Support group for parents of children taking music exams!

[Wafflenose]

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!!

Can I join you? DD1 (11) sings, and is taking Grade 5 music theatre this term, followed by Grade 4 ABRSM next term so we are in for a busy few months. Not helped by the fact that she had a competition last week so we were working on those pieces then, and now have less than a month before the music theatre exam !

We have DD1 doing G8 recorder and G6 piano this term, 4 days apart! DD2 is much behind and doing G1 recorder, aww I'm a hopeless parent.

Good luck to all DCs having exams soon.

Sometimes I despair - spent 30 mins on the phone to the exam board yesterday morning trying to find the "attendance notice" they claimed they had sent, and which DD1's teacher needed, plus typing programme, hassling DD to make a list of props and costumes, whilst muttering "it's not my bloody exam" under my breath!

And breathe... It's on the 22nd so not long to go.

Aargh Bramshott, you have been really dropped in it, haven't you?! I hope it goes well... in just over a week it will be done!

Mine are not doing any music exams this time (3 next term instead) but DD2 has settled on the cello, and is starting in a couple of weeks! Very exciting.

I have been doing no end of Music Medal assessments with my pupils - 16 so far this term I think, and quite a few more to go. I also have 8 pupils doing exams in a couple of weeks - Initial up to Grade 4, on recorders and saxophone.

Any results yet this term?

Can I join? Have students taking exams at the start of April (first exam entries since I've been back in this area) and a couple of music medals to enter at around the same time! Okay, teacher not mum, but still....

Welcome Julie. Its pretty much turned into a general discussion of what our kids/students are up too I think.

Our local music festival has finished tonight, and the DC have had a great week for the most part, both individually and with school groups. Tonight was great, the Youth Concert Band all 3 DC play in won the open Dance/Concert Band category. It was the first time they had all played together too, so really lovely. DS1 also came second with his school group.

DS1 did his ensemble GCSE performance this week too, thinks it went OK

Next week the older 2 DC will be required to play in the school's Festival Winners' concert and DD has a Youth Orchestra concert on Saturday.

Then the following week is her Grade 6 sax exam.

And the week after that she is playing in the school orchestra for the school musical.

Hello Julie. I'm a music teacher too, and have 8 Grades coming up soon. I've completed 16 of this term's 23 Music Medals so far too.

DD2 (aged 5) is starting the cello on Tuesday! We are both very excited about it.

I was wondering how she'd got on Wafflenose. Hope she enjoys it, I'm sue she will. How lovely for her too to be different from her big sister.

Hi Wafflenose,

I'm just starting out after recently moving back to the area and it's been years since I entered anyone for exams. A little nervous just because of that! I have two grade 1s this term (violin and piano, the violinist took her bronze medal last term) and we'll be taking a couple of copper medals on violin and possibly keyboard copper for some of my beginner pianists (I have one who's switching to keyboard because of note-reading issues). Next term will be a whole glut of prep tests - I'm anticipating about five on piano and possibly two on violin - plus some adult grade 1s if I can persuade them to do the exam.

The rest are either teens not wanting to do exams or are in the preschool and KS1 programmes I use, so it'll be a few years before they're ready. We will, however, be aiming for a recital in the summer term.

Concert tonight, exam Saturday, then lots of relaxing! DD1 ran her pieces for me last night - she is going to be great (but then I'm biased!).

Did anybody get theory result yet? We did it on 5th March.

Curiousmind Doesn't it take four weeks for the theory results? That's what it said on the reverse of the candidates sheet anyway, this is his first theory exam so I don't know whether they do get them out early.

5 weeks is usual. It can take 6.

DD2 loved the cello and has been practising lots!

DD1 was due to do Grade 3 flute in June/ July (Grade 2 distinction last November, and has played 40-50 pieces since then). She learned the Grade 3 scales in six weeks, her pieces are practically there, scales now perfect, and her teacher says doing the exam will hold her back. She is now going to continue with her various technical and repertoire books, and do Grade 4 when she's ready, probably in a couple of terms.

