
Grade 4 Xylophone - Distinction
Grade 5 Singing - Distinction
Grade 6 Bassoon - Merit
Grade 7 Piano - Pass (missed Merit by 3 marks)
Grade 8 Soprano Saxophone - Merit (missed Distinction by 4 marks... I was VERY tired!)

I'm extremely happy with that! My proudest achievement is probably passing Grade 7 Piano - I'm not a natural pianist, had to work extremely hard for every mark I was awarded, and it took me many years to reach Grade 7! I'd love to do it all again in future, by going up a grade on most of the instruments and maybe including a couple of new ones, but the expense of doing it all again is probably prohibitive!

Here is the coverage by Classic FM

and the BBC

One Mad Muso

Nine Instruments. Nine exams. Nine grades. One day. One Mad Muso.

I have always loved a challenge, and have often taken on challenging projects for charity.  In the past, these have included three long sponsored swims (around 2.5 km each), a 4-legged walk (tied to two of my friends), cutting off most of my hair, putting on countless concerts, a China tea party with stalls and entertainment, and car washes.  Recently, another inspirational music teacher captured my imagination when she took eight ABRSM exams on eight different instruments on the same day.  That kind of thing is RIGHT up my street, and I have decided to do a similar challenge with Trinity, in June 2020.  Incorporating Initial Grade, I plan to do one of each grade, all the way up to Grade 8, on nine different instruments.  I have chosen not to use any of the instruments I teach (clarinet, flute, recorder, alto saxophone) so am taking up five new ones, and taking four of my 'just for fun' instruments further.  The instruments I've chosen are as follows:

Initial Grade Trumpet
Grade 1 Guitar
Grade 2 Trombone
Grade 3 Cello
Grade 4 Xylophone
Grade 5 Singing
Grade 6 Bassoon
Grade 7 Piano
Grade 8 Soprano Saxophone

It's going to be a huge amount of work, but I'm very excited.  I'm raising money for two small local charities, Stand Against Violence and the Sidney Lawton Trust.  I'll write more about the charities in a later post.  I plan to keep you all updated with my progress.  Since deciding to do this two days ago, I've approached the charities, begun to raise sponsorship towards the exam fees (which will cost around £600), chosen two of my songs, ordered the relevant syllabi, and bought the books for Trumpet, Guitar and Piano.  Do feel free to ask me anything about my challenge... I'd love to answer any questions in my next post.

Published by Estelle, July 22nd, 2019

Getting rather over-excited

Once I get an idea into my head, I get rather obsessed, and manage to find boundless energy.  Sleep, who needs sleep?!  After choosing my pieces for Piano and Guitar, and setting my my crowdfunding page for the exam entry fees, I did lie awake worrying about whether I'd find the fees in time for the crowdfunding site's cut-off date... they have given me a maximum of 8 weeks.  However, within 12 hours of setting it up, we're at £115 in addition to the pledges I have received from other sources.  I have informed the publicity person and the governors at work, and the charities.  It's now up to me to balance having a fun, relaxing holiday with my family, with doing jobs around the house that always need to be done, and practising steadily.  The practice part won't be hard, because I'm just doing what I love.  I haven't been this happy and excited for years!  Piano is going to be a long haul, but I can play a vague approximation to the pieces with hands together, half of the scales, and all of the exercises v e r y  s l o w l y.  I've chosen my unaccompanied folk song, and decided that any time spent in the car is going to be singing time.  I will include a link to my crowdfunding page, and a video of one of the guitar pieces which I started yesterday. 

Crowdfunding for exam entry fees

        

Published by Estelle, July 23rd, 2019

Making plans

Now that I have relaxed somewhat about raising the requisite funds, I had my first really long, good quality sleep since our camping holiday in May half term.  It's been very hot here and I've had a bit of a lazy day, pottering and reading.  This evening, I decided to do some practice, and I'm happy with how things are progressing at this early stage.  I'll give each instrument a quick mention, in ascending grade order.

Trumpet (Initial) is in the loft at the moment.  I have asked my husband to get it down when it's convenient.  I can't get it myself due to the fact that one has to lever oneself through a very small space by putting all one's weight on the arms while swinging the legs upwards, and I have a very damaged left arm from an accident years ago.  I've had a look through the book and it looks very easy, but I'm completely hopeless at the trumpet.

