DS sent me an email tonight saying:





A minor, Eb major are two of his easiest scales and A major was one of his better. Dim in E normally a breeze and although better at A chromatic, C was ok too so unless the arpeggios were awful I think this swung in his favour.

I was hoping Sinfonia was spot on because when he gets it right it sounds amazing and examiner may have been more forgiving of other stuff. Who knows what he'll get but unless he has really guzzed it I am going to stick my neck out and say anywhere between 119 - 125!

Thanks to everyone who helped him in the run up to his exam (SueHM) and everyone who helped me in the run up to his exam. :hammockandcocktailemoticon:

My pupes' exams are in the last week.
You'll have your results while mine are still sweating over scales&arps!!

End of term next week so potentially no results until September.

Still standing by what I said - so don't be too busy RCMing and pre-test stressing in September to log on and tell the world that I am always right.

Daughter currently predicting 117-127 for herself (but hasn't sat the exam yet). This was after some complicated sum she did in the back of her scales book. I do still cherish a tiny hope of a distinction but her confidence is pretty shaky at the moment (year 6 teacher getting her very wound up about their piffling little school play .) Something in the 120s would be lovely - anything over 100 and I'm having that Pimms.

I have actually gone from being worried he'd get a low mark to being positively furious with the examiner if he gets below 115!

Snap! Daughter is in last year at current school and the wretched school play is taking over their lives! Additional after school rehearsals this week when daughters exams are on Thursday and she could really do with the extra home time to chill out and get some practise in. Two music exams in one day, luckily violin exam first as I think piano is going to be "challenging" judging from listening to last nights practise session (cringe) and then having to break my midweek no alcohol rule as a result! My prediction - violin exam - 120s would be great, capable of distinction but not sure as there a few things that might go wrong . As for piano, anything over 100 will be a result! Pimms on standby, if I can resist it that long............

Daughter's theory grade 5 - "Went pretty darn well, I think, merit, I may even have a distinction!"
I'm going with merit!!!

Singing Grade 5 she hopes for a merit due to dodgy sightsinging and accompanist error, but if he really liked her pieces she's hoping she might get 130!! Mmmmm 120-125 more like it, i think. Should find out in a few days....

Pimms on standby!!

I'm so pleased that DS isn't doing an exam this term and I sympathize with you all going through it. Then again I could still do with a Pimms myself!

Talking of school plays etc - the so called new "Head of Music' has not been putting any pupils forward for our local trust music days, etc. Turns out that she had been spending loads of time on the 'Isle of White' assembly that lasted an hour (they are usually 30 mins and Headmaster was a bit embarrassed!) and was like a professional production. Then the school Instrumental Concert is the day of the bl**dy teacher's strike and may be cancelled after weeks of practise. DS is getting really fed up of the 11+ training and has a strop at the littlest thing. Then he came home and announced that he'd decided to put himself up for Pupils Parliament so he's been writing and rewriting speeches, making posters and stickers! Plus he could do with some inspiration with his Viola! I know it's all not the same as the run-up to exams or the post exam waiting, but I really thought that we would get a quiet term. I haven't seen anything of Wimbledon yet! Anyway, my whinge over for today!

Good Luck for the coming exams and results - I'm hoping to hear lots of fantastic marks in the coming days/weeks. TDM - We're all waiting to see if you're right - your reputation is on the line here!!! Hey if you are, you could start making money predicting results! Mystic TDM!!!

Ooo - I just heard DS say "I love that piece Daddy" after playing Sailor's Hornpipe frantically!!! I feel a bit ill - I may need to sit down! DS turns 10 tomorrow so maybe that'll be a new start - yeah right!!!

He's not even 10 yet and he is writing speeches. Move over parents, this kid is in a different league!

PS. THAT WAS ONE HECK OF A MOAST!!!

And there speaks the hoastess with the moastest!!

Maybe we parents should actually form a forum 'moasting' club. You used to see a lot of references to the various clubs in people's signatures but it's rather died a death.
Who will join me in a round of moast?

Ha ha, sounds fun - you first!

GRRRR

LOL I'm in - but don't think I can compete with the rest of you!!

oh ye gods. In which case, could the mods please set up a subforum for it?

Have you noticed that it is near impossible to keep on topic on the parent threads!

