Hey there,

I have my second ever ABRSM exam on Monday and there's a couple of snags come up. Firstly, I've got a cold, a bad one. How lenient - if at all - are examiners due to this? Any ideas?

Secondly, I have a big big BIG gig in Oldham on Saturday night and I'm singing some pretty big songs to suit so I'm wondering, do you think my voice will have recovered in time to accurately sing on the Monday? Especially having this cold.

Really I'm just worrying and could do with some reassurance and advice so this is the only place I can come!

Thanks

Freda

How important to you is this gig? How important is the exam?

I ask this because of my recent experience - I had a cold last month, worked like stink to force my voice back for a recital and then had no more voice for almost three weeks. It was a deliberate risk I took, and I had to live with the consequences.

You may well be able to dredge up some voice for one or other event, but are unlikely to have good voice for both if the cold's bad.

As far as the exam goes, the examiner can only mark what they hear on the day. So if you have got throat trouble, you should go to a doctor and get a medical certificate and defer until next term (unless the Board can find you a later exam date).

As far as the gig goes - that's up to you. It sounds like a fantastic opportunity, and if you decide to go for it, good luck.

Cheers

Katyjay

Absolutely can't miss this gig. It'd let way too many people down. We're going to raise thousands, we've been working up to a gig on this scale for 3 years as a collective so I have to go! I might just have to go easy it seems.

What's more, there's no way I'm not doing that exam! I've paid for it and no doctor is going to give me a note to say I have a cold!


...Are they?!

Freda

I know how awfully disappointing it can be to miss things you feel you "must" do (for whatever reason) but if you're serious about your voice, you've got to listen to what your body's telling you. Pianists can take an exam with a cold, so can string players and, depending on the severity, most wind players can too. Singers probably can't manage quite so easily - the voice reflects our state of health quicker than anything else I know.

Grade 5 isn't Grade 8 but it's an important exam and there are songs to be negotiated well before you can pass. I agree with what katyjay has said - the examiner can only examine what he/she hears. If you turn up with a half-working voice that croaks and cracks, you'll be marked on that performance. Is that what you really want? Some things can be helped by pills and potions, some cannot. Examiners cannot second guess what you might have done if you'd felt better. I'm sure they feel sorry for people with problems like this but they cannot reflect that in the marks - this was made quite clear by a senior examiner at a Seminar I attended a couple of years ago.

My own thought (as a very amateur singer) would be that if you do the "gig" on Saturday with a bad cold and throat, you won't have a voice worthy of Grade 5 on Monday unless you're very, very lucky. However, there are others (jod and AnnC) in addition to katyjay who are far more clued up on these forums about such matters than I and I hope one, or both, of them will reply. You could even try to "PM" them to see what they think.

I hope you get this sorted - rather depends on the state of the voice now, how much you can rest it before Monday and, the big question, do you or do you not sing on Saturday. Best of luck anyway - whatever you decide.

Thanks for your replies. I think I'm just going to have to see if my cold has disappeared on Saturday or not. Bear in mind, the gig isn't classical so it will be mic'd, which means I don't have to worry about projection or volume - but still, it's using the voice. I'm going to have to play this one by ear.

I took my Grade 8 singing whilst recovering from a chest infection. As a result I passed the exam rather than get the distinction I was aiming for. I vindicated thing the next year getting a distinction for my 1st year singing exam at college.

I WOULD NOT SING AT THE GIG!

or

I WOULD DELAY THE EXAM

You could do harm to your voice, and you will not sing your best. Your vocal folds will be clogged with mucous and therefore fatter than normal, and this has a direct effect on your singing voice.

In the meantime. Drink plenty of water. Try Vit C and Zinc or ecchinacea. Get lots of rest. Try inhaling steam.

Do not under any circumstances use any throat lozenge or spray that has a local anaesthetic in it.

I swear by Fisherman's Friends if I'm a little off colour, a counter-tenor friend of mine uses olbas pastilles. That sort of thing is fine.

