Would this timescale be mad for next grade (violin)

[anamenotanumber]

Ds is 9 and has been playing violin for about 2.5 years. His teacher is lovely but the slowest ever and has a reputation for being very, very plodding and cautious.

Ds likes the structure of doing grades and got much more interested when he started on grade 1 preparation. The teacher took three terms on this and they did no other pieces so it did get a bit dull although he didn't complain. He did well in the exam and then wanted to do and did a violin summer camp for a week of mornings as he is so happy when playing. The feedback from the camp teacher was very positive about how musical he is and how strong his sight reading is, and she is known not to say things for the sake of it, just to be kind.

Now they are working on grade 2 (since mid- July) and he had a few extra lessons so has made progress with the first two pieces. He has started annotating the last piece himself as he is desperate to move on it and really self motivated.

The scales are coming on. Dh is very musical and is helping him where he needs support. Some technical stuff needs work still.

Soooo...would we be mad to ask the teacher if he can do G2 in November? Ds is very keen and does lots of practice nowadays. Teacher said Spring or maybe summer if he doesn't practice enough but even Spring seems s-l-o-w for a motivated, musical 9 year old who has been playing this long.

Views please?

"When he plays he really listens to how it sounds and concentrates hard on self-improvement. He seems to care a lot about it. (Do I sound stupid? Maybe all kids do this?)"

No, you do not sound stupid at all :) I think it depends on child's learning style, dd is a bit hyperactive so she struggles to repeat the same piece for ages (this is why she did not progress with her piano teacher), so quick change of pieces works the best for her. On the other hand it is good for sight reading etc.... but there is no universal teaching style, I firmly believe that there is an ideal teacher for every student, but sometimes it takes time to find him/her!

Yes different learning and playing styles out there I'm sure.

Tonight ds said he only really started enjoying it when he did the grade prep and he is a very structured sort of kid who likes that challenge so that makes sense.

He does enjoy it for what it is too though I'm sure.

This evening he decided he is going to teach himself the last half of the third piece (they haven't done this yet in lessons) and he has playing all three pretty well already. DH is very musical (loads of grades on two instruments and plays a third to a high standard but hasn't done grades on that one) so is helping him and can tell that they are fairly good so it is as if he is getting extra lessons almost daily.

I feel an email to the teacher coming on...

When parents ask me for kids to do exams sooner rather than later I like these arguments:

The exam motivates them

They will practice loads

The Grade attained opens a door for orchestra/school/junior dept

The parent will pay for as many extra lessons as needed

The kid likes doing exams

Thanks noteven, think we tick all those boxes - very helpful to see.

You are presumably pretty sure what school he will be at - what grade does he need to be by Yr7 to join their orchestra? You have a good point and a plan is called for, not for his life(!) but as something to monitor progress against. Although e.g. junior conservatoire etc are interested only in the level of playing and potential and not pieces of paper, a busy school is likely to want a piece of paper, so you are being a good parent. Nice that your son is keen. Good luck with talking to the teacher - is s/he relatively inexperienced?

No the teacher is very experienced but seems to have this super chilled approach. I agree with this initially or for some dc who don't want any pressure and just want to plod on. Ds actually loves the structure of grades so it's different.

We have about three schools he might go to. One expects g5 in mainstream to get into the orchestra which rather puts me off the school altogether tbh! They have music scholars so I suppose that's why. Other two I will check but pretty sure a grade 3 will not be enough. We are in a very pushy area so there are probably a lot of g5 year 7s knocking about.

Don't think he's a conservatoire candidate - even with a pacier teacher. He loves violin but other things too and would want more balance than that would allow. Anyway it is not an option for a 9 year old who has only done grade 1

Eek re 'Grade 5' school but you can't fill two violin sections with scholars unless you have vast resources (and then there'd probably be bows-drawn-at-dawn on seating positions... the competition goes on!). Understood re conservatoire, aname, it was just by way of example. (In fact they're not as all-consuming as some portray nor full of mini Mozarts but that's another story). Lovely that he enjoys playing and gets on with teacher. S/he may alter approach as he gets older & you might find his technique has gained by taking it steady (and every teacher DC had liked a different bow hold as far as I could make out and it did no harm). Nine is young for a violinist notwithstanding the prodigies that definitely exist. Pretty sure DC hadn't done Grade anything by then.

If he likes a goal, how about music festivals? You get some uber competitive ones but it's a nice opportunity to play and is something to aim for. It's really great to stand up and play in front of people. And it needn't be grade stuff - in fact an adjudicator might welcome something that isn't! Usually you get really constructive comments and feedback. Just a thought.

Yes to festivals as great motivation!

Anyone close enough to Manchester should come to this one

www.hmyf.org.uk

That sounds interesting about the festivals!
Will see if there are any but fear round here they will be populated by super-grade 8 at age 10 type kids.

My experience of school orchestras is that the grade they say needed to get in is usually the grade for the really popular (and not many) instruments. Violin he's likely to get in lower. It was grade 4 officially at my school, but I got in with grade 3, and I suspect would have at grade 2. But if you were a flute/clarinet you needed to be grade 4 and pass an audition.

I think I'd discuss with the teacher. If she usually takes a long time preparing exams then I suspect November will be too soon for her. But if she's willing to listen and take on board what you say then it's a huge bonus mark for her as a teacher.

It does seem very slow for a hard practicing violinist. I'm average musical, but practiced hard and did grade 2 after 4 terms and grade 3 a year later.

Well the teacher has not replied to the email!
Perhaps they didn't receive it or perhaps they didn't like us asking.

Will have to see what she says at the next lesson (done in school) on Thursday...