I can never see why you should stay on topic once the original issue has been addressed. Threads are very boring when they have 40 people giving almost identical opinions on a topic.

(38 to go )

I agree (37) LOL

I just think that parents are a chatty bunch - after all we are talking about our own kids!!

OMG - I don't log on for a few hours and look what happens!!!

Am I the one being accused of Moasting?!!! If so, I didn't realised that I had - OMG again - maybe that's what I'm doing with the parents at school!!!

Once again - Violamum was shouted at by DS for 'helping too much' - hence the speech rewriting!!! But as DH and I are used to presenting we both find it hard to help at the 10 year old level!!! DS was happy with his speech yesterday morning (1 minute long BTW) and the reports were that it sounded very posh, which we think means it had grown up words in it!!! All we ever found out from school was that at age 7 and 3 months DS' reading age was 12 and 9 months, so we can't necessarily claim that was our doing. Now that was a Moast - gotta keep my reputation going now! Although given that JMNW has an IQ of about 10million, that is nothing!

Moasting with Pimms sounds like a good club to me! Count me in (36!)!!

Yes, mine had a higher reading age than yours but now aged 12 he no longer reads so it was all pretty pointless!

Well done to Violason, who against the odds is succeeding!

Mmmmm, what can I moast about today? Will think on...

I often say that I would rather geek boy got an A for effort rather than coming 1st in the form and getting a C for effort - does that count?

Oh good. Coz I think I made you President.

Both my children invariably come 2nd in their classes - never ever 1st - Daughter always with 5 out of 5 for effort - Son never with higher than a 3.

In DS' free time he either has his head in a book or his DS (Nintendo that is!)!! We'll see what happens in a couple of years time.

Hmmm "against the odds" does that refer to his mum by any chance?!!! Or the fact that he is thick compared to JMNW?!!!

We've always encouraged DS to do his best no matter how good that is. So far he's doing just fine for us! Wouldn't change him one bit - although getting ready for school without being late every morning, may just get a vote for change.

Of course not! Violason is a genius, just a hindered genius! Baboon boy is not a genius, but he too is hindered!

Are you back tracking - go on spit it out - he's hindered by a Moasty Mum!!!
Actually if I'm completely honest, a couple of years ago (pre-Viola), I do recall him telling me not to boast!!!

How can you say Baboon Boy isn't a genius? With an IQ of 6 Billion!!! I know Violason isn't a genius, and his only talent is going off into his dream world which means he gets side tracked and so gets nagged a lot for not doing things!! My talent is nagging! With Moasting a close second!!!

Well I'm a proud mum and also the president (according to TDM anyway) of the Moasting with Pimms Club, so I think I am allowed!!!

Talking of his dream world - we told him we were going to Kew Gardens last Sunday (10 minutes up the local A road) and he was so engrossed in talking about WW2 aircraft that he didn't even notice that we were actually on the M4 going the wrong way. Then he spotted Windsor Castle and realized that we were going to Legoland as a birthday treat!!! Works every time!!!

It's Geek boy that has an IQ of a billion! Baboon boy is....less able!

I only moast and boast on here. I mean I could never do it in real life so I just irritate anyone in the world who wants to log on and view!

Andante's kids are amazing but she is too modest and discrete to boast, so I'll just embarrass her! I'm sure she could get the position of keeping us on a tight reign within our society!

Not sure where that came from!


Going back to something someone said earlier, I got stunned looks at parents evening when I asked why DS had only got a B for effort in a subject. Then I explained to the teacher that I don't mind how he does , but anything less than 100% effort is not what I expect. Teacher seemed to think my question was quite reasonable then. I just couldn't understand why they seemed to think I should be thrilled by 80% effort.

Oh and onthe subject of why you get 40 posts all saying pretty much the same thing I decided earlier that it might be because people are using the ignore people button, and then aren't aware of what has been said. I've never used that button so not sure how it works. Does it mean that thoae posts are invisible, or you just don't get the orange "there are posts you haven't read" symbol on the new posts page?

Effort is much more important than results in our house! I don't think your question was unreasonable at all. I saw DS get very upset at an after school club when a girl got a prize for effort. Myself and other parents knew that they'd all worked really hard, put in 100% but not got such good results. So it should actually have been a results award!

