Who did exams this term? How did they go?
Has anyone even got their results yet?

I did my violin exam yesterday It went so well for once. The best of all the exams i've ever done (considering i've done about 13!). I got all my scales, my pieces went well, aurals went very well and the sight reading went ok - i was expecting my sight reading to be ATROCIOUS, but it wasn't - though it wasn't good either XD I'm so pleased with how well it went (for once!) Usually i come out of my exams prepared to cry!
Now i just have to nervously wait until i get my results >_<

My Grade 3 violin was on Monday.

I completely wrecked the entire scales section so I came out really miserable because I knew them. I think nerves got to me and I had two false starts, some shocking intonation and somehow on the last six notes of my chromatic managed to lose a semitone My bow squeaked on one arpeggio and I misunderstood about the dominant 7th key. I have never felt so stupid.

I also had a false start on the first note of my very first piece because my accompanist rushed me; I started again really quickly but it shouldn't have happened. Being a diploma level musician previously I'm used to telling my accompanist when I'm ready to start but this lady is used to 7/8year olds and just charged into the piece without any warning. She then started my second piece before I'd properly turned the page (luckily there was an introduction) but I was so rushed that I didn't get a chance to 'find' my first note, it was then out of tune and I was furious ... but too polite to say anything. I actually feel quite humiliated that she didn't watch for my signals . But then, I'm used to working with professional accompanists so maybe I'm the fussy one. Anyway, not good and there were a few tears of frustration later at home.

The sightreading was easy and so were the aural tests although one note was too high for me and my voice cracked but I shouldn't be knocked for that.

Actually I played one of my pieces really well, with lots of style and smooth vibrato so that was fun.

But I won't be getting another distinction and on the whole I'm rather disappointed with myself and had to spend a lot of Tuesday reminding myself this is all for fun!

I do sympathise Lottie, it's very upsetting when you don't do yourself credit and it doesn't make any difference to how you feel whether it's for 'fun' or for 'need'.

Don't be too polite with the accompanist though. Well, I don't mean be rude, but I think you would have been within your rights to stop her and say you weren't ready and would she mind please waiting for you to let her know when you are. After all, you'll be paying for her services and it's your blinkin' exam, so you have every right to call the shots.

Hope you pass, or would you prefer another shot to do yourself full justice? I could understand either way.

I had one like this for grade 8 recorder, Dance of the Blessed Spirirts. The accompanist didn't know it and kept saying it was on the flute grade 5 syllabus so for grade 8 they would want it a lot faster - despite my pointing out to her that it was a lot harder on a recorder because it was right at the top of the range. The message never did get across and unfortunately she had the introduction. It went at least twice as fast as I wanted it to and I just did it. Got a fail mark for that piece with the comment being that it was far too fast.

But examiners are no better sometimes. At one stage I did (and failed) an LRSM in general music teaching - can't remember exactly what it was called but it tested a broad range of school type skills (and the level expected of what was supposed to be a class of normal school pupils was quite unreasonable but that's another matter). For one section I had to accompany a pupil and chose to accompany a grade 6 flautist who was clearly headed for a distiniction. I didn't teach her flute. She was playing Dance of the Snowmen and the flute starts the piece off. The examiner failed me because the flautist went too fast - despite the fact that she was quite good enough to take it at that speed. In retrospect I should probably have appealed and asked the board whether they really expected accompanists to interfere with the speed set for a distinction level pupil by the top flute teacher in the county.

Liz

I kind of remember that all my accompanists for my violin exams always asked me tell them what tempo I'm going at, and confirmed with me a number of times during our rehearsals the tempo at which the pieces were at, especially if the piano started first.

I did Grade 7 Violin on Tuesday. I was not really prepared as Uni is quite tough and time consuming at the moment, plus I had 3 clarinet pupils exam accompaniments to learn! (They had their exams after mine on Tuesday too!) Overall the exam was "okay". Pieces - no major slips, just my tone wasn't great and I kept forgetting to use vibrato (naughty - I know!). Scales - one slip on Ab major arpeggio and he didn't ask me any diminished 7ths - yay! He did aural next and I completely forgot to listen for the time signature in test D - oops! Sight reading was average - forgot dynamics and a couple of intonation problems.

Pupils on the other hand on clarinet were fab, so fingers crossed.

Good luck to everyone else waiting for results.

My daughter had a piano and violin exam two weeks ago. THat was badly planned, piano one day, violin the next. She passed her piano, but is still waiting for violin!
Violinma

Oh, and HUMILIATION of all humiliations, I didn't seem to be able to get my violin in tune with the piano at the start so the accompanist took the violin out of my hands and tuned it herself. And she's NOT a violinist!!!!

NEVER have I felt more like a four-year-old in all my life

It sounded fine to me

Nerves have the same effect on me...

W

DON'T employ her again! I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't responsible for a good 50% of any goofs you made! Bah!

