I was wondering if a bad result in one of your students exams would be likely to make you want to delay progress with them.

I only scraped a pass in my grade 5 singing exam with 107, and my singing teacher was shocked, she had thought I would have done better. I'd had nerves on the day so it wasn't a very good performance, and I'd known that I'd done badly... but anyway, I was wondering would this prompt you to go more slowly with a student than you had originally planned?

Most of my lost marks were on aurals and sight-reading, I've never played any instruments before, and before grade 6 I have to learn theory from the very beginning... I only have a year before uni as well, meaning that I might have to stop lessons for a bit... I'm a bit worried that I might be basically stuck in the same place for the next year and never get any better at singing or any sort of music...

Also, how disappointed would you usually be in a student's bad marks? I've never been particularly good in exams anyway, never having got more than a merit, and I was just wondering - would this make you want to sort of give up on a student? I think I am just not naturally musically talented - I work hard and practise, and my voice sounds nice, but my marks aren't improving.. so would this get wearying for you and make you want to give up teaching that student?

My singing teacher would never tell me if she did - she's too nice, but I'm a bit disheartened and I'm just wondering what everyone here thinks...

I hope you can help

Thanks

Lucky

" I work hard and practise, and my voice sounds nice, but my marks aren't improving.. so would this get wearying for you and make you want to give up teaching that student?"

A pupil like you is worth their weight in gold - I would always support and invest in anyone who tried hard, regardless of what you might call a bad result.

Chin up

Andy

Lucky

Music isn't about exams - it's about developing a beautiful skill and celebrating and enjoying that.

If you are enjoying your singing, your teacher is satisfied with your progress and you are able to use your singing in ways that both of you are happy you should do, exam results are almost irrelevant.

The only time exams become important is if you need a particular one to do something further with your life/career. If you don't have to get Grade 6, ease up a bit on the panic to do theory from scratch etc. Yes, of course, a basic grounding in theory is an excellent idea and it may help your aural and sight-reading skills as you'll understand better how and why music looks the way it does but panicking won't help you.

I have to say, if I was your teacher, I'd be really pleased you were learning with me and I certainly wouldn't be phased by a low exam result. There may be things you can learn from it and, as with us all, there will be many things to try to go onto learn but, above all, unless you have to for other reasons, please don't give up.

Enjoy being a musician and worry much less about being an exam candidate.

Good Luck......

Also, how disappointed would you usually be in a student's bad marks? I've never been particularly good in exams anyway, never having got more than a merit, and I was just wondering - would this make you want to sort of give up on a student?
No. Absolutely not.

I think maybe you are being a bit hard on yourself. You passed. It's safe pass. I wouldn't call it a bad result. Perhaps your teacher feels you deserved better, perhaps your examiner was a bit on the stingy side with the marks - it doesn't mean your teacher's disappointed IN you. Nerves also can undermine your performance and rob you of marks here and there. A lower-than-expected mark can be down to any number of factors .

Would I go more slowly than planned ? not necessarily: it would depend where the marks were lost to some extent, and what the reasons for the marks were. If one or two areas were noticeably lower than others, then I'd feel I owed it to that student to work on those areas, but it wouldn't mean standing still. Your overall musical well-being is more important than racing ahead - at the same time I can't imagine you'd be stuck - use the remarks on your exam report to work with your teacher on those points that need improving.

Since you work and practise I can't imagine a teacher would even think about giving up on you. Try not to be disheartened - I hope the next few months go well for you.

I agree with maggie - lower than expected marks can be due to any number of things and I would never let an exam mark change my perception of a student's ability. Remember, your teacher knows you and what you are capable of so much better than the examiner does - she will not be swayed by an exam mark.
If my pupils get unexpectedly low marks I never think - oh they must not be very good after all, I just think - oh what a shame they didn't fulfill their potential on the day or the examiner was a bit stingy.
I'm sure your teacher is not thinking any less of you - you sound like a lovely student!

One of students fell apart during her Grade 4 singing exam and duly failed. Now in my eyes she is not a failure, she had an off day...on the day it counted. She is resitting, and we are both building from the experience so she can show the next examiner what she really can do at her next exam.

