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Extra-curricular activities

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Original poster

Two music exams and how to handle the teachers

49 replies

Worriedandlost · 25/02/2015 17:33

Dd is doing two instruments and it seems like both teachers want her to make exams this summer, at least at the moment. Same grade for both.
However, one of the teachers asked me today about our plans for the second instrument (piano). Then she announced that she will not send dd for exam at summer if we are planning to do both instruments in one go. Her idea was that we should leave piano till autumn, but if not, then we will do her instrument at autumn. She suggested that I should speak to the piano teacher but when I refused said that she will find out herself (teachers know each other).

I personally believe that there is no point in postponing anything, and at worse dd will miss few marks if doing both instruments, but will not do any better at autumn. Both teachers already going through grade pieces since new year and dd played all the scales and arpeggios long before that.

My question is-is it normal for the teachers to do this sort of planning regarding the other person teaching? I quite often have that feeling that this teacher is trying to control something she should not. Or am I wrong and she has best dd's interests in heart?

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Noteventhebestdrummer · 25/02/2015 18:03

It's probably just that she's had bad experiences in this situation before. It's not ideal or unusual for kids to be stressed by pressure when they have a lot of work on.

nonicknameseemsavailable · 25/02/2015 21:53

perhaps she is thinking that if she only does 1 of them at a time she will be able to do extra practice on that one but if she does both then this won't be possible or will be halved?

angelcake20 · 25/02/2015 22:36

DS did two exams in last summer's session. Not helped by DD doing one at the same time but I swore that I was never letting anyone do more than one exam at a time ever again, and one of them was a quite low grade. The summer seemed to be a particularly bad time for it with lots of sports events, trips etc. I had tried to get him to take 1 of them in the spring session but as we were away for 3 weeks at Easter it had been discouraged. He was finishing year 6 and changing schools and teachers so postponing was not an option. I would recommend sorting it out with the teachers and leaving one till the autumn.

ReallyTired · 25/02/2015 23:27

What is the point of employing music teachers if you don't take their advice? I think it's an excellent idea if the two teachers can talk together and decide which instrument your daughter should do first. Assuming you are are doing the same board for each instrument then one instrument will support the other.

Ishouldbeweaving · 26/02/2015 08:58

I would have thought that it is all to do with reducing the pressure of practice and nothing at all to do with improving marks by delaying one exam so yes, I do think that the teacher has your daughter's best interests at heart. She will have entered lots of candidates over the years and her experience will be that two exams in one session is not ideal. I'd let the two teachers sort it out between them, it's even possible that the exam that is delayed ends up being skipped altogether.

hellsbells99 · 26/02/2015 09:06

I think it depends on the child. My DD2 has taken 2 exams at the same time and is doing so again next month - she takes exams in 3 instruments so it isn't always easy to stagger the exams. She is very laid back about her playing and exams in general. DD1 only ever takes 1 exam in a session as she find it very stressful. She has skipped grades to avoid taking 2 at the same time and so that waiting for the next exam period doesn't hold her back. Your DD doesn't have to take every exam in both instruments to move on to the next grade.

Original poster
Worriedandlost · 26/02/2015 11:03

Thanks for the answers!
This teacher said "I know she can do both, but I do not like students taking two exams at a time, because blah-blah-blah". What I am not happy about is that she is throwing me into negotiations with another teacher about leaving second instrument for another term, if I were that second teacher I would not be happy at all about it! It is like a parent is trying to tell me what to do! And of course I know my dd too and know what she is capable of, or not, and I feel that firstly she can handle both and secondly she will benefit from double preparation of aural part for example.

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Original poster
Worriedandlost · 26/02/2015 11:09

ReallyTired, "What is the point of employing music teachers if you don't take their advice?", teachers are only humans and can make mistakes too. If I would always take their advice my dd would stuck with grade 1 piano for 3 years, fortunately I do not always take their advice and therefore she is happily progressing further now with a new teacher :). The reason I started this conversation is that I want to understand-is it normal that one teacher is interfering with another teacher teaching :), or is just personality of this particular teacher?

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janet41 · 26/02/2015 13:59

My DD's teachers don't communicate with each other, and unless they are part of the same music centre or JD or similar, I probably would be surprised if they did. But I would always get both's views on the year ahead and scheduling, and then would factor in other commitments, auditions etc before agreeing the final schedule with each. Now we are at higher grades I know DD's 1st instument teacher would have concerns about two exams in one session but then so would I. And we can't enter exams at our JD without teachers' agreement.

I have vowed not to do any more Dec exams as the concert schedule is really heavy then; but I am suspect I will be overruled by sheer logistics!

Mistigri · 26/02/2015 14:11

Why don't you agree to skip a grade on one instrument?

There is probably a little more benefit from doing every grade with piano than on "easier" instruments (though it's still completely unnecessary!). Maybe you could schedule, for example, grade 2 piano this summer and grade 3 on the first instrument next autumn/ winter.

