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Post by Steve Hopwood on Jun 28, 2006 23:24:22 GMT
That is a very good point - though I must confess it did feel as if I was paying through the nose for my diploma exam. I've found a lot of prejudice about my instruments "out there" - both in the non-musical world and the musical one. I wonder how they go about training examiners to ignore their preferences for one instrument over another - or are there really enough folks in this world who genuinely love all instruments equally enough to be able to be neutral on this one? Classic example of how we read a question as we want to read it, rather than it is posed. I took it to address graded exams, because those are what I am most involved in. Dip exams are different. Any dip candidate examined by a generalist shoudl sue the examining body if they fail, or buy them a crate of wine if they pass. ;D Steve
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Post by kflute on Jun 29, 2006 7:25:29 GMT
But at some centres it would be possible surely, expecially at mine. We are very close to Manchester, where I know there are many AB examiners. We have our own centre at our music school, just for our services candidates. This time we have 8 days of exams. Just mine and the 3 other woodwind teachers pupils would probably fill up 3/4 of the days easy!!!! Someonecould come for those, and then someone come and do the piano and violins?!!! It seems so simple written down!!!!!
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Post by digby on Jun 29, 2006 8:23:09 GMT
Thing about specialist examiners is, are we willing to pay for them? I tell you what makes me ask this. I accompanied a flute exam in Gainsborough on Monday. Gainsborough is our 'local' centre, accepting entries from many miles around. The centre had half a day of examinations - piano, woodwind and strings. It must be typical of loads of small centres all over the country. The examiner had to be able to examine as a 'generalist'. Gainsborough cannot field 'specialist' exams, so what are the alternatives? Try these: - exam board send specialists to Gainsborough and charge the full economic fee for doing so. How many parents would pay a couple of hundred pounds for their little darling to take grade 2 oboe - a real example of a single oboist taking an exam that day? - exam board could set up regional centres to cater for exams in front of specialist examiners. Would the parents of the little grade 2 oboe be happy to drive 90 miles for the exam? Different type of cost, but still very expensive. Ok, so my examples are extremes, but they would be repeated over and again. Specialist examiners are unneccessary if examiners are properly trained to accommodate the effects that he different problems playing individual instruments have on the performance of pieces on those instruments. Some examples. How much of the following is 'acceptable' in grade 4: violin - poor intonation; flute - breathiness; piano - blurred pedal; voice - incoherent words: trumpet - harsh tone. Of course, 'properly trained' covers a whole range of expertise. This doesn't happen, as we know. This is why so many people want specialist examiners. They still don't want to pay for them, though ;D Steve This is precisely the problem, at the TG meeting they said they would arrange a specialist examiner provided there was a minimum of 3 hours worth of exams. Which is fine for me as a piano teacher, get together with a couple of others and its sorted. But far more difficult for more minority instruments.
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Post by princessmoose on Jun 29, 2006 8:32:29 GMT
Maybe the specialist would have to be a family specialist whereever possible. I'm sure many woodwind teachers would have enough exams for 3 hours. Always exceptions though.
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Post by anacrusis on Jun 29, 2006 14:06:05 GMT
That is a very good point - though I must confess it did feel as if I was paying through the nose for my diploma exam. I've found a lot of prejudice about my instruments "out there" - both in the non-musical world and the musical one. I wonder how they go about training examiners to ignore their preferences for one instrument over another - or are there really enough folks in this world who genuinely love all instruments equally enough to be able to be neutral on this one? Classic example of how we read a question as we want to read it, rather than it is posed. I took it to address graded exams, because those are what I am most involved in. Dip exams are different. Any dip candidate examined by a generalist shoudl sue the examining body if they fail, or buy them a crate of wine if they pass. ;D Steve ;D ;D ;D looks like I'll be paying through the nose all over again no matter what happens with the results! *twiddles thumbs*
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Post by annc on Jun 29, 2006 21:20:10 GMT
Hmm...I voted for specialist because I had a bad experience once with an examiner who was a flautist. She was less qualified in her own instrument than I was in mine (voice)! She made no comments about my technique, languages, style, (because she couldn't - she didn't know anything about it) just wishy-washy remarks that didn't say anything. My accompanist was himself an examiner at that level who disputed her report. I complained bitterly, and a very highly qualified specialist singer gave me a beautiful report with no adverse comments in 14 songs. I do understand though, the economic reasons for not having these at grade level, and I don't know what the answer is. I do think we would be more critical in our own discipline. I once went to a recruitment day for examiners at the AB. They said they desperately needed more examiners who weren't pianists or organists. Well, they'll have to reduce the piano playing standard required for aural tests then! Or provide CDs for the purpose. Am going down the road of training to be a festival adjudicator now - I can stick to what I DO know about, and I don't have to pay the piano!
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Post by jod on Jun 30, 2006 9:28:23 GMT
AnnC
Knowing the background of the examiner who is to examine my son's Grade 1 singing on 12th of July fills me with confidence. True he is a pianist, and a good one at that. He also is a pretty good violinist, but he also is a good conductor, has worked with instrumentalists and singers so is a good alround musician.
Now that's the sort of examiner I want to see, someone who can respect the disciplines of a wide variety of instruments, and who will be fair.
I would, in time, like to train as an examiner, but my kids are too little for me to leave home for a week at a time for me to do this.
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Post by princessmoose on Jun 30, 2006 9:32:27 GMT
Why is your son being allowed to do his exam again jod?
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Post by jod on Jun 30, 2006 12:52:29 GMT
BEcause I had originally tried to re-arrange the exam due to it clashing with a school trip, and he had a migraine come on at 2.30 when his exam was at 4.30 he just blew it completely so I spoke to the board and they re-arranged the appointment. I know they went beyond the call of duty, but I'm very grateful to them.
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Post by princessmoose on Jun 30, 2006 12:53:41 GMT
That was nice of them, I didn't realise that was allowed, but hey, one learns new things every day.
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Post by annc on Jun 30, 2006 20:52:25 GMT
Yes, one of mine didn't turn up for her exam because she had a tummy bug. I rang the board the same day, and they rearranged her exam for the next week, albeit in a neighbouring town. PS - found out how to add smileys!
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