Spring 21 virtual music thread

[thirdfiddle]

New year, new lockdown, new virtual ensembles and digital exams - welcome to a new, virtual, all digital, socially distanced music thread.

This is a continuation of a very long running and friendly series of threads, dating from long before my time, and anyone with music learning kids from pre beginner to music college is welcome to jump in at any point. Thank you to our esteemed founder and to all the lovely knowledgeable folk who chip in.

PS success stories welcome too, we like a cheery post. Never mind the stealth boasting here, just boast, your kids earned it.

Thanks for all your advice- it's been really useful!

Dd (14) (yikes) did brass academy (trumpet) for 3 years from when she had been playing for about 3 weeks until 2019. 2020 she did NCBB (virtual) which was pretty well organized - no idea if she keeps her place for this year too...just working out which g8 remote exam she’s going to do - were really hoping for abrsm in person this term but guess that won’t happen!

She also plays viola (g7 trinity to be recorded in next few weeks) and has been going to pro corda for about 3 years.

Also need to get our act together for dc2 piano performance exam.

Music teacher here. Not UK based, but I know all about ABRSM exams so feel free to ask any theory etc questions. X

Hi. Mainly lurked on the last couple of threads but did post sometimes.
DD12 (yr 7) here with a piano, a cello and some singing. No playing grades on the horizon (yippee!) as she did her g5 performance exam in October and missed her g3 cello in the first lockdown so is having some fun time with it for a while and popping in a bit of g4 stuff here and there. Grade 5 theory is planned for March though.
Singing is new since September although (pre-COVID) she sang in her school choir and is a chorister in the school chapel choir.
No ensemble playing or singing happening for her as all her music is through school. Pre-COVID she did a string orchestra, piano duet, chamber group and the two choirs so it’s left rather a large hole in her musical life.
Looking forward to seeing music open up a bit more later in the year. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

I've just discovered these threads, hope it's ok to ask some questions? Apologies if it's been all covered before.

My children are learning piano, and were going to take their exams this spring. Their teacher is not very keen on the performance exams, but as the children have been preparing for the exams, I would prefer them to sit the performance exams.

Is there any real downside to this approach? I know we could just skip it altogether, but I think it would be good for their confidence if they submitted something (although I've seen various reports on the marking being harsh etc).

The teacher also only teaches for ABRSM - but I've heard Trinity are better in some respects (though not easier) - and may be able to avoid the dreaded sight-reading. Should I try to find a more 'flexible' teacher? He's very good otherwise, and has really helped them progress so far.

Welcome @CoolKitkat! Teachers can be quite fixed on their opinions of the respective boards, and usually for very genuine reasons. Perhaps it's worth trying to have an open conversation with teacher about this?

My own view - if DC's have prepared as though they were going to do the 'full' exam, scales, aural etc, then I see no harm in taking the performance exam to have that final sense of achievement. Where I personally think it falls down (and this might be controversial!) is that the new performance exam system allows people who are inclined to do so skip through without doing any of that good stuff that helps develop rounded musicians. Of course, even that only really matters if it trips those poor kids up further down the line.....

One of my own DD's Is likely to do a couple of performance exams. She follows a strict diet of scales, theory, and aural alongside her pieces and does lots of sight reading too. However she has huge performance anxiety and this usually causes her to freeze or fumble over scales and sight reading and go mute on aural. She has been known in the past to get 28/29 on all her pieces and literally refuse to do the sight reading! Not because she's not capable, but because she is scared of getting it wrong. So the performance exams will serve her quite well I think. But we would continue to prepare as though she would take the 'normal' exam and I wouldn't enter her until we were confident she was on the required standard in all elements. It just serves no purpose for us to do otherwise IMHO.

It's lovely to see so many of you, new and old posters.

Hi CoolKitKat - good question and a good answer from doesanybody. DS particularly struggles with SR and despite doing Trinity exams we have prepared as if he was going to do SR for previous exams. And sometimes bailed at the last moment and done musical knowledge instead. You still need SR for higher grades so teacher is very reluctant to not do it at easier levels.

Also a very good reminder to me to get DCs to do some aural/SR (or ask their teachers to). They do scales anyway; sight reading should be okay on their ensemble instruments but piano can get forgotten.

Thanks very much @doesanybodyhaveamap and @thirdfiddle, really helpful views. I think you're right, they will get that sense of achievement with the performance exams (assuming they pass!). I think the teacher is concerned that they won't be as 'well-rounded' if they skip the other technical parts of the exam.

However, it is nice to be able to take the nerves out of the equation.

Any tips for improving sight-reading? I'm trying to get them to play small snippets, and trying to get them in a routine or strategy for what to look out for - little and often. The teacher will be working more on this with them, but it's hard to see much progress - they only have 30 mins each week, and most of this is taken up with the pieces.

They just freeze, don't play with any rhythm, forget the sharps/flats, wrong notes ++ etc etc. I'm sure they just need lots and lots of practise, but if anyone has any suggestions or tips, please do share!

I’ve been lurking on this threads for a while, but thought it was time to dip my toes in the water!

I’m pretty new to the whole music thing, and don’t have much personal experience, so have found the advice on these threads really helpful.

DC1 has been playing for 2 years now, and will be starting at a specialist school in September. They want to give it a go, and seem to have done well at the audition, so I’m hiding my nerves and trying to be supportive and smiley!

DC2 has been playing for a year, and is noisily enthusiastic.

