Boys & singing aural tests Options

[Clari Nicki1]

He can whistle his test if he finds it easier.
I teach a boy who chose to whistle for his GR 3. By the time he got to Gr 4, he was fine with singing again!

[icklechick]

Would love to send my shy 9 year to you wonder-teachers who would have him singing in no time!!

I have never approached aural tests in a negative way - have tried to include singing before exams are even mentioned.

And I've still got this lad who apparently sings at home no problem, who just can't utter a note in lessons (like I say, he hums now - and it is working - but don't know what will happen in his exam.

[Invidia]

I have not come across this problem to date, but there is always the option of playing back rather than singing.

As a child, I didn't have a problem with singing- I was in every choir that was available to me. But as soon as I hit 12/13 I just stopped and haven't done it since. I have a huge phobia of it, which meant that for my grade 4 exam and onwards I chose to play the thing back to them. Of course, at this level there was also the sight singing, which I failed every time because I was too afraid to even try.

[Cyrilla]

Would love to send my shy 9 year to you wonder-teachers who would have him singing in no time!!

And I've still got this lad who apparently sings at home no problem, who just can't utter a note in lessons (like I say, he hums now - and it is working - but don't know what will happen in his exam.

I don't think I ever said I was a 'wonder-teacher' (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) - I was just trying to make the point that it IS possible to get children to sing naturally and comfortably without being scared or embarrassed. As others have pointed out, they need to do it regularly, and in a safe environment where they are not being TESTED.

I too found singing in aural tests excruciating as a child, and also didn't sing (other than to pop music in my bedroom (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif) ) after the age of about 12 or 13.

There are all sorts of factors which cause this problem, which I don't have time to go into now (have to get off and get 150 children singing on their own today (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) ) - I'm just trying to say that the whole situation makes me very sad but it is more than possible to overcome it.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sing.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sing.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sing.gif)

[jod]

I don't think I ever said I was a 'wonder-teacher' (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) - I was just trying to make the point that it IS possible to get children to sing naturally and comfortably without being scared or embarrassed. As others have pointed out, they need to do it regularly, and in a safe environment where they are not being TESTED.

It is that last bit safe environment and not being Tested/ judged that is important. When I teach aural I am listening for recall of a phrase not the most wonderful tonal quality. I want to hear musicians singing the correct pitch and rhythm not a potential top treble. My teaching studio is a safe environment as my pupils only have me listen/ comment on them and in a constructive manner. I focus on the positive what they are doing RIGHT first and how to improve the rest.

Again like Cyrilla I would not say I was a wonder-teacher as this is the type of good practice that many teachers employ. Cyrilla succeeds as she believes in her methodology and the methodology has a proven track record. I do not believe it is a panacea, but there is a lot right, and if it is the approach employed for classroom music teaching very early on it has the highest success rate. (IMHO - and Cyrilla knows I have a Kodaly trained colleague I respect dearly). Unfortunately this is not how Kodaly musicianship tends to be used in schools, because if it was, the benefits for the musical education of the current generation of Primary School Children would be immense.

[Aquarelle]

If this is quite common, expecially in boys

From 10 years teaching experience, and nearly 20 years playing and learning, I cannot say that I agree with this. Not once have I come across a pupil who finds this a problem. I don't believe that I'm just lucky, but I do believe that it is entirely bound up in the way teachers approach it. I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but the few pupils I've come across in the past who've found these tests a problem have come almost exclusively from teachers who gave off such negative vibes about the aural tests (and not just the singing) that it was no wonder the children that developed such a phobia.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) And I also agree with Cyrilla.
I have just put a batch of 16 children through exams (piano and recorder Grades 1 to 5). They are very ordinary children - no budding Mozarts. Only one of them has what I would call a beautiful choir boy voice. All the others just open their mouths and out comes something varying from can't sing at all and have to whistle (boy with damaged vocal chords) to nice child like sound. In between we get sore throaty type growling, a bit of squeaking, some breathiness, some accurate reproduction of the test and some approximations.

In the early stages of teaching the echo test I sing back with them. I can sing in tune but the quality of my voice is downright tin can. I ruined it smoking in my twenties and have never got it back. The children therefore know that this is a fun thing we do together even if we don't actually make a very good sound. I let them give me the test if they can make up a little tune or read examples in the book. I also tell them that in the exam they should carry on singing something even if they think it's wrong. I tell them they may well get the shape of the melody right and the rhythm even if some of the notes are wrong.

