I have always been told from my teachers to dress smartly for exams and wondered if anyone else had found that it makes a difference. I know alot of people who dress in kilts and shirts for their exams but isn't this nothing to do with the exams??

I never dress up specially 4 my exams, normally I've just come from/going 2 school so I'm in my uniform - some people might say it's smart but I think it's just normal! I don't think apperance really matters - just the performance!!!

Personally I don't think it has anything to do with it.
I've attended most of my exams in school uniform but only because I had to go straight back to school afterwards. When I don't I just wear whatever makes me feel most confident. Don't wear anything too hot/cold/tight, etc., just wear something you feel confident in and will enable you to give your best performance on the day.
If you want to wear formal concert dress because it makes you feel professional or something, go ahead, but really, the examiner doesn't care!
My last one was wearing jeans and a T-shirt plus GREEN socks and black trainers (I noticed because normally they look really formal!)

It didn't even occur to me when I turned up for my first exam back in March and I'm sure it didn't make the slightest difference. If anything it helped not dressing up as psychologically I felt a little more laid back. I'm sure it didn't make any difference to my examiner either.

Generally speaking, the nice thing about musicians is that they'll judge you purely on what they can hear and very little else.

personally i think it adds to the 'sense of occassion' just as I would not wear scruffy clothes to church/wedding etc..
I agree with your teacher on this one!

I never really thought that appearance mattered, but I wear my school uniform anyway as I tend to have skip a bit of school to go to my exams.

I'm not sure- i don't think it has anything to do with the final mark.
I've never been told to dress smartly- but then again I've normally had exams at 1/2 o clock in the afternoon, so have always gone straight from school- in my uniform.
I wouldn't really worry about it- for my grade 8 flute exam, i went straight from college- so was wearing my usual clothes: the examiner did give me a bit af a funny look- but then again I do have fluoro. blue hair
I still passed the exam, and didn't have anything written about my appearance, so it must have been ok.
Just wear what makes you feel comfortable- exams are stressful enough as they are without having to worry about looking smart

Why should your appearance matter with your exams? They are testing you on your musical ability and not how you dress. I usually just go in the normal clothes I would wear round the house. (I always have my exams on a Saturday, I am on a different board)

When I did my Grade 2 violin, it was Comic Relief the day before (the one when every1 did something strange to their hair). I wanted to spray my hair purple but my mum wouldn't let me All my friends said the spray would wash out but my mum wasn't sure. Of course it might have been because my orchestra was playing in a music festival that day as well.

My teacher has always told me to dress up. but it does very much depend on what exam it is. For my A2 performance and My grade 8 on the clarinet and sax i dressed up. It just adds to the performance. I think it shows the examiner that you are serious particulary in the higher grades.

QUOTE (bernie @ May 20 2004, 03:50 PM)

I have always been told from my teachers to dress smartly for exams and wondered if anyone else had found that it makes a difference. I know alot of people who dress in kilts and shirts for their exams but isn't this nothing to do with the exams??

never thought that it mattered, my teacher has never asked me to wear something smart. its whatever u feel comfortbale in playing. it helps to relax if ur in the clothes u like and feel comfortbale. so, its upto u really what u wear.

i would say that what is most important is for you to feel relaxed and confident in what you are wearing. It depends on how serious you take music. If you want a future career in it, then take it serious and dress smartly. I think black and white, or all black is good since it shows you are serious.

I don't think it should matter, but apparently the man who runs the auditions for my local youth orchestra likes people to dress smartly. It would be funny if we went in evening gowns and dinner jackets.....

It never occurred to me not to wear jeans last week. Still, it was a jazz exam...

In all my exams I've had to come out of school, so I have to wear school uniform to the exams.

I have always gotten higher grades for ''poise''. I guess that might have something to do with what you wear. I have also always dressed smartly. (having no choice by my teachers)

Im not sure about dressing up spesh. I usually have to go during school anyway so im in uniform.

What makes you think appearance is important? They won't fail you or give you a higher mark than they should!

It is said that if you make an effort in your appearance it can have an influence on your attitude. A study was done recently - there were two groups of young people, both groups were looking for employment and doing this by telephone. The first group were told to dress as if they were presenting themselves at an interview and the other group were told just to put on what they would normally wear at home - casual, jeans tshirs, shorts etc. The results were quite amazing - the group that had dressed up (even though they were not seen !) had a better sucess rate than those who had dressed in casual clothes ! The report mentioned that in fact, the group who had dressed smartly had perhaps taken themselves more seriously, spoken in a more confident and professional manner - perhaps felt more self confident. Where as the 'casual' group were perhaps a little too relaxed and therefore came over as not too concerned with the outcome of their research !!
An interesting study !
I have always dressed very formally for my exams, under the suggestion on my teacher ( who is a VERY experienced presenter ) and I now feel that if I were to go to an exam in jeans, it would not feel good at all. Aren't the examiners supposed to imagine they're at a 'concert' ?
Perhaps Jazz is different - but who sees a Symphony orchestra in jeans ?

You are doing exams in instrumental performance, so you should treat them as you would a formal concert. You wouldn't turn up to a concert hall in jeans and a tshirt.....After reading the syllabus for the exam I'm doing next week, it specifically states you should treat it as a performance from the minute you walk in the room, so I'll definitely be looking my smartest!

for my gread 1 it was on our school sports day. i didnt know what to wear so i war my school uniform eventhough i came home in my pe kit!
on both of my gread 3's i war my school uniform because my frist one was the first one and i was going back to school stright after and my second one was at my school anyway! i couldent change!

I just wore jeans and top for my exam last week, but then I suppose its different for girls... we probably get more choice.

question: what is considered "formal" and looking ur "smartest"??? sorry, it's just that I never quite understood. Im a girl btw.

My piano teacher told me when I got the results that the examiner had marked me down because he thought I was about 17 or 18 (I was 13 at the time, tall and annoyed)

Age shouldn't make any difference.
Even if you were 17 or 18 they don't know how long you have been learning for.

QUOTE (meg @ Jul 15 2004, 09:59 PM)

My piano teacher told me when I got the results that the examiner had marked me down because he thought I was about 17 or 18 (I was 13 at the time, tall and annoyed)

Why should age make a difference? It doesn't measure our abilities.
And what's all this talk about uniforms? Do most of you really have to adorn a school uniform? Before I go to my exams, I usually change into a skirt and some dark top because I really don't want to go to an exam wearing jeans and a sweater. And, yes, my teacher and mother do tell me to dress more "appropiately," but it's not as if I'm the only person who does this. At my last several exams, I've noticed that most people do dress up in suits or the like in order to look better, but although I do dress better than I normally do, I don't believe that appearance makes a difference (if it doesn't in your eyes, why would the examiner give a care? don't answer that -rhetorical question)

That seems VERY unfair. I'm 17, the first time I EVER played a piano was 2 1/2 years ago... if he marked me down for that surely that would be unfair?