Thanks for all the fab musical advice

@CoolKitkat both of mine find piano sight reading a whole lot more difficult than any of their other instruments. There's just so much to think about! 2 lines of music, 2 hands, and later on, several notes in each hand. That's before all the normal stuff like key signatures, articulation, dynamics etc!! If you haven't already got them, we find the Paul Harris 'improve your sight reading' books are good as they start simple and build up to the required level of complexity for the grade as you go along. As a general rule, the more 'new music' and quick studies you can get in front of them the better, stuff like easy duets, simple arrangements of film / show tunes that they might know the tune to. No pressure and fun.

8 notes is quite good for simple arrangements and free stuff! Duets too..

www.8notes.com/piano/

We also like Paul Harris books.
DD who is better at piano sight reading also has a history of playing just lots of stuff - mostly very easy and only some of it from teacher. The more you do the more natural it becomes.

tobeamockingbird, specialist school after 2 years is amazing, DC1 must be very talented and hard working! Loving the description of noisily enthusiastic DC2 - wanting to follow big sibling?

Thanks so much, @doesanybodyhaveamap that site looks great! I'll check out those books as well, anything to help build their confidence will be a bonus.

@thirdfiddle DC1 does seem to have picked things up quickly, and I think having music has helped a lot, especially while everything has been so uncertain. Something to focus on - a bit of an emotional outlet maybe?

DC2 does like to copy, and loves making a noise! Luckily we have kind and understanding neighbours.

tobeamockingbird I feel lucky that we basically live in the middle of a field and the only neighbours are my in laws 😁. 3 kids kids who between them play violin, flute, double bass, euphonium, percussion, piano, trumpet and cornet..... dd1 is a violinist through and through, dd2 and ds appear to be going the multi instrumentalist route 😂.
We're not in the uk and there is no tradition of music exams here, and i have come to the conclusion that there are many ways to musical progress (and musical greatness). No curriculum or method be it Suzuki or abrsm is "complete" so on that basis performance exams are no issue, they are exactly what they say on the tin - an evaluation of your performance, just like a standard grade exam tests you against a set of predefined criteria. The Suzuki method afaik uses pieces as the mainstay of learning and graduation to the next stage is based on performance of all pieces from memory, abrsm doesnt require playing from memory, Suzuki doesnt require scales, but that doesnt mean someone with an abrsm certificate cant play from memory or a that kid who has just graduated to the next Suzuki book cant play scales it just means that particular skill wasnt tested in that assessment.

@tobeamockingbird congrats to your son! I went to a specialist school too and so did my youngest. He's just about to leave and has to chose between Oxford or a scholarship to a London music college. Exciting times, but I wish so much I could go back and start again (and not change a thing!). Your DS will have a brilliant time. Feel free to ask any questions.

Wow chocomel, sounds like your DS needs congratulations too, that's quite a choice to have!

I agree Mendingfences and I wish I could get my dd to stop taking exams. We've had a lovely long break from them because she didn't do g7 because of covid but now she wants to take g8 - I don't see the point and I hate the stress she goes through just before every exam when she is sick of scales and the same three pieces! For me, it's not what is should all be about. I must say her teacher is wonderful and gives her fantastic repertoire most of the time and she's a happier violinist for it. I think the exam pressure comes from other children, or maybe from her wanting to prove she is of the same standard. At least the exams are nearly over and done with! Perhaps this time, I'll suggest that even in the build-up to the exam the other material and repertoire should get an airing and to hell with the mark!

I'd say less practising DS probably benefits from exams as making him practice more. More enthusiastic DD progresses faster on non exam instrument. Tho guess she will want to do one or two at some point to show she can. I'm much in favour of doing any exams when you're comfortably past the standard so you're not hanging around ages trying to get three difficult pieces polished at once.

@thirdfiddle - string quartet online is one person playing unmuted and everyone else muted - but I can hear that Dd1 is now basically in time and tune. It's a big step given she's reading a new clef (and had never played in quartets with a violin). She has done two in-person sessions last term which really helped.

Super proud of her decision to tackle Grade 5 theory - a big bugbear of hers, since younger sis has already done it, as her DofE bronze skill.

Lovely to hear the updates here, congratulations Chocomel, what a wonderful dilemma to have!

Mixed feelings on the imminent performance exam recording attempts here. DD is more a recreational player and not aspiring to continue at higher level other than socially, so didn't want to put herself through the angst of scales, sight reading etc having done them on grades 1-7 and for some reason, only on piano, suffers hugely from performance anxiety like doesanybody's DD. But the 4 pieces vs 3 and the one take only may end up being more of a challenge ultimately - we shall see.

I’ve just got one child, he’s year 12 at a specialist music school. He started in September, absolutely loves it and is gutted that he’s got to stay home again now. He’s looking at conservatoires too. He did NCO main orchestra and really enjoyed it.

Hi @Chocomel Would you mind giving your opinion on whether Bach inventio 4 bwv 775 would be classed as a grade 7 piece. Looking to add this as dc 4th song on their abrsm performance exam.

If not a grade 7 piece, which would you recommend? Many thanks!

I've lurked on the other threads but would be really interested to hear people's experiences of the new performance exams.

DC1 (18) is Yr13 at a specialist music school (started last year) and like @Siriusmuggle son is gutted at losing out on an experience they have wanted for years. The only consolation is that they have been offered a scholarship to RCM next year. Fingers crossed we'll be back to a bit more normal by then.

DD (17) is an ex cathedral chorister who has recently started singing lessons and her teacher wanted her to do G8 practical this term - it is possible that school will have a special visit for exams some time but I thought that performance might be a good back up although it would require a different fourth piece. The downside is that the cathedral system means that she can sing almost anything at sight so would have picked up good marks on that. How have people's experiences been?