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Musical mamas?

post #1 of 41
10/8/08 at 8:41pm
Thread Starter 
THE MUSICAL PARENTS THREAD

I've searched but can't find anything for mamas (parents) who like to play music...anyone interested in starting a tribe to chat about all things musical?

Shall I kick things off?

Instruments I play: Fiddle (played for 14 years as a kid, just picked it up again a year ago), Mandolin (just started this year)

type of music I like to play: IRISH (yay!), Scottish, oldtime, bluegrass

So my question for any musical mamas is: how often do you get to play (out) these days? do you have a "crew" (or band) to play or jam with?

Hope some other folks are interested in this!

peace,
robyn
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post #2 of 41
10/9/08 at 2:29am
i play drums.
my husband and i play in a band together so that has made it hard for us to continue playing gigs since having a child. our daughter is 2 and a half. she loves going to the studio to practice with us. she takes her own case of instruments and alternates between them, and sitting on my lap drumming with me. practice is ok, but gigs are hard with her!

i think we have to start new bands. his and mine. that way we can play out sometimes.
post #3 of 41
10/9/08 at 2:37am
I sing in two choirs. I would like to learn to play fiddle, actually.
post #4 of 41
10/9/08 at 2:51am
Can I join if I'm not a mama? Cause I play piano, guitar and saxaphone. Mostly rock or classical, occasionally jazz.
post #5 of 41
10/9/08 at 12:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MusicianDad View Post
Can I join if I'm not a mama? Cause I play piano, guitar and saxaphone. Mostly rock or classical, occasionally jazz.
Mea culpa - of course!!!! So this should be the "Musical Parents" thread....

peace,
robyn
post #6 of 41
10/9/08 at 1:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MusicianDad View Post
Can I join if I'm not a mama? Cause I play piano, guitar and saxaphone. Mostly rock or classical, occasionally jazz.
I'm gonna subscribe here, because music was my life as a child, through college and until I met DH

Not sure why but somehow I kinda dropped out.

I sing, and play piano, and played flute from I think 6 or 7 years old.

How do I start with the sax? I've been wanting to for a really long time and I don't see whynot. With my kids 2.5 and 4.5 now, I want them to have the opportunity to be involved in music. Should I just go to my music store and rent one and sign up for lessons? I NEED to get an instrument in my hands again. My flute got damaged moving too and I'm thinking of replacing it also
post #7 of 41
10/9/08 at 8:11pm
DH ad I met in a band. I actually auditioned him!!! haha He obviously got the job!
anyway, I sing and dh plays guitar. We haven't played out much for a few years. A few friends house parties, but that's about it. DH really wants to play out more, so last night he went to an open jamm. After playing, he got a bunch of business cards from people. So hopefully he'll hook up with a gig. My one stipulation -- no female singers!!
Lately, my musical outlets are playing for and teaching my 2 kiddos! DS is learning piano and guitar and DD is totally a natural singer: We love singing all the songs from Miss Spider's Sunny Patch!!
post #8 of 41
10/9/08 at 9:27pm
Thread Starter 
Gosh I didn't even answer my own question LOL

I usually go out once a week to play Irish music. There is a local slow-play group that I started with a year ago which was great to get back in practice. I'm still going to that group even though I've kind of "graduated" from it because I'm still not ready for the lightening fast session at the pub here yet. I also only know about 40-50 tunes so I can only play about one out every 10 songs at the pub LOL Lucky for me they started a new group in the slow-play session of folks that are sort of intermediate and we are learning whatever tunes someone wants to bring in and play - we're trying to learn by ear!

I also take lessons once a week from the fiddler in our local Celtic band here in SF. I've been studying with him for about a year. The best compliment I got when I was playing one time was like "hey you play like Steve Gardner" (my teacher). He's gotten me started on the Mando lately - so I'm entering a whole new world chords and accompaniment. The funny thing is that I never had much use for music theory as a kid - but now that I'm trying to figure out the underlying chords and stuff for the music, it's all making sense now. When you're a melody instrument, it's harder to understand why you need to know all that stuff - you just play the notes, KWIM?

Anyway that's what I'm doing these days - and going to the occassional musical party here and there. My husband wants to get me doing old-time music but when can I find the time? LOL

My kids are interested in my instruments but too young to really take lessons yet (2 and 5 - 5yo is learning delayed so she needs to wait)...hopefully one day!

No clue about Sax but I would just look in craigslist to see if there are any teachers. Or check the high school -sometimes the high school kids will teach lessons to earn money....I would definitely rent before buying an instrument - unless you think you will get frustrated with the quality of a rented instrument....

I have a $50 banjo that does me just fine for a few lessons and noodling on...LOL

peace,
robyn
post #9 of 41
10/10/08 at 3:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 425lisamarie View Post
I'm gonna subscribe here, because music was my life as a child, through college and until I met DH

Not sure why but somehow I kinda dropped out.

I sing, and play piano, and played flute from I think 6 or 7 years old.

How do I start with the sax? I've been wanting to for a really long time and I don't see whynot. With my kids 2.5 and 4.5 now, I want them to have the opportunity to be involved in music. Should I just go to my music store and rent one and sign up for lessons? I NEED to get an instrument in my hands again. My flute got damaged moving too and I'm thinking of replacing it also
It depends on how musically inclined you are.

