Confused parent Junior Cert Music

DS22

Help my daughter decided to do music for her junior certificate and i am totally confused.
She does piano once a week - she is only a beginner will be Grade 1 at the exam.
Does she need a second instrument - she can play the recorder but is getting no lessons in school - do I need lessons in that too

What is invloved in the exam in music - the school only do the theory part

clunked

DS22 wrote: »

Help my daughter decided to do music for her junior certificate and i am totally confused.
She does piano once a week - she is only a beginner will be Grade 1 at the exam.
Does she need a second instrument - she can play the recorder but is getting no lessons in school - do I need lessons in that too

What is invloved in the exam in music - the school only do the theory part

Firstly, which year is your daughter in? If she is in 1st year she would have a good chance to get to a required level with good tuition and practise. Secondly, she may do recorder in class or have songs prepared by her teacher in class. For the Higher Level course, a candidate must prepare 4 songs/ pieces of music. This may be 2 pieces on two instruments or 4 on 1. Pm me if you need any further advice.

The Mad Hatter

Split from Music Lessons thread.

DS22

thanks for that
She is in 2nd year
Only started the piano this year and will do her grade 1 next year
Teacher in school not doing the recorder with her (should she be?)

pretentiouslad

I only took up music in 2nd year and got a B (in higher level)... Can you daughter sing? She could get someone to accompany her on guitar (or another instrument) and she'll get marked on her performance.

Grade 3 seems to be the standard for classical pieces at junior cert, she should start practicing every day for half an hour to an hour to achieve this level in a year.

evolving_doors

To be fair to all students who start music from 1st year, the standard expected is what students would achieve for 3 years of study on their instrument,, which roughly equates to a grade 2 or a very good grade 1 (if you consider the elementary primary preparatory grade levels beforehand)...

Some schools take the students for 'class' lessons where everyone learns roughly the same pieces like on the recorder etc.. some teachers do take time out to work with students individually but generally students get lessons outside the school.

In saying that however, it should have been made clear to the students before they took the subject what the situation with instrumental lessons was. I always try and tell the students, and more importantly the parents what's involved so they are clear on what the student needs to do. But in saying that I invariably end up with a student who is just starting lessons at the start of 2nd year and they always pull through in the end once the pressure is kept on.

Maybe you could have a word with the piano teacher about focusing on exam pieces for the JC exam rather than the grade exams (with the scales/theory etc). If you feel that she will be keeping it on for the LC then get her to focus on the other 75% of the JC exam (rather than just the practical) as it is relatively easy to get an honour if she does the slog with the written paper. IMO the LC is a lot more condensed than the JC, and statistically it has the highest amount of students who get an honour compared to most other subjects, so defo a good banker for the points.. Don't be to hung up on the grade level as long as she plays musically and puts in all the louds and softs in the piece.

DS22

Thank you so much very helpful. We have been told nothing by the teacher in school so I will arrange a meeting on Monday