hiya all,



i just joined last night, i have posted a little about me in the newbie section but i have problems already. so thought i would post here too.

well the crux of the matter is; i have just started to learn the clarinet again(currently by myself while i look for a tutor) and i want to study to Gcse level music aswell as my theory is seriously lacking. but i have no idea how to go about this as a mature student. i have called my local colleges and they dont offer any adult music education except in beginner guitar what they do offer is full time as/a2 level which would be nice apart from not being able to commit to full time education right now i dont have the entry requirement skill level as i have never taken any exams in music that i remember. and as i try to work through my old work books i kept i realise just how much i have forgotten and my theory is seriously lacking. so i would be lost in an A leval class.

so my questions are...

is it possible for me as a mature student to study gcse music and if so can anyone tell me how and where i can find a tutor or class to help?

how do i take the exams if i am without a school?

my current goal with learning the clarinet again is to be able to join a quartet or group and be at a level able to perform. but i wont deny that in an ideal world i would love to be part of an orchestra so another questions is....

considering my goals is formal graded structured education really neccesary? am i too late to go down the formal education route? is formal education the only way to get there?

i dont want to just dabble with the clarinet now after i have waited patiently for so long to be able to get back to it. i'm really takeing this seriously but i am so confused i dont know which way to turn. first things first though i need to find a tutor

oh sorry i'm rabbiting, i do that.

i really appreciate any comments anyone may have and i look forward to hearing from you

Netty

For your playing and theory wants I'd think that getting a clarinet teacher could be a good move.
A good instrument teacher would include theory (particularly if you really wanted it) as part of your lessons. This may begin as a natural by product of learning to play the music but could also involve preparing for graded theory exams if you wanted. Or you could learn the theory alongside your playing but choose not to do the exam in the same way you may choose not to take instrumental exams.

From what I've read on here the theory needed at GCSE level is pretty basic but it does include other elements of course.

Hi Clari-Netty

Do you know the web site www.musicteachers.co.uk if you're looking for a teacher? Or does your local education authority have music centres - mine offers group classes (instrumental and orchestral) for all levels on a Saturday morning.

Can't answer your other questions I'm afraid, but I enjoyed the rabbit

With regards to the GCSE stuff... you say AS level is available but you don't have the time and don't have the right qualifications. My personal experience is that I did AS and A Level having never done GCSE and having only started instrumental lessons a few months previously. I did singing as my main instrument for the performance element as I wasn't really good enough yet on my other instruments (piano and clarinet) but could just about cope with songs of about the level required for A level.

So it is possible to do A level without much previous musical experience, and I did quite well, got a B grade. All that I did before starting the course was to buy the Associated Board guides to music theory (books 1 and 2) and swotted up on these the summer before. Apart from that I was just passionate about music and desperate to learn about it. When we started the course I found that many of the other students didn't know some of the basic things from the theory book even though they'd done GCSE. Since then I have gone on to study music at university as well and if I'd have thought negatively and hadn't attempted A level, my life would be very different right now.

One A level is not that time consuming either, considering that full time students at school frequently do four or even five A-levels at the same time. I think at our school the lessons were about 3 hours a week, obviously with some extra individual study.

Having said all that, I don't know how much time you have, what level you are at, etc. Perhaps you still feel that GCSE is the best option for you, but if your local college is already offering A level classes and you struggle to find anything else, don't rule out A level.

As for it being too late to pursue music - don't worry, that just simply isn't true. Find yourself a really good clarinet teacher and go from there.

Good luck!

Sorry, just re-read your post and it seems like your goals are more about performing, in which case you don't really need formal qualifications, although these are still nice to have! GCSEs and A-levels are definitely not the be-all and end-all. However, qualifications might be useful if you decided to go for a more advanced course in the future, such as a degree.

Hi Netty. Welcome to the forums!

I've recently got back into playing oboe as an adult, after taking grade 5 a few years ago and have already been able to join a local orchestra! So definitely not too late.

I think if you want to perform then finding a good teacher and getting a few grades is a good way, and if you can work through the theory all the better. You will need grade 5 theory anyway to do the higher grades and they will be a good foundation if you decide you want to go down the A-level route. I've heard that grade 6 theory is about equivalent to A-level.

I found my teacher through my local music shop - so, if you have one, it is worth going into ask them. they may also have ads from people wanting to play together in small groups (or you could put an advert up). Otherwise your teacher maybe able to advise you of local groups. Also have a look on the internet/ local papers for local orchestras. There are quite a few around.

I already knew of the one that I joined, found the website and then emailed the conductor who invited me to go and listen to a rehearsal. It is a great way to make friends and I know that there is at least one quartet that has got together through the orchestra, so could be a way of getting into playing with groups. Even if you are not of the right standard for that particular orchestra they maybe able to recommend another one, and may also be a another good contact for finding local teachers.

There are also lots of forum events that give opportunity for performing in groups/ solo at all levels - though I've not been to one yet as I'm still fairly new too!

Hope that's helpful - and good luck with your search.

