Does anyone use music medals? I do group teaching in primary schools - flutes, clarinets, alto sax, cornet - and wonder whether the music medals would help. Any thoughts?

Hi Biddy!

I posted something on Music Medals and have had no response yet. I teach Recorders and have been thinking the same thing as you have. I hpe we both get some knowledgeable answers soon!

I have taught music medals for the last 2 years and the kids love them!
You have to go on the training course to be able to use them, but now I think if your school is registered with the AB to do medals, you can train online.
They are simple to administer and although you have to set up a video camera to record the assessment, it really doesn't take very long.
Worth investigating!

Hope it goes well - let us know how you get on. Post again if you would like further info.

I'm lost. Medals?

They're a type of exam that you can do as an ensemble. Whether or not you actually get a medal, i don't know, as i've never done one.

Oh. We have ensemble medals here too, but our school doesn't go to any of the good festivals. We've gone to so many festivals where the competing orchestras were a heck of a lot worse than us. And i thought my school's ensembles were bad enough.

It's not a festival. The ABRSM realised that many pupils have group lessons, and introduced the MM scheme as a method of examining children in groups, using prescribed ensemble music. I like the material they've publisehed, esp. for flute and clarinet, and but still prefer to enter students for the traditional exams, I'm afraid.

Here's the website for anyone who wants to know more: http://www.musicmedals.org/

I think they're good for younger students - they do actually get a medal which they can wear with pride and they isn't such a big leap between the medals. HOwever as they only go up to platinum - the equivalent of grade 4 apparently then they have to start doing normal medals. I think it's a good idea to test them with normal aural tests so they aren't way out of their depth when it comes to doing them in future exams. In all I think they're a good initiative, as so many studetns have group lessons. it encourages team work, listening to others and it can also be another way to make music fun!

WHOA! I wasn't aware of this! So it's like ABRSM grading educational music ensembles? That's a neat idea! I have even more reason to have a fondness over UK music education than USA music education.

Is it as case of 'the grass is always greener?'
I've seen the opposite opinion voiced on here more than once coupled with the view that we are too eager to over test in the UK. It's not unusual for teachers to use exams as almost the sole resource for their teaching.

You mean that teachers ONLY use the music medals system to teach? I'll clarify by saying that that wasn't what I meant.

I mean that having music exams which are well used doesn't necessarily equate with an overall high level of teaching.
Sometimes there is a tendancy to use the exams to the exclusion of all else instead of using them as milestones along the way with lots of other repertoire played between each level.

My son has been doing recorder Music Medals...but not taken them...you have to video the children or something ...

i hate music medals, my music teacher treid doing then with me when i first started the flute i didnt like the exam way or how it was done. i prefer the grades i don,t know why though it could of been that i already had done 2 for paino and liked them but the person i learned with hadn't done one - but she liked them.

i think for primary school kids they will like them but i think i started them to late to fully get the likeness its something you either like or you dont like i suspose.