my clarinet result should arrive tomorrow. one problem my teacher is away all summer but dont fret, you will find out because.....!!!! her husbands parents are going to text me my result. i wont know the comments but ill know the marks so all is not lost!

QUOTE (clarinetlover @ Jul 22 2004, 12:38 PM)

my clarinet result should arrive tomorrow. one problem my teacher is away all summer but dont fret, you will find out because.....!!!! her husbands parents are going to text me my result. i wont know the comments but ill know the marks so all is not lost!

Her results have come - she's got 111

and do you know when I'll get my result? september. it will be posted to my school and it is closed for the summer holidays!

awww poor you Jade!!

anyway i got my result. 111. awful. my teacher said that the comments were really good and the marks seem a bit harsh but nothing i can do. as much as i love the clarinet ive got to be realisitc and im not going to get anywhere so im giving up.

dunn give up the clarinet just because of the marks... i did my grade 6 singing last year and i got the same mark as u, clarinetlover.... same case as well...good comments..horrible marks... mark doesn't matter at all.... dunn give up... i didn't give up myself and i managed to get a grade 8 this april...

i need to really get grade 8 for university but its just not going to happen so its pointless me carrying on. im not getting anywhere with it. i practised this morning and could only just about get high C. pathetic. ive had enough.

I think maybe you are just tired and a bit disappointed with your result at the moment Natalie.
Was it grade 5 you just did?
I got a bare pass for my grade 5 piano but then got merit for grade 6.
Depends how much you love playing really. And even if you don't get the standard for university don't let that be the cause of you quitting.
You can ALWAYS enjoy playing in bands or orchestras.
Don't make any hasty decisions. Wait until you see your teacher again and have a serious talk about where you (and she) think you are going from here. Play things you enjoy, explore some new music for fun and do your best in your A2 year.

yes it was grade 5. i know what my teacher will say. she will want me to carry on but i dont think i can, because i just cant do it

dunn say u can't when u actually can... dunn just give up just because of the result...it's the experience that u've gained in the exam... u have all the talents inside u

QUOTE (liebe_klavier @ Jul 23 2004, 03:15 PM)

the experience that u've gained in the exam...

nearly every exam i take, i mess up in. its really annoying me now, i am wondering if there is any point in doing anything at all if i mess up so often.

anyway got to go, ill hopefully reply tomorrow

dunn say u've often messed up your exams...it's just nerves that took over u....

Dear Clarinetlover

Don't be despondent and don't give up. I felt the same after my grade 6 piano (101!)

Just start playing again and set your sights on grade 6. 111 is a good mark and the main thing is that you got good comments and that you love the clarinet. Please do not give up. I'm not and you have a lot more going for you than I do.

Don't give up, everyone has bad days, weeks, years! It's the way you get up after a fall that people will judge you by, not a result.
Join a band/orchestra outside of school, which is slightly advanced than what you are, say around grade 6 standard. I joined a couple outside of school, and it improved my playing by miles!

sorry to hear you're feeling down natalie . i often go through phases like this where i have really low self-esteem about my playing. i got 112 for my grade 6 piano 2 years ago. i didnt see how i could manage to get grade 8. but i changed teachers and my perspective completely changed, and i recently did well in my grade 8 exam (well, i thought it went well but i'll have to find out what my results are!) maybe youre just not suited to taking exams, not everyone is. keep playing or you'll end up regretting giving up as so many others have as adults.

clarinetlover

hey don't be down, I failed grade 8 piano when I was younger and took it again and the same happen, in the end I gave the exam up. I went on to study music at uni. and got a degree in music and performance. I was alot better at uni as I had more understand of the why's and how's of the instrument. I love the piano still now and teach it with very successful results. Sometimes you can perform very well but under pressure it all goes to pieces, the examiners can only mark on what they here, they cannot see the potential in the making or what you did earlier in the day. Don't be down, you can still study music at uni without grade 8 nowadays, maybe a different teacher will give you better inspiration.... that was my turning point. After 7 teachers it wasn't till uni that I meet a teacher who made me the pianist I am now and bring back the buzz for piano I had when I was younger

Hi Nat I'm sorry that you feel so down about your exam result, don't give up though. It's just one exam that will not matter when you have your grade 8. Also you don't always mess up in your exams 96% for theory is not messing up. I know it's different in a practical exam, you have such a short time and only one attempt to prove yourself. Nerves can really mess up a performance, I really messed up some of my pieces in my Grade 5 piano and I'm sure I could have got a better mark. I now practice "performing" in front of friends, family in fact any one who will listen and am finding my nerves are really getting better. We all feel bad from time to time when learning a musical instrument, I go through stages with my piano thinking I'm never going to "get there", but then when I think how far I've come since I first started I realise I am progressing.

