Duke of Edinburgh award - music lessons?

[NotMeNoNo]

My 14yo DS has signed up to D of E for the Bronze award. He wants to do piano for his skill, he already has grade 3.

Does anyone know, if the skill has to be one hour per week, does that all have to be a taught lesson or does his practice time count? An hour's music lesson every week is 1. a bit expensive at £30 a time and 2. really a bit too long for his concentration span. He always had 30 minute lessons before.

I don’t think it’s prescribed. Dd had horse riding which she did anyway and her instructor signed off on improvement. That was for Silver. She had netball which she did at school for Bronze. And passing her driving test for Gold. Always stuck in my throat a bit that she didn’t take up anything ‘new’ for DofE except for her volunteering. But she did a lot so probably wouldn’t have had time for much else.

There are many threads on here arguing for and against DofE.

They are very specific it must be an hour a week of "development" of the skill.

As long as he practices and his teacher is happy to sign off that he has clearly done at least half an hours practice as well as the lesson that should be fine.

Thanks I thought that would be the common sense approach!

The key is, that he has to agree it with whoever he is doing the DofE with before starting.
I would agree that, as long as he clearly does the practice as well, then that is more than an hour a week, but you will get differences of opinion. The important opinion here is going to be the authority that signs off your ds's DofE.

Good point I expect that will be the school, I will ask

I don't know but dd and other friends who already had music exams weren't allowed to do the music part, and were told it had to be something new.
I think they got round it by taking grade one on a new unknown instrument to them.
Mine chose flute, I think.