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Original poster

Summer Term Music, Musicians and Music Exams thread

543 replies

Wafflenose · 13/04/2015 09:22

Hello again everyone! I know not everyone in the UK has gone back to school yet, and some of you are overseas, but term here starts today, so it's time for a new thread. Please post away about your children, your own musical studies or any questions about music exams/ learning an instrument generally. We have a helpful and experienced bunch of people here to answer queries or reassure you.

I have MiniWaffle, who is 9, and BabyWaffle who is 6. Mini has passed Grade 5 Recorder and Grade 4 Flute, and also plays some trumpet, piano and ukulele. Baby has passed Grade 1 Recorder and Initial Cello, and tinkers with the piano (when it's not in the repair shop...)

This term for exams, we have Grade 3 Theory (Mini) - as a warm-up for Grade 5 which will hopefully take place next year - and Grade 1 Cello (Baby). Both in June. I am doing Grade 2 Xylophone for the NCO Parents' Challenge! We have been challenged to learn an instrument unrelated to our proper ones, and I'm really a clarinettist.

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RapidlyOscillating · 21/07/2015 11:38

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Original poster
Wafflenose · 21/07/2015 10:14

(Not sure if I mentioned it before, but just adding it in because Musicmom1 asked!) I raised about £60 doing it.

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Original poster
Wafflenose · 21/07/2015 10:12

Well done to Musicgirl1 - that's excellent and now it's all over!!

I got 92% for my Grade 2 Tuned Percussion exam with Trinity. My boss looked at the marks overall, and the average (over 40+ exams) was around 5 marks lower than usual - although it could be that we've been overmarked in the past and nobody would have complained. Anyway, I got the highest mark of the 2 day session, and only made one tiny slip - in the aural, embarrassingly! So I'm pleased... and now have to wait until September for the certificate.

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Musicmom1 · 21/07/2015 09:18

Woolley- yes that is what is about :)

Waffle - well done (ESP your nco challenge as I assume that result is in there if I missed it??)

Theory passed very safely; never going to be dd's great passion I think but def learnt a lot on the journey.

woolleybear · 21/07/2015 01:28

Thanks for the suggestions, I will look into those for when we get home from holiday and hopefully we can look at grade 1 level stuff over the summer. Well done to all those who have had results. Dd took grade 1 on 7th so hopefully we will get result soon. Praying for a pass, she could have got better if the exam had been a month earlier I think. The next night she played for the first time in a big venue and she came off stage absolutely buzzing, worth way more to us than the exam result.

LooseAtTheSeams · 20/07/2015 18:43

Result through at last! dS2 got 118 for grade 2 piano. His teacher was expecting a merit at least but I know he had an attack of nerves and I'm delighted with his result as he obviously managed to get over it! And delighted he'll be learning some new pieces next term!

Original poster
Wafflenose · 20/07/2015 14:46

Well done to him, Raspberry. What a lovely prize, and so deserved. I've just had my results from the 9th, so his should be on the way.

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RaspberryLemonPavlova · 20/07/2015 14:20

Well done to all your students Waffle.

And a huge well done to all adults and DCs with results.

DS2s piano was on the 8th, so am hopeful for a result fairly soon.

He was awarded a prize in Choir yesterday, a beautifully bound copy of the Messiah, embossed with his name and the date on the front cover! He was really thrilled with it.

Good luck with the theory Waffle, hopefully Mini can do what DS2 did, he seemed to struggle more up to Grade 3 and flew through 4 and 5.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 20/07/2015 13:13

Results are just in! Dodgy Grade 2 Piano managed to pass (by a few marks!), two Grade 2 Flutes both got Merits, and a very special little Grade 1 Clarinet got a distinction (I predict great things for her). That makes a total of 19 candidates for me this session - 7 Pass, 9 Merit, 3 Distinction. Plus 41 Music Medals taken, and 41 passed. Just waiting for Mini to pull her finger out, and she will be number 42.

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LooseAtTheSeams · 20/07/2015 13:09

Good luck with your results, Waffle! Still waiting for result from 6th. Meanwhile, trying to make sure I don't go rusty over the summer and doing my piano practice. Problem is by the time I have waded through scales, sight reading and the pieces I am exhausted! But I can hear the improvement. I just wanted to say congratulations to all the adult students on this thread and I am full of admiration!

Original poster
Wafflenose · 20/07/2015 09:53

I used to use The AB Guide to Music Theory, until one of my adult pupils borrowed it and then stopped coming! I never got round to buying it again, but probably should.

Really not sure how long it's going to take Mini to do two whole grades worth. If she pulls her finger out, she can do it quickly and take Grade 5 while she remembers the 100 Italian words she had to learn for Grade 3, but I don't want to overdo it during the holidays. Hmm.