Since you've had music lessons before you might beable to pull of learning without official lessons. The biggest chang would be fingering, but you can get fingering charts. If your nervious about trying without lessens you can sign up for one or two preliminary ones to learn the basics and see how you do. Its also a good idea to start with a softer reed, the harder the reed the more dificult it is to play.
post #10 of 41
10/10/08 at 12:25pm
Thread Starter 
How many of you are self-taught? Or have one or more instruments you picked up on your own? Did you start as a child or adult?

I've always had lessons (violin/fiddle, banjo, mando)....violin was as a child, others as an adult.

Also, any tips on learning to sing??? The only tip I've ever gotten was "sing with the radio in your car" LOL

peace,
robyn
post #11 of 41
10/10/08 at 2:31pm
I'm completely self taught. I learned the guitar as a child, the piano as a teen (my dad wanted to get me to put down the guitar so he bought a piano ) and the sax as an adult when dd wanted to learn and we couldn't afford lessons.

With learning to sing, I personally would find someone with a good ear to help you learn. It's harder to judge how you sound by your self.
post #12 of 41
10/10/08 at 7:57pm
Thanks! I pretty much lost all contact with music teachers since moving to the other side of Wa years ago....

I think I'll swing in to the music shop this weekend and seew ho they have for lessons
post #13 of 41
10/10/08 at 9:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 425lisamarie View Post
I'm gonna subscribe here, because music was my life as a child, through college and until I met DH

Not sure why but somehow I kinda dropped out.

I sing, and play piano, and played flute from I think 6 or 7 years old.

How do I start with the sax? I've been wanting to for a really long time and I don't see whynot. With my kids 2.5 and 4.5 now, I want them to have the opportunity to be involved in music. Should I just go to my music store and rent one and sign up for lessons? I NEED to get an instrument in my hands again. My flute got damaged moving too and I'm thinking of replacing it also
Do you remember your flute fingerings? Sax and flute have similiar fingerings. You should start with a good teacher to get the right embouchure. The local ms or hs band director could also point you in the right direction.
post #14 of 41
10/10/08 at 10:32pm
I'm a grad student in musicology. My bachelor's degree is in vocal performance but I only do a little singing nowadays.
post #15 of 41
10/10/08 at 11:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mommymonkey View Post
Do you remember your flute fingerings? Sax and flute have similiar fingerings. You should start with a good teacher to get the right embouchure. The local ms or hs band director could also point you in the right direction.
I do, and thanks for the tip. I am looking at flutes right now as mine happen to be in the ONE box the movers couldn't locate

I do feel like I need a teacher because I prefer being formally trained. Boy I'm glad to see this thread it's motivating
post #16 of 41
10/10/08 at 11:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 425lisamarie View Post
I do, and thanks for the tip. I am looking at flutes right now as mine happen to be in the ONE box the movers couldn't locate

I do feel like I need a teacher because I prefer being formally trained. Boy I'm glad to see this thread it's motivating
Good luck with all of that!
post #17 of 41
10/12/08 at 2:44pm
Hello fellow musicians! I'm Clara. I've been playing the fiddle since I was 5. I come from a very musical family. We all played an instrument. We had a family band and traveled around performing. We also did the fiddle contest circuit in CA. It was lots of fun. I took lessons for 7 years.

When I was 12 my family picked up and moved across the country from CA to NH. Our music kind of fell by the wayside. We did some playing but we just didn't have the contacts on the East Coast. I'll spare you the long life story.
Currently, I teach lessons. My brother is phenomenal on the guitar and we played some gigs together which was awesome. We aren't living in the same state right now, but I would really like for us to start performing together again.

I'm also a self-taught guitar player and I used to play the mandolin but it's been awhile. My kids appear to be very musically inclined. We have a lot of fun singing. I play bluegrass, swing, oldtime American music, celtic etc.

Music is my life. I live and breathe music. I'm glad that you all are here. It's been hard for me to make my music a priority with my kids being small. It's so hard getting interrupted 500x in a practice session. I guess ya'll will understand that. Thanks for starting this Robyn!
post #18 of 41
10/16/08 at 11:45pm
Thread Starter 
Just checking back in everyone!

So my DD (5) has been home for the jewish holidays (she goes to a jewish preschool). My fiddle teacher comes to my house for lessons and this week DD came down and listened to the lesson for a bit. She was only minimally disruptive and it seemed to rekindle her interest in fiddle.

Her brother (2) also came down while I was practicing this week and insisted on trying out every instrument, including using the picks and so on. He has alot more fine motor control than his sister so it was funny to see him strumming the mando!

But both kids HATE it when I sing (which is not often) - what is that all about? Is my voice THAT bad? LOL

Anyway I hope that one or both of them will be interested in learning an instrument someday....

So how DO you make time for practicing without the little ones all over you?

I usually wait until they are in bed or I make DH "watch" them for an hour. He's usually willing because if I'm in a REALLY bad mood I can go down, practice, then come back up totally a new woman and HAPPY. But I really can't practice during the day when it's just me with them....

others' stories?

peace,
robyn
post #19 of 41
10/17/08 at 5:24pm
I just moved a performing arts and a photography tribe to fine arts, and I should probably bump you over there too. We're making an effort to follow the FYT guidelines and limit this forum to tribes not hosted in other areas of MDC.
post #20 of 41
10/18/08 at 2:31am
My little one always practiced with me LOL

Music is such a staple of life in our house, that if it's not on the radio or tv, someone is either playing an insturment or singing.
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