Grade 5, Does result affect future opportunities? Options

[ViolaMum]

We're trying to decide whether to make the push and put DS in for G5 this July. The exam entry deadline is 6th June and he only has one more lesson with Teach before then. Exams are w/c 18 July so about 9 weeks away. Teach told him today that he has a lot to learn and should wait a term, despite also saying that 2 G5 pieces are already very good. But Teach said exactly the same about the G4 and 2 weeks later said DS should be OK to take it (he got a Distinction).

As the Mum in all this, I look at DS' whole schedule. We're planning for him to apply for the NCO, so an audition in the autumn may be on the cards. Plus Teach wants him to do G5 theory this year. Also DS will also be sitting School Entrance exams around Christmas. Obviously this will be very stressful and could affect his result in the G5. But on the other hand I'm worried that if he took it in July and didn't do as well as he's used to then he may be disappointed. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

Anyway, my main question at the moment is - does the result at G5 have a major impact on future opportunities?

I can feel a headache coming on ..... MNW's Pimms is sounding better by the day! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

[MusicalNitWit]

How did you get 18th July - ours is 20th June. Can I transfer to your examiner? I am being serious!!!

As for grade 5, well I suppose it depends on the age of the child at the time. If DS guzzes then he could do it again a year later and get a distinction and still only be 11. Of course a distinction would be marvellous (pigs will fly) but in some ways if DS gets grade 5 then other aspects such as theory cannot be ignored and he may be allowed (if time ever allows) to join ensembles and groups with grade 5. Next exam (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) I will make sure he is distinction level. DS goal is currently to play Mozart Concerto in B-flat major for bassoon, which does look very easy. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

[sbhoa]

The result at grade 5 is only of an importance for as long as that's the highest grade he's done.
It depends on how you all want to use the exams. There can be many different reasons for doing or not doing exams and for the timing of them.

[ViolaMum]

How did you get 18th July - ours is 20th June. Can I transfer to your examiner? I am being serious!!!

Our Music Trust runs the exams during the last week of each term. Last July DS had his G2 exam on the last morning of Year 4, he wasn't very happy about it as all the 'fun activities' were going on at school. We don't find out which day of the week he'd do the exam until the Trust Administrator allocates all the slots! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy.gif)

We were wondering whether to suggest he do an ABRSM exam session in the autumn raher than the Trust one (whenever our local one is - would have to look into that), so that he'd get it over with without everything clashing. Is that how your DS does his exams? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

We always seem to have this problem!!! Maybe rushing through G5 might not be such a good idea though!! Teach originally wanted DS to get G5 by the end of Year 6, and he's just approaching end of Year 5. Other worry (there are SO many! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) ) is that DS will be SO fed up of playing G5 stuff by the end of the year that he'd fluff it anyway! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[sbhoa]

How did you get 18th July - ours is 20th June. Can I transfer to your examiner? I am being serious!!!

Our Music Trust runs the exams during the last week of each term. Last July DS had his G2 exam on the last morning of Year 4, he wasn't very happy about it as all the 'fun activities' were going on at school. We don't find out which day of the week he'd do the exam until the Trust Administrator allocates all the slots! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy.gif)

We were wondering whether to suggest he do an ABRSM exam session in the autumn raher than the Trust one (whenever our local one is - would have to look into that), so that he'd get it over with without everything clashing. Is that how your DS does his exams? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

We always seem to have this problem!!! Maybe rushing through G5 might not be such a good idea though!! Teach originally wanted DS to get G5 by the end of Year 6, and he's just approaching end of Year 5. Other worry (there are SO many! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) ) is that DS will be SO fed up of playing G5 stuff by the end of the year that he'd fluff it anyway! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Would he really be expected to keep on playing the pieces between now and November if they are pretty well ready by July?
My experience would be to play lots of other things until nearer the time then revise the exam pieces.

[tonedeafmum]

How did you get 18th July - ours is 20th June. Can I transfer to your examiner? I am being serious!!!

