Thread 16 - Corona Cohort Year 12, 2021 Zooming through Summer Term

[orangecinnamon]

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Yeah, DS is supposed to be doing that Friday but we haven't had the promised follow up email. Have you?

There was a reminder 3 days ago with a link to check the ticket and it says there will an email on the morning of it,.

Ah, we booked 4 days ago and it says we would get details two days before. Maybe tomorrow!

DD had her grade 8 Trinity Digital Exam tonight. Has anyone had any experience of these as in... time frames?

I'm quite proud of her really as she organised it all herself with her teacher I don't have to get involved at all...and I've said before don't have to push to practice.

I'm glad we can have a rest from some of the songs for a bit.

Our music exams have bene pit completely on hold since covid. I think DS could have done digital exams but it's never really been suggested or pushed. So paper he has grade 2 but in practice he is at least grade 6!

@Piggywaspushed

Our music exams have bene pit completely on hold since covid. I think DS could have done digital exams but it's never really been suggested or pushed. So paper he has grade 2 but in practice he is at least grade 6!

we didn't bother last year but skipped up a grade this year ..can you skip with ABRSM if you have done the theory so jump straight to grade 6?

I just had an email from her lovely accompanist who has taken her since Grade 3 ...she seemed to think it went very well!

He hasn't done theory : he's Trinity, I believe. I don't think he is massively bothered about having the grades, to be honest.

Ds is exactly the same @Piggywaspushed. He did grade 2 back in year 8 I think then lockdown hit in year 9. He had a massive obsession with it in lockdown one and is now about grade 6 level. He decided he’d better do grade 5 to prove his level but literally as soon as I bought the music he lost all motivation. We discussed it before half term and decided to ditch the exam pieces and he’s started playing again!

Dd did a digital singing exam last year but it was recorded not live. It was so stressful, ste did about 15 takes!

I think DS really doesn't want to do all the recording stuff, in all honesty!

I don’t blame him! We both said never again! Ironically her best take was the first one, which she ditched before she finished all the exercises..

Not sure Cardiff tour was much better than just doing it ourselves with a map. Was nice to have a different tell us about her experience of Cardiff, and good to see the place.

Great news about Birmingham, let's hope the others follow suit.

G8 piano next week, but face-to-face, will be odd! A reason DC might like to do exams if they are playing at the right standard is that you can and some UCAS points which help for some courses - for medicine it helps at Barts. Pretty marginal though. Not sure that DS is going to bother with G8 singing, if he does it will just be to have 4 grade 8s

It always helps them love activities a bit more if they are not examined ...although Dd seemed vaguely excited to do her exam today. I have not pushed for formal exams in other instruments as I know it is her thing and something she loves. I don't want to ruin it. She will have less grades on paper when she applies but I think it was a trade off...she is going for musicology based degrees anyhow.

Have booked for Birmingham Open Day with DD on 3 July 😊

DD is prepping for Grade 8 piano. She really doesn't like exams but figures as she's got this far it would be silly but to do it. It does feel like a suitable finishing (with formal lessons) post. She got to Grade 6 clarinet and finished lessons but plays regularly in various ensembles.

I thought it was odd the Birmingham booking didn't ask for number of people. Hopefully it won't be too overrun!

We went on the Winchester tour the other day, DS really enjoyed it and is very keen to consider applying there. This is a big turnaround, even a few weeks ago he wasn't really engaging with the idea of uni at all. We liked the self-guides tour format, it meant we could go at our own pace, not have someone talking to us the whole time and go off the suggested route a bit. The students manning the various areas were very helpful and engaging.

@EversoDelighted

We went on the Winchester tour the other day, DS really enjoyed it and is very keen to consider applying there. This is a big turnaround, even a few weeks ago he wasn't really engaging with the idea of uni at all. We liked the self-guides tour format, it meant we could go at our own pace, not have someone talking to us the whole time and go off the suggested route a bit. The students manning the various areas were very helpful and engaging.

Good news @EversoDelighted. I do like the city ...used to take Dd to the Christmas Market when she was little, it may be one of those that has got really busy now but it was lovely and friendly back then.

It gets completely rammed now @orangecinnamon. But we still go every year, if you go first thing or after about 4.30 it is just perfect and very atmospheric if you go after dark. The ice rink has a roof now, so not as pretty but saves the rink from getting slushy on rainy days.

We’ve registered for Birmingham on the 3rd as well. Lancaster was very good - definitely a contender.

We’re the 3rd for Birmingham too.

Actually we are the 2nd - got that wrong. DS has only 2 lessons Fridays and is allowed authorised leave for open days

None of the unis Ds had shown interest in are having proper open days. Have just spent some time this morning signing him up to online ones (yes he should do it himself but I know he will put it off till after his exams when it may be too late)

Having the same dilemma again of ruling out quite a few for various reasons so the short list is quite short!

This is always when I wish I could take time off work or didn't work 5 days a week esther . I was always jealous of the parents who could get their kids to open days in that summer term. One being on a Saturday is unusual at this time of year, praise be!

DS doesn't want to miss school days for open days, we are trying to book as many as possible at weekends. He's always been hot on attendance, I think he's had about 5 days off sick in his entire school life (and most of those were due to having a broken wrist that needed pinning).

@Piggywaspushed - yes I don’t work Fridays which has worked out well for Birmingham! Just sent absence request to school so hopefully that will be okay. Online it says they can attend 3 as authorised but this will probably be the only one we will need to ask for. York is our nearest so easy to pop to, Cambridge was done through school and Cardiff we know well.

Another signed up for Brum. It’ll be a trip down memory lane for me - my school was opposite the campus. It will have been 30+ yrs since.