What are diplomas all about?

Sorry if you get this a lot but i really don't understand what Music diplomas are about. I've looked on various websites, but they haven't been that helpful.

After i do my grade 8 (hopefully this time next year) i will start doing work for diploma (i think) so I'd like to know more about them.

I'm assuming that these diplomas are different from the ones that you go to university/college/etc. to study.

Can someone explain some of this for me please? Like what age do you have to be before you begin? Do you have to go to university? Do you have set pieces, or what? What kind of sections are they divided into? What else can you tell me?

I'm not asking about a certain exam board, just diplomas in general.

You should be able to find quite a lot about the ABRSM diplomas from their website. I don't know much about the other boards, but for ABRSM you can do Diplomas in instrumental teaching, music performance or music direction; each of these has 3 levels: DipABRSM, LRSM, FRSM, and you build on them, i.e. you can't take LRSM until you've passed DipABRSM.

DipABRSM, is the diploma you would take first, and you have to have a pass at grade 8 to do it. I think you can do it at any age for performance, though your parents have to enter you if you're under 16; if you do the teaching one you must be at least 18. If you're doing the music performance option you do a 35 minute accompanied recital using works from the diploma repertoire (available online) with one own choice work if you like. You also do programme notes of 1100 words and have a viva voce (a sort of interview where they ask you about the pieces you've performed, where they fit in the composer's repertoire, what their structure is, etc) which lasts about 10 minutes. Then there's the Quick Study, which is a piece of sightreading at around grade 6 standard, specially composed for the diploma.

You have to pass all three parts: recital, viva voce and quick study, to pass the diploma. It usually takes 2 or 3 years to go from a pass at grade 8 to diploma standard, so you needn't worry too much about it yet. If you're doing it on piano I think you have to do the recital from memory, as that's what pianists do, but my son used music for his clarinet one.

I think the other boards are similar in terms of the recital, but the supporting tests are different. People on the forums have said that it's best to choose your board to fit with your abilities in terms of these supporting tests, but we actually chose DipABRSM because the centre wasn't too far away and their diploma week was after A-levels, whereas the others were in June.

Hope that helps!

Thanks berkshiremum! that reply was incredibly helpful.
Now i know about diplomas. :-)

I've done viva voce before, but it was quite easy. From what you're saying it seems quite hard.
I'd suppose it'd have to be, at a diploma level.

Just to clarify, you don't have to play from memory. You won't gain marks if you do, but if you choose to and forget what you're playing you'll obviously lose marks, so unless you're super confident, I wouldn't advise it!

Phew, i'm relieved.

You should really do it! I encourage you do try it.

Not having to perform from memory was an advantage for me. Ever since I've had my really severe migraines I've had problems memorising long programmes so now prefer to sing from music. Before they happened memorisation was easy, but now it is a problem.

Try it by all means but remember, the examiners would rather you use music and perform well, than try to memorise and fall flat on your face.