The wondrous barry-clari has commented elsewhere that there isn't a specific thread for Session A.
So here it is. Entries are all in long ago, dates are being issued...

I'll kick off by saying congratulations to madbassoonist for passing her bassoon exam (grade 7, madbassoonist?)

My sax exam is on the 23rd March, at 2.46 pm

Good luck everyone - please post your dates here, and then this thread can become the bench where we all sit and eat cake and chew our fingernails

Not involved in the process this term, but just wanted to say GOOD LUCK to everyone who is this term.

grade 5 piano on 19th March at 12:03pm

waiting impatiently to get to the cake

Accompanying 12 student exams tomorrow (special visit) - wish me luck...

W

Good luck!

Just heard today my grade 7 flute is on 29th March. So pleased I got that date as I'm on annual leave.

Good luck willobie! And good luck to all doing exams this session!

G8 Flute, 29 March at 2.22pm.

Suddenly this is even more real!

Good luck Willobie! (I'm really impressed that you can do that...)

You'd be a lot less impressed if you heard it...

W

W

G8 piano, 24th March at 9.30am. My teacher asked for the first week and was told the centre was full, so much so in fact that the singers have to go to the next nearest centre 15 miles away! Thankfully I'm at the local centre as are the other pianists.

I bet you were fab

26 March 4pm G3 piano (Trinity).


Good luck everyone, hope your exam prep is going well!

G5 bassoon on 5th March at 5pm (and playing study no 5!)

Grade 4 violin this term, which feels so much more grown-up than grade 3 for some reason. I've got new strings and new bow hair, and am raring to go. Bring it on!

Grade 5 Clarinet on Mar 19!

Know what you mean re grades, can't wait to get past grade 3!
Good luck and best wishes.

Grade 4 Viola - 23rd March at 12.18





I'm trying to 'be cool' but all I am doing is coming up with 100 reasons NOT to go along on the day

I would really really like to pass too.

Gr 5 piano 5th March (eek!) at 14.43 - though I doubt it'll be quite that precise, based on previous experience

Attempting very hard not to freak out at the thought of it (at least in public)....

good luck, saxophile. I'll be doing exactly the same a fortnight later

Hope it goes well balu114 - which pieces are you playing?
I'm going to be trying to pluck courage to enter g5 clarinet for later in the year.

Thanks!

A List: Schumann Fantasy Pieces #1
B List: Philip Lane's Malguena
C List: Scaredy Cat (that describes me!)

I'll be doing Grade 6 clarinet on 29th March at 9.30. My husband is going to accompany me and will probably be as scared as I am!

No stress in your house then!!

Good to see you posting again, maisie Sounds like you're really moving on with your clarinetting!

I got a brilliant new teacher a couple of years ago, who helped me sort out the faults my previous teacher had ignored
This is definitely the last exam, though!

Hmmm....I have said that several times!

Good luck, maisie!

I have my Grade 4 flute exam on Tuesday! Scared and excited!

I have my Grade 4 flute exam on Tuesday! Scared and excited!

First of all: Good luck to all of you! Have fun giving the examiners really nice concerts!

As we have only two exam sessions over here, I join in.
Flute Grade 7 on 15th of may. Still some time to practise and improve.

Bleurgh. In advance of my exam tomorrow, I appear to be succumbing to a cold (first one all winter, too!) At least it's piano and not sax, so if I can't breathe adequately it'll only affect my performance indirectly...

That's bad luck, saxopphile - hope you still manage to give your best.

Good luck!

Phew - glad that's over!

Some mistakes in everything (well, at least that shows consistency ). I came a bit unstuck and lost my place in the middle of what is usually my best piece, but managed to get back on track after a slight pause and inner panic; and I think I learned some useful lessons:

1) I can actually play in front of someone else. Paralysis did not set in, as feared.

2) I can stuff up and the world does not immediately come to an end.

3) I need to get out more, musically. The thing which threw me most was having to adjust to a different piano: the action was heavier than mine, and the balance seemed all wrong (bottom end comparatively much louder than the middle and upper register). Parts of my pieces which should have been mp were more like mf, and when I tried to compensate for this by playing more gently, some notes failed to sound altogether.

I'm looking forward to learning some new pieces, too....

(Oh, and the examiner was exceedingly nice; and the steward didn't pass any comments on the fact that I was changing into slippers in the waiting room - I can't pedal properly in heels - so that was good as well!)

