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Original poster

Summer Term Music and Music Exams Thread

584 replies

Wafflenose · 22/04/2014 11:50

A new thread for a new term!

If you're a music parent, or music teacher, please introduce yourselves here. It was getting hard to keep track on the old thread.

I am a music teacher (woodwind, 90% recorders these days) and I have:

DD1 (aged 8) who is taking Grade 5 Recorder this term, currently working towards Grade 4 Flute, and also sings, plays the piano and one tune on the ukulele (no lessons on these three). She has completed a video audition for the South West Music School, but we won't hear yet, and quite honestly, I don't think she'll get in this year.

DD2 (aged 5) who is taking Initial Grade Recorder this term, started the cello a month ago, and can play a few tiny, baby tunes on the piano and ukulele (again, no lessons on these).

I only have one pupil doing an exam this term, other than my girls - a Grade 2 Recorder player. I'm doing 11 Music Medals though.

OP posts:
Bramshott · 21/08/2014 21:08

Yes, I suspect that's exactly it Ishouldbe. Hoping that next week they might be in and we might hear...

Original poster
Wafflenose · 21/08/2014 12:55

Well done to your DS1, Raspberry! I'm so glad he is happy with his results, and his performance must have been amazing!

Miniwaffle did another theory paper, and got 98% for this one! I thought of telling her she needn't bother with the other two I got her, but had a flick through and saw that there's something she hasn't attempted for over a year in one of them (transposing a melody to a different clef) so she might as well finish them.

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RaspberryLemonPavlova · 21/08/2014 11:13

wafflenose poor miniwaffle, and always seems worse to be ill in holidays. Great that she has cracked on with her theory after.

We have GCSE results today, DS1 has done very well and it includes A* for music, (with full marks for performance) so is very happy.

Ishouldbeweaving · 20/08/2014 18:19

Bramshott what's that, five weeks now? Do you think that school have the results but with it being the holidays aren't getting them out?

I'm pleased and surprised because daily practice is now a thing here. A tutor on one of the courses DS went to said that he'd missed three days practice in the last 25 years and they were days when he was on long haul flights and couldn't get to his instrument. Someone else told him that when he lived in student accommodation with BigNamePlayer, BNP practised for an hour in the morning and if he wasn't banding that night, a further two hours in the evening. I don't know which story struck home but one of them did.

I'm enjoying it while it lasts (today it was a lovely accompaniment to my bathroom cleaning) but I won't really believe it until I've seen him keep it up after school starts.

Bramshott · 20/08/2014 16:57

Still no news about DD1s Grade 4 singing result. She took it at the secondary school she'll be starting at in Sept, and I have emailed the music admin lady to ask with no joy. I am sitting on my hands to stop myself emailing the head of music - really don't want to become "that sort of parent" before she's even started!!

Original poster
Wafflenose · 18/08/2014 14:24

DD1 has just completed her first Grade 2 Theory Paper, without looking anything up, and scored 97% Grin

She lost 2 marks for neatness, and one for leaving out a rest she was supposed to copy. She took a guess at what 'Presto' meant, and got it right!

I'm so pleased - she hasn't exactly enjoyed it, but has knuckled down and is seeing the benefits. We have three more papers which she might as well have a go at, and I'll buy the next book this week!

She is also really enjoying her recorder and is playing lots of pieces at around Grade 6 (and one Grade 7 piece for 'fun'), starting to pick up the treble a bit more, and playing duets with her sister. We have also had a lot of her old books out lately, and been treated to little 'concerts'.

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Original poster
Wafflenose · 16/08/2014 20:35

Yes thanks Raspberry. She had to take REALLY vile antibiotics for 10 days, but was so good about it. I've given both girls the weekend off (although they've had recorders out), and DD1 will do the theory papers next week. We've spent a lot of time pottering at home, going for bike rides, gardening etc, so it's been both a fun and productive summer.

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RaspberryLemonPavlova · 16/08/2014 20:10

Pourme, great news.

Wafflenose, she is over her tonsilitis then? Sounds like she has been working hard for the holidays.

DS2 has done the theory set by his teacher. She is using 4 and 5 simultaneously for some reason. He has also practised a bit of piano most days and done some clarinet/recorder. He has been back to choir today and last night, the daughter of the Master of Music was married today.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 15/08/2014 12:01

DD1 finished her theory book today! I have some past papers for her to have a go at, just to check her understanding... and then we're ready to move on to the next one!

DD2 finished hers too, although it was a very easy one. It was easier to get DD1 to knuckle down if her sister had to do it too!

OP posts:
troutsprout · 15/08/2014 07:40

Well done minipourme
Clever girl

Original poster
Wafflenose · 14/08/2014 22:23

Hooray, well done to her. Worth waiting for.

