Ok Grade 3 is sooo anoying

[gingernut]

im not allowed to play grade 5,6,7,8 stuff

anyways

How is everypiano player here?

Jamie

[dj]

well hey i don't know what grade system ur going by (i think there's more than one) but everyone else on this forum (other than me) seems 2 be on grade 50!

[eddie92099]

I presume he his talking about the ABRSM system (UK and far east etc.), where grade 8 is the highest numbered grade,
Ed

[dj]

ok well i still think everyone but me is on grade 50!

[Magnus]

How do I know what grade I am in.  I was 8/10 on a site, but what do I know it here?

[eddie92099]

I think most of us refer to the UK ABRSM music examination system,
Ed

[Joannetmj]

Why NOT allowed?

dj, I've no idea what system you're using. You're grade FIFTY?!

[erik-]

In France, when you go to conservatory or national music school, the system is like this (or at least it used to be like) :

During the first year, you are not allowed to play any instrument. You have to learn theory and singing in a choir.
Then the following year, you can start learning to play the piano :
- 1st "Cycle" : 3 years
    * CP1 (cours préparatoire 1 -preparatory courses)
    * CP2
    * CP3
- 2nd "Cycle": 4 years
    * CE1 (cours élémentaire 1 - elementary courses)
    * CE2
    * CM1 (cours moyen 1 - middle?? courses)
    * CM2
- 3rd "Cycle" : 1 year
    * DFE (diplôme de fin d'études - final degree).

Usually amateurs stop here with the final degree.
Then if they are more serious they can go onto the
- 4th "Cycle", where you are taught not only your instrument but all kind of knowledge to become a professionnal.
- and the "Cycle de perfectionnement" where they perfect their art.

National music schools / conservatories are everywhere in France. In almost each city there is one. In Paris, there is one per district. They are public and cheap. There is no special requirements other than age if you enter the school at the very beginning. Otherwise, there is an audition, where they decide of your level and decide if they take you or not.
In the school, there are usually 2 exams per year, to pass the classes. At the end of each "cycle", there is a "competition" instead of a regular exam. That is they have external examiners from other music schools to come to judge you, and then they rank everybody, and only the first ranked students are allowed to go to the upper cycle.

Besides the conservatories present in almost cities, there are more high level conversatories : the "regional" conservatories and even higher the "superior" conservatories. There are only 2 of the later. Usually when you get your final degree, you compete to enter those schools to persue your studies in music and become a professionnal. To enter the one in Paris ("conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de paris"), the competition is really hard. For the piano class, some years, there are only 5 positions, maybe less, and 2 or 3 are reserved for international students.

[Joannetmj]

Are the music schools there like real schools? As in the pupils learn other subjects there?

[erik-]

No, you are taught only music there. You go there in your spare time.

[dj]

dj, I've no idea what system you're using. You're grade FIFTY?!

lol grade fifty is just an exaggeration. i was just trying 2 say that it sounds like everyone on this forum is like really good......i had never even heard of any grading system b4 this

[Joannetmj]

Oh I see. I goto a music centre, don't know if that's considered a music school. Is it?