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Post by Steve Hopwood on Feb 22, 2007 22:51:41 GMT
Go back to reply no 27 here if you are not familiar with Gareth and his, "You can't do..... I've got a folder." 14 year old Kate is Heidi's vocal duo partner and a piano pupil of mine. I have just started the grade 5 theory flog with her (for her singing teacher, not for me cos I now do TG; hey ho. ;D) I had told Kate and her mum to get Kate a folder to keep her notes together. Yesterday, Kate bounced across my doorstep announcing, "Look, I've got a folder." Kate and Gareth are classmates in several GCSE classes at school, so I I told her how Gareth was using his folder as a defence against the ills of the world. Every school has its killer teachers - the ones that not even the Mafia\'The L. Ron Hubbard of Music'-trained thugs will dare to cross. At G and K's school, the French teacher is one of these. Both kids are doing this subject. Gareth came to do some more theory tonight, and told me this wonderful story. This particular Killer Teacher's Pet Hate is kids that turn up without a pen. There is no point in any criminal turning up without pen trying to use a pencil; the punishment merely increases exponentially. Gareth turned up for his lesson sans pen. Ok, so he had turned up for every other lesson sans pen, but not every teacher reacts as his French teacher does, so he had been getting away with it. Realising his mistake at not arranging for the loan of said writing implement, Gareth gulped and confessed to his crime. French teacher drew a huge breath to start the bellow when Kate chimed in with, "You can't shout at him Miss, he's got a folder." Subsequent investigation of this statement had said teacher in tears with mirth and a highly relieved Gareth not hung out to dry. How much does he owe Kate, I wonder? So, if you want defence from the ills of the world, then get a folder. ;D ;D ;D
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Post by Steve Hopwood on Feb 24, 2007 13:13:24 GMT
13 year old Rachael is a gentle girl; softly spoken, quite shy and slow to push herself forward. The other side of her nature is that of a keen athlete and sportsgirl. She played her first netball match for the school last week. The ethos of the games department is highly competitive and winning a place in teams requires work and commitment. Me: "How did your first netball match go?" Rachel: "We won." * brief pause for thought * "No, actually we didn't just beat them, we destroyed them." ;D
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Post by Steve Hopwood on Feb 25, 2007 18:03:21 GMT
I sat with Gareth this afternoon at his home this afternoon, whilst he did another past paper in prep for Thursday (no help this time, just keeping him company; he got 84 so all the extra time has not been wasted.) We chatted away. Amongst other things Gareth told me that the family are hoping to move up the road to a huge house with an attached cottage to accommodate grandma. At one point, he worked something out for himself that I had not taught him, (don't you just love it when they do that so I remarked again what a bright young man he is. The subsequent exchange went along these lines: G: I can feel my brain growing. Me: Hmmm. Hope it doesn't get painful when it presses against your skull. G: My head might explode. Me: Yuk. You would get brains all over the ceiling of the dining room of the house you are trying to sell. G: It would be a talking point with buyers. Me: You can imagine the sort of conversation that would happen. "Oh look," a potential buyer would exclaim, "what is that strange decoration on the ceiling?" Your mum would reply, "Don't worry, we will take it with us. It is Gareth's brain; it exploded one day when it grew and we leave it up their to remind us of him when we eat our tea." G: It would add flavour as it dripped down onto the plates. I feel this young man might have been spending too much time with me. ;D ;D ;D
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Post by Steve Hopwood on Feb 26, 2007 22:16:48 GMT
Helen is fifteen. A moderate pianist, she is a brilliant harpist. She knows Gareth. I played her a new piece tonight. Helen: How do you manage to play so well and so easily? Me: The same way you do the harp. H: Hmmmm. Practise again, I suppose? Me: Yep. Hours and hours for years and years. Just think, Helen, I will be 56 in July and started playing when I was six. This year, I will have been playing the piano for half a century. H: Um, hours and hours? Me: Yes. H: For years and years? Me: Yup. H: You need to get a life. Me: How would you like to be horribly tortured? H: You can't do that. Me: Can. H: Can't. Me: Can. H: Can't. Me: Why not? H: Cos I've got a folder. I have helped create a monster, I fear. ;D The Curse of the Defensive Folder. ;D
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Post by Steve Hopwood on Feb 27, 2007 16:50:02 GMT
This tentacles of this folder are beginning to spread. I have just been to school to accompany Gareth making a trumpet\piano recording for GCSE music. He did not play as well as he can, so on the way out I remarked to his music teacher, "We will do another one next year." Nicki replied, "Oh there is plenty of time and, yes, he can do better but I have to give him a reasonable mark. He's got a folder." ;D
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Post by Steve Hopwood on Feb 27, 2007 22:15:55 GMT
The monster's tentacles continue to grow. I buy packets of Morrisson's pencils - lovely black writing and rubbers on the end. 49 pence for a packet of 10; brilliant value. I decided to treat Gareth to a packet so he has plenty of material for Thursday. I gave Gareth the packet of Morrisson's pencils tonight. "Oh wow." he breathed, "A folder and some pencils; I am unstoppable." ;D _______________________________________ Lucy is 9. She comes for a lesson with mum and 6 year old brother Harry in tow. Mum sits and beams approvingly throughout the proceedings; Harry plays with the large bag of Lego he brings with him (wow - Lego is included with Firefox's spell checker). Tonight Lucy was playing. Harry was lying on the floor playing with his Lego and singing along with Lucy as she played. Perfectly in tune and everything. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
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Post by Steve Hopwood on Mar 7, 2007 23:30:46 GMT
Matt is 8. Boy, but he is clever. I would eat babies to possess a fraction of his brains. Ok, a slight exaggeration, but you know what I mean. Granny often delivers him to his lesson after meeting him from school. Today was a rare occasion she sat in on his lesson. Wimped Matt, "I couldn't remember where my left hand went, so I only played my right hand." The LH has four notes to play, one of which is middle C. I went through the piece with him again. At the end of the lesson, the conversation went along these lines, with occasional decreasingly hopeful interjections by this wonderful small boy: "Matt, I would not mind you leaving out the left hand if: I had not spent the entire previous lesson helping you prepare this piece, but I did; you were so completely stupid that you could not sort out your left hand, but you are not; you do not, week after week, win a choc by passing your notes test, thus proving that you are totally capable of working out what your lh should have been doing, but you do." Just keeping up with the sub-clauses proves how bright he is. ;D "I am not cross, Matt, because I do not do cross. Nevertheless, I am not happy with you and that is why you get no chocs this week." * frantic pleadings with me to change my mind * At this point, a previously silent Granny entered the conversation. "Steve, under no circumstances are you to change your mind." * glares at child * "Outside you. We have some words to have." Nice one, Grandma ;D __________________________________________________ Gareth and his folder could still feature here. I have missed him hugely since he did his gr 5 theory and we stopped being joined at the hip. It turns out that he has missed our time together just as much. Awwww. We are going to do grade 6 theory now. Look forward to more stories from this brilliant young man.
