Any Unusual Exam Experiences?, Here's Mine Options

[Howie]

Hi All

I took Grade 5 piano this week and, well it could have gone a lot better.

Like most adults I am really nervous in the exams and don't handle them well so imagine when, firstly a huge, lazy fly was buzzing around the room and although I tried to ignore it, it kept landing on my hands during the scales and pieces and at one time even landed on my nose! How on earth do you deal with that?

Secondly, although apparantly a new piano, the notes were sticking badly in the heat and humidity and not just a bit sticky but completely staying down - again during the pieces and the scales.

I should add that I took the exam in a hot country which accounts for these conditions and the examiner was brilliantly understanding and couldn't have handled it better or more fairly.

I'm not sure how examiners are able to assess how pupils would have performed in the absence of such distractions but to be honest I'm happy that I got through it and any future exams I take can only be easier at least from the point of view of distractions!