Does anyone think they are the youngest grade 8 person?

Please post your comments.

Well I'm certainly not.

There seems to be a lot of competition on the board at the moment (particularly in the grade 5 thread) of everyone trying to be younger than anyone else; to be honest I'm not really impressed by age: I'd be much more impressed by someone who is 50 getting a distinction than someone who is 9 getting a pass.... It's not about how old you are but how well you play!

Anyway, now I've got that over with... The youngest I know of is someone who did it before they started high school, not exactly sure when but they certainly were 11 or younger. Also Benjimin Grosvener who was in the BBC young musician competition: he was 11 in the final and you have to have grade 8 to enter the competition, the competition starts 18 monts before the final so we can assume that he was 9 or 10 when he did grade 8.

I'm dying to know how old you are poodlelover!

It's certainly not me, as I've only just started learning piano and I'm in my 30s.

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I'm dying to know how old you are poodlelover!

Here's your answer...

I was 15 but didn't start playing until I was 12

QUOTE (possom @ Jul 9 2004, 09:40 PM)

I was 15 but didn't start playing until I was 12

you took grade 8 after only playing for 3 years?! wow

Ahhh, thanks. You've done really well poodlelover. I wish I'd discovered music so early in life!


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I'm dying to know how old you are poodlelover!

Here's your answer...

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you have to have grade 8 to enter the competition

I thought that they changed that a few years ago to say you had to be grade 8 distinction standard at least, the exam not being essential.
( Possibly accepting teachers assessment of standard?)

Might be wrong but I think I remember reading it some time

QUOTE (sbhoa @ Jul 10 2004, 10:35 AM)

] I thought that they changed that a few years ago to say you had to be grade 8 distinction standard at least, the exam not being essential. ( Possibly accepting teachers assessment of standard?) Might be wrong but I think I remember reading it some time

yes, if you have a teacher that tells them you are grade 8 standard then they'll let you enter without having taken the exam. it says on hte young musician website!

I'm almost 13 but im definitely not the youngest...I have a friend who is around 6-7 and she got a distinction for gade 8.

WOw< Dcomposer, most kids that age don't have hands big enough for grade 4 or 5 pieces! Apart from being able to actually read the music (for the sight reading too) understand the questions for the aural and be able to pass grade 5 theory(most that age wouldn't have the reading age to understand the questions properly).

QUOTE (theDcomposer @ Jul 11 2004, 04:14 PM)

I'm almost 13 but im definitely not the youngest...I have a friend who is around 6-7 and she got a distinction for gade 8.

How did that happen?

i do think that quality of the performance is the only thing that matters....it doesn't matter how old you take it... i passed my grade 8 piano with 117 at 14....i dunn think it was the best performance i gave..

another thing...i dunn think grade does matter...someone may have achieve grade 8 in a very young age...but his/her skill is limited...because he/she has been focusing on grades...rather than other technical techniques that can be found on other pieces outside the syllabus...

I am 14 doing Grade 8 next year...This is the stage where my voice starts breaking and I really CAN'T SING!

to be honest...i think u are a bit too young to do grade 8 singing at the age of 14, tzl_tzl..... i did mine when i was 16...it's still very hard to control my voice...

I am doing Grade 8 piano next year. I am referring to the aurul part. Uggggggg!

sorri...i've made a mistake...sorri.. i failed my oral for grade 8 piano but i passed it when i did my grade 8 singing...

Given the achievements of child prodigies (Rach 3 at 12, Arrau mastering all the Liszt transcendentals by 12), I'd say the youngest person at grade 8 standard would be 5 or something

Dave