Anyone else going tomorrow evening at Oxford Circus? I appear to have been pulled out of the hat to join a discussion group for AB market research.....thought I may as well give them my 2ps worth...

Anyway, let me know if I should wear my Bagpuss name badge....

Research-Bag x

Please could you tell them that I think that their exam booking system needs to be much better?

If you've never entered an exam before, then it is really helpful to know where the likely centre will be.

They could also do better at advanced notice of likely dates. I read people on here saying things like "My centre always has exams during the first week." If that is likely, then it would helpful to let people know.

Thanks Bag.

I know absolutely nothing about it. Care to share please?

Last time I did something similar, I did inform the masses that I was b-c

Hope it goes well!

porilo - there's nowt much to tell - I got an email inviting me along and I thought, yeah, why not?!

Rest assured The Bag has Plenty to say.

Will report back...

Market-Bag x

It's the first I've heard about it.

Thanks for the heads-up!

in-the-dark-mag

I think the theory syllabus should match up more with the practical one.

For example a student is expected to understand how to write scales with four sharps and flats (in major and minor keys) at Grade 3 Theory level but doesn't play them until Grade 4 Practical.

Also, I would like more feedback from student's who have sat Theory exams rather than just a sheet with marks out of 10.

Finally, aren't they concerned that so many young students are sitting high level exams, getting high marks, yet not understanding what is written in front of them? (this comes from personal experience and does not necessarily reflect on ALL young students)

I think it would be impossible for this to be so for all instruments.

I know it would be! The theory syllabus would have to be different for each instrument : utterly impractical.

Is attendance at this event by invitation only?

If you need grade 5 theory before grade 6, surely it is reasonable for grade 3 theory before grade 4 ?

Grade 5/6 is like the line between foundation and advanced for both theory and practical.

I was making the point that the theory relates to the next grade, so it is reasonable for the scales to match to the next grade. (But I can't see why it would matter if they were different personally. )

I tend to find student's have a better understanding of the theory once they've put it into practice.

I'm uncertain of the syllabus requirements for all instruments but I wouldn't be as defeatist as some as trying to find a solution.

Yes, I'm not sure how they could do this, but one year our usual centre changed its weeks rather drastically due to a wedding being held there, and it would have been very useful to know this so I could have asked for our next nearest centre.

Trinity usually indicate roughly the dates that they will be in a centre, and London College also give a bit of advance notice - not specific dates, but just weeks.

Well, it was very full-on and intense but most enjoyable.

The purpose I suspect was to gauge ideas/feelings as the Board move into the next phase of keeping their place in the market.

Only time will tell as to whether our opinions count for anything!

Will try to post in more detail when I get proper time. Right now, The Bag is off to see her accountant to collect her sticker for being the first client with a completed 2011-2012 Tax Return

Tax-Bag x

if there should be a chnance to mention the extremely big jump in the technical requirements between Grades 1 and 2 piano ...... cos if they want to keep the market there isn't a lot of point in putting such a big hurdle for the average learner at Grade 2. It could ber a cut off point for quite a few.

Also I would like to see a bit more logic in the sight reading syllabus and a pretty hefty revision of the recortder syllabus - asking Grade 1 trebles to playbottom F is a tall order.

Oh and no more of those awful piano arrangements of dreadful songs/tunes that the children don't know and don't want to know. I'm not against arrangements as such but the choice has been pretty grim with some not very valuable musical material.

Apart from that I'm fairly satisfied!