Other worry (there are SO many! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) ) is that DS will be SO fed up of playing G5 stuff by the end of the year that he'd fluff it anyway! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Would he really be expected to keep on playing the pieces between now and November if they are pretty well ready by July?
My experience would be to play lots of other things until nearer the time then revise the exam pieces.

Same here - Daughter learned a couple of Grade 5 piano pieces - then did other stuff because she wanted to sneak in Grade 4 violin last term - and went back to the Grade 5 syllabus a few weeks ago. She did tend to play Flood Time a lot in the interim though! I now completely loathe that piece - but she's not bored of it.

I found that ABRSM exam session C clashed with pretty much everything (11 plus things, heavy snow ..) so if I were in your shoes I might be tempted to go for Grade 6 in Session A 2012 (since teacher expects him to be able to get Grade 5 theory under his belt this year) If he wants to feel he's ticked all the boxes (I remember this being an issue for him in the past) you could do him a mock Grade 5 exam early in the autumn term.

Or you could just do Grade 5 now and not worry about it. He may get a lower mark than he's used to (although I'd not bet on it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ) but it may do him good in the long run to realise that not every exam is going to get a distinction result (whether music or otherwise.)

Just waffling really - no good advice. Whatever you decide you've still got a wonderfully talented, hard working little boy - which is brilliant. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (a platitude - but true. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) )

[barncottagecat]

It all depends on what is the purpose I think. People have different reasons for doing exams - some children (my daughter included when it comes to the piano) can't get motivated without them, some people need to be at a certain level for a scholarship exam, for some it's an important personal milestone. For some the marks matter, for some it's just something that needs to be done.

Having done the cramming for grade 5 violin, because we thought it would be helpful for music scholarships (we then found out it was the level of playing that mattered more than the grade of attainment - after all, not all children do ABRSM exams, and also true for the NCO), we've slowed down. My daughter wouldn't want to do an exam again that she wasn't ready for. I wouldn't send her in to do a maths or english exam without the necessary preparation, and we apply the same principle to music exams. Too much stress for everyone, that frantic scale learning! But children are different, and some just rise to the challenge!

[notmusimum]

We've been in situations with lots of things clashing and I can really see your position. I think in your situation I'd opt for the G5 at summer. Your son obviously has a lot of skills already in place with two secure pieces it shouldn't be that difficult to work the other piece up in that time scale. Given he has already taken G4 and got a distinction it should be doable.

Daughter is supposed to take G8 Flute in that week and believe me it's a long way off being ready. With GCSE exams in the middle of it all we are hoping she can manage a pass (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) As it's not her main instrument and there are lots of reasons why she should take this term we are going to happily settle for that.

[ViolaMum]

Thanks for all your comments. It's always helpful to hear others thoughts. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I decided to check when exact dates of the entrance exams are and it turns out that the school he really wants to get into has been brought forward their exam until mid November. The 2 local Indies are the first week of January. This does make the G5 do-able in December. But we do have the dilemma of him getting very bored with playing the G5 pieces for so long. I do kind of wonder whether Teach is kind of testing to see if he'll be ready in July by how quickly he can play to a fair standard (which has happened before). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

Also checked the ABRSM C session exams and it turns out that we could actually be assigned one the week before our Trust exam week. So it wouldn't really be worth going through the hassle of traveling to a strange exam centre, different accompanist etc for the sake of a few days! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

DS, DH and I have agreed that we will see how well his practices go before next week's lesson. Night before the lesson, I will contact Teach, tell him our worries/dilemma and see what he says. If he thinks G5 won't be possible, then we'd want DS to be playing things other than the G5 pieces. He may agree to do an extra private lesson in half term, and decide then as the deadline is first Monday back at school.

I think you know that DS is highly motivated by the exam process and does want to get all the certificates. He's also getting very used to the high marks, so, as you say TDM, it could be a good lesson if he didn't do so well, and he realises that the world doesn't stop. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Now we have the worry that he has about 7 weeks less to prepare for his school exam! And I'd got it all planned that he could do an Indie exam as preparation for the Tiffin one!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[Dulcet]

How did you get 18th July - ours is 20th June. Can I transfer to your examiner? I am being serious!!!

