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!!

Well done on your pupils' results Wafflenose and good luck to your DD.
Well done too to pavlova's children's music festival results.

We get ds2's gr5 theory result next week, then he has his gr4 piano the week after.

He has lessons at school and I have no way of communicating with the teacher other than through notes in his practice book. I'm quite keen for him to have a term off from the grind of exam prep (he's taken just 2 terms between gr2 and gr4), especially as the new ABRSM pieces come out in June/July. But I don't want to tread on her toes by dictating that he should do some non-exam/fun/performance pieces instead. What do you think?

Well done to your pupils Wafflenose.

We've just got back from DD's guitar exam. It was supposed to be at 10.07 but they were running really late so it was 10.50 by the time she got in. As a consequence DD was getting nervous from waiting around (she was calm when we got there).

She made a mistake at the end of one of her pieces, other than that she thought that she did ok. I couldn't hear her as i was 2 rooms away.

Hopefully we should have the results later today or sometime tomorrow. I think it's so quick because it was held at DD's piano teacher's house and she's going to email the guitar teacher when they're all finished for the day.

So fingers crossed!

A Merit!

DD is over the moon and so am I.

She's on a high this week having won the Recorder competition and having been asked to play both her guitar and a piano duet at the concert this Wednesday.

Am off to celebrate with a glass of wine now!

Well done to your DD. Assume it was Trinity Guildhall as the results were so fast, much less stressful.

Enjoy the concert

Yes it was Trinity Guildhall.

We're keeping DD's appearance at the concert a secret from DH & MIL. It'll be a wonderful surprise when they sit down and open the programme!

Well done, Beanbagz' DD! It sounds like she is doing really well, and enjoying her music too. I hope you all enjoy the concert, and that DH and MIL are suitably surprised!

roisin, most sensible teachers would realise that everyone needs consolidation and fun after doing grade 2-4 in a few months. There's no harm in buying some fun books yourself if she doesn't suggest it. As well as being dull, going from exam to exam isn't a good way to explore a wide range of styles, or develop sight reading, or any of the other things he could have fun with now (improvising, or realising chord symbols, for example). I did grades 2, 4, 5 and 6 in quick succession to get into university (after starting piano late at 15) but ended up unable to do all of those things. It's only playing lots as an adult, and constantly accompanying my pupils, that's filled in the gaps. So I think you are right in thinking he needs a break from exams, and I would write her a note, personally. :)

DD had her piano Prep Test yesterday. She LOVED it, although she was surprised at having to go in on her own, because I went in with her when she did her recorder exam, to accompany :o Here are her comments:

"The tunes [memory exercises] had been well prepared and careful attention had been paid to the expressive detail. Next you can make sure the pulse is always firmly held. 'Jogalong' began confidently and the phrasing enjoyed shape. This kept moving well with some crisp articulation/ staccato and smooth legato to give character. 'Indian Dance' really came to life as you captured the mood most effectively, particularly by your use of dynamics. Listening games were all quick and correct. Well done , you have made a good start. Now look forward to preparing for grade one."

Not bad for five months of teaching herself piano from a book!

That's lovely Wafflenose, you evidently have a very musical DD.

roisin, I can sympathise with the position you are in regarding exams. Ds did grades 2 and 4 cello 2 terms apart and also grade 3 and 5 piano 2 terms apart too, both with lessons at school so virtually no teacher contact from us. We like you hoped for some exam relief, but just left the teachers to it and in one case he then had a good break (over a year) before his next exam (skipped a grade again though) and in the other the teacher pressed on with the next grade just 2 terms later again. What I'm trying to say is don't just assume the teacher will take a break and do something different - if they are of a certain mindset you will need to intervene for it to happen.

DD had her grade 1 singing exam last week. I found the whole thing nerve wracking - DD seemed quite relaxed and her tutor, who accompanied her for the first 3 pieces seemed to think she was ok. No idea how she has done as it is our first time for this kind of thing and it will be after the Easter holidays before she finds out now.

Abrsm Theory result out .So pleased Ds1 got a distintion !He worked so hard to improve handwriting, neatness.I am so proud of my boy!

My first post to mumsnet.
DS sat his Trinity Guildhall grade 1 baritone horn this morning and the nerves got to him. Played is technical work and the first tune OK, but had a small mistake which caused him to stop playing in the second. This must have rattled him as he was unable to play through his third piece at all. He does know his pieces and played them well at practice this morning. It was awful sitting outside, and seeing the liitle white face appear afterwards. My question is, what happens now? Do they offer retakes? Will we have to wait another 12 months? He will see his teacher on Friday, but I thought someone might know what the process is.

