Spring Term Music, Musicians and Music Exams Thread

[Wafflenose]

Hi all, my children go back to school tomorrow, so I thought it was time for a new one. Who's doing what this term, and how is practice going?

Our main focus is the local festival next month - we're all doing loads, as are my pupils! My girls have just started practising for that.

MiniWaffle (9) is doing her well-overdue Grade 4 Flute this term, and hopefully Grade 3 Theory (to keep her on track) in the summer, and Grade 6 Recorder in the autumn. She also has some SWMS and NCO commitments, although not too onerous yet! She plays the trumpet for fun, and dabbles with piano, ukulele and singing.

BabyWaffle (6) will concentrate on repertoire and technique for a while. I think Grade 1 Cello is supposed to be in the summer. She can play a coupe of the pieces and some of the scales. She plays the recorder too, but won't be doing another exam on that for at least a year.

waffle

I am struggling to understand the theory exam dates. It says on abrsm website 30th June at 10am, does this mean its the only one. Are there more and does it vary to centre.
Very atm.

Morethan,
Theory is large class exam. All grades do it at the same time. Each centre has one day or two, or at least very limited dates and time slot, unlike pratical exam.

Thank you curious

It's so complicated with us, couldn't be simple.
DD doesn't have lessons through the LA but dh has an abrsm account and our LA allows him to enter his pupils through them. DD has piano and singing lessons from a private teacher who also uses a different centre.
Does this mean the 20th June at 10am as advertised is the last date that the exam can be taken? It doesn't supply an explanation unless I have read it wrong?

You can open an account yourself, choose any centre suit you. It doesnot matter.

Thanks again curious

I will look at the dates offered for the two centres available to us atm and if they aren't fitting will look to opening my own account and find a more fitting date.
Its good to know there are alternatives.

Perhaps you or others can answer a question for me.
To book a practical exam beyond grade 5 do you already have to have the gr5 theory certificate, or could you take both in the same season obviously gaining the gr5 result before taking the practical.

Morethan,
Above info I gave you is not completely correct. Apologize.
Now the correct one: it's just one day for all centre, same time.
But you can choose a centre suit you.

You can't take grade 5 theory and grade 6/7/8 practical at the same time. You need g5 theory in advance.

For chats purpose, get g5 theory is more meaningful than practical grade.

Sorry, I wasn't around last night.

But yes, everyone in the country takes theory at the same time. There are three days per year when everyone does it - March, June and November. I have a teenager retaking his this March - he just missed a pass last term (should have scored 80+ but appears to have just bombed that day!).

For practical exams, I have four pupils taking Initial Recorder, and one Grade 7 Clarinet. So a quiet term in that respect. Crazy month ahead though, getting individuals and groups ready for, er, 20 classes in the festival! MiniWaffle is also taking part in the local Junior (under 14) Young Musician of the Year competition. We know full well that she'll be one of the youngest (and least advanced), but it's good for her!

Hellooo! Found you again!

DD1 (12 next week - eek!) had a fantastic Christmas in Yr7, playing in one concert or event or another every day in the last couple of weeks of term! She is really fired up with enthusiasm for music and about to join the choir (which she'd previously resisted because of other commitments) and percussion ensemble. Back to 2 x clarinet & bassoon lessons today, and county choir tonight.

DD2 (7) is loving the piano and practising lots of her own volition. I think it's really going to suit her very self-reliant personality. Singing lessons going ok but I don't think that's going to be her thing because of her shyness.

Can anyone tell me about instrument insurance policies/providers?? We currently have the instruments insured as personal possessions on the household policy, but now that we also have a county music service instrument (the bassoon) and DD1 is taking things to and fro school on a daily basis, I wonder whether a specialist policy would be better. I remember someone previously advising me that you need a specialist policy if you'd want them to try and find your instrument if it was stolen, but if you'd be happy with the cash then all risks on a household policy is fine. Any advice?

Morethan - thanks for the encouragement and best of luck to you dd!

Bramshott - we took out a specialist policy once dd moved to a much more expensive cello and started doing more courses etc which meant we/she were travelling more, and she was in a residential. Fr around £30 pa I decided it was worth it, as the cover seems more focused on what can happen in a child's day! And also doesn't disrupt the ourse hold policies if we end up claiming. I have added clarinets to it at no additional cost so if you are a multi instrument household seems you will only pay once.

