Those of you who have musical kids or kids taking grade

[Beetroothasbeenforgotten]

1. Make sure they are getting aural work in the lesson - and if not try to find time yourself to do some with your child. Aural is a part fo the exam and an easy way to get marks if the work is put in before hand.

1. Get them going on theory early - sme great books around. They will come unstuck at grade 5 as they have to have their grade 5 theory before goign on to grade 6 instrument exams. It creeps up and can be a real pain!!

A mother talking from bitter experience!!!

Beetroot - I remember talking to the chief examiner of the AB, and she said that they expect things to go wrong! They're more interested in how you deal with things going wrong, and tbh, even if you feel that a scale's gone wrong, an examiner can tell if it is generally prepared, and will give a comment like 'one or two slips today, but generally secure'.

Hope she gets a good result!

And my cousin failed her aural for Grade 8 and still got a distinction!!!

TS, fingers crossed for her. Trinity let you know within a week as well which is fabulous!

Trinity are a lot friendlier I think as well which is good!

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ds1 first up in the mornign too! Seems to bbe distincly lacking in nerves!

and have organsied a reacher to do the theory next term - phew

What sort of ages are your children when they do their grades? My dd started playing the clarinet 18 months ago and quite late - she was 9.5 when she started. She'll be taking grade 3 early next year. It's a bit alarming to hear grade 8s being talked about - she's trying for a musice scholarship too!

I think it was me that mentioned Beauchamp last year. I really would recommend it wholeheartedly. Ds went with a friend.His friend is very talented musically (plays french horn/piano/drums/sings etc) but struggles academically and was finding theory hard, DS is keen but not talented musically. They both got top marks when they took their exams. DS wants to go on and do higher theory grades for fun (!). Plus, it wasnt just cramming, they had a really fun time, forming bands,putting on concerts, playing ball games, camping,bowling etc etc DS would go back and do another course there tomorrow.

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hi guys

just been reading your thread and wanted to say that i teach music from home - piano, clarinet, sax, flute, recorder and theory - and i can't believe that some teachers aren't teaching aurals!! When my pupils have exams coming up they have extra lessons in aurals to stamp in what they learn in their usual lesson. I also do theory with them as well i find the theory work tends to run alongside whatever grade practical they are doing and they find it easier to learn if they have the practical to link it to

treblerin

Snorkle-well remembered! Yes he is a trumpet player. I dont know about the workbooks Im afraid, have zero apptitude for music myself and let him get on with it! Trumpet is great fun once they get past the stage where it sounds like a dying cow!

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My 2 learn Violin & French Horn...

...so I have strangled cat and rampant bull elephant

I'm totally unmusical, so I'm dead impressed that ds2 plays pieces with LOADS of notes now! (He's working towards grade 2 )

Trumpet is wonderful. Two of my sons learn/learnt. Particularly lovely my son could play at my brother's wedding and also at mmy mother's funeral - I will always remember the Last Post and as a teenage boy who I am sure didn't want the public performance in that situation I will always be grateful to him. He used to do it before 800 boys at school I think so had plenty of practice.

snorkle - we have a boy who left year 6 this yesr with grade 8 piano and Violin!!! There are a few here who have at least on e instruent that is 6/7/8 by year 6 but I guess you would hope so for a specialist music school

DS1 had his jpercussion grade 5 today - went well apparently.

Now I have the Theory Made Fun Books - ready for all of them to get studying!

Certainly not going ot send him on a course for 315 quid - one of the music specialists will teach himn an hour a week for a few weeks and the rest we will do (fingers crossed)

snorke how did your ds do?

snorke how did your ds do?

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i would bet that most have parents who are musicians though- and therefore practice is a family pattern and constant help!

[whispers] my boys were singing evensong on radion 3 today (4pm) [proud mummy emoticon]

We recorded that beety - will listen later!

I think the 'what grade at what age' is a bit of a red herring though - I wouldn't like to say that a child that had grade 8 at 11 was necessarily more musical than one with grade 5 or 6 - there are all sorts of factors. When I was working in a school, when we were dishing out music scholarships, it wasn't necessarily the most advanced person that would get the major, but often someone who showed most 'innate' musicianship - we would always do a 'lesson' with them, which will show a bit whether they are hot-housed, and told everything by a teacher, or whether they're open to new ideas and flexible enough to take them on board. There's no real advantage to doing the really high grades really early imo. Enjoyment is far more important imo.

Glad the exams went well beety!

I agree. OUr older 3 children were pushed through exams by their father which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but they had higher grades younger than other children did. One advantage is that before they get to the "teenager lack of enthusiasm" years which many children have, they're already fairly advanced so the drop out phase hits them at a different point.
I'm giving up my last choir practice and weekend concert to go to the twins' first concert tomorrow. Ever thus... I had to give up a paid place at weekends in a London choir when I had daughter 1 22 years ago. May be my time will come in my 60s....