Don’t be too sure of yourself
even if you have perfect ear and good musical memory!
By Siwen Wong
What were the causes of failing various diplomas?
(1)
The teacher/parents/student got not much idea regarding
the expected passing standard of a particular music exam board’s various
diplomas. Also they got not much idea regarding the marking style and standard
of a particular country’s music exam board. For an example, I learned that a
certain country’s exam board could award a diploma candidate’s exam performance
highly with almost 98 or 99 out of 100%, but such marking of 98% or 99% marking
to reward a diploma exam candidate could become a historical record for ABRSM
and TGH exam boards!
Note: Don’t be fooled by those student-parents when they bragged that their daughter/son scored closed to a
100% distinction. Comically, this kind
of parents usually would also criticize the exam board that failed their kid
and they would highly recommend highly of the exam board that passed their kid's exam with distinction!
(2)
Stringent examiners may require a diploma
student’s performance reaching semi-professional or professional standard, that
including how well-trained/developed was such student’s dexterity and
techniques, understanding and interpretation of music, how mature was the
presentation. A close-to-perfect or perfect performance is a MUST! And the
repertoire must be memorized if it’s a recital diploma.
(3)
Think too highly or overconfident of own
student/ own kid/own teaching’s standard or musical talents. Usually these
students would prepare their diploma exam in less than three month time, only
after they registered the exam, then they started to learn their repertoire.
They couldn’t make it on time to memorize their repertoire, there was no auto reflects
developed yet in their performance and that could be easily revealed during
their performance. This was mainly caused by they thought that diploma standard
was easy like their Gr. 8 standard.
Note: To perform confidently in the
public audience or exam, a student must perform at least 7 times for a
group of people/mock recital to secure perfection.
(4)
Bad selection of repertoire. Never select an easy
repertoire for a diploma exam just because your child/student was young. Choose
the right repertoire to suite the character of your child/student is more
important than if you were familiar with certain pieces in the exam repertoire list!
Those repertoires that you were familiar with not necessary helpful for such
student’s character, students must like his/her repertoire, even they didn’t
like it at first, this usually happened to a modern piece. Avant Garde piece’s
sound actually could be acquired if it was taught properly by a teacher.
Note: A well-balanced repertoire is a MUST.
(5)
Began to acquire resources and research your repertoire
and prepare to write program notes from the first day you prepare to learn it.
Don’t burn midnight oil that actually happened frequently to many diploma
students.
Note: Never copy and paste information acquired from
internet, these days’ examiners all have access to internet!
(6)
Get ready your exam’s attire/shoes months before
the exam. Don’t spend too much time over your make-up and hair on the day of
exam. Skills to make yourself look smart/nice with little effort and time is
very important!
(7)
Learn a performance’s etiquette – how to bow to
the audience (examiner) humbly and politely before and after the performance,
the appropriate pausing timing between pieces.
(8)
Good exam piano is important, diploma exam must
use a grandpiano with all three pedals functional, as impressionistic music performance
may require both una corda pedal and sostenuto pedal other than just sustain
pedal alone.
(9)
Good tuner is required - badly tuned piano’s disturbing
timbre might irritate well-seasoned examiner’s ears!
(10)Good acoustic is required for
an exam hall/suite – the pleasing sound could generate one’s good mood. Exam
hall/suite needs to decorate nicely, sound proof, temperature must be right.