With a bit of luck the examiner will have noticed that your accompanist did not do you any favours, and might take that into account.
I agree with the others: don't use that pianist again. Next time make sure you find someone you can practise with beforehand, and agree on tempo, signals etc.
I have always been fortunate in that respect and it is a great bonus if you can find someone like that. Your pianist should enable you to perform better, not worse, in an exam. And catch you if you fall, not make you trip over the notes!

I think maybe I'm being a bit hard on the accompanist; she could actually play very well and did listen... but only once we got going. It was being treated like a small child that really annoyed me

Yes, the whole exam experience is a bit like that. I tend to simultaneously feel like a child (because exam situations just do that) and incredibly old, especially when you are the only one in the waiting room not in school uniform, or worse, when you are older than the parents!

I did my grade 5 cello last week and the steward, who was very kind and well-meaning, ask me in a sort of pitying way if my teacher wasn't coming. All the other (small) candidates had mothers and teachers fussing over them, as well as having their pianist. I did reassure her that I was all grown-up and could perfectly well manage by myself.

That's enough to complain about lottie! You don't need that at any time, never mind under exam stress!

hey guys, i am new hear... pardon me if i did any wrong...
i just did my grade 7 violin on monday, and i think i pretty much screwed up the aural and sight reading parts. when i was playing for my sight reading, the examiners kept writing down stuff and i was scared as i knew i did not play really well... going on to the aural, i think i had also screwed up the singing the cadence and the period part... for the period, i answered romantic and the examiner asked me why... so i answered and i was wondering also, as he kept writing things every time i answered the question, so i was pretty worried that i might failed... so now i just hoped that i will be able to pass... any advice?

Well, you can't do anything about it now, so just relax. People have a tendency to only remember the bad parts, I am sure you did a lot of the exam really well. I know how you feel about when they write things down. Not music, but in my second driving test, he was writing stuff down all the time and I thought I must have got about 11 minors or something. But it wasn't, I got 1, and that'll be the same with your exam! Just because he was writing stuff doesn't necessarily mean it was bad

I agree with Nicki_flute - he could have been writing down nice things Examiners give a lot of feedback so they're gonna be writing a lot. But i also find it intimidating when they're writing 'what are they writing did i just do something wrong that prompted them to think ooh gotta write that down' etc. And when the examiner looks at me playing im suddenly thinking ok ok posture, check. using full length of bow, check. etc
Good luck! Let us know what you got when you get your results

She probably just wanted to get it done as quickly as possible but I guess what she should have done was whispered: 'hey let me just do a quick tune for you' or something. I'm sure even accompanists can get nervous with an examiner sitting there, so she just 'got it wrong' momentarily.

My violin teacher is teeeerrified of accompanying She does it sometimes but wouldn't accompany me cause she'd be too nervous to accompany anything above g3 - despite the fact that she got grade 8 piano distinction ages ago and is really good

Sounds exactly like my music teacher - I would have said it was the same person, but my teacher doesn't play the violin!

My violin teacher still hasnt contacted me - I took my exam on the 7th and know the results are out cos other people who did theirs that day have got them. I'm guessing it's a sign of bad news that I havent heard

Ugh! Should have gone better but for the usual 'life events' and concern about my 4 year old.....if my 8 year old wasn't taking her exam at the same time, I would have left it.

Pieces - ok. Scales - ok. SR - why did I miscount? Should have been straight-forward. Aurals - very good (as usual and just as well - I need the marks )

Just glad it's out of the way so that I can move on!

Very Proud,
Daughter, got a merit in Grade 6 violin. Distinction in all her pieces, good scales, but sight reading and aural need work! Very proud of her, she is still only 12

Grade 6 Violin at the age of 12 - Wow!!!

I STILL haven't got my results. I'm not too worried cos I know for definate that I havent passed, but I would like to see the mark sheet to know where to improve.

Well done to your daughter Violinma - that's fantastic

Has anyone else found out their results yet?
I'm DYING to know what i got It's been 2 weeks today - my next lesson is next Wednesday and will have been 3 weeks since my exam - do you think my teacher will have my results by then?

Congratulations to all who know they've passed, and for those still waiting, there's a perfect Japanese greeting - "otsukare-sama!" (You must be tired, you worked so hard etc.!)

I've never done very well in my violin exams although people have always remarked on how good I am.(skipped grade 1, 121 for 2, 105 for 3, 110 for 4, 105 for 5). Apparantly I've had tough examiners for a few of them. 10 people went in for exams the day I done my grade 3 and only myself and someone else passed although apparantly everyone deserved too. my teacher ran around the room with an apple in one hand and the mark sheet in the other screaming about how she'd been listening at the door and I should have got a disticntion, (whilst turning steadily scarlet until the point that she resembled a beetroot - NO JOKE!). I COMPLETELY messed up grade 4 and came out practically in tears - in fact the only reason I wasn't in tears was because I was in school and had a lesson to go to. There were a good 15 - 20 violinists/singers going in for an exam the day of my grade 5. none of them got anything other than a pass. Of course the 3 pianists all got merits and disticntions - biased? Just maybe. . . . .

