My daughter is not at all musical but likes the idea of practical exams. And so I've entered her for Grade 1 Reading Aloud for this session - it's with LCM. They do other types spoken exams such as Poetry Reading, Drama and Religious Reading.

The Reading Aloud exam consists of reading two passages - one of which must be from the LCM Anthology plus another she's chosen (from anywhere, I guess?) and the preparation of a portfolio of extracts from books she likes which she'll talk about in the exam. The exam also has sightreading and an aural test.

The LCM Anthology is a great book in itself with extracts from books and plays and poems all set out by grade including three diploma grades. I thought I was good at reading but it's a bit of an eyeopener when you get past grade six.

Has anyone else come across these exams?

Are you talking about the LAMDA exams?

Our Music Service offers these in school and to Students who participate in the Drama classes. My daughters have each done one but it was a couple of years ago and I think the format has changed since they did it. The one they did was the Poetry rather than "acting". It was very enjoyable but the person running it stopped.

No - London College of Music - see here http://mercury.tvu.ac.uk/lcmexams/Subjects.htm (third from the bottom)

I'm tempted to try one of the higher grades with a view to teaching this eventually (very eventually).

Ive been looking into these for a while, with a hope to doing a drama one or musical theatre.
Good luck to your daughter.
Is she "self-teaching" or does she have a teacher?
x

Thanks

She's under my guidance (& I do have a bit of experience + a collection of certificates from Speech & Drama Festivals albeit quite some time ago) but she's very articulate and I'm thinking G1 will be mostly taxing in terms of the whole exam experience rather than the content.

They look interesting! They are not dis-similar from a quick look.

I'll be able to report back what it's all about. Her exam will be in the week starting Dec 3rd (said the Rep). We need to get started on that portfolio before the exam day creeps up on us. Daughter is really looking forward to illustrating it.

Victoria College of Music also do speech and drama exams but I don't know how they compare with LCM...

They were offered for a time at a drama group attached to the Church where my girls went to Primary School. They were very popular and lots of the children took part. It only fell through as the person delivering it was over committed.

Could you approach one of your local Primaries and see if there was any scope to run something after school? It's such a worthwhile thing to do as a life skill not merely for those wanting to persue drama exams.

I'll look forward to hearing how it goes Alicia, best wishes to your daughter.

Daughter had her exam this afternoon. I wasn't able to attend but her dad took her.

She reports that she enjoyed it very much & the examiner was a really kind and friendly man. (It sounds like the exam went OK.)

Part of the exam is the perparation of a portfolio of work and daughter has had a great time doing that over the past few weeks (with a bit of a final push yesterday). She got to take her portfolio home too.

She was told she would get the results in about 10 days. I'll let you all know.

Yes - it was LCM.

Perhaps if these exams become more popular then they will put them on at more centres. It's a catch 22 at the moment. I'm sure there's be more interest here if it wasn't such a long journey to the nearest centre.

Result!

89% - Distinction

And really nice & helpful comments (such as "try to look up a little more")

She wants to do Grade 3 at Easter. We know what to do now - the sightreading was from the Old Testament - we can practice King James - daughter said it was really tricky making it sound interesting. The aural part is going to require some research as she needs to be able to answer technical questions. Then there's a new portfolio to assemble and pieces to practice.

Well done to your daughter!
I've just finished the LAMDA Speech & Drama exams - got distinction for my gold medal

Well done to both! These exams really build confidence and are so worthwhile.

Thank you, and Notmusicmum too,

and Congratulations on your exam too.

Yes - they're great confidence-builders, and ultimately it's all good stuff to put on a C.V. too.

Update (**boast alert**)

Daughter went on to take grade 3 and got a distincion - and last month was presented with an LCM trophy at an awards ceremony for the highest marks in the region.

She's taking G5 any week now.

Congratulations - that's wonderful

I did a couple of the LAMDA Speech and Drama exams many years ago, and can still remember most of a speech from A Midsummer Night's Dream and an excerpt from the Oscar Wilde story The Remarkable Rocket. The exams were a (largely successful ) attempt to stop me from staring at my toes every time I met someone new

Thanks.

Yes, I think voice exams are a great confidence builder. Now I'm an "award-winning" teacher (OK, teacher of an award-winning pupil) I'm thinking I might add this to my list of what I teach (to non-family members).

Does anyone know of any associations I might join? At school I had elocution lessons and did public speaking and I suspect that the teachers I met at festivals all knew each other through some group. Or perhaps it was just a small town.