Guitar (1) is challenging me and I'm not a natural - I tried to teach myself years ago and practised quite a lot, but really didn't get too far.  I now have three possibly passable pieces.  I've chosen Theme from The Magic Flute, James Bond, and Samba Ole.  I'm not sure yet whether I'm going to do scales or exercises, so will have to order the book and see what I can manage.  I also did some sight reading today.

Trombone (2) is not going to happen until I get back to work in September and see if I can manage to hire one.

Cello (3) I haven't started yet.  My daughter has a 3/4 sized cello and I can play some of her pieces due to having learned violin and viola when I was younger, and also having attended her lessons.  I haven't looked at the current syllabus, but will tomorrow.  I helped her to learn the scales when she did Grade 3, so I should be OK there.  Ditto aural and sight reading.

Xylophone (4) I don't own one, but can practise at work in September.  A colleague lent me some chime bars to practise on at home when I did Grade 2 for charity a few years ago.  I did look at the pieces for Grades 3 and 4 back then, and thought some of them looked manageable.  I'll dig out the book tomorrow and have another look.

Singing (5) I've chosen my unaccompanied traditional song, Sir Eglamore, and started learning it.  It's great fun and I have liked the Kate Rusby version for years, so I've been listening to that.  I'm also going to sing My Lagan Love... and not sure what else yet!  A pupil's sister has just taken this exam, so I might ask her if she can recommend any nice songs.

Bassoon (6) is worrying me a bit at the moment.  I've only played one once... about 25 years ago, for five minutes.  Again, I can't start yet because I need to hire one.  I'll be starting from scratch.  In my 20s, I got to an intermediate level on recorder, flute and saxophone within a few months and an advanced level in a couple of years, so I'm hoping there are plenty of transferable skills there.

Piano (7) was my biggest worry, but I'm working really hard.  I can now play all of the scales, apart from E major in thirds because I can't figure out the fingering.  I can't afford to shell out on unnecessary scale books, so will have a quick chat to one of my colleagues once we get back to work.  I've chosen my pieces: Handel Allegro in G minor, Fiesta by Turina, and Sarah by Peter-Horas.  I can play a third, all, and half of those pieces respectively, quite slowly with hands together.  I know I need to learn them patiently with separate hands and I will, but am trying to get a quick overview of them first.  I think they make for a good programme though.

Soprano Saxophone (8) I started tonight, and it's easier than I thought it would be - I did do ABRSM Alto Saxophone in 2006, and the fingering is the same.  I've had the sop for a few years and have played in a band, in a busking competition and in church with it already.  I haven't done any exams though.  It's very hard to play in tune, and I'm not happy with my Cs, C#s or top end yet.  Having done Grade 8 on a very similar instrument before, I don't feel the need to be examined on all of the scales again, so I've been trying out the two studies - they are both in F# major and evil!  I think I have a favourite... the slower one, even though it contains gazillions of double sharps, ugh!  I had a look through the syllabus and didn't know many of the pieces for sop, but did unexpectedly find a copy of the Bach G minor sonata on the shelf.  I must have played it on the alto many years ago (COMLPETELY different fingering and I don't remember much about it!) so it makes financial sense to do that one.  I'll be spending the next couple of weeks trawling Youtube for a contrasting piece, and a fun one!

I can't afford any lessons, but am hoping that my fellow Visiting Music Teachers (VMTs) might take pity on me and answer some of my many questions once we're back at work.  I'm going to ask some colleagues if they'd mind signing up to accompany me for one or two grades.  In the case of piano and guitar, I have to go it alone anyway!

I think that's all for now.  I'll update again soon.

