
Am I the only one with few high grade pupils?
#1
Posted 19 June 2019 - 19:31
#2
Posted 19 June 2019 - 19:54
#3
Posted 19 June 2019 - 20:00
#4
Posted 19 June 2019 - 20:13
#5
Posted 19 June 2019 - 20:13
It's been exactly the same for me for the last few years. I do think that for the current(over-homeworked/activities/after school 'optional' revision sessions/competing hobbies and technology) generation, grade 6 is now the new grade 8. It used to be the case that if a pupil started with me around age 6-8, reaching grade 8 by 6th form was a realistic option, but this hasn't been so in my experience for a number of years.
#6
Posted 19 June 2019 - 20:16
#7
Posted 19 June 2019 - 22:16
Overall for me, the different pupil ages and levels have been pretty constant over the years. I've always taught a lot of adults so I haven't personally really experienced a change there myself but I do agree with ma non troppo's comments. Having said that I have far far fewer advanced grade pupils than ever before, I think there may have been a small increase in pupils taking up piano in the early teen/age 11 or 12 or so, and it's great that they are really keen students who are really engaging with tackling something new.
#8
Posted 20 June 2019 - 11:00
It's been exactly the same for me for the last few years. I do think that for the current(over-homeworked/activities/after school 'optional' revision sessions/competing hobbies and technology) generation, grade 6 is now the new grade 8.
That would fit with the more recent version of the term "intermediate". When learning as a child, Grade 6 was classed as Intermediate (as on the front of every AB exam syllabus), but now intermediate seems to be more concordant with Grade 4. However, I don't think it's only the list of competing activities in jpiano's post, but also the more indulgent, supposedly child-centred attitude to kids these days, which doesn't teach them to stick at things.
Edit: I don't currently have any high grade pupils. My most advanced violinist (working towards G5) has just given up after 9 years with me due to pressure of school et al.
#9
Posted 20 June 2019 - 19:35
I don't have many high grade pupils. I do have a weird cluster of grade 2s though - almost a third of my pupils at the moment! They all started at different times, so it is just coincidence, and won't continue as some are learning much quicker than others.
#10
Posted 24 June 2019 - 21:48
I don't have many high grade pupils. I do have a weird cluster of grade 2s though - almost a third of my pupils at the moment! They all started at different times, so it is just coincidence, and won't continue as some are learning much quicker than others.
I have had a cluster of Grade 8's and ARSM's. They have come through the system from about Grade 5 as a cluster and have progressed at a similar rate. Having a cluster of the highest grades has been a little stressful- I have my 5th Grade 8 exam this year in a couple of weeks- and have several more lined up for next year. When they finish, I think I will have a lot less teaching as I don't have many beginners coming through at the moment!
#11
Posted 25 June 2019 - 08:51
someone touched on accompaniment... I wonder if abrsm could find a way to incorporate this into the exam process? It is a skill deserving of recognition. The world needs decent accompanists. After all, everyone who plays a single-line instrument needs an accompanist for their own exam! And it's fun playing in twos and threes. It'd be lovely to see more opportunities.
#12
Posted 25 June 2019 - 09:41
Trinity ( of course!) already offer this at Grades 5-8, and it's an interesting syllabus. Meanwhile, any young pianist of the relevant standard can have a go at accompanying their friends or siblings without having to take an exam, and this would probably be a lot more enjoyable. Realistically, the chances of the AB setting up another new syllabus would be next to zero. I think exams already take too central a place in the development of young musicians, and not everything needs to have an exam attached to make it a valid experience.
#13
Posted 25 June 2019 - 12:49
very true! I forgot about Trinity. But you're right, it's just nice if there is sufficient interest without any exam driving force. Wandering off-topic, do many teachers actively teach accompaniment, or is it just one of those things that's expected to happen?
#14
Posted 25 June 2019 - 20:40
#15
Posted 26 June 2019 - 15:38
I have had several pupils go on to accompany choirs and I didn't especially teach them to do that. One who wasn't as confident brought the choir pieces along and I sang along. One of my young pupils used Piano time Carols to accompany her church in Silent Night. Her mum sent me a lovely video of this. She's now learning chorus type hymns and we work on how to do an introduction and how long between verses. She's barely grade 2 but it's something she wants to do.