One of the secrets of aural is that it has to be fun. Some are confident and have a good ear.They will get on with it. But for those who are shy or lacking in confidence you simply have to make this a fun thing and it also has to be an amusing part of the lessons right from the beginning and not just test stuff either. Getting all worked up about the aural test in an exam to the point where one considers changing examining boards seems to me to be out of all proportion. Whatever board you take will have its difficulties and in a learning situation difficulties are there to be overcome whenever possible rather than avoided. Anyway the singing test is only worth about one or two marks.

One of my Grade 3 candidates who isn't terribly good at the echo singing regularly laughs and says "I was out of tune, wasn't I?" I told her that if she was absolutely sure she was wrong there was no harm in telling the examiner that she thought she was out of tune. At least he would know she had heard her mistakes. In fact yesterday she came out of the exam quite pleased because the examiner had pitched her first attempt too high so he stopped and gave her a lower range test. Make it fun and they will love it.

Out of my 16 candidates yesterday one got 15 outof 18 for the aural, two got 16, two got 18 and everyone else got 17 - and as I said there were no geniuses in this lot. So please, get them to relax and enjoy it.

On another aspect I have a couple of pupils totally incapable at the moment (thought they will eventually improve, I am sure) of passing the sight reading test. I don't make an issue of it. I just say I will be happy if they aim to limit the damage. Just keep going and play something. Judiging by their marks - the lowest was 11 - they did just that. Examiners don't expect perfection. I am sure if hey get it it makes it a red letter day for them but on the whole they, like we teachers, have to be satisfied with a good effort and, hopefully, a candidate who shows that they like music.

[maggiemay]

Some excellent advice here, imho, especially this last one from Aquarelle. Keep it light-hearted. Include simple aural and some singing or humming right from the start, and it will be much less of a big deal.

However I sympathise with anyone who is faced with doing aural tests in an exam with little preparation. This is said with feeling, as I've recently been doing damage limitation with a boy in his mid-teens, who is one of my pupils, but is doing a higher grade (4) on another instrument with another teacher (in school).

It seemed he had 'run through' the aural in the last lesson, but then turned out he had done no sight-singing at all. Had no idea it was part of the exam. The exam is this morning, and there was not much we could do in the time. He has a limited range of about 5 comfortable notes: at least he is willing to have a shot , and I was able to give him some idea what to expect. But *sigh*.

Not quite the same problem as the OP's. But another facet of regarding aural as only something you do a week or two before the exam.

the few pupils I've come across in the past who've found these tests a problem have come almost exclusively from teachers who gave off ... negative vibes about the aural tests

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

[ViolaMum]

We haven't had this problem with DS (so far)! He turns 10 this week so I'm sure that we have the 'puberty effect' to kick in in the next couple of years. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy.gif)

Not sure why this is - but I have always sung around the house with them and sometimes do my "Hilda Ogden' or my 'Opera' voice when I am cleaning, which the boys think is hilarious. We do sing 'properly' in the car and around the house and are constantly singing or humming the latest pieces that DS is playing - DS2 (3 year old) can currently hum Tambourin to a tee!! We aren't particularly good, but I wonder if it has made DS1 aware that you can have fun and not take it all too seriously. Either that or listening to his Dad sing (completely out of tune!) has made him realise that he sounds better than that!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

As far as the Aural in the exam, well we've always just taught him as much as we could, listening to music and getting him to sing back - Pop, Rock, Lady Gaga, Classic.... in the car, in the bath, etc. encouraged him to describe how it makes him feel, how that's achieved etc and just told him that it's just part of the overall test so not to worry about it. He's never done fantastically in the Aural but he's always passed it comfortably. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I do feel for your son. I hope that he's comfortable with humming and does well in the exam. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[jod]

The puberty effect and boys... another old chestnut. Boys can sing through transition they just need to be guided over the best way how. Yet another reason for vocal practioners to advise classroom music teachers.

There has been lots of research done on this subject. If boys stop singing during transition they stop. Better to follow the advice of Jenevora Williams who in turn is an advocate of John Cooksey's models.

This approach keeps boys singing, and when applied to aural just means care needs to be taken in selecting tests of an appropriate range.

