ABRSM exam?

[bernadette60614]

I've just learned of the ABRM exam process.

I've always been someone who likes a defined progression of goals.

Is this something adult pianists typically pursue?  Is this something I should suggest to my teacher?

Thanks!

[schwartzer]

It depends where you are from. There are many other exams around the world. I personally dislike the exam. I believe there's no need for it and it's quite expensive too. If you feel good knowing that you are being classified by a grade system, sure, go ahead and try it. I'd rather play for myself.

[quantum]

Depends on what those goals are.  If you are looking toward higher education in music and require a paper trail or credentials as evidence of your progress, then grading system exams might be an option for you.  If you wish to teach music, it can be something to put on your resume or quantify to parents about your abilities. 

If you are looking for performance opportunities, exams are not the only option out there.  If performance is what you desire with out the need for credentials, I would look at other opportunities first before exams. 

Can you elaborate on what you want to be doing with music?

[bernadette60614]

Thanks for asking.

My music education has been unsystematic.  I took lessons from ages 8 to 12, took group lessons for a couple of quarters as an adult, played on my own for two years (focusing on the Two Part Inventions), a year with a teacher trained at the Moscow Conservatory of Music, who stretched me by assigning such pieces as Schubert's 2nd Impromtu, Rondo Alla Turca, the Mozart Fantasia.

My current teacher (my prior teacher's technique was "What is wrong with you? I can't believe you did that.) is Pace trained and takes the Pace approach.  She believes if you love the piece, you will enjoy learning it.  However, my feeling is that I have no sense of what level pieces I should be playing and which pieces I should chose to improve my skills.

[harpogrames]

I've always been someone who likes a defined progression of goals.

That's just like me. And I was very excited when I found out that I could attend ABRSM exams here in Denmark, so I bought a bunch of education material from amazon and started working on grade 1. Passed the exam in May - now I'm working on grade 2 :-)

By the way I am 32 now, not feeling particularly adult though.

[quantum]

You can follow through an exam syllabus without doing actual exams.  In fact you could substitute the actual exam for a series of performances.  Of course if you would like to experience the exam out of interest or as a challenge, by all means do so. 

Keep in mind it is not necessary to do all exams consecutively.  You can still work systematically through a syllabus while skipping certain grades and taking the exam for selected grades.  Those selected exams would be ones that require learning of certain essential skills.  Your teacher can help choosing which exams to do or not do.  In essence, you can work through certain grades by learning the repertoire and moving on to the next grade without doing an exam.

However, my feeling is that I have no sense of what level pieces I should be playing and which pieces I should chose to improve my skills.

What music are you interested in playing?  Is there something you wish to play now, but don't feel like you have the skills to achieve?  Do you have a long-term goal piece or set of pieces to strive for?  In order to choose pieces for the goal of improving skills, you need to know and define what you want to be able to achieve.  These skill building pieces need to reflect the toolkit of skills you desire to build. 

Of course there are also those skills you aren't aware of that are going to help you, and that is one important reason for studying with a teacher.  Your teacher will be able to introduce these skills to you.

[symphonicdance]

I think sometimes adults want a strong sense of achievement - getting something more concrete, that is recognized by many people and/or issued by a reliable authority, and surely, ABRSM is one of the recognized exam boards in many places.  Go for it.  Treat it as an experience.  It's okay if you don't take it again.