Despite being quite against diplomas initially because of the cost, which has always been a set back, i have decided to take the ATCL this July!
I was being persuaded by lots of flute teachers and conservatoire teachers to go to music college, but am a dental student now. Ive found that the music students always get priority in musical activities so I now find it necessary to have the qualification as proof that I am just as good (if not better ) than them performance wise!

less 6 months to go.......!

I hope it goes well for you. I'm taking my ATCL piano recital later this year too.

Best of luck to those of you who are taking the diplomas, indeed any form of exams! It can be a stressful time, but by preparing for a diploma, I used to find my technique and musicianship improve...

At this time of my life - I have a young family - I have not got much time for my own practice to prepare for an exam. However, in 10 years' time, I would love to have a go at one of the diplomas I have not got in my youth, may be on my 2nd or 3rd instruments!

Oooh, all the best! Have you decided what to play?

Yeah, very best of luck to you all. I'm currently in the progress of looking at the ATCL, I think it actually looks like quite a good Dip

good luck - i hope to take my ALCM in June, hope i pass, otherwise i have to pay for a second attempt!!

Good luck!

good luck and all the best!

ShArOn

Thanks for all the good luck! Its taken a lot of thinking about how I am going to fund this, as my parents dont contribute towards anything to do with music anymore.

nicki : I was initially thinking work on pieces that I have already learnt and just brush up on them for July, so was thinking Bach E major, Hue Fantasie, Fukushima Requiem, Burton Sonatina etc but after my lesson on saturday (OMG my Messiaen Le Merle Noir - nearly perfect! ) we decided that we could just do a programme of all new or majority new pieces.

I wish you all the best with the dip but I'm relieved for your sake there's no provision in the marking scheme for modesty!

haha! Well obviously I am allowed to make self assesments on my playing...... I might think of it as perfect buy by no means does it mean its perfect to other peoples standards. Id just like to think that after working on such a piece after 8 months of playing it on and off that its got to such a standard!

Cool! Bodes well for the competition (the Messiaen). Any idea which new pieces?

Nope not really! Theres so many pieces I would like to learn......but just found out the ATCL price is up to £175 so dont want to buy many new books if possible I already have loads! Also had a look at the DipABRSM syllabus.....not happy.......will start another post for that!

Right, today have finalised my programme and I will not be doing a solo contemporary piece after all. Just wondering if this will effect the programme order :
Telemann sonata 11 mins
Hindemith sonata 16 mins
Faure Fantasy 5 mins

Is this order ok?

That will be a great programme, mine is practically the same except i'm doing the Vivaldi concerto in F where you're doing Telemann. It's always good to have a mixture of musical styles, the examiners like that.

I got my exam date this morning - 6th July!!! It's in a different venue than where I played before and the examiners are completely different.

hehe I know! We are playing pretty much the same things, but then its not hard to do that when I think there is very limited choice on the list (theres lots of choice but alot of it is either rubbish music, or good music which is hard to write programme notes for, eg Hue Fantasie)
Ive played once in the room where my recital will be so Im trying to get a lesson with Jonathon Rimmer from Bimingham Conservatoire to listen to me in that acoustic and confirm if my sound is travelling in such a dead acoustic! I was pushing so much trying to get a nice sound in the dead space but just tired myself out in the end.