OMG, I can't believe it. She is 8 years old and has been playing the flute for 22 months. When I started this thread for her a couple of years ago, I never thought we'd be looking at Grade 5 Recorder and Grade 4 Flute at age 8. She is now far better than me at the same age.

So relieved to have DD1's exam out of the way now - hooray! Starting prep for Gr 4 ABRSM singing in June though, which means lots of the dreaded sight singing practice!

Hello,

DD (8) has just passed her Grade 2 Guitar so I've come here for a small boast keep quiet at the school gate

Wafflenose I'm guessing like us you're down in the south-west, do you know of any good music stuff on over Easter Hols. The school music lessons here are rather short and limited, like to keep DD inspired.

Well done to your DD BorderBinLiner. This is a great place to boast .

Wafflenose you must be so proud of both your DDs. And relieved not to be paying out for all the exams!

My DD did her Grade 6 sax exam this morning. True to form she says it went terribly, in the past this has usually meant a merit. I'm just glad its over as its been stressing her for ages. She is a lovely player who hates exams. Anyway we will find out at the end of the week, but I've said its makes no difference, she can move on and put it behind her whatever the result.

She has played in two lovely concerts in within the last 5 days and is playing in the school musical next week which she is really looking forward too.

hello all.
After a decision not to do any more exams for a while we have agreed to 3 in the summer.
All grade 4, just to have something on paper, but then will skip until grade 6.

Good luck to all those waiting for results and waffle It seems like yesterday you started this thread, wow, they certainly have come on.

My students are doing grade 1s on 5th (one violin and one piano)... and I have music medals to assess this week or next week, plus some others possibly this term and possibly after the holidays.

But I may be crazy and enter myself for some exams next term to put myself back in their shoes - grade 8 viola in a term is doable (sight-read the music the other day) but more importantly... grade 6 (or possibly 8) theory so I can finally take my diploma! Aaargh. I don't think I did enough theory/analysis/techniques modules at university (with good enough marks) to get a by on that one, unfortunately.

Local (grade 5+) string orchestra concert next Thurs (leading) then Jersey Symphony Orchestra concert the following week (viola, randomly) - Sibelius Violin Concerto. I am plotting an all-viola concert for no apparent reason and we'll probably be doing a student showcase/recital in the summer... maybe all student-teacher duets as mostly beginners.

Massive nerves in our house

DD's Gr4 in 6 days time and her teacher only today started teaching her for the Aural. According to DD he couldn't even play the pieces on the piano. Why am i paying him exactly?

My dd is taking grade 2 flute at 10.53 this morning. She is 13 and has been playing for 9 months but is a very very nervy child and likely to fall apart. I feel sick with nerves for her too.....

Scooby

Good luck to your dd, hope her nerves hold out.
Sometimes it can be just as hard for us I think. I'm usually ok when she is actually in the exam room, or backstage if a concert, as I know there's nothing I can do then.

Good luck to everyone, and I hope Scooby's DD was OK.

Eight of my pupils did TG exams yesterday - Initial Grade up to Grade 4. We have the results already: 3 passes and 5 merits. I'm delighted!

Wafflenose I was always impressed with Trinity getting the results out straight away, it means you can read the examiner's comments while you still remember your performance.

DD got her result today for her Grade 6 sax - a merit. I'm proud of her, she is relieved its over and she didn't fail, and upset because she didn't play her best. I haven't yet seen her sheet but she says the examiner has been quite rude on several of the sheets! But its over thank goodness!

Another one pleased with Trinity's speed. Although ABRSM are getting much speedier these days.

Well done to your pupils Wafflenose.

Good luck to all those waiting.

Just wanted to say I have a happy ds2 today, as he had a lovely piano Prep Test.

Best thing was in the car on the way home, when he started to giggle and said "do you know, I forgot to open the music book, but I don't think the examiner noticed".

He played the pieces from memory.