Spring Term 2020 music thread

[squintsoftheworldunite]

Thought I would start the ball rolling on the first 2020 music thread since I’m awake. Happy New Year all of you and your lovely little musicians. Carrying on the long tradition of music threads here begun moons ago by wafflenose .... hoping our threads continue to be a place that’s welcoming to all, whatever standard, experience, backgrounds or situations of music bring you here.

2019 brought incredible music experiences for us, our biggest year to date. Exhausting but incredible. We said goodbye to the year with a final music lesson to end what has been an amazing first year on a new, and now first study, instrument. We’ve had a year free from practical exams but full of auditions and performances and so much to look back on with gratitude. I certainly couldn’t have predicted 2019 this time last year! I hope we can say the same of 2020 this time next year. Happy New Year xx

Gosh hiding I saw that your DD is off to a US Conservatoire! How exciting for you all!
Glad plans are in place to go ahead for the autumn, even though, like everywhere, you're waiting to hear exactly what the experience will be like.
I hope they can at least make progress with some top one to one tuition, and I guess plenty of practice!
Some lectures could be online I guess.
And hopefully ensembles will become increasingly possible at some point through the year?
Whereabouts is she headed (if you feel like sharing that)?
DS had a great time in San Diego last summer on a Rotary arranged opportunity with the San Diego International Youth Symphony

New ABRSM remotely assessed exams sound interesting. My questions would be around the ‘For the fourth piece/song, candidates can choose another item from the syllabus at the same grade or choose a piece/song from any other published source,’ I’m just wondering whether they would produce long lists for each grade otherwise there would be potential for being marked down if there was a difference of opinion on whether the chosen 4th piece was at the correct difficulty/grade? Hopefully all will become clear.

DD definitely missing ensemble playing too. She’s managed zoom violin and piano lessons and has also been taking part in the Benedetti foundation virtual sessions which have been fab (Zoom sectionals with 200 other violinists, you tube and Facebook sessions and has sent off a recording and we’ll see at the concert on Sunday if she made the final recording) but she said it’s not the same as sitting in an orchestra hearing everyone play around you.

horsey I understand your point but in an “in person” exam you can have any number of duff notes, dodgy pedalling or mistakes so this is no different really - at least you can have more than one go at getting all the pieces right!

Just read ABRSM starting new type of exam - remote assessment. Does anyone know how we will be able to book exams. Will they follow the set 3 traditional slots a year or a more fluid submission dates. DC on 2019/2020 book which expires Dec so wanting to make sure they’ll have more than one chance to submit if by chance they didn’t pass first time...

All I know is that they are starting in August. I’m presuming you can do them any time. DS’s piano teacher is certainly expecting that once they’re “open” we’ll just record and submit when ready.

Dd’s not DS’s. No Edit button.

Just a thought... have abrsm offered an extension on current 2019/2020 books due to students not being able to sit any exams Due to centres being closed? Would be fair considering this time was lost in lockdown....

I want to know what they'll do about theory. DD2 (10 - so not in the priority years) had grade 5 flute cancelled due to pandemic. She's now nearly ready for grade 6, apparently- but because she was due to sit theory in June she can't take it either remotely or in the standard way. Do you think they'll relax it until they can take a theory exam again. She would have been ready, but she's forgotten a lot (looks blank when I mention compound time now!)

@JugglingFromHereToThere So sorry I've only just come back to the thread. DD is going to New England Conservatory in Boston, to study Composition. So she's in a discipline where on-line would be less dreadful than if she were a performer, but still...
Anyway, we have to wait and see what the arrangements all are. So much to think about, and no definite info! Just like everyone else, I suppose.

A little bit more info on the ABRSM remotely assessed exams: gb.abrsm.org/en/about-us/news/articles/?abrsm%5BnewsId%5D=88395

@FiddleOnTheRoof I’ve just checked The ABRSM website (as DD piano syllabus is 2019-2020) and it says for piano ‘ Syllabus overlap For candidates wishing to present pieces and scale requirements from the 2019 & 2020 syllabus, a one-year overlap period (up to 31 December 2021) now applies to all countries – including the UK and Ireland.All three pieces and the scales requirements must be prepared from the same syllabus.’

We'll be the same with theory, need to get it done before any more practical exams in possible. Can't see any info about it.

Thanks @PaddingtonPaddington just also seen abrsm have a question page so will ask about UCAS points which I hope will be the same.

Less under pressure to complete exam now on the 2019-2020 syllabus with the overlap extension going to Dec 2021, but with no set dates when centres will re-open or risk of closure if R rate of infection increases, it is really important abrsm offer an equivalent that doesn’t leave students at a disadvantage during centre closures, thereby forcing a less advantageous route if this remote assessment doesn’t carry the same UCAS point.

What do you all think?

@horseymum yes I can’t see anything about theory other than the next date being 21 November

@FiddleOnTheRoof if they are saying that remote assessed and current exams are equivalent I can’t see how they wouldn’t carry the same UCAS points but good to get it clarified.

From the info it sounds like the specifications will be out in the next few weeks but whether that means you can submit the recording from next month I don’t know.

@horseymum (and others) I've just had a reply from ABRSM. Apparently on a 'case by case basis' they will allow candidates to take the G5 theory and a practical grade above G5 in the same exam period due to Covid.

Thanks for that mini. We'll work on that basis just now until we hear otherwise. At least it's not super important she does grade six this year, can wait if necessary. Hopefully we will have auditions for NYOS. They are re- auditioning everyone, not like I have heard some of the other youth orchestras who are keeping everyone the same.

Thanks for all the abrsm updates. My understanding is that the start date for the online performance exam is sometime in August but I admit that that’s from DD’s piano teacher so cannot verify it.
Dd another one who is hoping to do the g5 theory exam this autumn so fingers crossed they’ll have a plan B in place if necessary.

Real life exams are available through Private Visits from July 6 so no one needs to do remote assessment exams if they don't want to.

Ooh, perhaps that will work. Dd's (quite impatient) teacher has already informed me gloomily that 'November is perhaps too late' for her G6 (she's already told her to put the pieces away for a bit)....but the centre usually runs private visits.

Hi everyone. I haven’t been on here for ages. I tend to pop up as I get nervous about daughter and upcoming music exam! I’m originally from the UK and still have friends and family over there. We are here in New Zealand. There aren’t many names on here I recognise nowadays.
I was a music teacher in the UK, but am ‘just’ a Mum to my two here.
My daughter is taking her LTCL at the end of this year and is preparing to take her LRSM in 2021 - if she can actually sit it.
She has already taken her ATCL and DipABRSM.
As we ramp up to exams I always got a lot more nervous, even though she has always done really well.
Anyway - hi. And please stay safe.

Hi Shakyisles, lovely to hear from you.

Has anyone had the update from NYRO about their online summer course? My DCs are too young but potentially got some students who would enjoy it. No audition, gr3+.

I saw that, looks good. Am tempted for my daughter just for something to do, she is an oboist really but loves her recorders.

It's a bargain as well! £30/35 a day! I know it's only a few hours but that's standard rate for one hour here.