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.

We just had three days off practise while the instrument was away but there again, DS doesn't have a performance exam on the horizon. I can't help you with aural as I'm the non-musical parent, my main skills are getting him to events on time in the right clothes.

Often a short break following a period of intensive practice can actually be helpful, so I wouldn't worry too much.

This conversation makes me realise that I have no idea about saxophone maintenance ... or where i would go to get it done. Roughly when will it need its first service? (Basic student Yamaha, bought new last September). I'm a reasonable guitar tech but know nothing about wind instruments!

DD is having a piano binge this week ... 4 hours yesterday. She's very up and down with the practice though and rarely plays from a score (everything is either by ear, or is committed to memory immediately after first deciphering the score) - which means her sight reading remains quite weak. I suppose if she's not going to take exams it doesn't really matter but it does seem to be a notable weakness. She is a good sightreader on her other instruments.

We have just had DDs five year old alto sax looked at as a valve wasn't closing. The shop it was bought from sent it away for us. It took nearly a month over Christmas though, luckily she plays Bari in groups. She has discobvered she misses practising!

Our local brass repairer is also DS2's teacher which is handy

We have a blackboard door in the kitchen and I've just written up March at a glance. My cunning plan is if everyone has to walk past the month's engagements a few times each day they can have no excuse for saying "I didn't know it was XXX". I thought I was going to have to use the very bottom of the door and kneel on the floor - there are thirteen events of which ten are musical. My sole contribution to the month's events is my MOT booking.

It's two weeks to grade five theory, not that I'm eager to be rid of it or anything. (That was item number two on the door)

We went to see the exam location this weekend and the very nice person there allowed Dd to play her pieces on the exam piano. She loved it. Exam now next week and the only worry is sight reading. Dd's teacher said that once the exam is over there will be a focus of the lessons as it seems to be her weakest part.

DS2 has now mutinied over theory past papers, he did two last week. The teacher was trying to lift him from high merit to distinction, I think we just need to get him through now. Can anyone tell me why they need a pen?

Our festival is the week after DS2 is entered in seven solo classes, and DS1 2. Both DS are in the school brass group and DD is in a woodwind ensemble, then all 3 compete in a band category with the Youth Band (DS1 competes in this three times as he also plays for the School Dance Band and a local community band). So a busy week!

Then we finish March off with Grade 4 clarinet (DS2) and grade 8 trombone (DS1). Roll on Easter!

(Which is hectic with all DS2 choir commitments!)

I have reached the stage where I'd be happy with him getting a pass but he will see anything less than a distinction as a failure. I would have preferred that he take G5 theory in the last sitting so that we could be done with it but we're in the same boat with DS and teacher wanting to add that little extra to lift him into the distinction band. I can't believe that there are any past papers he hasn't done.

I've noticed that he's dropped any mention of G6 for which I am profoundly grateful.

How can be personally contact somebody ?

mom17 there's a little envelope in the top right hand corner of the screen, click on that, that will take you to another screen where you can send a private message.

Thx Ishouldbeweaving.

Raspberry and Ishouldbeweaving good luck to your DCs with grade 5 theory!

Talking about merit/distinctions I have a friend who's dd got distinction at grade 1 and mentioned this in front of my Dd, something like "good luck I am sure you will get distinction". Now my Dd is pretty shy and while I am not worried about passing the exam, I never told her about the different pass levels as I know it all depends on the day and she may not reach distinction as she will feel the pressure. Now she knows about it and I feel like she will feel even more pressure following my friend's comment.

How do I explain to her that it doesn't matter? Did your DCs feel the peer pressure regarding merits/distinctions?

mom17 I have replied to you.

Does your DD's teacher provide a mock before her exam Fleurdelise? This is how a lot of teachers operate the exam system, though it of course does not account for a vogue result or an off day.

Levels of achievement are all relative - someone who works extremely hard but does not necessarily have natural musicality may celebrate the fabulous achievement of a pass/merit, a gifted/intuitive musician who hardly practices may still achieve a distinction. Ideal scenario is to have a result commensurate with the musician's ability and effort (and encourage them to be happy with it!). A result also varies across the grades nad instruments, especially as DCs get older and other activities impact on time, or they become more sensitive to exam nerves and pressure.

I am not a huge fan of the exam system as I don't believe it truly reflects their ability, but is a snap shot of one day's performance. It is encouraging to know that many conservatoires accept students who have never sat a practical exam, focusing on studies, technique, wide repertoire etc as learning to rote can be so dull and limiting for some children.

However, it is a measurement used by schools and parents alike. I look forward to the day that someone says 'what is your DD playing at the moment' vs 'what grade is she on?'.

