Is my dd/ds doing too much?

[Regattah]

Sorry, Tomuch, but I just want to add something in case your post has worried any parents of wouldbe musicians. My sister started at Chethams at 16. No way she was even close to Grade 8 flute (her main instrument) at 11/12. She only picked one up for the first time at 11!

[tomuchtallent]

Regattah,your right! its for pianists and strings that they require a higher level.They may not say this but i know many teachers at Chethams and Purcell.

[Anna C]

Even so, I would like to think that you don't have to be at Grade 8 piano at 11 to go further in music! One of my dd's best friends is very talented at music and plays several instruments. I believe she's studying Grade 7 piano at 13 but the Music department have high expectations for her, although she's planning on staying at our school.

 

I don't know anything about what age you should be at what grade in music, but in ballet, you could - in theory - have rushed through your Vocational exams at the youngest possible age allowed, yet still not get a place at Vocational School - for all sorts of reasons. Could this also be true of music?

 

 

[tomuchtallent]

As i said,it dosent matter what grade you are,its about your audition,and that is for vocational school.The reason they expect a very high level is because like dance you are competing against kids from all around the world.

 

You dont have to be grade 8 at 11 to be a musician.Just like dance people start at different ages and have different levels of tallent.My son never rushed his exams but found them easy.There are much more difficult pieces than grade 8 and a musican never stop learning throughout their life.

 

When my son auditioned for vocational music schools in the UK he was definatly a small fish in a big pond after i saw them play!But in his new school in September he will be one of the better musicians,he got a sholarship.

 

My son dosent want to be a musician but just loves playing,and im very proud of his achievement!

[aileen]

Entry to vocational music schools and universities is competitive but attainment of music grades is not. Unlike ballet, music does not have exacting physical requirements although there are some. For example, a left-handed violinist may have a weak bowing arm which will need to be strengthened through exercise and a flautist may have to build up his or her lungs if s/he does not have enough breath for longer passages of music. The really top musicians seem to have dedicated themselves to music from an early age and have usually attended full-time music schools from a young age, sometimes before they were 11. Most people understand that elite musicians have put in hours of practice to get to the top and it is strange to me that people don't understand that children aiming for a career in classical ballet will also have to put in hours of practice as well. One thing that is different about music though is that most of the practice is done by the student on his or her own and lessons make up only a small proportion of the total time spent "learning" the instrument.