However detered we are not. Unfortunately with music there are many times you have to pick yourself up, dust off and start again.

It sounds to me like this is what you are doing at the moment. Stick with it, and you'll reach your own personal goal, whether this is pure enjoyment or examinations.

Jo

I truly value students like you and would no way want to let you go! In fact no teacher in their right mind would let you go just because you didn't score highly enough in their estimation in a grade exam.

If you lost a lot of marks on your aural you probably need a lot more practice at aural tests and perhaps a generally more aural approach in lessons - could you ask your teacher about this? Sight-singing needs good aural skills too, so it sounds to me like it's your aural side that needs some care and attention, as well as your confidence in singing under stress. I think exam conditions are even more stressful than performance conditions so you probably need to do a few mock exams to help iron out those nerves, but other than the above it sounds like you're doing just fine - please don't let a lower-than-expected exam result put you off!!!

Exams are just exams after all, and not everybody even takes them. And hey - you've had at least one merit in a past exam and that is good, make no mistake. Focus on the stuff that needs focussing on and relax and enjoy the rest. As for giving up as exams approach - there's no real need to. Your singing could be a welcome release from all the stress of revision for A-levels. Keep the faith - you sound like a great singer - a lot of people would kill for a good voice, including me!!! (croak, croak)

Violinia

Firstly, a merit is GOOD! Any pass is good - distinctions (and exams) aren't what makes a musician.

Secondly, the examiner can only go on what they hear on the day. If you have a bad day, or you always have exam nerves that kick in, or the cat's sick, then that's what happens and it will to some extent affect your performance.
I had a friend at school who was a intelligent girl - but she fell apart in every exam, ever. She got 26% in her maths GCSE mock, but she was a perfectly good mathematician. She's a teacher now, and made sure her further studies were a little exam based as possible.
Again - exams aren't everything and aren't what make you musical.

Your teacher sees you every week, on good days and on bad days. They'll have a much better idea of how you are progressing 'in real life' rather than in an exam. Maybe it will be worth going through the examiners comments with your teacher, to find out where you would like to progress (e.g. do more aural work, do more theory, do singing-for-fun and don't even think about the next exam for a while, etc).

Or, if you would like a non-exam assessment of your skill - there's always the Performance Assessment if/when you are old enough.

Absolutely not!!! Enthusiastic, hardworking and plodding is better than supremely talented, arrogant and lazy any day. I wish all my pupils were as thoughtful, sensitive and diligent as you obviously are!! Don't give up. Just take a break to get your school qualifications out of the way (if you feel inclined to do this) and work steadily but not obsessively on the weaker areas; you'll get there.

LR

I think you're feeling a bit down with the results of your exam just at the moment, but there's no reason to think that your music has to stop when you go to university. You will be able to find a teacher if you would like to continue, and you never know, a different teacher may have a different approach that will help you in a different way to move on.

You may well be able to join a choir or singing group at university which will improve your aural a bit, but you can also work on these areas with your teacher. Do a little bit of sight reading every day - can you find someone to pick out the tune for you on the piano, or maybe you could do it yourself, and there are tapes with the accompanying music books for aural work. The important thing to remember is that a little and often is good with aural and sight-reading work in particular.

Remember that music is something we can continue to learn throughout our lives; just because you have got to a particular stage by the time you go to university does not mean that you are stuck there. Good luck

I agree with the others, but just want to add - don't forget that, even if your marks aren't improving - you've gone up a grade! That's progress.
The only wearying students are those that don't practice and never make any effort. Any teacher would love to have a student like you, because you CARE.
Don't focus on the negative - look for the positive. You PASSED. Well done!

To me, a bad exam result would be one that reflected lack of preparation by the teacher or the pupil. If a pupil has worked well and if the teacher knows their stuff all should be well, and in your case all was well. You are a grade five singer now! Well done. Remember that music is supposed to be fun so just make sure that it is. There is so much more to becoming a singer than simply gaining high marks in grade exams.