Hello,

Don't panic - just because you didn't get an amazing mark it doesn't mean you're not a good player - it's just that on the day either nerves got the better of you or the examiner was a mean marker. My boyfriend got 103 for Grade 7 piano then 131 for Grade 8 so you can do it!

Even if you decide not to do clarinet at Uni, it doesn't mean you should give up - you're a dedicated musician and very talented - just look at your theory result - I wish I had your determination.

Hey Natalie, sorry you're disappointed with your result - but you didn't fail !
It's better than a bare pass too ! It could have been much worse.

Don't decide anything in a hurry. I really doubt if there's any need to give up.

Enjoy your summer holiday and play what you feel like playing.

Maggie

111 isn't a bad mark! You didn't even fail! Given only a short period of time to assess your abilites, maybe it could be nerves or tests like sight reading and aural that were unpredictable that caused your mark to go down. What did you go down on? How did you mess up?

~tremolololo~

A mother once took her young son to a violinist to get his ability assessed for music school. The adamant verdict was "No talent at all."

The son didn't give up (or maybe the mother didn't let him!).

This "talentless" lad went on to become one of 20th century's greatest violinists.

His name was David Oistrakh.


To give up when you passed (twice!), got good comments and a 96% in theory?! Some people work their arses off and still only get a bare 100 at their best. They don't give up, they just love music enough to play. I know you set very high standards for yourself, so I shouldn't be comparing you with others who just want 100, but the point is if you love music enough, and I know you do, you won't give up. Give it a break over the summer maybe, but to quote a figure skater who "retired" and came back:

"If you love it enough, you will come back to it."

QUOTE (tremolololo @ Jul 24 2004, 12:30 AM)

What did you go down on? How did you mess up?

ill give you my marks

piece 1- 23/30
piece 2- 23/30
piece 3- 22/30
scales- 14/21 (i forgot them all apart form g major)
sight reading 17/21 (got my best comments for that, i got the pulse good and steady and nearly all notes were good)
aural 12/18 I CANT DO AURAL AND NEVER WILL BE ABLE TO!!!!!!

thanks for everyone's replies, made me feel a bit better! i also spoke to David on the phone last night, who made me feel better too!! he is not as bad as everyone thinks!lol

at least you PASSED the aural then!!!

yes lol but badly! i need to really work on that, if i can't do grade 5 aural ive got no hope whatsoever with grade 8

mmm I suppose...
grade 8 aural is killing me atm and I got 18 on my grade 5 violin aural ...
oh well, we'll just keep practising shall we??

QUOTE (cecilia @ Jul 24 2004, 09:08 AM)

grade 8 aural is killing me atm and I got 18 on my grade 5 violin aural ... oh well, we'll just keep practising shall we??

wow brill!!

the highest i ever got was 16 for grade 2 piano!

i can keep practising but i really dont think i will ever get it right. the singing parts i cant do because i cant sing-i sing back something different to what they play! i never get the musical periods correct, even though i know what to look for(i think!)
and clapping back rhythms depends on how im feeling! usual quite peed off so thats a fail!!

oh deary me!

did you read about my grade 7 aural disaster (when I couldn't remember the thing to sing back)??

QUOTE (cecilia @ Jul 24 2004, 09:13 AM)

did you read about my grade 7 aural disaster (when I couldn't remember the thing to sing back)??

yes!!

ive thought of giving up before, but think about it, you insterment baseicly rules your life, you pratice EVERYDAY (well we all should) i have a schoolband and orchrestra and also a mucic school, i dont have much time to do much else! plus you make soooo many more friends because of your insterment. ive thought of giving up many times but REALLY think about it, if you give up you might not be able to get in to uni but if you try you might.

PLEASE DONT GIVE UP!

at least you passed, my last grade i done i got 95 and need 100 to pass i think! ive re taken it it went much better, if your REALLY worried about it take it again. you could have had a bad day!

