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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

Music Aptitude Test

33 replies

Sittinginthesun · 27/04/2017 17:52

Just wondered if anyone has bought/enrolled practice for this test? Our local secondaries all have a certain number of places for music, and these start with an aptitude test, and then an audition.

A quick Google has taken me to Hofnote, which seems interesting. I just wondered if anyone had experience of this?

OP posts:
PiqueABoo · 29/04/2017 14:49

I know where you're talking about ;b
Probably.. if one had a dame and another is saintly.
Not in our geographical reach though.

Fleurdelise · 29/04/2017 18:43

PiqueABoo sounds about right. Smile

TheSecond I would have expected some criteria to be attached to the music places such as "you have to join the band/orchestra, you have to take music extra lessons" or something:

NoOneIsMyName · 06/05/2017 15:25

I'm also really interested in this thread as I think we are in this area too, though outside the catchment for all the consortium schools. We are further down the line as DD is in Y3. We had just assumed that she would go to the local school (just rebuilt) and that would be that, unless she turned out to be exceptionally academic and 11+ would then be a realistic option.

Then her piano teacher mentioned the music test for secondary when the time comes, especially as DD's second instrument is orchestral and a bit unusual. This raised lots of questions for me as I'm not really clear how the audition part works if she were to get that far.

I read on one website that all instruments are treated equally. So I'm not sure how a more unusual orchestral instrument can gain more points? And if her stronger instrument is piano (not orchestral) would that count? As DD has not been learning either instrument for very long and started much later than most who start violin or piano as toddlers...(she wasn't ready and didn't want to at that time) I'm beginning to think this is a red herring!

If anyone has been through the process I'd love to know a bit more about the audition process, as all I can find is info on the initial test (Bentley?) which does seem to be something you can either hear or not.

Sorry for all these questions and for such a long first post!

Fleurdelise · 06/05/2017 16:08

I haven't been through the music process (just academics with DS who is now in year 11) but dd will do the exam this September.

From the stats I have found you need 45+ out of 60 in the MAT to get through to audition stage, I'd say a safe mark is 48+. In the audition the marks are out of 45, 15 for accuracy, 15 for musicality and 15 for communication (of the music). While all the instruments are treated the same in theory, practically a rarer instrument will give you more chances. Dd for example will audition on piano, she'll be grade 5+ but so will lots of other kids. While turning up with a bassoon for example even if just grade 2 level will impress more as they will have more need for orchestral instruments.

So personally while dd will still audition on the piano as she's more advanced, I need to drill into her that somehow she needs to mention the clarinet as well. Smile That if she gets to the audition stage as I've done four MATs with her and she got very mixed results, the best 49 the worst 38 (with 46 and 48 in the middle Confused It isn't something you learn either, you can either do it or not. So I now treat it as pure lottery.

NoOneIsMyName · 06/05/2017 19:53

Thank you so much for your detailed reply Fleurdelise. For us this is a still a fair way off and we'll see where we are at the time, and it's really good to have more information. I hope your DD has a good day when she does the MAT - it does seem a bit random. She must be doing so well to be Grade 5+ piano at her age. It's lovely she is playing the clarinet too - I played it too. Once I got the hang of it, it seemed much easier for me than the piano, and I had a great time in borough orchestras and wind bands. I wish her the best for September. I hope the coming months aren't too stressful for you!

TheSecondOfHerName · 06/05/2017 22:40

From the stats I have found you need 45+ out of 60 in the MAT to get through to audition stage

This varies from year to year. In DS1, DS2 and DD's years, the cut-off was 47.

Gazelda · 07/05/2017 21:38

I'm coming back to this thread to belatedly say thank you for the advice and info.

It's quite a worry to think about secondary school applications and allocations, and I'm trying hard to remember that DD is essentially learning her instrument for pleasure and I don't want to turn that into pressure!

lasagnefortea · 20/05/2017 11:08

Here's a good video to try out the Texture Section, they have another video online too for the Pitch section:

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