Anyway, I'm ALWAYS really really nervous before a violin exam to the point of hperventilating. (I was hyperventilating 3 WEEKS BEFORE MY GRADE 5!!!!!!)

I guess some people get better deals than others when it comes to exams.
I've done my grade 2 voice and I think it went well . . I wasn't half as nervous for it than for my violin exams.
hopefully it'll be a good result!

Sorry to hear about that i_love_stripey_things. It does indeed sound biased! Did your teacher complain?

I get SO nervous for flute exams to the point where i have a panic attack and tense up my hands, to the point where i can barely breathe and lose the feeling in my hands completely :lol Not nice. I'm very nervous with my flute in any concerts/exams/even rehersals despite being diploma level. It's weird. I'm confident in my ability to play flute - just i have no ability to even speak to a stranger let alone play infront a load of them!
With my violin however i'm much more confident. I dunno if it was cause it was only grade 4 and i've done grade 8s, but i didn't feel the SLIGHTEST nerve before or during my violin exam :s Infact it seemed to be over before i knew it - but that wasn't me imagining things, when i came out my teacher was like gosh that was quick! Dunno if that's a good or bad sign though!
But probably the reason i wasn't nervous is that i was totally prepared in every way for this exam. Knew every scale inside out, knew my pieces off by heart, had done heaps of aurals and sight reading too. I just really hope the marks reflect my hard work! x_x I'm dying to know what i got! >___<

I PASSED MY GRADE 5!! Wooooo!!

Only by 2 marks but I still passed

Congratulations Morgan's Munchkin!! I am dreaming of being in your place as then I can join my local amateur orchestra for 'rehersals only' (need to be grade 7 or more for performances) I am hoping I can do grade 5 next year.

HOOORAY!! That's great news because you've waited so long for your results!!!

Yaaay well done!

What was the date of your exam?
*is wondering how long i will have to wait* It's been 2 weeks and 3 days i don't know how much longer i can wait

My exam was the 7th

Oh no! Mine was the 19th! Seems i have a long wait yet

it's pretty sad when i look at my grade 7 violin results today...
i got only 90 and failed!!!
i was so sad that i cried, i cannot believe that this had happened! i had worked so hard for it and pay so much also but in the end i got this result... i really depressed now...
i think since i had failed my exam, i wont be able to teach already...
ciao everyone, i think i am going to quit violin already. i have got a pretty big academic exam this year too...
so i got to concentrate on it... but until then... i guess i had to sing myself a sad song...

crazymee, I am sorry for your sad news...
but please don't feel like you have to quit! The exam is just a snippet in our lives. I understand you have a lot of work to do on other things like your other exam, but surely you can still play your violin 'just for enjoyment' whilst your efforts go on the other exam? Or don't you enjoy playing violin???
I love playing violin, if an exam was important for me to achieve something (like being able to play in an orchestra or teach) of course it would be a big blow and would feel depressed, but it wouldn't put me off playing as it is like my daily dose of Gin/Coffee/whatever makes you tick in life.
If you were playing violin merely to achieve one of many things in life and not for enjoyment also then I understand.
Anyway, I am really sorry you had the result you really did not expect, after like you said, you have worked so hard at it, I had this happening too in my life (not with playing but with an academic exam) and it is very frustrating and depressing.
Hugs coming your way, not just from me but from all the others I am sure

Crazymee, honeybun, don't take it too hard! Combining higher exams and music exams is hard, hard, hard.

I bet you do feel fed up, but what you did achieve in your exam, you did achieve. Take a look at the mark sheet with your teacher, and see what he or she thinks - what was the problem, and what's the best way forward - get back on the horse, or do something less stressful?

hey guys thank you for your comforts...
after some thoughts, i think i am going to drop violin exams entirely and concentrate on just learning it normally, for i know that i still love the violin. i think i will be joining a string ensemble next year in my junior college and play the violin bcos i like it! and not bcos of exams? wat are exams anyway?

GREAT decision crazymee
you will see how much more you will enjoy it without the exams 'pressure'!
I recently had to sit grade 3 and didn't at the end because of an injured back and hand and my accompanist not being able to make it either! now I know I want to take grade 5 but sometime next year, maybe march maybe june, whenever I feel ready. So now I have a year without having to rehearse and prepare for exams I feel SO liberated, I am learning pieces I LIKE rather then ones I have to learn and I take my time and really enjoy them, am having a fantastic time!!!! you will too
ps the reason why I want to take my grade 5 is because then I will be 'allowed' to join my local amateur orchestra for 'rehearsals only' (they will 'allow me' to go on stage with them once I reach grade 7)
Have fun fun fun with your violin, you will need moments of fun in between all that studying for your academic exam!