Any music medals assessors here?

[Radiodependent]

Hi, I'm doing the teacher assessor training for ABRSM music medals and hoping to enter my first batch of pupils this term, anyone on here an assessor? I'm wondering if there's any advice you can give and also what kind of camera you use as school have suggested I video using a digital camera with a video setting and I'm not sure if this will be high enough quality. The pupils will all be taking copper or bronze descant recorder medals.

Yes, I trained a few years ago, and have now done about 120 assessments - mostly recorders. I use a cheap-ish digital camera on the video setting.

Advice... hmm. Well I do write what I want them to say on a whiteboard, and arrange the room so that they are looking at the board but it looks like they're looking at the camera. I put something like, "Hello, my name is X and I'm doing my Y Music Medal. For my group piece (they can't say ensemble!!) I'm playing Z - top part". You have to make sure that the person doing the test is on the left of the screen when you watch it.

When they progress to silver (which for most of mine is usually Year 4, give or take a year), they can't play a duet with you. They need to do a duet with another child, or a trio/quartet which you are allowed to be involved in. Sometimes it's possible to get an older child to help with a younger one.

That's really useful, thanks. So you put the camera next to the board presumably so they are looking at without realising? Which of the options tests do you find the easiest for beginners or does it depend? We have some who will sight read easily but others who can barely read at all so I was going to go for call and response for them. Yes I was going to do a duet with them for the ensemble section this time but older students helping younger ones is a really good idea.

Yes, I put the camera on a shelf next to the board.

The easiest test for Copper is Question and Answer - you clap the rhythms, and they play it back on one note (or more). All my year 2 beginners (who are nowhere near copper level) can do this without problems. Further up, most go for Sight Reading, or Call and Response. From Silver or Gold, they need to have quite a good sense of key for both. I have had three children ever who insisted on taking Make A Tune - none of them passed that bit, so I don't offer it any more!

Thanks, sorry just saw your reply. I had camera lesson this morning so we are nearly ready to go - just waiting for my final entry list. The copper call and response is amazingly easy isn't it?!

I can't remember - is it just B, A and G? I like Question and Answer!

Sorry yes question and answer was the one I meant - did it yesterday and the whole group got it straight away:)