Does anyone have the Diploma DVD, "Achieving Success", from ABRSM Publishing?

http://www.abrsmpub.co.uk/publications.html

Is it useful. Also, what instruments are covered. Mine would be in clarinet (it would be an achievment to get grade 8 for another instrumet let alone a diploma ). Obviously you could learn from something that is not necessarily you instrument, but some clarinetists featured may be useful.

thanks in advance

Haven't seen this and didn't know there was to get. Hopefully someone else will have seen one.

I think that Lafrog, and possibly a few other people, got copies of it last Autumn before the Christmas exam session. Have a look back through the discussions on this board.

I have a vague idea that it wasn't as useful as people had hoped.

Cheers

Katyjay

Thanks Katyjay. I did find this thread in the search function before I started this.

http://forums.abrsm.org/index.php?act=ST&f...hieving+success

It would have been very new then, and I was hopeful more people may have it by now. I'll get it anyway and see what I think, and it does say clarinetists are included. (didn't look close enough, thanks margaret) lol lafrog, who would want to be recorded in their actual exam?

Instruments included on the film are:

Piano
Violin
Clarinet
Singing
Oboe

There are performances at DipABRSM across these instruments, plus LRSM and FRSM performances on piano. All of the performances include a commentary by Clara Taylor, Chief Examiner and the mark awarded is given. This makes it very useful in getting an idea of what's expected at each of the diploma levels.

Also included on the film, is an interview with an examiner about what's being looked for and interviews with successful candidates about how they prepared. There is also general advice on preparing.

It's available either as a DVD or a video, from all good retailers or direct from the new ABRSM Publishing website.

I hope that helps.

Ben Selby
Marketing Manager
ABRSM Publishing

I've just ordered my copy from my music shop, so I can't wait to get it now.. sounds like a great help for the diploma process.

Joy

Be interested to hear how helpful you find it, joy.

QUOTE (sarah-flute @ May 18 2005, 01:25 PM)

Be interested to hear how helpful you find it, joy.

Yep I shall let you all know how I find it when I get it

I just got it this morning and watched most of it. The interviews are very insightful, and show what examiners are looking for. They also give some good advice how to prepare.

The performances above all show it does not require perfection, though still a high level. The Messager on the clarinet was just like my performance of it last week, ie "not under full technical control, but a good level of excitement". Apart from the FRSM performance, there are always positive and negative comments, like such and such could be better, but overall an assured performance. The only problem is probably none of those were recorded in their actual exam, so we are effectively seeing one performance, and a mark for another performance they did. It is still helpful to the standard looked for, and the voice over comments on what is good, and what you may get marked down for.

We await your verdict joyjoy.

Well i've finally got my dvd for the diploma performance, and i've watched a few minutes of it so far, and it's already helpful, in the respect that it interviews past diploma candidates etc, and goes into detail as to what to expect, how to prepare etc. It's definitely worth a look, if you are doing a performance diploma.

It has some great clips of performacnes on it too! Which i will watch more of later.

joy

Hi joyjoy. Yes the interviews are good, and the candidates ask questions as well to get examiner's viewpoits. Of the performances, be sure to watch the FRSM one, and I think the violinist was outsatanding too. Glad it's useful so far.

I have it, the interviews and the excerpts were pretty useful, pity i'm moving my dip a year later though.

Yeah, the FRSM one is excellent isn't it!! I was very impressed. Having now watched the whole dvd, I must say it's given me the kick up the backside I needed to really start thinking about pieces properly etc. It's about getting a nice balance between pieces that is the difficult thing.

I will be playing Beethoven's Sonata in C minor, Pathetique as one of my pieces, not sure what else to do yet. Anyone else preparing for it now and is thinking about pieces to play?

joy