Sorry to Genius JMNW - I get confused about your 2 boys!!! So Baboon Boy only has an IQ of 7000 then? Talking of Geeks - DS has just told me he won't get voted into Pupil's Parliament as he's seen as a Geek in his class! As long as he's happy and true to himself I don't care what the others think. Hopefully we've planted that into him too.

I do try not to boast, but sometimes when the 'mum's competition' started outside the school gates I couldn't control my mouth! I know - I should keep it shut and not get involved. I did manage it after DS said that to me. Now DS takes himself to school so I don't get involved in the mum's politics. And I don't miss it one bit! Moasting on here is different - besides it's easier to get shot back down to earth when you do it online!

OK I'm back in my place! Full of birthday cake and feeling a bit icky!

Andante don't be shy - tell all about your kids. I seem to have missed out somewhere!

I try not to post about DD1 as she sometimes posts on here and she can speak for herself. (Not that she has been on here for a while) DS is not as keen on his music as his sisters, but that's not to say he is unmusical, just lacks confidence and goes from lovely music to strange noises on his horn, currently working on grade 7. DD2 is the only one of the three who has never struggled with sightreading, and picks things up quickly, but tends to speed up and slow down on the piano depending on dynamics (loud and fast, soft and slow!), got to grade 4 on flute and then switched to bassoon in September, and seems to be enjoying it so far.

This one's not a moast (I don't think) but....daughter went to her music teacher last Friday and asked what solo he wanted her to do in next Wed's end of term concert. He looked a little taken aback, apparently and said he hadn't planned on any solos from anyone. So she offered him 2 - and said that everyone would be expecting one as it was her last year, she won school musician of the year last year and had sung solo in every concert since she joined!

He asked for the score on Monday so it looks like she has her way!! Oh and the school claps the leavers out the door on the last day of school - she is leaving a week early, at the concert (yes, they made it that date for her!!) as she has a chance to go on a camping holiday with her grandparents for a month, so they are planning on clapping her out on her own that night!!!

Going to be a fun evening!

Back on topic - 118 in mock.
Teacher pointed out that there were 22 marks that were up for grabs with a bit of concentration (no, not an error in maths, the marks that he thought were max possible on a good day)

Intensive practice now...

That sounds great - what a lovely end to her time at the school, hope it goes well!

Daughters school had their leavers soloists concert yesterday, a great event at which any of the Y6s can get up and solo on just about anything they like. A mix of very talented to musicians to a group of girls singing Adele, very entertaining and huge fun. Daughter was chuffed as she got the final spot of the evening, known as THE spot to have to finish off the concert, sad though to know it was their last performances, a few hankies out!

ps - I woke up this morning with nothing to worry about having got both her exams and the concert out of the way yesterday!! Odd feeling! Sure it will soon be replaced by worrying about the impending marks

Andante - it sounds like you have a wonderful musical brood there - you should be proud and a little Moast every so often is definitely in order!!

Dawn - that is a Moast and rightly so too!!! Your DD sounds like she knows exactly what she wants and is prepared to go and get it. Good for her! And what a fantastic way to end her time at school too. I see a few tears on the horizon next Wednesday!

Sorry Dulcet - the topic seemed to get lost!! Good luck and get working on those 22 extra marks!


Off topic again - DS came home with a letter saying that 2/3 of school doesn't have teachers next Thursday, but school will be open for the other 1/3. Plus they are still doing their Instrumental Concert that evening, so all that practise isn't going to waste. Also the Double Bass player leaves this term, so the Quintet will get to play their only concert!

Back on track (sort of - for now )
My friend's daughter took her Grade 2 clarinet yesterday. Mindful of our thread here, I asked her how she thought she did.
Long pause for thought .... "How many marks will they take off because I fell over in the aural?"

love it - that's a new one! She should get extra marks for performance flair!

Well Daughter got 117 for G5 singing. I'm happy, knowing the probs she had in the exam with the accompanist, and she only got 12 for her sightread - she stopped and started again. Think she is going to be disappointed she missed her merit, though. Looking forward to seeing the marksheet!!

Great result!

It is always bitter-sweet though when it is so close to a merit although 119 and 129 must be especially galling!

When did she sit her test and did you enter her privately? I 'm just trying to work out the odds of when we'll get our results. The last exams are today so I assume that none of them will be processed until the final one is done eventhough his test was on Monday.

