Summer Term Music, Musicians and Music Exams thread

[Wafflenose]

Hello again everyone! I know not everyone in the UK has gone back to school yet, and some of you are overseas, but term here starts today, so it's time for a new thread. Please post away about your children, your own musical studies or any questions about music exams/ learning an instrument generally. We have a helpful and experienced bunch of people here to answer queries or reassure you.

I have MiniWaffle, who is 9, and BabyWaffle who is 6. Mini has passed Grade 5 Recorder and Grade 4 Flute, and also plays some trumpet, piano and ukulele. Baby has passed Grade 1 Recorder and Initial Cello, and tinkers with the piano (when it's not in the repair shop...)

This term for exams, we have Grade 3 Theory (Mini) - as a warm-up for Grade 5 which will hopefully take place next year - and Grade 1 Cello (Baby). Both in June. I am doing Grade 2 Xylophone for the NCO Parents' Challenge! We have been challenged to learn an instrument unrelated to our proper ones, and I'm really a clarinettist.

I think the hardest part of aurals is the recognition of style and period, with reasons for answer, plus texture question. Neither of my children find it easy! I think part of problem is that the pieces are quite long, so remembering texture at the start of a piece, which might be different from that of the end is tricky! They usually get the right period but it's hard to nail down the reasons for some pieces, without copping out with 'it sounds like Mozart' or something similar.

I suspect that aural ability is partly innate since some people can "just do it". DH isn't a musician but he has excellent pitch and an amazing aural memory. DD seems to have inherited this. She can easily tune a guitar without a tuner (relative to low E - she doesn't have perfect pitch) and she finds it very easy to play and arrange by ear. I was a reasonably skilled musician as a child but I had to be taught to pass the aural component of exams, I don't have natural ability in this area.

DD's sax exam is in just under 4 weeks. She's playing her pieces pretty securely already so there is just some fine tuning to do (the swing section needs more swing apparently, I can't tell the difference - see aural ability, above!).

She had applied to play at a music festival in a nearby city that is looking for musicians who play original material. She sent some recordings and they have been in touch to ask for more information. I would be surprised if she is accepted - in fact her age (14) may be a stumbling block - but at least she hasn't been rejected outright!

the aural tests are one of the reasons I'm putting off trying to do exams again (as an adult). I do want to do the exams, not just the performance assessments that I've done so far, but I really struggle with the aural - in particular, the first test where you have to copy the melody. I just can't remember it!! And even if I can remember bits of it, I never quite get the right notes with my voice. I sing in a choir, too, but it doesn't seem to help that test. And it will only get worse when I'm supposed to hear and remember one of two parts . I don't mind the sight singing, and I haven't had to do the period/style/texture question yet, only simple questions about musical features, which has so far been OK.

My DC have all skipped various grades at different times, and I think the 'jump' varies considerably. DS2 went from Grade 1 to Grade 4 in about 18 months but his piano teacher doesn't work through Grades as such anyway, so it was just what felt right.

I would try and avoid 'certificate chasing' if at all possible, it is really easy to get hung up on the next exam and to forget about enjoying the music and the progression of learning for its own sake.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts/experiences. I want her to progress but most of all I want her to enjoy it and stay interested.

Speaking of aural tests - I am paying for extra lessons for dd (11) just on grade 7 aural!!! It seems crazy, but without the extra help, she would have really struggled - so difficult!
Ds (7) achieved full marks in his grade 3 aural, but did terribly in the Sightreading. Despite that he still managed a good distinction overall!

Fleur - dd did grade 2,4,5 violin and will be doing grade 7 in July. She found the jumps fine overall. The jump in aural difficulty was definitely noticed at grade 5 when they have to name the period of music etc.

DD won't do ABRSM exams because of the singing in the aural. For chorister DS2 with perfect pitch they hold no fear (although he did make a mistake in his Grade 5 piano). I don't think there is an easy answer.

