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Extra-curricular activities

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

Original poster

Spring 22 music thread

371 replies

thirdfiddle · 09/01/2022 20:51

Roll up roll up for a new term of music parenting! This is a long meandering series of threads for all things musical. Please do say hi if you're new or lurking.
Delighted to see on the last thread that musical things are up and running again in the new term despite some covid nerves. Here's hoping for a smooth normal as possible run.

OP posts:
yodaforpresident · 23/03/2022 10:11

Quick question - are ABRSM results still coming back really quickly?

QueenMabby · 23/03/2022 10:57

Online or in person? Dd did a performance grade online in Feb and got results in about four days!
In person - am not sure. She has an exam on Friday so will find out!

yodaforpresident · 23/03/2022 11:37

In person @QueenMabby

horseymum · 23/03/2022 12:13

Yes, in person super quick. Exam on Thursday, result Sunday morning.

yodaforpresident · 23/03/2022 13:01

That's even faster than it was and it includes a weekend.

minisnowballs · 23/03/2022 14:18

Great news @comefromaway - sounds like you should be very proud, especially since it seems to have been far from plain sailing.

@horseymum - DD has only ever had one reed at a time - with a bit of ensuing panic when it breaks - she should probably have had a spare before but we never thought about it. Her teacher makes them, and is kind when it comes to pricing, so I'd never have begrudged her having more - just one of those things we'd never got into the habit of I guess. She now has a swanky reed box that keeps them from getting bashed about and we've retired the curiously strong mints tin, so that feels terribly grown up!

northerngoldilocks · 23/03/2022 16:05

That's great news re Leeds - nice to get one 'in the bag' so that it takes the pressure off a bit.

Comefromaway · 23/03/2022 16:08

Offered a place at Salford too. He applied for Popular Music but they have also encouraged him to consider their Music Performance course.

So, Leeds, Salford or LCCM (Confetti & BIMM are being declined)

horseymum · 23/03/2022 17:19

@minisnowballs We still use a mint tin, no case here yet! Maybe a birthday present idea though.

minisnowballs · 23/03/2022 17:37

@horseymum - swanky box only a tenner - probably the cheapest bassoon accessory Howarths sells (the reeds cost the same!)....

horseymum · 23/03/2022 18:05

Oh, I'll have a look. I swear you can stick the word bassoon in front of anything and the price jumps by £££. Seat strap, basically a belt with a bit on the end £50. Plastic tube with lots of keys, small size ( clarinet) probably £200. Slightly larger size tube with keys ( bassoon) £4500 at least ( don't know exactly as it's a school one)

QueenMabby · 29/03/2022 11:28

For the PP that wanted to know about exam results speed, DD did her G2 singing exam in person on Friday morning. Although her own ABRSM dashboard still has her result as "pending" her teacher has had her results and called us last night.

DD was pleased (and frankly rather shocked!) to get a distinction. She has a nice voice but by no means excellent so this was a pleasant surprise!

northerngoldilocks · 29/03/2022 21:08

Friday to Monday is pretty good isn't it - one of my daughter's friends also found that was the speed of results being sent but got them via the dashboard.

Intriguing that her teacher has the results before the dashboard - was it a public venue or organised via a school please?

DS did his grade 5 flute today at a private visit type arrangement where his Sat school arrange it, so wondering if this will make a difference on results speed. Guess we'll find out soon (or not so soon, depending on what the outcome of that differential is!)

QueenMabby · 30/03/2022 08:01

@northerngoldilocks - it was at her school. I think that means it was listed as a private visit?
Maybe it's different that way.

northerngoldilocks · 30/03/2022 09:14

thanks - I think that's right Maybe on those they release the results in a block to the centre and then update individual dashboards later. All encouraging though that both types of sitting are giving quick turn arounds on results.

Given they write the comments during the exam and give the marks, the huge delays between exam and results that used to exist never really made any sense. It didn't seem as though there was any moderation so couldn't understand it. I think that other boards releasing quickly has spurred ABRSM into sorting it out.

Will clearly be clicking 'refresh' on the dashboard from tomorrow!

yodaforpresident · 30/03/2022 18:24

I can confirm that we had the results from both exams within three days - very pleased here.

QueenMabby · 31/03/2022 08:46

Interestingly DD's online result is still showing as pending. Her teacher had the overall score but not the comments etc. she has a singing lesson today so we'll see if she gets any more info.

Original poster
thirdfiddle · 31/03/2022 09:52

Having done DD's last exam entry myself I can tell you results are first released to the person who made the entry. They go up on the candidate's account when you click to release them or 7 days later if you don't actively release them.

OP posts:
Original poster
thirdfiddle · 31/03/2022 09:57

And congratulations to minis mabby, Yoda and especially comefromaway! Nice choices!

OP posts:
Comefromaway · 31/03/2022 11:59

Pretty certain he is going to choose Leeds.

LuluKentGirl · 01/04/2022 12:21

another one waiting anxiously for results here - DD did G6 violin yesterday. so relieved it's over and done with (as is she obviously!). i obviously haven't checked the dashboard for results 5 times already today....Hmm

herbaceous · 01/04/2022 12:41

Hi there. New here!

But DS did ABRSM singing on Monday and piano on Tuesday, and got the results today. Piano mark seemed harsh, but singing mark very generous!

minisnowballs · 01/04/2022 13:51

Well done to all - so many exams!

DD2s Bassoon G5 (taken Tuesday) back today. First exam she's taken on it. Generous marking on the pieces - no idea why she always messes up the aural as she's pretty good in practice, but failed that. Overall a very decent merit. Given I'd have given her another term before taking it (she only got the pieces in early January and I thought her teacher was pushing it a bit) and she's only been playing two years I think she can be pretty pleased.

herbaceous · 01/04/2022 15:07

Our results still aren't up on the dashboard - he got his through school, which was his examination centre.

G7 piano got marked down a lot for seemingly tiny errors in the pieces, and a 116. Singing G6 got effusive praise for just about everything, and a 143!

The piano is his first-ever non-distinction, but considering he's 12 I guess that's OK!

minisnowballs · 01/04/2022 18:27

Well done to him - amazing stuff. As I said to DD2, who also got 116 in her grade 7 (flute) at 12 - no-one is EVER going to ask you what you got in your grade 7 when you're older. And great singing marks.