Original poster
Worriedandlost · 26/02/2015 15:24

Janet41, I totally agree with your approach, but then you are a parent and you are concerned because you know all the commitments of your dd. I am, as a parent, think that there is no need to postpone one of the exams, in fact I was anticipating this scenario since dd's last exam and decided that we should go for two if this is supposed to happen. I am really annoyed with the teacher and feel like she is trying to rule both instruments :(

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Original poster
Worriedandlost · 26/02/2015 15:27

Mistigri, this is exactly what I suggested to the teacher, let us skip this exam alltogether and do next grade at autumn or winter. She said that she prefers to do all grades :(

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Clobbered · 26/02/2015 15:31

I'd hardly see it as one teacher trying to interfere with another's teaching. I teach quite a few pupils who learn multiple instruments, and I'd say it's quite normal to have a three or even four-way discussion with the various teachers, parent and student to plan what exams to do when. It's all done in the child's best interests. I don't think you are going to gain anything by getting upset with the teacher. Why don't you talk to her again, and the other teacher, and agree between you what is the best approach. As others have said, there could be all sorts of reasons for and against doing 2 exams in one session. Ultimately it should be your daughter who chooses, actually.

Original poster
Worriedandlost · 26/02/2015 15:33

What I also did not like that teacher suggested to do piano in autumn as dd is worse at piano (she said dd needs more time to prepare for piano). As if I am supposed to say piano teacher, you know what, you do not teach dd quite as well as teacher one, therefore let us leave exam till later. Ridiculous! This is for piano teacher to decide, and if I did not trust her judgement I would not stay with her.
I think I have to find out now what piano teacher think about it all...

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Original poster
Worriedandlost · 26/02/2015 15:36

Clobbered, my daughter would not have any objections, she likes exams, and I anticipate that piano teacher is ok too, but this one... I actually suspected that something like that could be happening, but there is no way she will go into discussion, this is the way she is... Good teacher though, but too pushy :(

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Original poster
Worriedandlost · 26/02/2015 15:38

Another thing of course that piano teacher may decide last minute about the exam, and now she is in a position to decide now, as she is pushed to decide!

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Mistigri · 26/02/2015 18:34

I also think that an open discussion with both teachers is the best way forward. I don't see how you can continue with a teacher unless there is some mutual respect.

I think it's common for the piano to lag a second, easier instrument and this is not necessarily a reflection on the teacher. The cognitive and motor demands involved in playing the piano are significantly greater than for most other instruments, where you're only reading a single clef and your two hands aren't playing different rhythms and notes.

Original poster
Worriedandlost · 26/02/2015 19:06

Mistigri, I do agree about piano, but to be honest leaving it for another term will hardly make any difference, she will get her pass or merit even at summer, no doubts. The other instrument is a violin so each teacher reckons that her instruments is the hardest, I personally think it depends on whatever suits the most each individual child, some find violin easier, some piano.

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Ferguson · 26/02/2015 19:53

There is certainly no reason why a competent student should need to take every Grade on an instrument. Our DS skipped several over the years, but always got good results, because he knew how to 'pace' himself to achieve the result he wanted.

Trying to take TWO exams at the same time though, must surely mean effort, practice, and stamina get spread more thinly.

BackforGood · 26/02/2015 20:03

You seem to be being unnecessarily angry about a sensible bit of advice from your dd's teacher Hmm
You're not going to get anyone agreeing with you about 'interfering' or 'throwing you into negotiations'. The normal response to this would be to thank them for thinking of it, and considering what might work best for your dd.
So, to answer your question, IMO, you are wrong and yes, it's very likely the music teacher has her pupil - your dd's best interests at heart.

Original poster
Worriedandlost · 26/02/2015 20:23

BackforGood, I am angry, yes, unfortunately, and cannot help it :(
I can see your point, but try to see mine-how it all will look like from point of view of piano teacher? It means I have to lie her by saying that I do not think it is good idea for dd to have two exams at a time - to lie only in order to please violin teacher with whom I totally disagree. And why should I do it?

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Love51 · 26/02/2015 20:31

You don't have to lie! Just relay violin teacher's concerns. As in 'V Teach is a bit concerned, what do you think, P Teach?'. You don't need to present her views as your own.

Original poster
Worriedandlost · 26/02/2015 20:38

Just to remind, v teacher said "I think she can take two exams, but I don't like it because...". Unfortunately I do not remember what "because" was....So clearly it is not about dd but about something else...

Just remembered... When dd started with this p teacher, just couple of months before her exam, p teacher thought that dd was good with aural test and concentrated on pieces. I, on the other hand, was worrying about aural test and asked v teacher to have extra lesson to practice on aural. She refused. Which makes me wonder that it could be just teachers rivalry...

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Original poster
Worriedandlost · 26/02/2015 20:42

Love51, yes, true, but what if p teacher says "I do not see any probs in doing two exams"? This means that we need to miss v exam, whilst really, v is her instrument and I would prefer v exam at summer.
Cannot get through to p teacher :(

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BackforGood · 26/02/2015 21:02

What Love51 said. Exactly.

You really are overstressing this.
The next set of exams is only in November - it won't matter if she gets one a few months after the other.
It won't matter if she misses one and skips to the next grade.
It wouldn't even matter if she were a year older when she took it, or if she didn't take it at all. You seem to be reacting as if it's a matter of life and death.

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