I'm now checking the ABRSM site obsessively, waiting for my results from July 9th. My result from the 2nd took 11 days, so I reckon these are due in the next day or two. Then I'll be planning ahead to next term's candidates, although I won't have nearly as many. This term I had 19 exam candidates and 42 Music Medals (of which Mini is number 42 - Platinum on Treble because she likes to do what her friends are doign) and we need to have it done by August 14th.

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ealingwestmum · 20/07/2015 09:07

Woolleybear - We (my DD) used the AB guide to music theory alongside the workbooks and answer sheets. I am non musical and therefore she taught herself with some testing on the italian phrases from us.

She did it through the xmas holidays and sat G5 that Winter session. Had I known what was involved I would have started her much earlier but she proved to be a crammer and self motivated, though not sure how much of it has stuck 18 months on...

Musicmom1 · 19/07/2015 22:24

Hi we use e music theory in practice but dd found past papers most useful; I did too as I had no idea if she was right or wrong without the answer books. There is a really good summary book that we got too late to use - will find the title for you.

No results for us yet as I did not do the entry myself so have to wait until music admin lesson logs in...am hoping tomorrow....

Original poster
Wafflenose · 19/07/2015 20:14

I use Music Theory in Practice - no answers though. One of my students brought along another set (a bit more dry and dull) with answers in the margins of another page - can't remember the name though. I have been told that the Trinity books are well worth a look, but we are a third of the way through Grade 4 now, so probably not worth changing...

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woolleybear · 19/07/2015 18:50

Can I ask what books you use for theory? I would like to start looking at some with my dd, I thought we could learn together as I am not musical at all but the ones I have seen do not have any answers in! Thanks x

mom17 · 19/07/2015 05:25

Has anybody used : Alfred all in one book 5 ? Can somebody please tell which Grade level this books is for ?

WhereShallWeGo · 17/07/2015 23:11

Thank you Waffle and congratulations to mini waffle, too!

Original poster
Wafflenose · 17/07/2015 21:54

Very big congratulations to both of you, WhereShallWeGo.

I hope everyone else's Theory results were what they hoped for. Smile

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morethanpotatoprints · 17/07/2015 21:38

Ishould

yes, i suppose it's surprising how quickly we do adjust, your shopping list has made me laugh. We get through so much milk, yogurt and fruit with dd. Grin Hope your ds and dh have a wonderful time.
Do you get a break while they are away, I bet it will be quiet.

Good luck with the theory results everyone.

Dh has agreed to give me some soprano and clarinet lessons when dd goes to school, there's no time for me atm and hasn't been for ages.
He doesn't like my taste in music though Grin I'm very patchy though and haven't played in years.

WhereShallWeGo · 17/07/2015 21:38

We are very happy tonight - found out that both of us (DD & myself) passed G5 theory (DD with 84 & I managed a distinction)! Our violin exam results were also positive, with DD's merit and my distinction. I think the examiner was generous and we got off lightly. DD is surprisingly relaxed about scoring 3 points lower than me at the practical exam; she is so delighted and relieved about passing G5 theory that nothing else matters today. Grin

Ishouldbeweaving · 17/07/2015 20:52

Best wishes for all those with theory results today and well done to MiniWaffle.

I made a note on the top of my shopping list this week "DS is away" because I won't be feeding him next week and the week after he's on another music course with DH. They have breakfast and then vanish until 10pm. If I shop as normal I end up with far too much juice, milk and fruit.

Morethanpotatoprints you're all going to have to adjust but I'm sure that by the end of the first term you will have settled into your new routine (with your own revised shopping list) and not remember what the old "normal" was like.

morethanpotatoprints · 17/07/2015 19:56

Musicmom

Congratulations to your dd, well done her. hope she enjoys it.
well done to mini waffle

My dd had saxophone exam yesterday and final performance. It was very sad saying goodbye to the music service, friends there and the lovely teachers and choir leaders.

It's all change now for us and most my chaperoning times have gone now. She'll do all exams and travel to concerts with school now. No more treking the country for music opportunities.
Perhaps I should get a job Grin

RaspberryLemonPavlova · 17/07/2015 19:47

Lovely news to start the holidays with, Waffle.

DS2 is on the way home from his school band trip, due back in the early hours, then tomorrow has a sponsored sing for his Cathedral Choir trip next term. He has choir on Sunday, and another Choir commitment on Monday evening and then he is finished!

DS1 and DD have various commitments over the summer with their community band, but otherwise the end is in sight

LooseAtTheSeams · 17/07/2015 18:41

That's a fantastic result for Miniwaffle - looks like everything is on track for her to do grade 5 when planned and so glad all her hard work paid off! Time to celebrate!

Original poster
Wafflenose · 17/07/2015 16:25

Mini got 89% for her Grade 3 Theory exam!! I am delighted, but she is VERY annoyed about the 1% which would have propelled her into the next category. It's great to know we are firmly on the right track, and we'll now crack on with a page a day. She's done a few pages of the Grade 4 book. I imagine she'll do Grade 5 in the Spring or Summer term 2016.

Fingers crossed for everyone else, especially those doing the all-important Grade 5!

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