Wishful thinking!

apologies, rogue..not vogue . But vogue sounds more interesting

Dd's teacher did a mock and she told me if she plays the same way on the day she will achieve distinction. Dd was already in the car when she said that so she didn't hear.

While I would be happy for her to achieve distinction it was not a goal, I am now worried that if she is messing up on the day due to nerves and gets just a pass she will feel like she failed just because she now knows there are different levels of achievement.

I am not a big fan of exams either, for me it will be ideal to only take certain grades and I have discussed this already with dds teacher, as I feel the last two months could have been better spent. Dds teacher agrees with me but will see what dd has to say once the exam is over as she may get her practice motivation from setting herself the goal of the exam. To be fair she is practising so much without anybody asking for it just knowing about the exam.

I am sure she will fly it fleur - very good luck to her. My DD got so hooked on them she got into the mentality of trophy collecting, and came crashing last year (Y5) when her track record got tarnished with high merits (her opinion). She blanked in one piece in piano and did a hard violin grade in one term. Actually, quite an achievement to still come away with very respectable marks, but she was devastated at the time.

One year on, no exams on violin in sight but is sitting G5 piano (which she perseveres as it does not come naturally), has matured a lot and realises there is more to music than just exams. Long may her attitude continue into senior school life though I am not convinced as she is still very competitive

Thank you ealingwestmum good luck to your DD also for her grade 5. My DD is a very silent competitive girl, she'll never admit it but I know that secretly she is thriving on it. Not sure if this is good at all times but we do benefit from her sitting down and doing maths for example just because she wants to get better (better than...).

I suspect that is why she is practising excessively also competing on a silent level with two of her best friends who are also having piano lessons.

Perhaps the thing to emphasise is that exams measure only how well you played on a particular day, not how well you can play (the teacher has already assessed that). And that there is necessarily an element of subjectivity.

I think it's helpful to see exams as a process, in which the preparation is far more important than a single performance. My DD doesn't do music exams but we've always insisted on this way of thinking for other things and she was gratifyingly unbothered about a small slip-up in one of her mocks (didn't read an instruction carefully enough; won't do it again; isn't bothered by having not done quite as well as expected because she's learnt something from the experience).

I'll be happy with a pass at G5, DS would be unhappy with that because he knows he's capable of a distinction. At the end of the day he needs G5 theory to do other things and it doesn't matter how well he did in it, just that he's got it. I would have been more than happy for him to have scraped a pass in the sitting before last but that gives him the message that he's "rubbish at theory" (which I have heard from time to time). He isn't, it just doesn't interest him, in the same way that maths doesn't interest him.

Fleur best of luck to DD, she will do very well as she is practising a lot and not stressed about sitting the exam.
DS1 had mock tonight for grade 4 drums. He really just wants to pass it! I think he needs to do a lot more practice. Tomorrow he is playing flute at a school concert, which is just for fun and a chance for students thinking about GCSE music to get a taste of performing.
DS2 is enjoying his cello lessons enormously and not thinking about exams although he has informed me the grade 2 piano pieces he has are boring. I suspect this is because he is still learning to play them!!

Thanks 'fleurdelise'. I am sure your DD will be fine.

Good luck to all those with DC with exams.

I'm with Ishouldbe that I just want it over. DS knows its up to him whether to put the effort in. It is more about getting it over with so he can do ABRSM Grade 6. My other DC did some theory work but never did the exams and are happy with Trinity exams.

If he does decide to do any more theory exams we'll wait until he has finished being a chorister, I think. And also avoid busy months.

I think DS1 Grade 8 will be easy compared. Plus he is doing it at school so I don't have to be involved on the day.

Quite honestly, some friends should be shot! Why go boasting about what your own child has achieved and then throw a careless, well of course your child will ace a distinction??? Kills me, quite honestly. DS (9) came out with something yesterday of this ilk - got 16/20 for his spelling test and when I sighed, said it was much better than most of the other kids because the spellings were hard. Out came a lecture about setting his own goals and doing as well as he can do, and not comparing himself to others (particularly when the results are spiralling downwards). Exam results are milestones, but I really want to see the progression, whatever he's studying.

I agree it annoyed me she said that in front of the kids as they are also friends so it will come to discussing what they each achieved after dds exam. Oh well, in the end I told Dd again last night that it doesn't matter. To build her confidence we watched the YouTube grade 1 video last night and then pretended we are in the exam with me being the examiner.

Children should build their own goals but in reality not many do, they do compare themselves with their peers, my own DS (13) has a high academic ability however when he isn't getting high results as expected he tends to tell me how bad others did so I should be happy with his results.

Aargh panic . Got instrument back this afternoon which dd about to try. She brought home the forms for her exam and date is next week ! I thought we had at least another week to practice.

And she has decided now is a good time to try out a new reed ...