My trumpet teacher is refusing to let me do any grades at all. I passed my grade 4 (just!) 4 years ago, and now he's pushing me on and on and on, and am now at grade 7, but even though I've asked him time and time again if I could do a grade to get back into the swing of doing exams, he says its a waste of time because I'm improving loads through pieces and it would be pointless as I'm doing so well.

Whats other teachers opinions on this ?

Thats a bit unfair!I would just get my mam to enter me if my teacher wouldn't.Maybe he just wants you to wait and study grade 8 loads.Hope you get your way

Could you do a deal with him - maybe being allowed to do an exam if you promise to keep up non-exam repertoire throughout it and prepare x non-exam pieces to performance standard? Explain exactly why you want to do one - it's possible that he has people who nag to do exams and then don't put the work in, or get really stressed in lessons about it and make things difficult for him. You could also push ahead for the next exam that's a little beyond you, so he won't see it like stopping progress to pick up the official piece of paper.

If not, then yeah, you can get your parents to enter you, but I don't think I'd recommend it. It might be a bit unfair on your teacher, especially as it would probably involve going behind his back and you don't want to build resentment!

This sounds a little strange. I assume your parents are paying him for the lessons?

Your reasons for wanting to do exams are sound. Personally I think you should simply state that you are aiming to take exams and that's why you're having lessons. Be polite, but firm. Get some of the exam pieces and play them to him. Find out when the exams are held and ask him how best to enter for them, either through him or your parents. Just be honest, polite, but assertive.

If all that fails, get your parents to enter you for the exam.

Steve

There are all sorts of reasons that teachers may not want to enter pupils for exams. Maybe he has grander plans of you taking higher-level exam. Maybe it's because your standard isn't the same on all of the parts of an exam so it would be difficult to enter you for one without having to be held back in some areas by taking a lower grade; or having to really stuggle with others by taking a higher grade. It's also possible that he's saying it because he doesn't feel you're ready to tackle another exam yet, based on your current level and past exam performance, and might not do as well as you hope.

Teachers frequently post about situations where they have pupils insisting on exams but they don't think it's the right time for the pupil to take the exam (for a number of reasons). They're not always honest with the students about why either: often to protect the student from feeling upset. I'd suggest if you're really bothered about this then you talk to your teacher and ask him again why he doesn't want to enter you, making sure he knows you want to know the real reason. It could be that maybe it's just not the right time for you to do it in your development, and you should trust him on that; then again it's possible that he's just wrong or doing it for some other reason. This is something that you need to sort out and either trust your teacher, or find one whose judgement you trust more (note this is not just someone who agrees with your philosophy).

Whatever you do don't enter for the exam behnid his back: if you do that he may well refuse to teach you for the exam and let you go, then you'll end up with a looming exam and no teacher, which is a recipe for disaster. It's not right to do it dishonestly: sort it out with him, if he won't let you take the exam, and you really can't accept his reasoning then find someone else who will; if no one else will you may have to rethink your own reasoning.

I'm not an enthusiast for exams myself, so my main concern from what you have written is whether the other skills that are covered by exam preparation, particularly sight-reading, are keeping pace with your technique on your instrument. Depending on how you learn/are taught new repertoire you could be missing out on learning to tackle new music independently, which is essential if you are going to progress beyond the need for lessons. Do you play in any chamber music groups, bands or orchestras? Have you covered the theory requirements for the higher practical grades (assuming you are focusing on ABRSM exams)?

Exams can be a nuisance when pupils are progressing rapidly. They can put a brake on progress through having to spend time perfecting material when doing so is counter-productive.

I suggest you discuss this with your teacher and ask for a clear explanation, then trust him if the explanation makes sense.

I had a pupil's mum ask me to enter her for an instrument exam in Spring session - apparently she was desperately keen and the teacher had said she was grade x standard...I asked her to get hold of the pieces and a sight reading book; I said I'd look into the scales and aurals. Turns out teacher didn't want to 'waste valuable lesson time' with scales, aurals or sight-reading and was delighted she's shown such initiative!!

If you really want to to a graded examination, your teacher should not prevent you from doing this. But the area where most people fail, even if they are able to play the pieces is the Sight-reading and Aural.

Why don't you ask your teacher if you could do some sight-reading or aural in your lesson. state that you want to see if these skills in MUSICIANSHIP match your technical ability as a trumpeter.

Then ask about the exam again, stating that you would relish the assurance it would give you to have your skills recognised by somebody else than just your teacher and parents.

If s student asks to do an exam, unless that have sat one the previous session I am normally encouraged and start the sightreading and aural preparation straight away!

I think you need to find out the real reason why your teacher is preventing you from doing exams. maybe he feels you should have done better/worked harder for your grade 4. For what it's worth, if you just passed grade 4 years ago, then by now an average student would probably have done grade 8 by now. It doesn't sound to me as if he is pushing you on and on or that you are improving loads or doing so well. Yes, you are a lot further on than you were four years ago, but maybe your teacher feels you could do better.

Having said all that, I would never stop a student from doing an exam if that was what they wanted to do. If he won't let you do exams, maybe you should find a teacher who will prepare you for exams.

I understand perfectly what you're saying and agree that for some students, the exams may be a hindrance.

However, let's not forget that in this case, the student WANTS to take the exam. He wants to take it so much that he's written to the ABRSM forum about it!

He only joined the forum last month. He wrote :

I don't think that taking time to perfect a certain piece is counter productive as long as it's done only occasionally. On the contrary, it gives the student a feeling of accomplishment, that they're able to play something well enough to be heard and appreciated by an audience. Also, the lessons learnt in analysing and prefecting a piece will give him a much more informed appreciation of music.

Steve

I would like xEmZx06 to reply to Da Capo's questions. The teacher may be covering all the essential skills for a musician already, but if he is not that would be a reason that he doesn't want to prepare anyone for an exam and a reason to ask for them to be addressed. I think the AB exams ask for one or two things that are not very useful, but the majority of the sections address essential skills.

Perhaps xEmZx06 should look at the syllabus for Grade 5 Theory and assess how well he would do at it.

I play in my school bands, swing band, concert band, orchestra and brass ensemble. I haven't yet covered the theory however, mainly because I've been told that if he's going to put me in for a grade then it'll be grade 7, which I have already told him is too much of a big step. He believes in me way more than I do. So the theory for the moment has been left, especially as I have revision and the moment but definitly plan to get it sorted over the summer holidays




I have got the Grade 5 thoery workbook which covers everything in it and am ploughing through it steadily, will get there in the end I hope.

Do remember you don't have to have passed a theory exam to do Trinity Grade 7, although you might as well have with all the theory required for the viva and aural.

Oh right ok thanks for that