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Music Lessons - Exams and Competitions

I encourage my students to enter exams and competitions: it gives an independent assessment and encourages practice - after all, no-one would turn up deliberately unprepared for an exam or a festival. Exams and competitions are not for everyone, but I find that those who don’t play in public and don’t take exams, suffer from two side-effects:
  • they tend not to resolve difficulties in pieces (on which progress relies), and
  • they do not usually follow a balanced syllabus: I think their rationale goes something like this. "Scales and sight-reading aren't are satisfying as learning pieces; I don't see an immediate benefit, and since I'm not doing exams, I'll miss them out for the time being". The time-being of course stretches for ever.
The apprehension that naturally comes with testing is offset by the sense of achievement that comes with passing. Even the cloud of failure sometimes has a silver lining - failing is often the catalyst for addressing the difficult decision to stop lessons, change teachers, or to reflect on the student’s own preparation (or more likely the lack of it!).

If these philosophical arguments don't convince you, then take a look at this article from the Associated Board about how exam passes at higher grades earn UCAS points:-

Associated Board - using your UCAS points

Exam results from recent exams, held in March 2009, are as follows:

Gender/ Age

Male - 6
Female - 11
Male - 12
Male - 13
Male - 13
Female - 13
Female - 14
Male - 15
Male - 8
Male - 10
Female - 10
Male - 11
Female - 11
Female - 12
Female - 13
Male - 13
Male - 14
Male - 14
Male - 16

Instrument/ Grade

Piano - PT
Piano - 3
Piano - 4
Piano - PT
Piano - 1
Piano - 6
Piano - 2
Piano - 5
Singing - 1
Singing - 1
Singing - 4
Singing - 1
Singing - 3
Singing - 2
Singing - 4
Singing - 5
Singing - First Concert Certificate
Theory - 5
Theory - 5

Board

ABRSM
ABRSM
ABRSM
ABRSM
ABRSM
ABRSM
ABRSM
ABRSM
ABRSM
ABRSM
ABRSM
ABRSM
ABRSM
ABRSM
ABRSM
ABRSM
Trinity Guildhall
ABRSM
ABRSM

Result

n/a - Pass
120 - Pass with Merit
109 - Pass
n/a - Pass
114 - Pass
125 - Pass with Merit
122 - Pass with Merit
125 - Pass with Merit
114 - Pass
107 - Pass
110 - Pass
110 - Pass
111 - Pass
111 - Pass
113 - Pass
123 - Pass with Merit
79% - Pass with Merit
71% - Pass
59% - Fail

Where entered

Privately
Thomas Deacon Academy
Thomas Deacon Academy
Thomas Deacon Academy
Thomas Deacon Academy
Privately
Thomas Deacon Academy
Thomas Deacon Academy
Privately
Stamford School
Privately
Stamford School
Privately
Privately
Privately
Stamford School
Privately
Privately
School

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Singing - First Concert Certificate

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