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Post by possom on Mar 12, 2007 20:13:55 GMT
Teaching my adult pupil tonight who's preparing for her grade 8. Talking about aural:- If it sounds wrong I know it's modern Later on playing her list C piece which we decided was late romantic (not modern) she fell to pieces Les Dawson style, I piped up Now that sounds modern ;D
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Post by Steve Hopwood on Mar 14, 2007 23:24:11 GMT
Gareth's folder continues to have a life of its own. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Gareth and I were practically joined at the hip during the run-up to his grade 5 theory. After the exam, I missed him a lot. I found out in a subsequent conversation with his mum that he really missed the time we spent together. G may well go on to study 'A' level music. Even if not, a deeper study of the more theoretical aspects of music will do no harm at uni application time. So, you lot. You understand that my offer to him of a free extra half-hour a week studying theory has nowt to do with my enjoyment of this wonderful young man's presence. It was entirely based on a professional assessment of his musical ability. ;D Anyway, come the time to offer the extra time, G's reaction was, "Yesssssssssssssssss. The Folder still has a function." ______________________________________________ Kate and I picked up Heidi from school to go to sing in the vocal duo class at the Lincoln music festival today (they won by a huge margin). Said Heidi, "I escaped trouble today., thanks to Gareth's folder." Heidi committed a crime. The subsequent exchange went along these lines: Teacher: Heidi, you cannot behave like that. It is unacceptable behaviour. * draws breath for a proper screaming session * Heidi: I know, Miss, and I am sorry. Still, you can't shout at me because I have a folder. It worked. Miss was too intrigued by the excuse to continue shouting.
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Post by possom on Mar 15, 2007 16:32:32 GMT
This seemed a sensible place to put this:- I am accompanying a grade 8 clarinet on Monday and was only given the music just over a week ago. I'm practicing a Bernstein piece (goodness knows what it's called, haven't had time to look), and I get a knock on the door from a delivery man. "Don't give up the day job!" he says No-one has ever said that to me before!!! I guess I better spend tomorrow practicing with the mute pedal on ;D
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Post by Benj on Mar 15, 2007 18:57:33 GMT
This seemed a sensible place to put this:- I am accompanying a grade 8 clarinet on Monday and was only given the music just over a week ago. I'm practicing a Bernstein piece (goodness knows what it's called, haven't had time to look), and I get a knock on the door from a delivery man. "Don't give up the day job!" he says No-one has ever said that to me before!!! I guess I better spend tomorrow practicing with the mute pedal on ;D It's just called the bernstein sonata and I love playing it
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Post by possom on Mar 15, 2007 19:41:54 GMT
This seemed a sensible place to put this:- I am accompanying a grade 8 clarinet on Monday and was only given the music just over a week ago. I'm practicing a Bernstein piece (goodness knows what it's called, haven't had time to look), and I get a knock on the door from a delivery man. "Don't give up the day job!" he says No-one has ever said that to me before!!! I guess I better spend tomorrow practicing with the mute pedal on ;D It's just called the bernstein sonata and I love playing it as long as you don't ask me to accompany you!
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Post by chocolatedog on Mar 15, 2007 22:21:58 GMT
Guess what?! On Tuesday one of my pupils came to his lesson proudly bearing a new music folder..... ;D !!!!!!!!!! (The old one had fallen apart........)
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Post by Benj on Mar 15, 2007 22:54:28 GMT
It's just called the bernstein sonata and I love playing it as long as you don't ask me to accompany you! Don't worry...I wouldn't want any delivery men knocking on my door
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Post by Steve Hopwood on Mar 15, 2007 22:57:22 GMT
I was so tired today that I barely knew where to put myself. At the end of my first lesson tonight, I realised I had not been my usual ebullient self. Me: Have an extra choc, sweetheart. I think I have been a bit po-faced and rat-baggy tonight. Sorry. Carla: Yum. You couldn't be a bit po-faced and rat-baggy every lesson, could you? Cheeky so-and-so.
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