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Extra-curricular activities

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Original poster

Support group for parents of children taking music exams!

999 replies

Wafflenose · 14/11/2011 22:03

Hello, I'm feeling excited, nervous and wobbly because my daughter is taking her first music exam in three weeks. I'm a music teacher and am very used to getting children through the exams, keeping the parents informed, helping to focus practice, etc, but this is my first experience with my own child doing an exam and for some reason it's more scary than putting other people's children in! I think she will be OK (and the other thirteen I have entered this term) but I'm not!! Any tips for the 'other side' (parents rather than music teachers) for how to keep us both calm on the day would be gratefully received! Does it get easier as they become more experienced? Am thinking not...

She is taking part in the local music festival tomorrow, to gain performance experience. She's wildly excited, and I've got the jitters!!

OP posts:
ChristmasBigKnickers · 02/01/2014 12:18

Well we finally got DDs grade three guitar result today. Five weeks after her exam. I had to call someone in the end as it was taking so long
...

After much histrionics around the exam we were astounded to find she got 81.5% which is a clear merit and only a few marks off a distinction! I genuinely thought she had failed as she was despondent when she came out and was playing very badly the day before during practise.

Just relieved it's all over and she has decided not to take any more although carrying on with her lessons.

RaspberryLemonPavlova · 20/01/2014 22:28

Great results last term!

What's everyone doing this term?

We have our local festival coming up with various individual and group entries for all 3 DC, and DD is doing Grade 6 sax at the end of March.

DS2's Grade 5 trombone has been delayed until June, and he is also doing his Bronze RSCM medal in May.

CURIOUSMIND · 20/01/2014 22:44

Ds2 MUST do grade 5 theory this term when he is already pretty steady working towards grade 7 otherwise.
3 Competitions ahead for both Ds, sounds a lot, actually just different combinations of their current pieces.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 20/01/2014 23:27

I thought we were doing nothing this term, but I thought wrong.

DD1 has just done her Gold Music Medal on Treble.
DD2 (aged 5) has done her Copper Music Medal on Descant.

DD1 is doing Grade 1 Ballet in March, and is umm-ing and aah-ing about Grade 1 Singing too. Confused

Next term, the pair of them are doing Grade 5 and Initial Grade on recorders.

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OldBeanbagz · 21/01/2014 08:45

DD will be doing Grade 2 piano & Grade 4 guitar at Easter. Plus she has a 'gig' next month (guitar).

DS has been playing piano for just one year and will be doing Grade 1 in the Summer. Am dreading how DD will react if he catches her up!

Blueberrypots · 21/01/2014 08:57

We are back too!!!

DD1 doing grade 3 violin
DS1 doing grade 1 piano
Both have a festival as well in February

Another interesting term!!!!

RaspberryLemonPavlova · 27/01/2014 21:33

OldBeanbagz DS2 has caught up DS1. He took his piano Grade 5 exam in Dec, 6 moths after DS1. And got a merit when DS1 barely scraped a pass. He has gone past him now.

To be fair although, he is 5 years younger, he started less than a year after DS1. But ultimately DS1 has accepted that DS2 has an extra something. Plus he practices more!

I see its a busy term for everyone.

OldBeanbagz · 29/01/2014 08:54

So it might not be long then RaspberryLemonPavlova

At least DD appreciates that piano is her second instrument whereas it's DS's only one.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 29/01/2014 21:23

We have decided not to do the singing exam. She can sing for fun at home, school and choir and that is fine!

DD1 just got a 'Pass with excellence' for her Gold Music Medal, which she got on treble. At least she can confidently read the new 'language' for treble now, which will be needed later on.

DD2 (aged 5) passed her Copper Music Medal on descant. She is having violin and cello trials at my school soon - aww! If she's still undecided, I will try to push her towards cello! We have been told she will probably need a 1/8 size because she is so short.

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RaspberryLemonPavlova · 30/01/2014 14:47

Well done to them both.

I think its nice too your older DD does something just for fun, and doesn't think everything has to be 'measured' to be worthwhile.

Strings instead of brass for DD2? My DD started on violin as cello wasn't offered at her school and switched to cello at secondary. She has just given up lessons and school groups but is still playing in the Music Service Orchestra (mostly because she loves the friends there, and saxs aren't allowed).

Warning though - cellos are bigger than violins!

Original poster
Wafflenose · 30/01/2014 15:02

Yes, quite an abrupt switch for DD2!!

She has wanted trumpet for years, as we have a very old one and she can make a noise on it - but having been to several concerts recently and heard it played properly, she has decided it definitely isn't for her. I have to agree - she is very tiny, quite shy and sensitive, so I don't think it would suit her personality at all. She will have to do it in whole-class music in Year 4, so if she likes it then, she could carry on I suppose.

She can't start brass yet in any case, because she has some baby teeth, some gaps and some half-grown adult teeth at the front. When she asked about violin or cello, I realised she could probably start right now! The ladies at my school will hopefully be able to sort her out. I think the cello sounds nicer at the beginning, and I think there will be more opportunities for it, but we will need a big car if she ever gets a full size one!

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RaspberryLemonPavlova · 30/01/2014 15:43

Of course DD was just getting past the screechy stage when she switched so I still had that! I do think its nicer though. Its also meant she learnt a different clef from her sax, which has helped her pick up piano very quickly this year. There do seem to be less cellists around too.

At least your other instruments are reasonable size, for some concerts we fit the cello, baritone sax, alto sax, 2 trombones and a tuba into the car. And 3 DC and instrument stands.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 30/01/2014 15:47

You must have a big car...