We are about to start a manic eight days. Four concerts, 2 NYJO workshops, Ascension Day service when DS2 has to be at the Cathedral for 6.30 am, plus his regular services, and also DS2s RSCM Silver Award.

DS1 started As levels this week, that seems almost minor!

wow, busy household Raspberry - good luck with the juggling, and to eldest son for his A levels!

I do daily aurals with my children but soon run out of material. I've used lots of my old instrument books, past aural book examples and so on. It's amazing how many piano pieces don't fit neatly into what is needed for the aural. Cadence recognition, sight singing, modulation - all are easy for miss 11 but she struggles with the last question. She knows quite q lot but struggles in the pressure of the moment to find the right words. I guess we wil just keep on practising!

Wow Raspberry what a great progress from grade 1 to 4 in 18 months. Dd's teacher doesn't work through grades as such either, in fact it is all about repertoire and putting them in exams once they are solid players at that grade, more like an evaluation as what they can already do rather than working to achieve it if that makes sense.

Only when dd asked when is the next exam she said "oh, we won't bother with grade 2 as you are past that level, we'll move to grade 3 when you are ready". Didn't start any pieces, only scales as she finished grade 2 ones, and doesn't follow a teaching method book, she assigns pieces from various books which I am happy to buy.

Good luck with the A levels!

I am trying to stop the certificate chasing also as she didn't seem to care before grade 1 but I guess it is easy to fall into the big exam rota thing as she is a shy girl in public and she feels she found something she is good at and enjoyed all the praise and attention following her high achieving mark in the grade 1 exam.

I suppose there is a lot of competition between kids showing off what they are good at so she probably loves (secretly) the fuss that everybody including her school teacher, made once the grade 1 results came through.

The advantage of doing at least every other grade is that presumably it helps to keep progress even across the range of skills.

DD has never done exams except for her wind instruments. It means that she has an impressive repertoire for guitar and piano but notable technical gaps. Piano is worst - she'd struggle with grade 3 sight reading yet she plays grade 6/7 repertoire beautifully.

Well DS survived Gd 6 piano although dropped 2 marks on aural since he said the piece was in 2 not 4. He's had full marks for Gd 8 aural twice before but there you go! Gd 8 Singing next week

Noteventhebestdrummer What pieces did he play? I'm doing the exam on Friday. Scales keep falling apart.

Dd8 has just been entered for grade 6 sax. We have been a bit lax with scales up to now, so she said she will practise hard.

Pavlova - the fear of singing for aurals is really common in girls, I've found humming to be a good solution - for some reason it's very much less scary than actually singing the note with the mouth open, and you wouldn't lose any marks on it!

And good luck to your ds2 in his Silver - nice to hear of other children doing the RSCM awards, ds1 has just completed his, just getting through the gold in time before his voice plummeted downwards!

You've a busy time ahead RaspberryLemonPavlova, I was all prepared to wallow in the smugness of another month with not much on except that this week I was surprised with two days notice of the GCSE music performance. Clearly it didn't appear out of the blue, someone knew about it but didn't think that it was worth mentioning. Fortunately his music teacher rang up to check that DS had told us about it (can you tell that DS has form for this?) and to tell me that school couldn't provide an accompanist so could he bring in a backing track if needed. DH couldn't manage both hands together in the hour he had to look at the accompaniment but he was saved by technology. There's a function on the digital piano that lets you record one hand, you can play it back and then record the other hand.

DS is a very good sightreader but only seems to apply himself to things he can see a point in. Aural was therefore a struggle. Given the cost of exams (especially when you have to pay for an accompanist) I'm glad he skipped a few.

Two lovely concerts and an early start done!

LilyBolereo thank you, and well done to your DS1. I doubt my DS2 will get to Gold in time as a treble, but he can do it in Youth Choir later on. He is finding the non-music part the hardest.

