I'm booked on to the forthcoming CT ABRSM course (in London). I'm very over-excited about the whole thing

I was hoping that some of you might have already done the course and could offer some help with the reading list. It's enormous! Some of the books are in bold, and therefore highly recommended. Do any of you have any other favourites on the list which you found really helpful?

I don't want to spend any more than necessary.

cheers

Karen

Hi Karen,

I did the CT course two years ago and it is absolutely brilliant. I am studying abroad at the moment and can't look at my folder to advise you but I did read a book that was called The Sounding Symbol by George somebody whose surnme begins with E I think. It's a green book and very interesting. Sorry, can't remember more about it. (I think I've remembered the title correctly.)

I don't know what your instrument is but I discovered an excellent book called The Perfect Wrong Note which I quoted from several times when I wrote various assignments. I am a piano teacher and it was written by an American concert pinaist called William Westney. Although it is mainly to do with the piano there is a lot that all music teachers could get from it I believe.

Haven't got the number for it but it's not an old publication and you might be able to get hold of it your local library.

Hope you enjoy the course......I'm sure you will and you will never teach the same way again after you've done it!

Best of luck!

I did the course in 2001 + have never looked back! The Denes Agay book is a useful resource - not the sort of book to read cover to cover but it has chapters dedicated to specific areas. I also found The Inner Game of Music a good read. The Music Teacher's Companion is also a good investment if you haven't already come across it.

I hope you enjoy the course as much as I did!

My fab four are:

Instrumental Teaching: Hallam
The Sounding Symbol: Odam
Teaching Music: Spruce (ed.)
The Inner Game of Music: Green/Gallwey

Write down how you teach now and what motivates you. In July have a look at what you've written and you will be surprised.

I'm booked on to the London course - see you there Mrs KW. I've bought some of the books in bold type and already spend over 40 quid. I think I'll wait till I've started the course before buying any more!

Liz

I did the CT last year, it was super!
There's a great online library called "questia", www.questia.com which has most of the books from the reading list. You can subscribe for 3, 6 or 12 months, well worth it.
Enjoy the course!

My favourites are Not Pulling Strings by Joseph O'Connor, The Perfect Wrong Note by William Westney, The Practice Revolution by Philip Johnston and The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green and Timothy Galwey. The Music Teacher's Companion is an excellent basic reference book. I used a number of the others, as well as keeping an eye open for other useful books not on the list. I wish I'd known about "questia" - that sounds great. You can spend a fortune on books, and sometimes they are disappointing when you get them. I didn't find my local library of much help - very few in stock from the list, and mostly unavailable from other libraries too. One book that I ordered from the library at the beginning of the course didn't arrive till after I'd finished it!

Hope you both enjoy doing the course as much as I did, Mrs KW and LizzieT. I was at the London centre too. Keep us posted about your progress.

Oh, goodness - I'm due to do a session on the London CT course on Wednesday 25th October - do please come and say hi, LizzieT and Mrs KW!!!

A good friend of mine is booked onto the London course starting in October - heh heh I need to claim my £40 of books for recommending someone!!! So look out for her - she's a singer and has the maddest laugh..

Violinia

Hear, Hear, Hear!

Hi Supea - I see you did your CTABRSM shortly after your G8 (from your signature).

This is exactly the position I am going to be in (G8 is going to be March 07); I am also an adult re starter (re-starter in exams, I've always played). Have spent the last year or so getting together the pre-requisite 5 students and 1 year minimum teaching. I was wondering whether I should wait to do the dipABRSM in teaching BEFORE the CT since I am worried my standard of playing will not be up to the standard required for CT. Would you mind telling me what your experience is of this - will I fell completely intimated at the level of G8 or is that fine?

All of my students are beginners to G2 btw and they all are completely aware of my 'beginner' teacher status and are happy with the fact I am 'in-training'

I intend to do the dipABRSM but am trying to work out the best order of events :-)

Many thanks for any advice you or anyone else can give me.

I took my Gd 8 during the 1st term of doing my CTABRSM back in 2001. I remember being a bit daunted by other people's ability but I certainly was not the only one not to have Gd 8 at the start of the course. It certainly was not a disadvantage either. I think teaching experience is more important as the course constantly requires you to think about what you are doing + how it could improve/change. I was going to do it after 1 year of teaching but in the end did it after 2 which meant I did have more experiences to draw upon.

Are you thinking of doing the teaching or performing dip? I think the CT prepares you for the teaching dip. as it covers such a vast number of different topics.

Good luck with which ever you choose.

Hi Parkere,

Thanks for that information - it will certainly help towards my decision. I was thinking of doing the teaching dip but my teacher suggested performing. I don't know, what does everyone think? Are there disadvantages/advantages between the performance and teaching diplomas? And if I do the CT do I really need to do the dip in teaching AS WELL? Or would a perfomance dip be better?

Personally i found the teaching dip easier than the performance dip. In the performance diploma you have to know a lot about the composers and the pieces right? But in the teaching dip you just need to know a fair amount about the three grade 6 pieces and the composers that you play. I didn't have much teaching experience but i still managed to pass the teaching.

In the performace dip, you need to:

1. Write the program notes
2. To play the pieces
3. Viva. Talk about the pieces and the composers.

In the teaching dip, you need to:

1. Write teaching methods
2. Play three grade 6 pieces chosen from the current syllabus
3. Viva. Talk about teaching experience/ pretend to teach the examiners.

Teaching dip is easier for me becos i use common sense to answer questions in "teaching methods"/teaching part in the viva. I didnt' delibrately practise my teaching at all before the exam. The three grade 6 pieces are easy compared to the performance diploma pieces. I used common sense to write the essay as well.

If you have done the CT ABRSM, i think you need not to write the essay in teaching dip (not entirely sure though).

Which one is better depends on what you are going to do. If you want to teach, teaching dip will be better. However you will get the DipABRSM letters no matter which discipline you specialise in.

I don't really like performing - i am not very good at it. I am especially scared of the words "programme notes" becos i just don't know what to write! Therefore i might take the DipLCM (Performance) instead becos that sounds easier (no need to write programme notes) than the DipABRSM..

Good luck!

maTThew

Hi I'm booked in on the fast track next term. Would like 2 borrow some of the books. Anyone have any? Cheers.

Forums member Hammerklavier has done the fast-track course, millysmum, so ask him if you need any info!

I'll be coming along to run a short session called 'Kindermusik' (yuk) so I'll get to meet you - please come and say hi afterwards!