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morethanpotatoprints · 14/08/2014 22:15

pourme

So she should be pleased with it, and you should be very proud of her.
Congratulations little pourme.
Worth the wait, you got there in the end. Grin

pourmeanotherglass · 14/08/2014 21:36

Certificate and and grade sheet came in the post today, she got a pass with merit. Amazingly, she even got 15/18 for the aural (rhythm and pattern were right, but she pitched it wrong). She's very happy with that result.

Shedding · 14/08/2014 15:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

morethanpotatoprints · 13/08/2014 23:11

Ha, thanks Raspberry, I thought we were the only ones with a dd like this.
We are lucky though that she doesn't take this to other learning. She really doesn't like academic subjects, but we are evil and make her do maths, Science and English Grin

Do you do the same thing as us, play her at her own game? It does seem to work at that time, although she goes back to it again.
She told somebody today that she scraped a distinction, the merits weren't good enough and certs were being ripped up and put in the bin.
I have hidden them Grin

Original poster
Wafflenose · 13/08/2014 23:02

Shedding It's >50% Pass, plus 30% Merit, plus 12-13% Distinctions, plus 2% withdrawn/ do not finish/ disqualified (wrong syllabus etc). So around 5% fail. I might be quoting rather old statistics, mind.

ABRSM diplomas are another matter though! 50% of the accomplished players who are light years beyond Grade 8 and prepare thoroughly, research their material, etc, fail the DipABRSM, me included! I passed 2nd time, so have a 50% success rate! Grin

Raspberry she is doing well thanks. She's sorting out her treble (playing longer pieces in different keys), has about 3 pages left of the Grade 2 Theory book, and on descant is learning some studies billed as 'difficult', a Grade 6 piece (ready for a competition) and a piece I've written for her, which is also around Grade 6. I'll make a video when we get better at it!

She can also be so lazy that she didn't bother to get dressed today!

OP posts:
RaspberryLemonPavlova · 13/08/2014 22:44

My DD is the same, she got merit in her G4 sax after 18 months too at age 10 and couldn't see it as an achievement.

It will never be a career for her, so really I just want her to enjoy it.

She has the same attitude with school exams, am so not looking forward to GCSEs!

morethanpotatoprints · 13/08/2014 22:23

Raspberry

Oh, she is exactly the same, I blame dh tbh. Grin
He teaches her saxophone and with his own playing he is a perfectionist.
He has never given her this impression though to his credit and told her she got an amazing result considering she is only 10 and been playing 18 months. But unfortunately he is unable to lead by example.
They are terrible when they get together, I run for cover sometimes.
Anyway, she takes this through to her other instruments so unless its a distinction, or a win in a competition, awarded solos etc, she feels like she has failed or is not good enough.
It used to worry me but now I laugh it off and try reverse psychology and will agree with her and say yes you're rubbish, you should give up, will never be any good etc. She sees how silly it all is then.

morethanpotatoprints · 13/08/2014 22:16

Gosh pourme sounds like we were lucky then.
We got 2 results from the website though as dh was the one who entered dd for exams, obviously her teacher asked him to, she works for different authority and it got complicated.
But still results had to have been released.
I hope she gets the mark she deserves after such hard work and long wait.
Please come back and let us know.

RaspberryLemonPavlova · 13/08/2014 22:15

I think Waffle meant that 50% pass with a pass mark, plus the 12% with distinction and the merits.

Congratulations to all those results since I last checked in.

Morethan, whatever you DD thinks those are great results. How is she now?

Wafflenose how is your DD1?

Pourme I hope you hear soon.

pourmeanotherglass · 13/08/2014 22:07

I just checked the ABRSM website and it said 4-6 weeks for results. A teenage friend who has done all the grades told us that if you do exams in the last week of term it can take longer to get the results because they close over the summer. Oh well, hope its good news when it comes.

morethanpotatoprints · 13/08/2014 22:03

pourme

how are you expecting the results?

is it from the school, the teacher, the music centre and are you able to contact to chase up.
They could have lost your addressed envelope and have your result waiting for you to collect, maybe?

I hope your dd did well, she sounds really committed to continue after group lessons, I've not known many to tbh, usually just one or maybe 2 out of each class.

Shedding · 13/08/2014 22:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pourmeanotherglass · 13/08/2014 21:59

I'd imagine whether a child calls it a success depends on the child and what they are trying to achieve.

DD is not really musical (can't sing in tune) but really enjoyed learning clarinet as part of a whole class wind band in year 5 so decided to carry on with lessons in year 6 and did the grade 1 exam at the end of the year.

Her 3 pieces sounded really good, and she can make a reasonable attempt at sight reading, but will have struggled with the aural.

I'd be really happy with any sort of pass, I guess a merit might be possible, I'm not expecting a distinction.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 13/08/2014 18:36

Success starts at the pass mark. 12% of exams are awarded distinctions, compared to over 50% with passes. The private school I work at looks at all round musicianship, contribution to school life and the audition, rather than exam marks.

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