The Music Exam Experience

I’ve just finished a week on the road, travelling in southern British Columbia hearing many piano and voice candidates.

A few observations

For the well prepared and enthusiastic student it is an awesome experience. In a world of faked experience it is a truly real and exciting.

I’ve learned five year olds can successfully and joyfully complete a grade one exam.

As always, Adult candidates are the most emotionally intense musicians, bringing the day’s emotional baggage into the exam room. But it is to their credit they persevere and succeed in spite of it.

Teachers are usually more nervous and anxious than their students

Pity the poor teenager. The desire is there, the talent is there, but often the skills are underdeveloped. Why? Speaking with their teachers the usual list of reasons comes up: over commitments. They are expected to get good school grades, have a part time job, social life (mostly on-line, the average teen in my studio is on line upward of 40 hours per week!), volunteer work (now required in many school districts) etc.

Cheers from Kamloops

David Story