Sounds as though it went OK, saxophile: good luck for the result

Wishing you all the best for the big day, katemorrisviolin. I follow your posts on VivaStrings, as a fellow island dweller, but from the north.
I am a late (>60) returner, having played violin for 2 years at school and restarted last summer.
I know what you mean about Grade 4---I was really chuffed when I started the pieces about a month ago; not so happy with the scales, though ! If I don't chicken out I will be doing the exam in Session 3, as other commitments don't really fit in with exam in June/July.
I am most nervous about the aural tests, but have bought all the ABRSM books and will start tackling them at some stage-----it is so much more fun playing the pieces, whichI think will be the least of my worries.

What pieces are you doing?
I love Adagio, Melodie and the Klezmer (my favourite), but cannot make anything of the Alpine Tune.

Best of luck to all braving the exam room just now !

Sounds promising! All the best for a good result, and hope your cold's better

Afraid not - it seems to be settling in and making itself comfortable . However, I no longer care.

[quote name='saxophile' date='Mar 5 2012, 05:36 PM' post='1133415']
Phew - glad that's over!

Some mistakes in everything (well, at least that shows consistency ). I came a bit unstuck and lost my place in the middle of what is usually my best piece, but managed to get back on track after a slight pause and inner panic; and I think I learned some useful lessons:

1) I can actually play in front of someone else. Paralysis did not set in, as feared.

2) I can stuff up and the world does not immediately come to an end.

3) I need to get out more, musically. The thing which threw me most was having to adjust to a different piano: the action was heavier than mine, and the balance seemed all wrong (bottom end comparatively much louder than the middle and upper register). Parts of my pieces which should have been mp were more like mf, and when I tried to compensate for this by playing more gently, some notes failed to sound altogether.

I'm looking forward to learning some new pieces, too....

(Oh, and the examiner was exceedingly nice; and the steward didn't pass any comments on the fact that I was changing into slippers in the waiting room - I can't pedal properly in heels - so that was good as well!)quote]

Did you do your exam in Leeds, because I must have been just after you, and yes, the examiner was lovely

I seem to remember from my piano exams many moons ago that you're allowed to try out the piano before your exam starts?

Because I'm an adult and confident I would just ask outright now and test the piano for all dynamic ranges and weight of action. I guess it would only take a few scales to try it?


Good luck for everyone - I still have three weeks to wait and I'm getting fed-up of my Joplin piece

Which pieces are you playing?

W

No, mine was in Harrogate (on the basis that we knew the piano there was not a million miles away from ours at home - Son No.1 did his Gr 5 in Harrogate last year).

I'm playing the Purcell 'Halleluja', the Brahms 'Dimanche' and then the Joplin 'New Rag'. I'm sick to death of all of them But I was supposed to do the exam last Nov and had to postpone due to family probs. Just wish I had spent all that time on scales too ... but no... neglected the scales as usual Now only two weeks to go

Nine days to go and I have a cold. My breath control is now completely rubbish.
Trying not to panic...

4 more days to go...and I have lost my sheet music.

Forgetfully, I left my book at a friend's house who posted it to me by First Class a week ago and I haven't received it yet

Couldn't find the book in any of the local music shop and I have placed an order for the book at June Emerson's... they have promised to send it by special delivery. Keeping my fingers crossed.

If I don't get the book, then I (and my teacher) will have to play the piece from memory and I can recall only 70% of the score... at least I will get some marks for attempting!!

Oh no am impressed you can recall any of the score though, I certainly wouldn't be able to do that! Hope you get your book in time

I was surprised myself... if I hadn't lost the sheet music, I wouldn't have known that I could memorise music. I always thought I had a goldfish-like musical-memory!

And I got my books, both old and new, this morning!! Now I have two copies of "Three Spanish Dances" by Philip Lane.

If you dont have a copy already, I can give you one of my copies when we meet at Benslow. It's free, of course!

glad you've got your books and thanks for the offer, that would be great Best of luck with the exam balu

Thanks!

Forgetfully, I left my book at a friend's house who posted it to me by First Class a week ago and I haven't received it yet




And I got my books, both old and new, this morning!! Now I have two copies of "Three Spanish Dances" by Philip Lane.

Thank goodness for that, and

Thank you!