DD has just done Trinity grades and that is fine, whatever arguable advantage there is to ABRSM exams isn't really relevant as she will never be a career musician and she gets really nervous exams!

Fleur, I think he was a very solid Grade 1 when he took the first exam, and then whizzed, it settled a bit after that.

If its the performing and applause she likes, are there other opportunities available, such music festivals?

Ishouldbe good luck with the GCSE

RLP - I think it is really hard for boys, because they don't really get the maturity you need for the higher awards until that point where their voice goes - ds1 was really lucky his voice just held out - he literally couldn't have done it a couple of weeks later! It's a tough exam though, I think there is a lot to be said for doing it later!!!

Hello. My daughter is 8 with her 9th coming up soon and has been begging to play the flute for two years now. With her birthday coming up, i know this is what she'd want. however I'm approaching with caution. She's learning piano ð??¹ and violin ð??» with grade 4 exams coming up next month for both. I don't want to compromise on her academics and so if we do give in, flute would likely be purely for pleasure with few lessons, maybe only once a fortnight or every three weeks and no exams as such. I just wondered your thoughts on this.

on the other hand I was thinking, if we're going to invest in the cost, why not pursue the exam route anyway as we're hoping to take advantage of music scholarships for secondary in a couple of years. For that she would need to be grade 4/5 I imagine so my next question is, how hard/easy would it be to get to say grade 4 in flute within two years if you are already on grade 4 piano and violin and very keen? She currently practises an hour a week on piano, an hour a week on violin, in addition to 1hr15 minutes of lessons for each of these two instruments.

Academically she's very good but not outstanding compared to her class mates...level 4b in English and maths, level 3c in science. As a parent, what would be your view in my shoes?

Hi Essex - you do not need grade 5+ on the flute if she's achieving that on her primary/secondary instruments, lots of children present for scholarship auditions with primary instrument being at the level only.

The grade necessity (or equivalent, at that standard which a teacher's report or reference verifies) varies by school depending on how competitive entry is (especially in London!). My DD did not secure an audition at 1 of her prospect schools with G6 violin and G4 piano due to high levels of applicants at a much higher standard. Conversely, I know of many boys that had been awarded very good % scholarships at great schools with lower grades.

If applying to independents, they only audition their shortlist if the academic elements are passed at entrance exams, so keep track of both as it can be very disappointing for musically gifted DCs who don't get to audition due to not passing the entrance papers.

Some schools also love the more unusual instruments. Try and go to the music open days of your shortlist to get a better idea of how to prepare her, but don't worry about the 3rd instrument so much...would be nice for her to play the flute for pleasure with no pressure on future outcome?

Most private schools are only going to be interested in two instruments. A third will be a bonus to their orchestra, etc, but they won't pay much attention to the 3rd at audition. Just let her enjoy it.

However, in answer to your other question, my DD (also in year 4) started the flute when she was 6, and took just over 2 years to reach Grade 4 standard. So it can definitely be done.

EssexYumMum we are gearing up for possible music scholarships as dd is In Yr 4; as others say the level required enormously from school to school and year to year. Our most prestigious local independant will normally have candidates on g8 on both instruments for yr8 entry; others are less prestigious musically and the expectation reduces. However having said that dd got her very generous music scholarship for her very musical prep school entry (yr3) without having taken any exams - indeed she took g1 a month later. They tested all sorts of musciality and talked to her to test her enthusiasm and she was chosen over more advanced players - what she did was demonstrate a commitment to joining in and her teacher's reference said the same - and indeed she is very willingly in just about every music group going (as are all the music scholars before her) as well as national stuff.

Essex We have found progress on subsequent instruments to be exponentially faster although it may depend how much cross-over there is. DD's progress on piano and sax (third and fourth instruments) has been quite rapid especially considering the relatively limited time she puts in.

DD does a 1 hour piano lesson every 2-3 weeks and tbh I think this is actually more useful than her weekly half hour on sax.