Take it easy and only start singing again when you're ready.

Katyjay has just told you graphically what happens when you do push it and she is still paying the price.

Thanks jod and Katyjay for confirming my "amateur" singing thoughts!

Hope you soon feel better freda_bloogs

Well it is wearing off. I had a rehearsal with my accompanist and although a little unstable in the support regions, things seem to be getting better. At the moment, I'm not very blocked it's all just running out! Ugh...

There's no way that I can't sing on Saturday, too much is at stake, really. Just hope it's cleared up soon.

I'm just wondering whether, if your teacher rang the Board, they might possibly have a later date that they could offer you. It's worth a try.

Hope all goes well.



Amber
x

Well my voice has held out so far!

Unfortunately, my cold has worsened but I'm not doing too badly so I won't complain. Gig last night went very well as did the rehearsal earlier today so I doubt I'm going to have many problems...the main one being my accompanist (Licentiate Diploma-Level piano teacher!) doesn't know my pieces very well.

I've so far experienced little discomfort, only from shouting over loud music last night which I kept to a minimum so although I don't feel too great, I think I'm going to be giving it a decent attempt tomorrow.

Just for those interested, I'm doing:

Panis Angelicus - F
Vergebliches Standchen - G
On The Street Where You Live - Bb
O Waly Waly (Folk Song) - Ab

Wish me luck!

Good luck in your exam!
I agree accompanists can be tricky. There is a vast difference between being a good pianist and a good accompanist. Some of the best pianists I know are rotten accompanists. Some don't accept that they are not the soloist and cannot dictate the speed, dynamics, rubato, etc.
I'm sure you will be fine. Examiners are judging you, not the accompanist.

Ann

Good luck, Freda. Hope the accompanist and the throat both behave themselves properly.

Well guys, thanks for your support, just thought I'd let you know how it went.

Accompanist: There were a few incorrect notes, I got the feeling that the pieces weren't completely prepared to a fantastic standard but they did the trick.

Me: At a lot of points, my voice felt strong and resonant and considering the circumstances I was very happy with my three pieces. The sight singing was awful, and the examiner knew it, the accompaniment was a cruel one! The aural was ok I think but I've done better. I really find Grade 8 aural an awful lot easier, simply because that's what we cover in our A-Level classes.

The only minor glitch was with my folk song. I absolutely couldn't remember the first verse. At all. I mean not at all! I was honest with the examiner and he asked me how many verses my song was (3) and he said to just sing the two that I could remember, which I did. I think I went off-key in the last line but again, it's to be expected! Do you think that this will have great repercussions on the mark?

Well done, it sounds like it went OK. As for your trad. song, you probably did loose some marks if it went off key as to a certain extent, this is what it is testing, though you probably still did OK. I think if it was me, I wouldn't have admitted to forgetting the first verse, and just sun the other two straight off - I doubt that the examiner would have noticed at all!

David

I accompanied a singing exam last year where the singer forgot the words of a song she was singing in German and without missing a beat substituted the words from one of the other verses. Unfortunately I didn't see a copy of her mark sheet so don't know if there was any comment. The examiner would have had to be really on the ball to notice what had happened, unless he really knew the song.

I'll know for the future now. I'm a newbie to doing exams and I just have it in my head that the examiner knows my pieces as well as I do, which is most likely rubbish of course.

I know when I do my grade 8, I won't let the same thing happen. I'll even try not to forget the words! The most embarressing thing was that I'd sung the German and Latin songs bob on...just the English that let me down!

I accompanied a singing exam last year where the singer forgot the words of a song she was singing in German and without missing a beat substituted the words from one of the other verses. Unfortunately I didn't see a copy of her mark sheet so don't know if there was any comment. The examiner would have had to be really on the ball to notice what had happened, unless he really knew the song.
[/quote]

I've had singers do this in ENGLISH and the examiner hasn't made a comment. One girl even sang la la la when she forgot the words without comment!
Most examiners aren't singers, more's the pity, so probably aren't german/french/italian speakers anyway.
I know the AB would like to recruit more examiners who are not pianists or organists, but while the piano skills are so high, it's not going to happen.