Published by Estelle, July 24th, 2019

Choosing pieces

I didn't practise yesterday or this morning due to feeling unwell, but I've made up for it in other ways.  I spent yesterday evening listening to most of the pieces on the saxophone syllbus, and have chosen Joplin's Bethena and the Lacour studies to go with the Bach sonata which I already own.  I've found the percussion book, which conveniently has two pieces (Charlie is my darling and Tango) and two studies in, so I'm going to do those two pieces and the Grade 4 minor study.  I suddenly remembered we have a really nice glockenspiel in the house, so I can practise on that for now.  It's much smaller than the xylophone at work, so I have to be more accurate.  I'll be able to visit the music department and practise on the real thing during the evenings and the odd free period from September.  I'm now hopeful that I'll have a pretty good grasp of the exam content for Trumpet, Guitar, Cello, Xylophone, Singing and Saxophone by the end of the summer!  That leaves Trombone and Bassoon (which I can't start yet) and Piano, which was always going to be a long-term project!

Tonight, I have spent a couple of hours on the piano, saxophone, glock (in place of xylophone) and guitar.  I'll upload some more videos very soon.  What would you like to see?  Please let me know on my work FB page here or on the contact form on my home page!

Published by Estelle, July 26th, 2019

Start-up costs raised!

I have gone a little bit quiet recently because there hasn't been too much to report, but now there is!  Thanks to the generosity of friends, family and colleagues, I have managed to raise the £485 that I needed for the reduced exam entry fees!  When my crowdfunder page expires in about three weeks, I will be able to bank that money with Trinity.  You can still donate to that site for now - anything over and above the £485 will be donated directly to my two chosen charities, and I will transfer the funds over to a new charity page which will be set up in September.

I currently don't have a trombone or a bassoon, and am waiting to see what is available to hire once I get back to work.  I've made a start with most of the other instruments though.

Guitar is pretty much ready to go now, and I'm enjoying it.  Very soon, it will be a fun one that I can just keep ticking along.  I'm playing the exercises from slightly higher grades, and the alternative Grade 1 pieces, for sight reading practice, but am fairly confident.

Trumpet has been a challenge and I'm not very good at it.  I can play the notes and rhythms correctly for Initial Grade and beyond, but my tone needs a lot more work, and a recovering broken finger is hampering me a bit.

I have made a good start and am well on the way with two pieces each for Singing and Saxophone.  I have chosen the other pieces I want to sing and play, but haven't been able to afford the music books yet - I am saving up to buy a couple of books each month because as you can imagine, getting all of the sheet music for nine exams is quite expensive.  I think I can afford the other singing and saxophone books this month, which means that by the end of September I should have a pretty good overview of all the material I have to perform for those.

Piano is going OK - I have changed one of my Group A pieces.  It was always going to be a slow and steady progression for me.  There's so much to cover that I'm alternating practices between technical work and pieces.  I'm glad I have another ten months, but have decided that if it goes well and I pass, I will take Grade 8 Piano (and maybe Flute) the following year, 2021.  Yes, this is why I called the project One Mad Muso!!!

I made a good start on the Xylophone in July, but haven't done it for ages.  I plan to recify that today!  At the moment I have to practise on a tiny glock, but it's far better than nothing.  Hopefully when term starts, I can practise on the actual xylophone at work a couple of times a week.

I haven't touched the Cello yet, as it belongs to my daughter and I plan to play it when she's at school!  I played quite a bit when she started, and kept up with her for a few years, so I think Grade 3 is going to be OK.

By the end of September, I hope that at least three things are exam ready... probably trumpet, guitar and saxophone.  Then I will play them intermittantly while concentrating mostly on cello, xylophone and singing - the middle grades which shouldn't be too much of a stretch for me.  The idea is to have those six ready by the end of 2019, and then to work super hard on trombone, bassoon and piano from January until Easter.  April to June will be spent playing maybe three per day in rotation, troubleshooting difficult areas and also running through my entire exam programme.  At some point in June, I need to have a few rehearsals where I play the entire lot in one day!

Thanks for reading, and I'll post some videos soon.

Published by Estelle, August 23rd, 2019

September Updates: Trumpet!

To start off this month, I thought I would do a daily update post for each instrument that I have started, in ascending grade order. So today it's trumpet... my nemesis! I'm not exactly a natural, but can play lots of pieces from the exam syllabus and Abracadabra. My next steps are to improve my tuning, dynamics and beginnings of notes.

The first video contains two pieces from List B.  The second video is of my probable List A pieces.  The last one is of the scale exercise, and O Susanna from List B.  I only have to play three pieces, but am having fun learning all of them!  Thanks for watching.

P