Grade 1 Singing - anyone's child doing this ?

maggiethecat
Just got dd, now on way to grade 4, to do Toodle Pip from memory, for old time's sake. The magic was still there...

DD 12 is doing her grade 1 singing next term. She is yt7 and just started having lessons at school.

She won't tell what songs she is singing other than that it's 3 "old fashioned songs" and one from Cinderella

Caffeine sorry to torture you all over again. The thing is - she loves Toodle Pip , even the (boring) pizzicato, so much that she ignores her other pieces.

I wish that she could just keep playing new and refreshing pieces every so often. Alas, this seems not to be the way!

Well done MAS to your ds. Grade 2 singing syllabus is great - some fab pieces.

And I concur with the mighty Drayford (a couple of posts above) One of dcs did a piano grade, then was given 3 pieces with the view of doing the next grade in about a years time - soul destroying. Most of the other instrumental teachers get the kids to play around the grade. Most of the dcs have skipped grades. Eldest, did grade 4 and will next do grade 8.

There was something about dd and Toodlepip though. Its years later and I after reading maggiethecat's post I can't get it out of my head. Again.

Lol Maggiethcat (thx for your post on the other thread!) I too was tortured by by grade 1 practice - I promise that you'll forget it in the end! I now have the pleasure of listening to DD practicing various leider for her up and coming singing auditions and some interesting (if a bit hard on the ears) Shostakovich Viola pieces! I still find the piano practice (scales!!) hard to put up with though

Not Toodlepip. I am still so traumatised by this, just seeing the word makes me unable to type. Will try again in a little while.

Hijack here. Drayford may have disappeared but she has expressed what I've struggled to say for some time. DD plays violin and her teacher wants to put her in for her grade 1 exam in the summer just before she turns 7. I know she'll do well but I cringe at this whole idea of exam focus (think she'll be doing the ABRSM). Her classes seem now to revolve around the preparation for exams altho I know she is learning technique, theory etc as we go along. But I must admit that it becomes tiresome hearing Toodle Pip and Country Chimes a million times. Is it that some teachers find it easier to just stick to an exam schedule rather than working on an interesting and appropriate repertoire for each child.

My son just got grade 8 distinction and daughter grade 8 merit. He teaches piano and will be teaching singing soon. You can pick songs that suit the child and the voice. Need to enjoy it.

How's the grade 1 singing posse? I am ready to shoot the nightingale singing in the bloody fir tree and dd has hacking cough.

that's interesting Drayford - thanks -and really hope it works out for your dd I think ds will be very happy if he does well in this first exam,will be a huge confidence boost..
I have nothing against the recorder as I can still play the treble pretty well still after all these many years (but I was taught very well )

I'm a little further down the road with my DC than most of the posters here.

DD has just passed her Grade 8 ABRSM singing - she took grade 1 - 5 then missed out the rest. She has also passed grade 5 theory, grade 8 viola and grade 7 piano over the past couple of years (plus the GCSE music AS and about to take A level!!)

She is intending to study music at uni and wants to be an opera singer if her voice continues to develop.

She regrets taking ABRSM exams as she now feels that the emphasis was on results not repertoire - now she has reached a higher level she has come to realise that a good repertoire and ability to perform well in sight reading are the most important things for continuing with music as a career. Her current singing teacher prefers trinity guildhall for these reasons as well.

It is great though for younger children to have something to aim for - that first Grade 1 result was magical for DD! But it is much better to take things slowly and avoid being forced into taking exams - I think the term is "singing/playing around your grade". I remember the pressure put on me when I was younger to take music exam after music exam - it was very stressful.

DS has also has singing lessons - both sing in choirs at their respective schools (school choir, choral society and chamber choir) and I feel that the singing lessons helped them both with confidence issues when they were much younger.

It's great to sing!

PS: recorders can be good - I still play! & I'd love to play the ukelele

Fortunately he hasn't yet mastered playing the ukelele and the didgeridoo at the same time, although he has tried!

Ukele and the didgeridoo? That's really, really scary. Suddenly the violin scales don't sound so bad.

ukelele and digeridoo - yike ! recorders,played by little kids who haven't been taught not to just blow into them is vile though,and screechy violins. Guitars generally sound ok

I refused to let my dd do Where is Love - so she did Moon River instead! Aggggg.

But ds plays the ukelele and the didgeridoo - so I am here to tell you there are worse things than violin practice!

I find myself singing the pesky things about the house (or worse,in the street !) I am so happy he is doing this though

Both mine sing - DD did Grade 1 in the summer and DS is preparing Grade 2 now (skipping Grade 1). So my house rings daily to 4 songs for DD, plus 3 for choir, and 4 for DS, plus another 2 for his choir - it's mad and I have now given up trying to learn all the words.

I think it's a brilliant thing to do- amazing for confidence and making them stand up straight!

no indeed
dh has already banned the prospect of violin lessons for dd and she's only 2...

MaryAmericanSmooth I think it's fantastic your ds is doing singing - it will be a great skill for him and provides all kinds of benefits beyond being able to hold a tune.

Actually the thought of 'Where is Love' - you know the bit that goes Where -ee -eee -eeer EEEEERE IS LOVE with all the breaths in the wrong places isn't something I feel the need for - though appreciated MaryAmericanSmooth's secret hope.

I think it's great they're learning traditional songs. Thanks Seeker of offer of sharing pain. Don't find it to hard. But then I am a grizzled My Children Learned Violin Survivor - and nothing, nothing, can ever be so bad.

Thanks everyone - I think I'll go for it, then.