Skylark

thanks for the link, i had a look and found 5 in my immediate area and one seems to be right round the corner. one of them seems to offer everything i want...ie clarinet lessons, theory and also for the future they teach both flute and Violin ) i also had a look in the good old yellow pages but couldnt find any clarinet teachers near me, called my local schools and colleges to see if they had any they all said no. hopefully i'll be able to pick one or two from those i just found. i never thought of looking at my local council either. i didnt find any lessons but i found out we have a local community orchestra , when i have more time i will go through the website properly and find out what else i have missed in my area. thanks for the links etc

Bass Cleff&FLobiano

shows how much i know i thought a grade 8 was equivalent to A* gcse level... so what is a grade 8 then in old fashion system

when you put it like that it makes perfect sense. lol. i could defo manage a few hours or a day a week.when i called the colleges and asked for help they all said they had nothing at all. and only one said they had full time only. i asked do you mean 9-3 monday to friday and she said " perhaps not those exact hours but yes" she didnt say about the Alevel course i found that on the website at a later date of it only being a few hours. i will have to call again and perhaps talk to them about entry requirements. i think i was clinging to the GCSe notion as its what familer to me. also i'll be a 30 year old in a class full of 17-18yr old i would be feeling rather self conscious

i only found out the other day that my local music shop has shut down, but while looking for e new one i found an ad for a new store opening in my are over the comeing weeks so i will also check out what they have to offer. aparently they are puttign on a big show


all in all thanks everyone for the llinks and ideas i feel mch better now and i can see a way to move forwardi was in a real slump when i sat down to write the thread but i can see clearly now (the rain has gone)

That made me laugh out loud

If you go to the Forum Events sub-forum in General Music, you'll see a thread pinned at the top called Playing Opportunities near You. If you look at the first post, you'll see various orchestras which forum members are involved with, and at the bottom of the list, there's a link to the Amateur Orchestras web site. If you see "community" orchestras mentioned, they generally have lower entrance levels than some of the other amateur orchestras

When I studied theory as an adult learner, I independently studied the AB Guide to Music Theory part 1, then worked my way through Music Theory in Practice from Grade 1 to Grade 5. One day I 'delighted' my teacher with a request to mark my grade books. Once I was confident, I did some practice grade papers, which my teacher marked.

I found the books were so clear and logical that I needed very few explanations from my teacher. Perhaps you could study these until you have found a suitable teacher?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1854724460/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Music-Theory-Pract.../dp/1860969429/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Music-Theory-Pract.../dp/184849114X/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Theory-Music-Exams...e/dp/1860969615
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Theory-Music-Exams...s/dp/186096981X

In times gone by (long since!) students at about grade 4-5 would be tackling "O" level music, and grades 7-8 the "A" level - my understanding is that GCSEs/Standard grades in Scotland are now looking at nearer to grade 3 level performance, Scottish Highers about grades 5-6? Not sure about "A" levels - they are taken after a longer study period than Highers are - but I would doubt they'd ask for grade 8 level playing now.

You definitely would be advised to get a teacher first and foremost. If you want to play in amateur groups, then simply getting your playing standard up to scratch would be all you'd need to aim for (that and networking madly to get contacts to play with....) - if you want to make a career out of music, then yes, you'd probably be best looking at getting some qualifications, and which ones you get would depend very much on what you wanted to do within music. I know a professional cellist who went to music college having not done any grades at all - she had enough experience in schools orchestras, had good teachers and played in festivals, so that she had a lot of performance experience, and that was enough to get her in. Doing grades though, especially if you cover theory as well, would give you a thorough grounding in music, and if you have other qualifications, might well be enough to mee the needs for study at a level higher than school, if that's what you want to do. It's certainly not too late to start aiming to play well - I started recorder playing at 21, had to stop for a good number of years because of career and kids, restarted at about 37, and now at 44 have a couple of diplomata. I'm not sure I could make a career out of music but that has more to do with being only too comfortable where I am in my current job .

thanks for the links to the books judithj, i think i bought two of them from the brittania music sale mentioned in a thread on here. well actually i bought 17 assorted clarinet books hopefully they will be able to help me out better than what i have already i just have to hope they are all in stock.

thanks for clearing that up about the gradeing. i looked on the site and found the syllabus for each grade so i will have a look at that and see where i am prob 1 as right now though i can barely remember the notes/fingering so joining any groups, eager as i am, is a bit of a way off i am just exploring my plans.

i dont know that i could make a career out of my music, my playing i dont even know if im going to be any good yet...i dream of being part of a big symphonie orchestra, and playing to ballets... (one time i even fantasised about becoming a conductor) i dont know i have the confidence, desire or skill to be a soloist....i shatter under all the attention i'm no good in the spotlight i wouldnt be able to play twinkle twinkle stood up there on my own. i dont have any desire to teach i'm afraid to say, i just want to play, i want to make music...i want to make my clarinet sing...and also i want to stop crying everytime i see or hear a beautiful performance, not just because its is a beautiful performance but i cry because i want it to be me up there..... wooo were did that come from.. i dont know what other directions my music could take me

I really like your attitude Clari-Netty!

Plenty of good advice above : one thing I can add : many local orchestras/wind bands may well have musicians who also teach - it might be worth contacting some local groupsto see what they say.

May I also add that it'd be great to see you at a forum event at some stage! (see forum events sub-forum)

Hiya. If it's possible I'd try not to worry what direction it will take you, just enjoy the journey I grew up in brass bands and orchestras and am now playing trumpet in a band in pubs, clubs and allsorts and actually experienced a stage invasion by a load of teenagers last month at an outdoor event! Now nobody could have told me that's what I'd be doing at 33 and yet I love it Now just experiencing the same thing with piano. Concert pianist I don't think I'll ever be but I just dream of the time I'll be able to do all my favourite composers justice (dreams)....one day.......

Hiya yea you guys are right, i wont get bogged down with the what might and might not be and should just concentrate on enjoying what is...and focus on priority one....finding a teacher and remembering what the h i'm doing lol....and have fun doing it

i have missed the Alevel course entry for this year so that means it will be sept next year so that gives me a good 10 months to push myself to a level i would be comfortable at or to perhaps even try getting arbsm grades with private tuition.

thanks again as barry-clarri said there is loads of great advice on this thread for me i reallly appreciate it and at some point i'm sure you'll see me hiding in the corner of some forum event being to shy to say helooo