Spring 21 virtual music thread

no indeed, you can do the recording when you're ready and then making your exam booking after. Trinity is super flexible, so they recommend you book when you're ready to take the exam (or have it done already). from the moment you book, the login details will arrive within 7 days, and then you have two weeks from this point to submit.
just make sure you've read all the notes about the video process, although i found it far less complicated than ABRSM. there is no need for the children to speak, and i produce a type written programme which lists the pieces in order as well as every scale they will play. then they show this to the camera and work through the list. they do mark on the overall performance - my daughter lost a couple of marks for example for 'quick transitions' between pieces.

Just introducing myself, it's so great to find this thread

both my DS (7) and DD (9) are quite musical, DD plays violin and harp and DS plays cello . we've done a number of Trinity Digital exams in the past few months, DS has done G1 and G2 cello, DD has done G1 and G2 harp, and G4 violin (taking G5 this term). happy to offer any insights around Trinity exams as needed, feel like i have parent pro status for these now

i played instruments myself as a child (piano, clarinet) and am an adult starter on the violin (have done g7) although am no more than an enthusiastic amateur. i really enjoy supporting the children at home with their practice though, and seeing their enjoyment of joining an orchestra this term which they are loving.

Old member here with name change.
We turned down JD for DD to remain with her current teachers, and for other reasons but this was the main one particularly for one instrument. Really happy with the decision.

I think it might be a bad idea to post youtube links but since I saw so many cello players on here yesterday it was suggested and we watched FASCINATED with the children a lady playing cartoons' and shows' intros! The videos are called "Knightrider for 8 cellos", TMNT, Thundercats, The Imperial March etc. She has arranged all 8 cellos and recorded all of them separately and then joined them together! Now, that's something to play in an ensemble, although I am sure they must have other amazing repertoire too!

Thanks, thirdfiddle for explaining! Do the children still do lessons with their old teacher? During my last two years my teacher could only do weekly lessons instead of twice weekly and I feel I could have progressed more with twice quickly.

I developed blisters as an adult starting again since I didn't have a guitar for many years after I moved to the UK. As a child I never had blisters but it is a common theme with adults learning. I am sure all players of string instruments have calluses! I think that the new ABRSM books are more child friendly but then I am not a teacher. It's really great your books worked for you! It is a shame that due to the lockdown I couldn't actually visit a bookstore and see the books myself. It had never occured to me that a Waterstones might have music books and I don't know of any local music stores. Surely, there is Amazon but you can't actually see inside them and it is irritating!

Pes0, British weather being what it is, you may opt for a fan and some ice cream on the day...

@OneLovelySister fabulous tips thank you! So helpful. I’ve written myself a list on your advice and will now seek out the gloves and thermos!

@thirdfiddle it really is a good thing that I am a parent because I can push and rearrange her fingers any time I want apart from demanding a different seating position! She keeps resting her right hand on the guitar like I used to do (and I vividly remember my teacher correcting me!) and I keep raising it. Once she learns how to relax her right hand and play a lot faster there is no stopping! It's like learning to walk, why go back to crawling?

She has really long fingers and therefore properly right angled left hand fingering although practice makes it best and long fingers is not everything. In fact, I don't remember any of my tachers having long fingers.

Now she has started to use the 4th finger (pinky) more and it hurts. Let's see when she will build calluses. At least I know what to do. It's a question asked when you develop blisters. Should I perservere or rest? If you perservere for a few more days the blisters will go away and you will have a nice layer of thick skin on your fingeritps I remember studying on my desk as a young teenager and would place my left fingertips on my desk lamp's bulb and could hardly feel a thing.

Some times we spend 1 hour for 4 times a week so we have done lots more exercises than I had done. Later on definitely an experienced teacher would help but we will see when the time comes.

We have the Theory in Practice books from ebay for DD not the other reference books! But they are useless for us as they are based on exercises which I didn't know and had all been written. I thought they were just theory, that's why I bought the new "workbooks" too which saved us. I got the Taylor reference AB books for myself second hand and oh dear God, I so much prefer his TIP! But I still prefer the new Discovering Music Theory books.