Ann

I was speaking to an examiner friend of mine, and once my children are old enough to be left for a week. I'm seriously considering training to be an examiner.

But as Ann says, keyboard skills do have to be good, and I know the number of singers who are really compitent pianists is relatively small. Mores the pity.

But if the Board want more non-keyboard specialist to become examiners. Those woodwind, brass, string and vocal specialists who do meet the criteria should seriosly consider this.

Go for it Jod. From your "personality" here on the Forums I think you would be good.



Amber
x

What are the criteria for becoming an examiner? Does anyone know off the top of their heads? I will head over to ABRSM main site now, was just wondering though.

Thanks Amber

Once they are at secondary school things might be easier. At the moment I don't think my husband would cope.

The other time I would be able to consider it would be if he became a Stipendary priest rather than an NSM. I'm not saying that the clergy don't work, its just that he could tailor his hours to fit around the children much better.

My inlaws are prepared to help with my boys, but as my mother inlaw is one of the "mothers should be at home looking after children" brigade, the concept of me shooting off to a hotel for a week so I can do some examining would not be well received.

Incidentally Freda, you need to be over thirty, have proffessional qualifications in music, work as a musician (teaching counts) and be personable, and able to manage your time well so that you keep to your timetable. You also need to be able to dedicate a week per session to examine.

Thanks very much Jod, I did check out the AB site but it wasn't very explanatory in the pages that I found relating to the subject.

Just thought that I'd update you:

My teacher texted me earlier to tell me that I got a merit, which I was slightly disappointed with, but it's not the end of the world.

I'm not sure where I lost points so I'm anxious to see the comment sheet.

Thanks for the support!

Well done!

A merit is really good, so don't be disappointed, well done

Yes you're right, I shouldn't seem ungrateful, I'm really not, but I just think the aural and sight-singing let me down. Grrrr! You know how frustrating it is!

I know how you feel Like I knew I could have played better tonight, but people said I sounded really good.

Well done - a good result. If I remember correctly you were really struggling with ill-health before the day so this is all the more satisfying.

A merit is a good result and one you can build on with confidence for the future.

Well done again!

A merit is definitely a good result for a first exam. You're still getting your head round the processes.

What's going to happen after this? Are you going straight on to Grade 6?

Freda, given that you were having throat problems, a merit's a good result.

Well done. And full steam ahead with the Grade 8 now!

Katyjay

Freda, I seem to remember suggesting you postponed your exam as you were having throat problems.

Most poeple would be delighted with a merit. When I got 132 at the same Grade, I was dumbstruck, I'd have been content with the merit.

Congratulations on what you have achieved. A distinction would not be special if they were handed out like sweeties.

You are now in a strong position, once you've had some fun broadening your repertoire, to think about Grade 6.

Knowing you are aiming for a distinction, will give you something to aim for next time. If it's any consolation, I got a merit for my Grade 5 Oboe, then a year later passed Grade 7 with a distinction. It is possible.

Don't be disappointed. A merit is a merit.

I think you did well especially struggling with your throat and having a gig a couple of days before - be proud of yourself

Nope....




Oh, I am glad! And I totally agree.


I wish! Hahaha



I am, thanks very much Everyone!

Sheeesh, long post.

Good

Very well done!

Well, I got the mark sheet back today and sure enough, it was the aural/sight-singing that got me!

I managed 26, 27, 27 for my pieces which I was very happy with but I lost marks in aural and...ahem.... was a mark below a pass for sight-singing.

Anyhow, a good result overall!

Well done, merit is excellent considering the average pass mark is still at 115. Just be content you passed - anything else is a bonus!

David

What was your overall mark?

Really good marks for your pieces, and a good overall result in difficult circumstances - well done

Without the sheet to hand, I think it was 124/125 something like that.

That's really good - well done