First of all, you shouldn't be left to stew for too long. The longest I've ever had to wait for a TG result is a week. The teacher should find out first and let you know, but don't hesitate to contat him/ her after Friday to see if the results are through yet.

Secondly, this might not be a fail. It sounds like only the third piece might be a fail (and maybe not) and if everything else only had minor mistakes, he might be OK.

How often the sessions are depends where in the world you are. In the UK, there are three exams sessions a year - one per term. If he passes, I'd leave well alone. If he doesn't, maybe he can do it again next term, or just do Grade 2 next year. If he's just failed the exam because he made mistakes (rather than an examiner's mistake or a problem with the exam/ venue/ syllabus) then you'd normally have to pay for a retake. For another exam board, they will offer a free retake if the teacher can prove that the marking was low and that the pupil performed better than the marks suggest (which in any case doesn't sound like what happened here). I'd probably chalk it up to experience, only resit if it will help his confidence, and move on with some fun music now.

And a huge WELL DONE to Curious' DS!

tijuana your ds has done well to take it at all - there are often some hiccups and as wafflenose says it's not always a disaster. Not a good experience for him with it being his first time - but try and reassure him that nerves get to people at all sorts of inconvenient times and if he has failed it really doesn't matter in the long term. Next time (whether he retakes grade 1 or moves on to the next grade after a suitable time) he will know what to expect and it will be easier.

For Trinity Guildhall the examiner will give the results sheet to the person in charge at the end of the exam session and the teachers usually hear very shortly afterwards. If the examiner is not coming back tomorrow, then that will be tonight - if the exams are spread over several days it may be a day or two, but call the teacher tonight (she will almost certainly know when the results are out if she doesn't have them already) - she will be the best person to advise on the way forward too.

the waiting is the worst part hulababy, but good she enjoyed it.

Congrats to CURIOUS ds too - did roisin's ds get his result too? Hope he was happy with it if so.

School on holiday lunchtime Friday and not back for three weeks - so long wait ahead of DD. She started singing lessons in September so this is her first exam. Didn't help her getting tonsilitiis twice just after starting the lessons, but okay now. She enjoys her singing and took part in a music gala doing a suet with a friend who is also having lessons. No idea if she is any good tbh as I am not musical, but she is having fun.

She said she had just one hiccup in the exam - doing her unaccompanied piece she faltered at the start of one of the verses (there were 7 of them!) as she tried to quickly remember the verse order, but started singing again a fraction of a moment later. Hopefully didn't hamper her too much.

One small falter shouldn't affect things too much hula. We've had the same situation with results coming back after the start of the holidays so us not getting them until the following term too - it's a nuisance, but a hazard of taking exams at school. Just try and put the whole thing out of your mind and enjoy the holiday for now - it's situations like this where I really, really prefer the almost immediate results you get with Trinity Guildhall.

Thank you all for the advice about ds's piano, will pop a note in to the teacher.

No, we haven't had his theory results yet! They said 4 weeks, so I wasn't expecting them until Thursday. I'll tell him to ask his teacher in the morning.

Congratulations to curiousmind's ds: Distinction - well done indeed!

Thanks :) tbh dd takes it all in her stride, she'll not think of it again now til schools gonvck and her next lesson!

We've just been looking at pianos today at a dealer: they were beautiful - all shiny inside and out and sounded wonderful.

I haven't spent any money yet, but I'm sorely tempted!

New to music exams, no musical bone in my body!! DS just got the results from his Initial Piano exam, Trinity Guild, he scored 91. Just got the teacher feedback, do you know how long it takes to get the certificate?

I've just had an email from ds2's teacher and he got a distinction for his theory exam. I'm delighted and very proud, but I won't wake him up to tell him the news! Next job is piano exam (gr4) on Monday.

andybat - we've never done Trinity exams, but I'm sure someone will be along shortly to advise you.

Roisin,
Brilliant! Many congratulations to your Ds2.I am sure this result will make him feel very condident next Monday!

waves to roisin -haven't seen you for ages and ages ! Well done to your ds 2 ! My ds took his grade 4 singing exam last Wednesday - he says it went ok, can never get any information out of him...I guess he'll need to do his grade 5 theory next !