As for grade 5, well I suppose it depends on the age of the child at the time. If DS guzzes then he could do it again a year later and get a distinction and still only be 11. Of course a distinction would be marvellous (pigs will fly) but in some ways if DS gets grade 5 then other aspects such as theory cannot be ignored and he may be allowed (if time ever allows) to join ensembles and groups with grade 5. Next exam (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) I will make sure he is distinction level. DS goal is currently to play Mozart Concerto in B-flat major for bassoon, which does look very easy. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

It isn't a hugely difficult piece; I did the slow movement for my G5 and the last movement in a competition the year I left school. The 1st movement is a G8 piece I think, but technically it is not the most demanding work I've attempted, by a long way.

Will you be accompanying him on the piano? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

(I could bring my flute and play the pink panther)

Hey never mind all these forum concerts, we need a forum Mums' Night Out on the Pimms!

[ViolaMum]

Hey never mind all these forum concerts, we need a forum Mums' Night Out on the Pimms!

I'll second that! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

After a bit of a stroppy practise yesterday (DS DID tell me when he started that he wasn't in a good mood and that if I said the wrong thing he may shout at me - didn't bode well - I always say something wrong! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) ) I'm worrying even more about this decision. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

Another thing occurred to us - he's used to Alto clef but the G5 pieces have Treble clef in this time too. Could the G5 exam sight-reading be in Treble clef?!!! If so, that is definitely something he needs to be sure of before the exam! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[MusicalNitWit]

There will definitely be treble clef. It may well be that he won't be ready for the exam because of this. That i one of the reasons I am concerned about sight-reading as DS has been learning the tenor clef for 3 months now and it aint perfect.

It isn't a hugely difficult piece; I did the slow movement for my G5 and the last movement in a competition the year I left school. The 1st movement is a G8 piece I think, but technically it is not the most demanding work I've attempted, by a long way.

Maybe he's playing a different one because the first movement (principal bassoon) is ridiculously easy. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[tonedeafmum]

Hey never mind all these forum concerts, we need a forum Mums' Night Out on the Pimms!

I'll second that! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

After a bit of a stroppy practise yesterday (DS DID tell me when he started that he wasn't in a good mood and that if I said the wrong thing he may shout at me - didn't bode well - I always say something wrong! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) ) I'm worrying even more about this decision. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

Another thing occurred to us - he's used to Alto clef but the G5 pieces have Treble clef in this time too. Could the G5 exam sight-reading be in Treble clef?!!! If so, that is definitely something he needs to be sure of before the exam! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

I advise that you check - I really didn't think you had to sight read treble clef on the viola until Grade 6.(Used to 'teen-sit' a Viola player.)
I went out for Pimms yesterday and thought of you both (MNW and VM (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) )

[MusicalNitWit]

MNW, VM, TDM - what disease do you have?! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

note to self: STOP POSTING, STOP POSTING, STOP POSTING

[muzikalbadger]

Hey never mind all these forum concerts, we need a forum Mums' Night Out on the Pimms!

I'll second that! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

After a bit of a stroppy practise yesterday (DS DID tell me when he started that he wasn't in a good mood and that if I said the wrong thing he may shout at me - didn't bode well - I always say something wrong! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) ) I'm worrying even more about this decision. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

Another thing occurred to us - he's used to Alto clef but the G5 pieces have Treble clef in this time too. Could the G5 exam sight-reading be in Treble clef?!!! If so, that is definitely something he needs to be sure of before the exam! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

I advise that you check - I really didn't think you had to sight read treble clef on the viola until Grade 6.(Used to 'teen-sit' a Viola player.)
I went out for Pimms yesterday and thought of you both (MNW and VM (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) )

In my recent grade 4 viola exam I played a piece that changed to treble clef midway through then changed back... I then got sightreading with a change to treble clef in it!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) Don't know whether the examiner was seeing what I could do (he knew I'm a violin and piano teacher) but it WAS labelled as grade 4... And in the practice sightreading test book I had it had changes to treble clef from grade 5 examples onwards, although it was an old book...


EDIT you are correct - just checked the syllabus and it only mentions treble clef from grade 6 onwards for sightreading - so you can relax violamum"""