Thanks - we had 4 days of exams here, finishing last Friday (with mine ). So one week after the last exam for the results. But this is Gib....
Maybe next time she'll listen to me when I prod her about practicing sightreading!!
Looking forward to the theory result next...I predict merit

Very well done to your daughter. After the accompanist problem she could so easily have fallen to pieces. It's a very good pass indeed and, once the initial (so near and yet so far!) disappointment is over I hope she'll be proud of it.
So here's hoping now for a great Theory result.

Thanks guys, teacher is going to call her in a minute!

Kate got 25/26s across her 4 pieces, 12 sightreading and 14 aural. She got nervous and her tone went on the top notes.
Sounds like the examiner was quite hard on sightreading and aural for everyone; but these were the first exams all the kids had done, the first put in by the teacher (apart from my grade 8 last year) and most on only a year or less of lessons, so a high pass for grade 1 (he's 10) & grade 4 for an older one, Kate 's 117, then one merit 125 grade 4 (older) and a 121 for a grade 8 -on 18 months of lessons - were a great set of results. Sightreading was a problem across the board apart from the grade 1 but we expected that, most couldn't read music at all just a few months ago!!
Hopefully the next set will be a notch up on these....

Sounds like the marks for the pieces weren't affected by the accompanist problems. I would have been surprised if they had taken any marks off for that, and would think that coping with that sort of disaster would go in her favour. (Sure I passed my driving test because I kept calm while the examiner was getting worked up about the dangerous manouvres being pulled by the car in front)

It made her very nervous, which tightened her tone and affected her top notes...we could hear it, and it continued through all her pieces. I think the marks are very fair, but on a normal day she could have had 28s. She's just called me and is really disappointed
But I gave her the mum pep talk, and she'll be fine in a day or two. Think that sightreading may now appear higher on her agenda without further prompting from me

Very sorry that your daughter is disappointed - as wise people are always saying here - the exam is just a snapshot of one performance - you and she both know there have been times when, for what ever reason, she has done a lot better.
A low sight reading mark is a great motivator though. I remember when Daughter got a 119 for G3 violin with a fail in sight reading. She's never had less than 19 since.

sight singing is notoriously difficult.

The need to keep going can not be emphasised enough. The criteria for marking are set out in "these music exams"

The thing is that in a choral setting a singer who stops and starts again is a hinderance, and many of the candidates taking this grade in the UK will have Choral training and will know this. These are the people who will get good sight-reading scores.

The piece scores are all merit marks, and the aural was a distinction mark, but to get a merit or distinction a candidate has to be consistent accross everything.

Hehehe that is what I'm hoping for...it's been an uphill struggle so far to get her to sit down with the right head on for it.

A real shame, things like that can really make a difference and a mark or two off each piece can make all the difference. Hope she gets over the disappointment quickly, it's still a really good solid pass so she should be proud of it. I know how my daughter will be if she misses a merit by a couple of marks, so can sympathise. Nail biting has now commenced!

Yup, I know that better than most after 30 years of alto choral singing and many years of orchestral playing my sightreading is very good. I often play/sing the piece better first time through than the second!

I was really proud of the entrant that I've been teaching theory/sightsinging to since Easter - when she knew nothing about reading music at all, and she came out with 14 at grade 4 sightsinging 3 months later. She really tried and practiced. Kate on the other hand, fought me all the way!!

Do I have the only child that doesn't seem to care what his mark is? I wish he did care just a little bit!!!

I got 12 for two exam sightreadings - and those were woodwind sightreadings. And even then I was renowned for my sightreading skills! Just goes to show, exam sightreading tests AREN'T REAL MUSIC ;-) so must be even harder for singers!

So is singing exam sight singing harder than other sight singing?

On another note I went to see DS sing tonight and afterwards he came straight up to me and said, "I've got really good marks in my exams Mum." Yippee, I thought as I asked him what the results were. "Oh, I don't know, I just know they'll be around distinction level."

Aww bless!!

Sightsinging is only as hard as the piece in front of you.....but it's trying to do all the dynamics and everything....if you are in a choir then you have others to keep in with! The problem is that many singers start and don't read music - learn songs from you tube etc.. and then struggle when they start to take exams.

I got all my old exam marksheets out tonight to prove to daughter that I got 110 for one exam, 118 for another exam, failed one, and was grateful for them!! She's feeling much happier tonight!!