DipABRSM Viva Voce Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[happy notes]

Hi!
I'm really hoping that some kind-hearted people will be able to reach out and help me.
I have my Piano Performance DipABRSM exam coming up in three weeks and I really need some help with the Viva Voce. I'm really worried about it.  I guess I know the end result, but I'm a bit lost as to how to get there. I'm also a bit worried that I'm going to totally mess up on the day due to stress or pressure.   I just really don't know what to research / how much I need to know. I would love some help, tips and advice from anyone that is willing to share.

My programme is:

Sonata K.208 - Scarlatti
Sonata K.209 - Scarlatti

9 Variations on a Minuet by Jean-Pierre Duport, K.573 - Mozart

Barcarolle in A minor - Fauré

Prelude in G# minor - Rachmaninoff

The Man I Love - Gershwin
I Got Rhythm - Gershwin

I know this is a really big thing to ask but I will be forever grateful to the people that are able to leave some advice.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart in advance.

[anacrusis]

What's Viva Voce?

[happy notes]

I do hope you're not joking with this question.    Well, in the DipABRSM performance exam you have the performance, the quick study test and the Viva Voce which is basically a discussion that you have with the examiner(s).  They could ask you practically anything relating to music, your instrument, your pieces and the programme notes that you would have had to write.  Have you not heard of this before?

[lelle]

I do not know what Viva Voce is either ABRSM is not used in every country. I'm vaguely aware of what it is because people talk about it on the internet, but have never encountered it in my own pianistic life. I'm sure there are other people here in the same situation.

That does sound hard to prepare for though. But I'm assuming you already know a bunch of things about your instrument, your pieces and music in general? Maybe brush up on your background knowledge of the pieces and the composers if you are concerned.

[happy notes]

Oh, I see.😅 I'm just so desperate to be able to get some advice and help from people who have taken this exam because they could let me know what to expect and what type of questions they were asked, etc. Like, just some practical help from someone who's done this before. I just can't fail. 😔  But, I guess I'm lucky to have anyone reply to this post at all, so thank you very much for taking the time to come here and leave a comment. 😊

[quantum]

Where I live the term viva voce isn't discussed much, but the technique it is definitely used.  It is a component for university auditions, as well as university juries. 

I would think about it this way: say you go to see a movie in a cinema, or a play in a theatre, or attend a concert.  Afterwards a friend asks you, "how was the experience?"  What will you reply be?  Are you going to say:  "they dimmed the lights and projected an image of a bunch of people on the wall.  It ended after two hours."  Or are you going to describe something that caught your interest about the film, was it the storytelling, the acting, the cinematography, the music score, etc...

So if the jury asks: You chose to play Scarlatti K. 208, can you tell us something about it.  What will your response be?  Saying: "it's in A major, and my teacher wanted me to play it," is not what the jury is looking for.  What would your friend think if you said "the movie was two hours long and my teacher wanted me to watch it."

***

If more people discussed their viva voce experiences, it would help to relieve some anxieties of those that are preparing for this sometimes mysterious examination component. 

[keypeg]

I looked it up when the question first came up.  You will find some Youtube advice both on the advanced ABRSM exam you are doing - I looked up "ABRSM + viva voce" and this hour-long thing came up.

[andrewuk]

I was told by an ABRSM examiner that "they want to find out what you know, not what you don't know."   So the more you have to talk about the better. A good strategy is to read up on the pieces you are playing: when where they written, what else did the composer write around the same time; what other composers were around, what did they write, etc etc.  (In my viva I was asked about the kind of instrument they were written for: in your case the Scarlatti sonatas were for harpsichord, but e.g. for the Mozart: what was the range of his piano, and how did it differ from a modern grand?) Presumably you will have researched some of this information for your Programme Notes.. one "trick" I used was to include some statements that could lead to questions that I had good answers for.

They usually start with easy questions like "how did you choose your pieces?" (so you should definitely have a good answer ready for that - preferably not "my teacher chose them for me") and move on to harder ones, but remember they're not trying to catch you out (unless, for example, you've included obviously plagiarised material in your Programme Notes that you don't really understand) so basically just try to have an intelligent conversation about your pieces - and music generally - and you should be fine.

[happy notes]

Thank you so, so much to you who have left recent comments. 🤗 (I'm sorry, I don't know how to reply individually, or if that's even possible.)  Yes, you're right, this part of the exam would be less daunting if we shared experiences and were able to give each other a heads up for exactly what to expect. You've all said such truthful and helpful things that I really, really appreciate and will use to further better my knowledge. I guess I'm just finding it such a vast topic to cover! (Which is making me really struggle and almost get no research done because it's so overwhelming)  By the way, does anyone know where more detailed information on form and structure could be found?  I'm finding it a bit hard to find the info I need online.

[happy notes]

I looked it up when the question first came up.  You will find some Youtube advice both on the advanced ABRSM exam you are doing - I looked up "ABRSM + viva voce" and this hour-long thing came up.

Ah, yes! I came across that actually... the guy said to prepare early for your viva voce and in his personal experience, he started preparing 15 years before he took the exam!! (I think that's a bit strange and not really practical) That means I should have been studying for this viva voce since I was 2 years old! 😆😅 (Sorry, that was a bit of a strange thought)

[dorfmouse]

You can look on the Diplomas section in the ABRSM Forums. I found a reference to a Webinar by a piano teacher who teaches at this level.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=262vC71GhnQ&feature=youtu.be
At about 4 mins he starts talking about the Dip ABRSM in general and around 20 mins he goes into the Viva Voce expectations in detail.

[happy notes]

You can look on the Diplomas section in the ABRSM Forums. I found a reference to a Webinar by a piano teacher who teaches at this level.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=262vC71GhnQ&feature=youtu.be
At about 4 mins he starts talking about the Dip ABRSM in general and around 20 mins he goes into the Viva Voce expectations in detail.

Thank you so much! 

[chalice]

So how did it go?! I’m taking the DipABRSM in December - the last chance before they abolish it!! 
I only started seriously researching all the info I need to know a couple of months ago, and I do indeed wish I’d started 15 years ago  I hope the examiners are as nice as they’re said to be because I will be fairly terrified!!