ARCT Help

[favicon]

Hello everyone,

Recently I took my ARCT performer's exam and managed to fail it with a mark of 66. Honestly, I think I should of gotten higher, but that's just my opinion. Anyhow, my piece selection was Bach toccata no. 2, Beethoven Sonata no. 24, Brahms Rhapsody in B minor, Gershwin's three preludes, Prokofiev's Vision fugitive no. 1, 2, 5, 6, and 10, and MacDowell étude no. 9 Traumeri. The piece selection wasn't bad, and I spent a good two years working on it, but I was shocked that I had failed. I'm planning to take it again in about two months, and I just want to know factors that could of lowered my mark down. I think the program order had a big impact on my mark, but that's my thinking. In short, anything tips that could help me redo my ARCT and receive a passing mark would be great. Thankyou!

[nanabush]

Hey, sorry to hear about the mark!

I don't think the order of the program would warrant a fail.. and you seem to have a good balance of rep!

Have you played through your entire program for a recital before hand?  I took my ARCT about 4 years ago, and although I didn't get the chance to perform the ENTIRE thing in one go, I split it into two for the two concerts my teacher had for her students.  This allowed me to be comfortable playing my stuff in front of an audience (the adjudicators also reminded me before playing that I should treat this like 'a solo recital').

I had a disgusting memory lapse in a piece that made me have to restart, but other than that I thought I played pretty OK, had some good moments, and a few rough parts.  Maybe you had a very b*tchy examiner(s).  How many were grading you? 

When you retake, are you substituting any of your pieces?  Or keeping the same program.  If so, maybe record a chunk of a few of them for some feedback on the forum!  Ignore the blatant ignorant comments, but some people here give EXCELLENT feedback/advice for pieces that generally people here have played before.

Just some general ideas, but honestly, don't let the mark bog you down!

[rob47]

hi favicon

what mark did you get on your grade 10?

-rob

[amelialw]

well if you spent 2 years on your rep....but there could have been factors which affected how you performed on that day itself; even how you prepped during the last 2-3 weeks before the exam itself. Do read through the comments from the examiner once you get it. Some of the exams are alot fussier and more nitty picky about the little things however you have to be so well prepared that you know that you will pass under even such an examiner....Go through the comments carefully with you teacher

I took my ARCT about 4 years+ ago and prepped for 2 years however my teacher started my ARCT prep even before I took my Grade 10 exam and made me learn more than double the requirements...in short for everything except the baroque piece I learnt 2-3x what was required. She made sure I was very well prepped by making me play for her students as well as asking me to play for others and also sent me for competitions to see how well I would play under pressure. During the last 3-4 weeks I cut my practice down from 5-6 hrs to 2-3 hrs; already knowing that I had prepped well and did nothing but slow practice, worked out the little details.