Dd got a 'high' merit in dec g5 so very happy - but def no more Dec exams for us, just too much going on and she was exhausted!

We use Allianz specialist music insurance. I've been adding instruments over the past 20 years, so my policy now costs about £150, but that's for many thousands of pounds worth of stuff. I've never had to make a claim, so I'm not sure what would actually happen in that situation!

Very well done to Janet's DD.

The french horn is covered as a named item on the house policy here. we have a " gold plated" one though as having big kids and technology etc we wanted to make sure we didn't have to start specifying lots of separate stuff for uni etc. Other instruments individually below the threshold.

Yes, one of the things I'm concerned about at present is whether for eg. the bassoon is covered when its left in the school music dept cupboard (which is not locked, but is the only place to leave large instruments).

We have £6k of instruments covered by specialist insurance. They go to school on the school bus, get left in an unlocked cupboard through the school day, go off with the teen for residential courses and get played in lots of places so we were focussed on cover away from the home. For us theft from the house is much less likely than loss or damage somewhere else or theft from the car boot. We use BBIS as they cover the band (for instruments other than brass then it's Musicians Insurance Services). We told them exactly what would happen through a school day and said that the instrument was in the care of a teen boy. From memory they don't cover outside Europe so you might need more cover for travelling children.

I think it's 1.5% per £1,000 cover.

We have G5 theory in the March sitting. I can't wait.

Ours is £14 for £1,300 of violin/accessories cover Bramshott with Endsleigh.

Great result Janet on your DD's G5!

Very pleased to have found this thread and already finding lots of useful information, thank you!

I have 3 dc's, 2 of whom are doing music lessons. My 12 yo ds passed his Gr5 flute last summer and is working towards Gr6, but he is not in any rush! We bought him a new flute in October and were recommended specialist insurance as the flute cost £850 and he is notoriously good at losing things.

He is also about to start studying for Gr5 theory, he is doing a club at school for it, and I am not sure how long it will take? Or if the club once a week will be enough? If anyone has any idea I would be very interested!

My dd is 7 and studying recorder and voice. She is going to be doing Gr1 recorder in March, cross fingers.

Ladydepp I think how long theory takes will depend on his prior knowledge - probably a bit longer for a wind player than for a pianist already used to reading both clefs, playing chords etc. You should ask his teacher.

DD went to her first senior wind ensemble rehearsal last night, bit out of her depth (she has one term of sax) but says she mostly managed to keep up and she enjoyed it! They play a jazz-oriented repertoire which is very much her thing.

Grade 1 clarinet book arrived yesterday and dd has been listening to the cd almost continuously since. We are both pleasantly surprised at the level of the pieces and she is keen to give some a go later today. Should is start encouraging her to make choices or should I leave that for her to discuss with her teacher? Do you need to choose pieces that show different things or just the pieces you like best?

Wolleybear,

If it's ABRSM you need a piece from each section, so one from A, one from B, one from C. I think the same goes from LCM to a certain degree but with Trinity we just seem to pick three out of the whole list.

You don't have to show different particular technical things beyond the A, B, C requirement but sometimes what is hard for one person is easy for another person. E.g. for my pianists, I have some ABRSM grade 1s but I also have a couple doing Trinity because the pieces suit smaller hands quite well.

Thanks, that's really helpful. She likes an a and a c that are in the book and a few from b that aren't so will wait til her next lesson and see what the teacher advises. I have nothing but praise for her so far so I'm sure she will advise well.

I think my dd has been scanning the pieces for low E, also due to it being a struggle for small hands!

Dd had her first piano lesson this year today and her teacher tested her on her scales and pieces and decided she will enter her for the exam session in spring. I really like dd's teacher who discusses everything with dd and takes into account dd's opinion rather than treating her like a little girl.

Her teacher also confirmed that now she will work more on specific sight reading and aural together with technical work on the three pieces so it doesn't sound like any additional pieces will be learned until the exam which is fair enough though I am aware it will become pretty boring.

Fleurdelise I have to admit it becomes pretty boring for everyone, but its great after the exam when they get new pieces, and hopefully lots of fun stuff before moving on. A new book to look forward too always helps.

DS2 has been entered for his Grade 5 theory, which doesn't seem many weeks away now! Am pleased its before our Festival, so it will be out of the way.

This term is sight reading fest for my students. A stage of "Improve..." Every week. Evil much? Perhaps.

Does anyone know what's going on with the trad fiddle syllabus from Trinity?