Nat, whatever you do, please don't give up. I got 109 in my violin grade 2 and I gave up, and I regretted it, I still regret it even though I've come back to it and found an instrument I love even more (viola), so please don't give up.

I just pased my grade 5 with 115.....my lowest before that was 120....a merit when all said and done. Just look at it this way if you get 75% in any exams it is considered a pretty good mark.....in your peices you got 76%. iT is 11 marks above a pass and it IS a pass. I was a bit miffed as my other have been merits but I knew I messed up on the day...nerv3es and just a bad day. Don't give up....that is from an oldie...don't be too hard onn yourself, have a break. I was looking at the grade 6 peices and I ahve to do harmonices ...I couldn'#t do them at all as they are not open harmonics and i thought I'd never do it. Well kept trying and I've done it....still a lot of months to perfect it also as I have to do my 5 theory first

Dont give up youll regrett it totally! Dont worry about only getting 111 its still areally good mark! It could be a lot worst! i only got 110 in my grade 8 and I also know I could have done a lot better! I was having a bad day for aurals! i only got 9!! So your 12 really isnt that bad! I still got in to uni as well so it really isnt all that bad. Plus for a lot of music coursesyou do an audition which tends to matter more than other results! i got into uni despite the fact I dont have higher english (well i should hopefully this year) which for the course was seen as a requirement but they let me in and I know other people this has happened to also so dont worry they take other factors into consideration. Take a break from playing thats what Im doing and enjoy the hols! Im sure it will all work out for you!

im still thinking! im definitely going to speak to my teacher when i get back to school and see what happens from there

I've only just read this thread, and I'm just going to point out that practically everybody on the entire board has said something nice and positive and encouraging!

In fact, there isn't much left I can say, well unless I'm nasty, well not nasty exactly, more perhaps...

What do you mean you're still thinking??!! Havent all those positive comments meant anything to you?? Do you nat get the idea that we all think you have the determination and ability to win through? *resists urge to shake Natalie*

Could just be that I'm jealous I guess. I got 108 at Grade 5. And my highest mark was 114 for grade 4.

Sorry you're disappointed with your mark Nat. In a few weeks time hopefully you'll be able to put it behind you.

Rereading that post above, I'm wondering if perhaps it comes across as a bit harsh. So I thought I'd better expand on what I mean a bit.

As I remember, Natalie, you are at college, I think having just finished your first year, but I might be wrong. That means you have just had A/S exams at the same time as you clarinet one. You also practise/play, erm, perhaps five (random guess) other instruments.

Whe I did grade 5 flute I had none of this, and got my 108.

I appreciate how much you want to get into university to study music, and it's good that you set yourself such high standards, but when you have so many other commitments, you may not always do as well as you'd like.

But that doesn't give you an excuse to give up!

Under the circumstances it could be argued that your pass was extremely good.

QUOTE (tamsin @ Jul 26 2004, 01:58 PM)

*resists urge to shake Natalie*

LOL tamsin. you're posts have made me laugh!

dont worry it didnt come across as harsh, completely the opposite in fact!

QUOTE (weejen @ Jul 24 2004, 02:37 PM)

I was having a bad day for aurals! i only got 9!! So your 12 really isnt that bad!

are they really that hard for grade 8?! if i cant do grade 5 aurals there is no hope for grades 6,7 or 8. i know what you have to do in them but are they really complicated when you are actually doing them, rather than staring at the syllabus like im doing?! sorry if that makes no sense- it doesnt to me!

QUOTE

QUOTE (tamsin @ Jul 26 2004, 01:58 PM) *resists urge to shake Natalie* LOL tamsin. you're posts have made me laugh! dont worry it didnt come across as harsh, completely the opposite in fact!

Good, I had hoped you would take it that way, but thought I'd better make sure, sympathy isn't always my strong point! I usually just make people even more upset!

QUOTE (tamsin @ Jul 27 2004, 02:00 PM)

Good, I had hoped you would take it that way, but thought I'd better make sure, sympathy isn't always my strong point! I usually just make people even more upset!

lol! some would have taken it the wrong way but not me!!

