Tell me why I would want to do an exam?

[slane]

Ok guys ... help me out here.
I've been meaning to do 3rd grade piano AMEB for a year now. The deadine for applying for the June exam is coming up in 2 weeks. Decision time ..
I have almost all my pieces down pat .. ish. But technical and aural still need lots of work.
But why would I want to distract from the pleasure of playing the piano to do an exam?

I can think of ...
1. Bragging rights ... but grade 3 isn't much of a brag but I guess it leads to higher, more brag worthy, grades.
2. Motivation. I probably will work more consistently once I'm enrolled.
3. I'm doing a B. Languages part time. In a few years, if I'm good, I might be qualified enough to do some music electives.
4. Useful feedback

but ...
1. it costs $100
2. I don't like the idea of people judging me
3. I get very nervous in face to face exams, like oral language exams.

So ... why? Why would I do it?

hmmm ... I've thought of a couple more ...
5. research has shown that doing exams makes children less likely to give up on an instrument. I'm not a child but I suppose it applies.
6. To be a model to my daughter who might be doing exams in a few years.
Those are more compelling than the first 4.

[phil821]

For kids exams are probably just compiled stress, bu if your old enough to really appreciate good criticism, then they can be really helpful.

 First off, never strive to do good in exam to have bragging rights. Im sure you already know this but its important to not get in over your head because youll start to play for the wrong reasons and will stunt your potential as a musician.
 
  100$ is a bit steep, and if money is a problem, maybe its not that worth it, but if you look at it in the right light, that 100$ also makes you extremely motivated to do well and you will find yourself practicing more frequently and thoroughly.

  Being judged isnt something anyone likes to do, but in this case you are being judged by people who (if there credentials hold up) could really have important things to say. Remember examiners arent mean people, they understand the hard work you put into music and only want to see you progress; they are your friends. (This isnt some serious piano competition)

   If you want to get into performing, doing exams is a good way to get over the nervousness and anxiety everyone struggles with.

  I like the idea of modeling for you kid, I can see how that would be motivating.

  Anyways, the decision is up to you and even if you say decide no, theres going to be exams in the future to give yourself more time to physch yourself up. Dont sweat on it too much, just enjoy playing and push yourself harder to practice and youll be doing the right thing

[j_menz]

Why indeed. If you want to teach, or undertake music studies as part of your degree, it's probably a requirement.  If you just intend to play for your own pleasure (or occassionaly that of others) there's no real need, unless you feel the exams will provide added motivation to keep at it.

For your daughter, it's probably more important. Kids sometimes need that extra focus, and it's too early to tell what she may want to do with music later on, so no point in limiting her options. If you feel she would use your not doing exams as an arguing point, maybe you should do them anyway; if you don't think it would bother her that she was doing exams and you weren't then  leave it out of your consideration.

[slane]

For kids exams are probably just compiled stress, bu if your old enough to really appreciate good criticism, then they can be really helpful.

Yes I think so too. I can't imagine my daughter not completely freaking out over exams. Yet that english study ... https://www.musiced.co.uk/teachers/keele/keele4.html
says exams motivate students to keep going. Or maybe they have it backwards and the motivated students do exams. So doing an exam for me could be a way of reconnoitring. If it turns out not to be too scary then I can reassure her. But in my lala future for her music education, I'd like her to have all the skills to do an exam at any given level, even if she doesn't, so that she has the option. I didn't do exams and I didn't do the corresponding scales and aural tests for the repertoire I learnt so I couldn't do exams without making a big backwards step, or so I saw it.

First off, never strive to do good in exam to have bragging rights. Im sure you already know this but its important to not get in over your head because youll start to play for the wrong reasons and will stunt your potential as a musician.

Yes indeed. I used to consider myself a 5th grade player (AMEB) since that's the repertoire I used to play. A year ago I decided to explore some 3rd grade repertoire to try and discover something about music that I hadn't grasped 30 years ago. I didn't know what it was that I didn't know, but I have certainly learnt a lot that I didn't know before. The internet certainly helps with that. And being an adult.
  
I met a girl the other day who had just done 2nd grade and has decided to skip 3rd grade because she can then (she believes) do 8th grade in year 12, not to get into the conservatory, but so it counts towards her Certificate of Education mark, even though it doesn't count to get into uni. I just thought OMG! That is so wrong on so many levels! And I can just imagine she's doing the 5 or 6 pieces for each grade and then that's that and onto the next without any real enjoyment of the music itself. Or maybe not. Perhaps I am misjudging her.

 100$ is a bit steep, and if money is a problem, maybe its not that worth it, but if you look at it in the right light, that 100$ also makes you extremely motivated to do well and you will find yourself practicing more frequently and thoroughly.

They should pay me to listen to my beautiful music right?   It does make you wonder why the music exam process is so separate from the rest of education in this country.

 Being judged isnt something anyone likes to do, but in this case you are being judged by people who (if there credentials hold up) could really have important things to say. Remember examiners arent mean people, they understand the hard work you put into music and only want to see you progress; they are your friends. (This isnt some serious piano competition)

Last year I had a bad experience with a really ponky german examiner who, I think, behaved quite badly in my oral exam. And then I hear stories of AMEB examiners asking "What key is this" and not realising its in some funny mode, say mixylodian, so when the student gets it right they mark it wrong! Lately I've literally been having nightmares about being judged on my clothes and my cooking and ...

 I like the idea of modeling for you kid, I can see how that would be motivating.

Yes. I think that's the thing that will tip me over in the next couple of weeks if I decide to. Today I'm feeling more confident about my playing too, because I heard a performance of one of my pieces and it wasn't too much better than mine.

 Anyways, the decision is up to you and even if you say decide no, theres going to be exams in the future to give yourself more time to physch yourself up. Dont sweat on it too much, just enjoy playing and push yourself harder to practice and youll be doing the right thing

Yes. I'm kind of itching to start learning 4th grade pieces now ... although I have one more third grade piece I want to learn (not for the exam) and if I change my mind I could do third and 4th grade exams in quick succession.

Well thankyou for your help and giving me the opportunity to "verbalise" what I'm thinking. Its a good as a trip to the shrinks!