If you could set the exam syllabus, Teaching singing Options

[ExpressYourself]

I teach in a deprived school and many of the students are not able to pay for music exams.

So I've arranged with the HoM to do an internal version and the kids seem really excited.

They sing Pop Vocals so I had thought to base it on the LCM syllabus which for G1 consists of

2 songs
One 8ve ascending scale and arpeggio
ID 3rd 5th 8ve
Repetition of rhythm
Repetition of melody
Keeping time in 4/4

Now it's occurred to me that I can actually set whatever I like. I've been going through the Go for Bronze syllabus with them and many are starting to get the hang of sight reading mi, so and la at the moment. So I could include some sight reading.

Also, given that the Go For Bronze scheme only does pentatonic scales do you think the inclusion of full octave scales is unnecessary and/or contradictory to the scheme.

Some of the kids are doing the proper exam so they have to do full scales so the GfB scheme takes a back seat. But for the rest....

On the other hand if I don't prep them for full scales now, will they struggle at G2 if they decide to pay for the full LCM exam.

Hmmmmm.

What would you put in your Grade 1 exam if you could design your own? And how many marks would you allocate?

[Cyrilla]

Sorry, not an answer to your main question:

Kodaly training (Going for Bronze) certainly does focus on pentatonic work for some time in the early stages, but children's ears are very attuned to the diatonic - it's all around them and in their ears - so they shouldn't find a diatonic major scale hard and it won't do any 'damage' to the pentatonic grounding that they're also having.

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[ExpressYourself]

That's good to know, thanks Cyrilla.

Perhaps I'll add some sight singing (at the relevant GfB level) just to show off to the HoM and stick with the normal scales then.

It's quite exciting to be able to choose my own syllabus!

[Louise H]

It's quite exciting to be able to choose my own syllabus!

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I think you will have lots of fun devising a syllabus which suits your pupils and which includes items along the lines of what they have been doing as well as those which are part of the board syllabus you will use for those doing the external exams.

I think it's a great idea to encourage and motivate all the pupils without excluding those not able to do the external exam. I hope it goes well for you all and enjoy the process.

[Cyrilla]

I would be inclined to include a major pentatonic scale and a major diatonic one, if it were me (which it isn't!) - in solfa, of course...

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[JudithJ]

NYCoS have an examination system, I believe that the Bronze level syllabus is in the Go For Bronze teacher's manual. Have you considered contacting them to see if your students can be examined under their system?

[ExpressYourself]

I had wondered how they examine that scheme. It all seems to be teacher assessment but since AB take it as a substitute for G5 theory I wondered if there was something more rigorous.

However these kids can't afford exam fees so NYCoS exams are no better than LCM in that regard. Hence doing it internally instead

[barry-clari]

Ooo, this is an interesting thread!

If the OP doesn't mind, I'll think about a grade 1 woodwind syllabus... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[RoseRodent]

Out of interest, how will you cope with any non-passers? The Music Medals scheme has 3 possible outcomes, Excellent, Pass (both of which get a certificate and medal) and Working Towards (only gets the certificate showing result as WT). Sometimes kids in deprived areas experience a huge amount of failure and it's nice for them to get something rather than nothing, but then again I'm not sure how I feel about potentially misleading children into thinking they did better than they did by awarding certificates for not passing... it's a tough one and coule really depend on their age. Especially if you have children whom you know to be totally capable but who walk into a situation where they put pressure on themselves and it all goes horribly wrong.

Once you have an exam syllabus you then you have to come up with some kind of way of deciding what passes and what does not pass, if they have to get a pass on each element to pass overall or whether certain key elements will do... eek!

[sbhoa]

Out of interest, how will you cope with any non-passers? The Music Medals scheme has 3 possible outcomes, Excellent, Pass (both of which get a certificate and medal) and Working Towards (only gets the certificate showing result as WT). Sometimes kids in deprived areas experience a huge amount of failure and it's nice for them to get something rather than nothing, but then again I'm not sure how I feel about potentially misleading children into thinking they did better than they did by awarding certificates for not passing... it's a tough one and coule really depend on their age. Especially if you have children whom you know to be totally capable but who walk into a situation where they put pressure on themselves and it all goes horribly wrong.

Once you have an exam syllabus you then you have to come up with some kind of way of deciding what passes and what does not pass, if they have to get a pass on each element to pass overall or whether certain key elements will do... eek!

Maybe something that is based on continuous assessment so that certificates are warded as ans when the criteria have been met rather than based on a one off performance.
It would depend on the situation I suppose.

[ExpressYourself]

Hmmm, good point Rose.

I was planning to follow the guidelines given by LCM

This is the pass description

Fairly accurate, reasonably fluent and continuous, but occasionally hesitant. Tone quality, intonation and articulation of a generally acceptable standard.

I'm not "entering" all the kids, just those who would pass an external exam so I think they'll all pass and those who perform well can be given merit or distinction. Given all the kids so far that have entered externally have got a distinction I'm pretty sure my judgement is sound.

If any completely mess it up then I guess we can avoid the feeling of failure by asking them if they want to give it another go next week or whenever.

I'm not anticipating failing anyone. (btw they are high school kids)

sbhoa - Continuous assessment is a good idea but in lessons it's hard for them to "prove" themselves in the same way as a "performance". In a way it's sort of a combination of the two. There's no deadline, we can have as many "exam days" as we need.

[sbhoa]

Would these children and their parents nave any idea that there are music exams if you didn't tell them?
We certainly didn't know when we were playing instruments in school. My mum knew there were piano exams as a couple of children in my primary school year had taken them but nobody ever suggested clarinet exams in the 3 years I was learning or brass exams ever and there were plenty of brass players.
Is it necessary to buy into the idea that exams are necessary for progress?

[ExpressYourself]

Not at all, but some of them HAVE done exams and I was worried that those I hadn't offered it to would think it was because they weren't as good. When actually I just don't want them to go home and ask their parents for ?33 for something so trivial.

[Aquarelle]

This is a situation which we may well meat increasingly if the economic situation doesn't pick up. Music is an expensive activity, exam fees are very high for some parents and lessons aren't cheap either - to say nothing of instruments and the continual outlay for music.

I think sboa's idea of having criteria for which they get a certificate or a badge or something like that when they have achieved it is a good one. You could have a little presentation tea party when everyone has achieved something. It's probably a good idea to base your "syllabus" on something tried and tested but to adapt it to your particular needs - perhaps separating some of the elements of the "real" exam syllabus - a bit like the old Brownie and Cub badges used to be (perhaps they still are, I don't know.)

[ExpressYourself]

Hmm, that's an interesting idea. I already have a scheme of work for both singing and piano which is modular. Spilt two ways by level and subject (eg pitch, rhythm, dynamics)

Presently it's a private document I don't share with the kids. Mainly because I tend to jump all over the show in reality as they all have different needs. But I could formalise it and make it more like brownie badges.

Hmm, something to consider!