I play clarinet, alto and soprano saxophone, flute and recorders, which are all portable! And piano of course, which doesn't need to be. I think we could fit a cello in our big boot.

Oh please let her pick the cello! I can't wait to see her try them both!

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RaspberryLemonPavlova · 30/01/2014 17:08

Am very good at packing. Ds2 has a clarinet as well, but that's easy!

Tiny cellists look really sweet as well. Fingers crossed for you!

Theas18 · 04/02/2014 10:40

Waving to the usual suspects on this thread and any newbies too!

Back on the treadmill here, grade 5 piano for DD2 on 14/2. Not her favourite and she's not good at practising (and I guess I'm getting intolerant of her poor quantity practice after so many years of "exam parenting"!). Hopefully she'll pass and I think, as she'll then be a grade higher than I ever managed (LOL) and a competent sight reader, she might drop it. We'll see.

Not quite the same league... DS has A2 music practical Mid march ( the day before a uni interview I fear!) . That's all prepped and ready to roll though- to the extent that he isn't doing at lessons any more as he's been advised that doing any more would probably loose him marks as he'll be into the real "matter of taste" esoteric stuff that the examiner might not appreciate! (20th century recorder music programme- already dropped Music for a Bird as "too way out" which is sad)

circular · 05/02/2014 09:18

Nothing here this term, likely to have two or three next term, which we were trying to avoid on top of AS and Uni visits. But such is life. Festival and 4 concerts coming up in Feb/Mar though.

Theas18 I was at a performance recently where a friend of DD performed 'Music for a Bird'. Audience loved it. She went for a modern piece too, but nowhere near that calibre.
Is your DS having difficulty explaining dynamics on the recorder to A level teachers? DD had problems at GCSE, and again at AS (different school). and as theirs is EDEXCEL, teachers do the marking. IIRC yours is OCR and examined externally?

RaspberryLemonPavlova · 05/02/2014 18:27

Good luck to your DD2 for her piano Theas18. DS1 struggled to Grade 5 last yearm and has since just had fortnightly lessons for 'fun', this has worked for him. I douby he will ever do another exam on it, he is a brass player at heart!

I forgot about his GCSE performances too this term. He did his solo last week, which he thinks went 'okayish' and will do a duet with his brass teacher at some point. Good luck to your DS with his A2, and his unir interview. DS1 is in the middle of choosing A levels and beginning to think about uni>

singinggirl · 05/02/2014 18:35

DS1 has grade 5 theory this term, which is causing us both some trauma, but no practical exams for my two this term. Grade 2 jazz piano for DS2 and grade 5 violin for DS1 in the summer term. Only four students this term too, but loads doing exams in the summer instead!

Theas18 · 05/02/2014 20:57

Circulair A2 is externally marked OCR which I think is good- though you do have to cross fingers still that they do appreciate the recorder as a full on instrument, but then again I guess they have everything including tabla and rap to try and take in!

CURIOUSMIND · 05/02/2014 21:32

We only have Festivals and competitions, and grade 5 theory this term, then next term, diploma piano, grade 5 violin and grade 7 piano 3 solid exams! Three individual things will be fine to my boys, but not me! £350 fees,something like that! Time to give up boys Sad!

Original poster
Wafflenose · 05/02/2014 22:01

My two now have no music exams this term (just Grade 1 Ballet for the big one), so I will sit back and enjoy the thread for a bit. I have 8 pupils doing exams though.

We are auditioning DD1 for the South West Music School. I think her chances of getting in this year are absolutely minimal, but I had fun putting the application and video together.

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Metebelis3 · 05/02/2014 23:29

DD2 is definitely doing grade 4 flute. Dd1 may do grade 8 singing. And she may not. She may also do grade 8 flute. But she may not. I would prefer her to do one this term and one next term but her school don't like them doing exams at Easter when they're her age so...not sure. She's certainly ready but there are also festivals and some other things so..maybe best to leave it till the summer. Will have to decide fairly soon though. But the festival schedule for both the girls is quite heavy so I'm v happy to just leave it (ideally DD2 wouldn't be doing grade 4flute but her teacher thinks she should have done it at Xmas and she'll be right off the boil if we leave it till summer).

singinggirl · 25/02/2014 06:26

Glad to say that DS1 finally woke up to the imminence of his theory exam yesterday! He's a bright boy so hopefully leaving all effort to the last week won't be entirely disastrous....... (Wish there was a tearing my hair out emoticon). Luckily my other student doing Grade 5 theory is managing in the 80%s in practice papers.

Theas18 · 26/02/2014 08:27

How's everyone doing?

singinggirl I'm sure he'll be fine. I guess being a bit last minute isn't a new thing? Mine seem like that often.

DD2 got 116 in grade 5 piano. More than 2 weeks decent practice would have seen her get the merit she wanted, so I hope she learns from that...but a pass is a pass ( I failed grade 5 piano, and I scarred for life I tell you! )

DS has been cross this week. His scatty preg teacher hasn't entered him for grade 8 horn. Actually I'm happy. Lets get these A levels done 1st and do it later in the summer term..

Ishouldbeweaving · 26/02/2014 10:35

Next week we have grade 3 theory and that's it. Grade 8 euph has been and gone and it will be a few years until he has the maturity to tackle the diploma. Once he's nailed grade 5 theory I'm looking forward to a couple of years without music exams.

In my dreams - he'll pick up another instrument won't he?