I think that you'd be mad to give up doing something that you clearly love doing so much and am sure that you'll regret it in the future if you do. Wanting to get into music college is forcing you to do things in a way which you have said yourself isn't ideal: you have to get through the grades in order to have the qualifications to get into music college so you are taking a faster pace than you normally would and as a result won't get as many marks as you are capable of and would get going at the 'normal' pace. It is, however, not too problematic in your case because you can do the work after you've done grade 8 that will get you up the the standard that would have got you the higher marks in the first place: so it doesn't really matter at this stage be it grade 5 (or your grade 8 if you decide to take it soon as you have said elsewhere) what mark you get as long as you get to do what you want in life and do the work to 'catch' up afterwards.

I found an article in Libretto that describes a 'typical' candidate and is focused on grade 5; the first thing I notice is that it says that a typical candidate has been playing for four years since grade one (and I believe that most people take two years to get to grade one) whereas you've only been playing for three or four so you've made it to grade five a lot faster than they did. The article also says that the average mark (across all grades) is 116 which only 5 marks more than you got, I'm sure that if you spent the extra two or three years working on grade 5 you would get a lot more than 5 more marks, so you are good enough you're just having to move faster than most people.

So don't give up; you are good you've just had an unfortunate experience with the exam system and it isn't fitting with what you need to do very well: in auditions they look for potential rather than how technically good you are now and so would probably prefer someone who played an easier piece with emotion than a more difficult piece less well, so you'll be okay when you do go to audition: it's clear that you really love your music-making so I'm sure that in an audition that would be picked up and appreciated, whereas in an exam it's not possible to ignore the technical niggles as it's an assessment; but for someone wanting to teach you they're the easy bits!

Good luck with your future playing .

Oh great, now I feel really bad.

I've never reached 116 in an exam. I'm below average.

(please ignore this message, I'm just moaning, but well, being below average is something of a new experience...)

I don't think that the 'average' candidate makes it to grade 8 though .

QUOTE (tamsin @ Jul 27 2004, 04:05 PM)

(please ignore this message, I'm just moaning, but well, being below average is something of a new experience...)

stop moaning!! that's my job!!

QUOTE (AnotherPianist @ Jul 27 2004, 02:54 PM)

in auditions they look for potential rather than how technically good you are now and so would probably prefer someone who played an easier piece with emotion than a more difficult piece less well, so you'll be okay when you do go to audition

i hope so, becuase i really dont think i would pass grade 8

I think its true that they look for potential more than the technical aspects, and that if you play an easy piece with emotion rather than a difficult piece not played very well. Because, to get into the orchestra that I auditioned for, you had to be 'higher than grade 4 standard' and I played a piece that is currenlty on hte grade 2 viola syllabus, and I got in, because I feel that I played with emotion, and I remember coming out of the audition completely drained because I had poured so much emotion into that one little piece. Am I making sense?

I'm sorry to be controversial here but consistently never getting a merit or a distinction through all the grades isn't really something to jump up and down for joy for, is it?

The odd pass (between 100 and 120) OK, it can happen to anyone and you could have had a bad day, or the examiner could have done. Best to put it down to experience and it's certainly not the time to lose heart, Natalie!!!

But if this is happening consistently to anyone here, perhaps the best thing is to really, really study the comments - after all, they're there to help you for the next time - and perhaps find another teacher who can best help you achieve your potential. I would imagine it would be indicative of a style of playing that is adequate but just not particularly musical, and surely to play musically should be any musician's aspiration.

That's my view anyway and you all have permission to jump down my throat if you disagree!

Violinia

I think you are right here, I do always look at the comments, and I suspect much of my problems are caused by cronic nerves, I mean the dry mouth would explain my tone quality problems, shaky hands the small note errors, being so washed out by nerves my lack of emotion...

Although the excuses do run out when it get to aurals, thats just lack of practise I think.

I am almost phobic about music exams, in the sense that I get short of breath, my mouth goes dry and I start to shake just thinking about them (I am now) and I have seen a psycologist to try and sort it out, but it didn't help much.

Still, thanks for the encouragement, I guess you have a point Another Pianist, average wouldnt get to grade 8, it was said half with amusement!

QUOTE (isabelsmells @ Jul 28 2004, 07:17 PM)

Am I making sense?

perfect sense

now i have the small job of finding something to play in the auditions. i think for most places i have to play 2 pieces. id like to do a piece on saxophone but i dont know if im good enough yet.

Thats what I'm doing at the moment too natalie - trying to decide what pieces to play for undergraduate auditions! I agree it's tricky - each institution have different requirements!

What institutions are you applying to?

Jack

Another thing............ some examiners may be stricter than others in marks.