Examinations
Several of you are due to take exams this term. At them moment, all of these are going to be online exams. At the moment I am supporting two types of exam....the ABRSM Performance Grades, whereby 4 pieces are performed, but no supporting tests are needed; and the MTB online exams, which are very similar to ABRSM "normal" exams but are recorded and sent in for marking.
I am often asked whether or not I am happy to put students in for exams. My answer is always yes, where appropriate. Exams are not for everybody, and nor do they need to be; a good deal of time can be wasted in just jumping from one exam to another, and this is something I never encourage. The idea of an exam every year rules out so much "real" music-making, in the effort to learn 3 pieces and a set of scales. Many of my students do take piano and music theory exams, but they all do other things (as in ensemble playing, composition, accompaniment, different types of pieces) as well, so it is more usual skip some exams and enjoy music-making in the large gap between.
I am often asked whether or not I am happy to put students in for exams. My answer is always yes, where appropriate. Exams are not for everybody, and nor do they need to be; a good deal of time can be wasted in just jumping from one exam to another, and this is something I never encourage. The idea of an exam every year rules out so much "real" music-making, in the effort to learn 3 pieces and a set of scales. Many of my students do take piano and music theory exams, but they all do other things (as in ensemble playing, composition, accompaniment, different types of pieces) as well, so it is more usual skip some exams and enjoy music-making in the large gap between.
