I know its all been said, but 111 isn't a bad mark by any means! Perhaps you were expecting something higher, but its still a good pass. And closer to a merit than a pass at that! Look at your fantastic theory result! Ive never known anyone manage that. That must take some talent! Good luck with your audition.

Good luck with your auditions Natalie!!!

Tamsin, what you said about getting nervous in grade exams got me thinking.

I wonder if the examiners in general could be doing something to make the whole experience a more relaxing one for the candidates?

I've always thought the whole scenario of being judged in that way extremely non-conduicive to good playing - it's far, far worse than getting up to play in front of an audience which after all can be a blissful experience if you're on top of your music, because it's all about communication and sharing.

When you're focussed more on "getting it right" than on communicating, you're far more likely to go wrong. Exams put enormous pressure on you to get it right, so the communication aspect tends to go out the window, and you can end up playing at a level far below what you're capable of.

While it's important for the examinee to be able to play well under this sort of pressure (the pressure will be even more intense at an audition or a diploma recital), I think it's a shame that more isn't done general to alleviate the stress for the examinee. After all, this kind of pressure only exists (for musicians) in the unnatural atmosphere of examinations and auditions; have we created a demon?

Or perhaps the examiners themselves could do so much more to put the candidates at their ease. When my son did his (Guildhall) exam recently, he was quite nervous beforehand and worried he wasn't going to play his best. Just before he went in, the previous candidate came in the waiting room looking very happy and saying how nice the examiner had been, and that she'd asked her some really friendly questions before the exam went ahead, like what school she went to, etc etc.

When my son heard this he immediately relaxed. After the exam he told me the examiner had been really sweet to him, put him totally at his ease, and then he went on to play his best. I'm not trying to say the Guildhall examiners are nicer - someone I know had a rather scary Guildhall examiner recently for her keyboard exam, so it's luck of the draw, but perhaps all the examiners could be better trained in putting the candidates at their ease, so that the fear so many experience doesn't have to be an inevitable part of the whole thing.

Comments, anyone?

Violinia

my head of music's son just took his grade 7 drum kit exam with guildhall and his examiner was really friendly and asked him about what he liked playing etc. i dont thnik AB examiners should turn the occassion into a social gathering of some sort but i do think they need to stop taking everything so seriuosly. i know it is seriuos but id rather enjoy performing than be really scared coz the examiner doesnt say a word.

I think you have made some very interesting points Violinia and will hopefully come back later to add my thoughts, got to go out in a minute. I seem to have spent the last four days rushing about, have hardly had any time to play my piano, which is really annoying as I have just started Chopin's C# minor nocturne and really want to get cracking on it.

Anyway was just going to say that for my Grade 5 the AB examiner was really nice and tried to put me at my ease, although as it was the first exam I had done for years I was still very nervous.

On one occasion when a pupil of mine did her grade 3 (AB), the examiner sounded a little bell - ding! - to announce that her time had come. It was very formal, and if this particular pupil hadn't been such a tough cookie it could have upped the tension to stratospheric levels!

That was the only time I noticed a dinging bell, but I still think the whole thing's too intense. And yes, a little chat would go a long way.

Violinia

havent AB examiners been told to be more 'friendly'? i thought i heard that somewhere

QUOTE (Violinia @ Aug 1 2004, 11:51 AM)

On one occasion when a pupil of mine did her grade 3 (AB), the examiner sounded a little bell - ding! - to announce that her time had come.

I had that for my grade 2 piano, I remember waiting outside the room with the steward and the bell just immediatly made the tension I was feeling go up several notches.

I think it would be a lot better if the examiners stopped being so serious and started talking to you to get you to relax, just asking simple questions like what sort of music you like, if you play any other instruments, those sort of questions I think would make people relax and play to a much higher standard.

I think if they asked some questions about how you feel about the pieces you've played, it would help too. I mean, I guess some people would hate discussing their performance I guess, but some positive feedback during the exam would be good I guess, as well as making you feel safer in how well you've done.

I guess it could be hard to tell someone they've failed, but why can't they tell us our results on the day, even if we wait for the certificate? I mean, they have the little number written in front of them!

last term, I had my first experience of a very unfriendly examiner. He got the children to write all names of the pieces on a bit of paper and then when they enter the room he didn't say a word other than next piece. Ok scales, aural. He had no expression and for some of the nervous and young candidates it really put them off ever sitting again.

I thought nothing of it until the results came for the candidates. All of them scored below what i had expected. The term before all the candidates played the same and scored much higher.

In fact the comments this time round didn't match the mark given. So much so I didn't really know what the examiner had expected one of my grade 3 violin candidate to do. He passed with 110, failed his scales 13/21 and his sight reading too which are totally unhear off for this candidate the comments didn't help as it suggested that the candidate had done very well.

