Music exams – What, when and why

Learning music benefits us in so many ways that studying for grade exams might be viewed as incidental; yes, it is a handy option that is open to us, but certainly there is more to life than testing. However, it is also true that grade exams can richly support a student in their development, which we would wholeheartedly encourage.

When weighing up whether to start work on music exams, timing is an important factor. For most of us, at some time or other we will really benefit, but for beginners there is little value in rushing into grade work. Far more important is to develop a love for making music, and acquire that key ingredient, the practice habit.

I try never to see any music grade as an end in itself. Certainly, it is a measure of something; that you did some work, that you made some progress, that you developed a certain amount of self discipline. But for grades to be meaningful, you need a sense of mission, because most of all they are about the work you do along the way, which can be work of real quality if you are committed and actually enjoying it.

Of course, everything may not go right first time, but sometimes life’s most memorable lessons derive from experiences where things do not initially go to plan. As we learn how to respond to set backs, they can be highly educational, and a student on a mission to prove to something to him or her-self after an earlier disappointment may take far more from the whole experience than another who coasts to high marks.

Ultimately, many of our students get real satisfaction from grade work, but from my perspective play and practice should generally lead, and exams follow, rather than the other way around. That way, you can set a really high performance level naturally, and your exam results should reflect this.

New Studio Pianos

Tuesday 17th September brought a visit to historic music shop Gough and Davy in Hull to try out a new piano from Casio that I have been hearing a lot about. The GP 300 digital piano is described as a ‘hybrid’, as it goes further than before to bridge the gap between digital and acoustic grand pianos, which exists in part due to the difference in keyboard action.

Casio’s new piano uses a keyboard mechanism designed by noted acoustic piano maker, Bechstein, and it’s safe to say it improves the digital piano experience beyond measure. Without detailing all of the differences i noticed in the hour or so I spent playing the GP 300, this piano made an excellent impression. Three main piano sounds are on offer, including Berlin, Hamburg and Vienna Grands, plus variations, all beautifully detailed. One striking difference was the feel of the keyboard action, which just seems so much easier to play than expected, amounting to something of a revelation. You can even get a look at the keyboard hammer action, and enjoy the sound experience still further, when you lift up the lid.

My day out in Hull proved to be more than worthwhile, and indeed I was so impressed and delighted by the GP300 that I have ordered not one, not two but three for the studios of the Northern Music Academy. We take delivery soon.