I have seen that some of you want to go to specialist schools. We do not have sush an intention but what does JD stand for? And how does it work, do you go there after school, at weekend, or is it like a day school with all lessons taught plus lots of music teaching?

Pes0, I had good advice on this back in 2019, so I’ll share what worked for us.

• decent practice early evening the day before
• light practice on the morning
• warm up with a few scales and arpeggios in the warm-up room, and run through pieces if time, to get the hands moving and relax into the experience.

Take gloves and possibly hand warmer sachets or a hot water bottle to prevent chilly fingers.

Remind DC that an exam is just a chance to show someone else what they can do, and that the examiner wants them to do their best too.

Best tip I had? Treats and debrief in a café afterwards. A flask of hot chocolate and some biscuits is an acceptable substitute if no café option or time constraints.

As the parent in charge, plan the journey and write a list of all bits to take to avoid any last-minute issues.

@chocorabbit - interesting about the warm fingers! Good one to remember!
They have said there will be a practice room available and her music teacher will also be there (as she’s playing the piano accompaniment)
The exam is at 9.40 so I’ve agreed with school that she just go in afterwards as it’s about a half hour drive from school anyway.

@Pes0penguin we have not had an exam yet but when I asked I was told that there might be or there might be not a warm up room (unless you know the place and that they do have one there!), or that if you go early to practise and they see you are available you might be asked to start earlier. The website (now was it ABRSM or Trinity?) was saying the same and that you should spend the morning practising. So do they expect you not to attend school? If the weather is very good and fingers are not cold I have noticed that I need much less warm up.

Now let's have all the knowledgable and experienced people answer!

Hello all! I’ve just found the new thread - slightly late!
DD has her grade 2 exam this week as another school have kindly loaned their examiner out. Means I have to actually take her though - so I was wondering if anyone has any dos/donts for the night and morning before the exam?
Best to do some practice? No practice?
Should she practice in the ‘warm up’ room?
Any advice gratefully received - I want to make it as exciting an experience as I can for her (she’s 8) without too much pressure - but still with her knowing it’s an important event!

I teach DD classical guitar. Still early days for us. We started in January and she has shown signs of being at Grade 1 right now. She needs more practice with her sight reading (not for exams). And still more practice to develop finger independence. Her left hand is developing faster and I won't know when to panic about the right, although it is is still early. I had seen enough students when I was learning not progressing stuck at the same level due to not developing good right hand technique and finger independence. Then they would complain why the teacher wouldn't give them tremolos to play. Otherwise when she is ready we will proceed with the Carulli studies for guitar which I have not seen many people mentioning in the UK!

We have used the "Discovering Music Theory" workbooks and they are easy to follow! I grew up abroad so I have never done the British theory books and when I read workbook I thought that the Taylor books were the theory so bought them second hand. Still I prefer the new books which I think describe everything more clearly although I have kept the ebay books for reference.

We're looking at music scholarships so I'm not kidding unfortunately. Grade 6 is a different exam so we won't be doing that yet so it's back to the grindstone with grade 5 for us.

Well done @Purpletomato to your dc. Especially that they did it alone.

Theory results are in for my two. One got a merit (72/75, the other a distinction (63/75). I'm happy with both, they can move on to the next grade. They studied the books entirely on their own during Lockdown 3 with no adult help so I'm pleased with them.

It can make a difference when applying for university. Ds got a Merit in his grade 5 theory which will be fine for most places but some ask for distinctions at certain grades in lieu of A level Music (not offered either at his old school or current college)

Results for us are in. I'm disappointed as dc got a merit but they switched the exam off within an hour and I was so mad (internally!!) as they didn't check anything. Think we will be doing it again anyway as wanted a distinction.
Good experience I suppose.

Thanks. I've been on the edge of my seat everyday now waiting for the results and now it's not there I'm having to start fretting all over again .
Hurry up abrsm!

Still awaiting MA auditions here. Not heard back from Royal Welsh recall before Easter and not a dicky bird from RAM or RCS. RAM is a late application as they posted on social media they were still accepting applications even though their initial deadline was November and I know those applicants have heard. I suspect it will be a no as dd is too young.