[ViolaMum]

The puberty effect and boys... another old chestnut. Boys can sing through transition they just need to be guided over the best way how. Yet another reason for vocal practioners to advise classroom music teachers.

There has been lots of research done on this subject. If boys stop singing during transition they stop. Better to follow the advice of Jenevora Williams who in turn is an advocate of John Cooksey's models.

This approach keeps boys singing, and when applied to aural just means care needs to be taken in selecting tests of an appropriate range.

Ah Sorry Jod - I meant the puberty effect as in being more self aware and hence embarrassed to sing in front of others! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif)

DS' voice dropping hadn't even crossed my mind! Useful to know for the future though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[tonedeafmum]

The puberty effect and boys... another old chestnut. Boys can sing through transition they just need to be guided over the best way how. Yet another reason for vocal practioners to advise classroom music teachers.

There has been lots of research done on this subject. If boys stop singing during transition they stop. Better to follow the advice of Jenevora Williams who in turn is an advocate of John Cooksey's models.

This approach keeps boys singing, and when applied to aural just means care needs to be taken in selecting tests of an appropriate range.

Ah Sorry Jod - I meant the puberty effect as in being more self aware and hence embarrassed to sing in front of others! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif)

DS' voice dropping hadn't even crossed my mind! Useful to know for the future though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) I thought you meant voice breaking as well. My 7 year old already has a funny little gravelly voice though - heaven knows what he'll sound like post-puberty. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[ViolaMum]

Ah Sorry Jod - I meant the puberty effect as in being more self aware and hence embarrassed to sing in front of others! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif)

DS' voice dropping hadn't even crossed my mind! Useful to know for the future though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) I thought you meant voice breaking as well. My 7 year old already has a funny little gravelly voice though - heaven knows what he'll sound like post-puberty. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

Looks like my mind was working on a completely different plane!!! I was following on from the comments about self-consciousness! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

Haven't noticed DS' voice changing at all, got all that to look forward to. DH says his voice just suddenly went without much trouble at all, so fingers crossed both my DSs follow suit. I remember one boy at school who was very macho etc having this very high squeaky voice for ages!!! Didn't quite match his persona! Brought him down a peg or two though! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[jod]

ESD has gone from being a 'Pretty treble' (and a bit of a wimp) to being a macho prop forward with a voice in at least stage 4 of transition, his angelic curls all gone and a new more streetwise hair cut. He now plays cricket too, his size 6 bat should see the season out without the need to purchase a Henley but he still sings - a rather pleasant lyric tenor emerging from where there was a rather beautiful treble before.

He is twelve. His nursery teacher asked whether I was walking with him the other week. The temptation to say... no I've left him at home... I have a thing for 12 year old boys was soo great... of course it was my lad. He just looked sooo grown up

However he still does and wants to sing. He knows how to, and as long as I monitor exactly where his voice is he will be able to.

[MusicNanny]

Just a small point I would like to make about teaching of aural (and to an extent sight-reading) during instrumental lessons, following a discussion with my own children.

When, within the lesson does the aural take place? Usually at the end of the lesson, it seems, when the next pupil may be listenning while waiting outside the door (or if in school, the next pupil may be in the room getting his own instrument out ready).

What the children like, is the teacher who does all the embarassing bits like aural and sightreading (and maybe asking about how it's all going) in the middle of the lesson, when the coast is clear of eavesdroppers. Lessons begin and end with pieces, doing these with someone listenning is ok and may even be a confidence booster.

[jod]

Just a small point I would like to make about teaching of aural (and to an extent sight-reading) during instrumental lessons, following a discussion with my own children.

When, within the lesson does the aural take place? Usually at the end of the lesson, it seems, when the next pupil may be listenning while waiting outside the door (or if in school, the next pupil may be in the room getting his own instrument out ready).

What the children like, is the teacher who does all the embarassing bits like aural and sightreading (and maybe asking about how it's all going) in the middle of the lesson, when the coast is clear of eavesdroppers. Lessons begin and end with pieces, doing these with someone listenning is ok and may even be a confidence booster.

Good point.

I like to get aural done when the coast is clear and nobody is listening. If it is done earlier in the lesson then if necessary the majority of a lesson can be dedicated to supporting tests with the promise a piece will be listened to and the next lesson will concentrate on other things with only a small section after x being spent on aural (for consolidation purposes).