Well of course I appealed. The child was 8 and he was given the chance to resit this term. It was hard for him to accept just the pass, as he had tried his hardest. He was so discouraged, he was ready to give up. This term he achieved a good distinction, scoring 20/21 for scales and 19/21 for sight reading... more what i had expected. He was screaming with joy...... made those 3 months waiting for the retake worth it.

Any other people experience this. not read anyway about appeals on this forum. Always wonder how often it happens....

This term one of my pupils took his grade one even though I didn't think he was ready and he scraped it all together on the last week.

He got the same mark (115) as a pupil last term who was ready a few weeks beforehand and played with nice expression.

They played exactly the same pieces and the difference in marks and comments was very interesting!

And another thing.

The way the pupils' times are arranged so that you have one at 11.23 and one at 11.41 is ridiculous. If examiners added a minute or two of introduction and calming down time, the exam times could be rounded up.

After all, exams don't come cheap!

QUOTE

they have the little number written in front of them

Actually, I always try and peek at my mark when I go out of the room, and they never seem to actually write numbers at the time, just comments. I think all the numbers are done later.

QUOTE (Amy @ Aug 1 2004, 08:04 PM)

The way the pupils' times are arranged so that you have one at 11.23 and one at 11.41 is ridiculous. If examiners added a minute or two of introduction and calming down time, the exam times could be rounded up.

That would require dramatically different amounts of introduction and calming down time, as the time needed changes for every grade.

I think we'd all like to get distinction, but the reality is harsh ! I got distinction for grade 5, but for 6 and 7 I got merit, I was horribly disappointed with the grade 6, but when I got merit for 7 I was delighted. I found the exam hard and the pieces very demanding. Goodness knows how I'll feel for the Grade 8 (or indeed what I'll get)!!!
A word of comfort, there are apparently few of us that carry on clarinet to the higher grades - so keep going, you'll be fine. The world needs clarinetists !!!!

QUOTE (cecilia @ Aug 1 2004, 10:05 PM)

I think all the numbers are done later.

not all examiners do the numbers later. when my teacher entered some of her home pupils for exams they could see all their marks, and came out told my teacher and they added them up! in my clarinet and piano exam though, i kept looking but she didnt have any numbers written down and she had a pen over the side!!damn it!

QUOTE

when my teacher entered some of her home pupils for exams they could see all their marks

What instrument was that?
And I have a suspicion that this might be at the lower grades, was it???
In my grade 2 violin I could see my mark, but luckily I wasn't depressed about it cos it was really good!!!

it was flutes grades 3 and a sax one but i can't remember the grade

just as i thought

my exams were only grades 4 and 5. i wish they wrote them in i always look as i want to know if i passed or not!!

Hi Nat,

I've not been on much recently and just found this topic.

Sorry you feel like this about your result.

Don't despair. Please don't give up !

Even if you decide to take a break from exam work for a while and enjoy just playing.
That will make you see how much you love playing and why you actually started in the first place. Regardless of exams !

I hope you are feeling better now that you have had time to think.

Keep yer chin up

Fiona

QUOTE

Don't despair. Please don't give up !

She's not giving up

QUOTE (cecilia @ Aug 4 2004, 09:05 AM)

QUOTE Don't despair. Please don't give up ! She's not giving up

correct!!!

so DON'T PANIC FIONA!!!!!!!! LOL

Don't worry Nat! Some examiners are like that. In Grade 5 Piano, I got 109(My lowest). The comments are not very bad.

the examiner was called Rachel Meredith. oops am i allowed to say that?!

Nah....whats wrong with saying an examiners name...My Grade 5 was Susan Sheppard.(Hope I spelt it right)

Hehe I hope Rachel Meredith feels bad if she's reading this

I do agree sometimes the comments and the marks DO NOT add up!

QUOTE (cecilia @ Aug 4 2004, 11:30 AM)

Hehe I hope Rachel Meredith feels bad if she's reading this

LOL

You think she will be reading this? May be she has gone somewhere in the world to examine pupils. I wish them good luck.

QUOTE (tzl_tzl @ Aug 4 2004, 11:34 AM)

I wish them good luck.

i wish them a lot of luck, they'll need it!!

A quick search on google suggests that she may (and of course this may be wrong as there are plenty of Rachel Merediths around: however she is in roughly the right area and has the usual letters that one notices examiners usually have!) a music teacher in York... And also, interestingly a violinist, maybe you should start a campaign for specialist examiners!

LOL then she cant tell me im not good at clarinet- she knows nothing!LOL

is it a woman or a man conducting the string group in the pic?! it looks a BIT like her but im not that sure!

It probably is a woman I notice that all the string teachers are women so it could be her.

QUOTE (Lucia @ Aug 4 2004, 02:02 PM)

It probably is a woman I notice that all the string teachers are women so it could be her.

ooh

I didn't REALLY think she'd be reading this!

LOL!!!

i hope she does!

Eventhough she doesn't her colleagues will tell her.LOL