Well my stuff has arrived from the OU. Haven't opened it yet but hope to in a minute if I don't get distracted. How exciting!

Anyone else signed up for the A214 to start in February 2009?

ET

If you haven't discovered it, there is (or was at the time I did the course a couple of years ago) a lively A214 forum on the OU website.

Hope you enjoy the course; A214 is great fun, particularly the summer school

Agreed

Hi Panthera

I have been told that the summer school is great fun and looking forward to it. Haven't found the A214 forum yet, been in the practise forum, is that the correct place? It could be that because the materials have only just gone out that the A214 forum isn't set up yet, do you think?

Have browsed through the course material and to be honest it looks quite frightening. I have taken up to Grade 5 ABRSM theory and working on Grade 6, I dread to think what it would be like if you come in from no knowledge.

Maybe once I go through the modules properly it wont be so hard, do you think?

ET

Here's the AB arts forums board:
http://webfc1.open.ac.uk/Login/Open%20Univ...%20Arts%20Room/

You'll need your log-on details to access it. I'm expecting to lose my access any day now ... finished my OU course two years ago, but have been lurking ever since!

Hi ET

Your prior knowledge will stand you in good stead for this course! They start at the very beginning by tapping out rhythms, to naming notes on the keyboard etc. Some of this may be too basic for you, but it's worth sticking with as the first TMA is based on this work and should be a doddle for you! The work becomes more technical as it goes on, but you will have good back up from your course tutor and monthly tutorials where you can get lots of good peer support.

The course materials are excellent. Make sure you have a "triangle" system set up of stereo/DVD/keyboard as you will need to jump from one to the other in fairly rapid succession! And as others have said, the Summer school is hard work but fun too. Wall to wall music for a week!

There is an "OU Support" thread on here too. You can always post on there for advice once you get started.

I hope you enjoy the course!

I have just finished A214 and really enjoyed it - the results are out shortly. The first half I found relatively easy but it stepped up in the second half with writing harmonies - but i loved this part too.

I didn't do the summer school as I have small children so I did the ALE instead - it was fine, but I feel it added pressure that I didn't need at that time - I would much rather have gone to summer school.

My books for AA317 arrived this week - Words and Music or something so I am really looking forward to that too.

Elizabeth

Hi Brian

Thanks for the link but unfortunately I can't get it to work. Maybe I have to wait until the course website opens in January.

ET



Hi Daisychain

Thanks for your vote of confidence, I hope that you are right. Thanks for the tips about the triangle system too.

The OU support thread, is that on this forum?

ET



Hi Elizabeth

Good Luck with your results, I am glad that you enjoyed the course. I plan to do the summer school as my youngest will be 12years old by then, so I think him and his dad will just have to cope for a week. I managed 3 days away in October when I went on a piano course and it was so lovely to have all that time just spent on music.

I am looking forward to finding out who my tutor will be and when and where the get togethers will be.

I plan to do Words and Music next.

Seems like a few of you have done the A214 so I know where to come when I get stuck.

ET

You'll be fine! Here's the link..

http://forums.abrsm.org/index.php?showtopic=25787&hl=





We were lucky..I think we were the first year that they changed to CD's..we still had videos though. I had DVD's for my other courses.

I'm sure you'll be fine, ET. I started A214 with very vague (meaning mostly absent ) recollection/knowledge of any musical theory and still passed with no problem -- and with lots of fun along the way. (I did my grade 5 theory when I was about 10 and only did A214 in my mid-twenties; also I haven't restarted the piano at the time, so I could barely play anything either.) Yes, it's a very steep learning curve once you're past the basics in the first few books, but as others mentioned, you'll have lots of support both from the tutor and other students on the A214 forum (so be sure you find it before you start the course!).

Btw, you can also access the forum from your StudentHome if you have already received your OU log-in details. If I remember correctly, your StudentHome is there once you've registered regardless of whether your course web site is opened (which is usually some time in Jan/Feb).

Hi thanks Panthera, hopefully I should be ok as I still have theory fresh in my head and I am also up to Grade 4 piano.

By the way I have now found the A214 forum. Not quite sure how to use it yet, but then I have time to play around, as the course starts in February.

Thanks everyone.

ET

Just wondering if anyone got their A214 results today?

I got a grade 2 pass, so I am pretty pleased with that.

Anyone else out there ......?

Elizabeth

I'm going to sign up today......

I've done it...... I've signed up

I have to say that I find the leap from Grade 5 to 6 quite a shock.

One problem is that the books I've found are not exactly well written. Perhaps the latest edition Eric Taylor are better, but I never liked the older ones.

One solution I discovered was to just take notes from a variety of sources and build your own textbook... well sort of.

I'd love to do that OU course but the last time I looked, all the other courses had gone, so if you want to do the Diploma, you're quite limited now.

Has it changed recently?

Steve

I think the best way to tackle grade 6+ theory is to study formal harmony /before/ moving on to the various grade 6 workbooks (Big 6, MTIP, Koh, etc.) - something like Harmony in Practice is a good starting point.

Hi Steve

You can do the AA317 Words and Music which is the level 3 course, that is what I intend to do next year when hopefully I will have passed the A214.

Go on go for it, there are a few days left to register, I think it is the 16th!

ET




Congratulations Elizabeth, hope that it will be me this time next year saying the same thing.

ET



Well done you Nicki!!

I look forward to us supporting and helping eachother and hopefully meeting at the summer school next year.

ET

I sat the exam in October and was praying to get 15% so that I could do the resit in April. However, just got letter to say I passed ...... 43%, so got an overall Grade 4 pass. I'm absolutely astounded.

Well done for Grade 2 pass Elizabeth. You must be good!!

I'd love to do the Music and Technology course next..

Well done