Hello All!

I`ve been looking back at some of the old posts and have been coming across a lot about "grades". I was wondering, how does the "grade" system work in the US? Do you have many conservatories or a main one? In Canada the main conservatory is the Royal conservatory and our grades for practicle are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, & ARCT (diploma). Is it anything like that?

Just curious,
Melissa

No grades.

Than how do you know what level of playing you have to be at for university, auditions, and stuff like that?

You don`t. That is why many of the top conservatories see so many joke candidates.

then how do you explain this topic? http://www.8notes.com/f/26_37735.asp

People are saying they are going for their grade 8, AmusA, DipABRSM, & 8th Grade AMEB. Perhaps this is something to do with universities?

No. That is in England. America does not have a ranking system like that. Canada, England, and Australia have similar programs.

Oh,
thanks .

In Australia, we have Australian Music Examination Boards which determines a rough grading system. It doesn`t have much to do with university as it doesn`t seem to matter when you apply. (Audition and school music subjects are more important). After 8th grade, there is Associate of Music (AMusA), Licentiate (LMusA) and some other one that`s higher but I don`t know anyone who has done that. (As a basis, the Finzi, Nielsen and Copland concertos are licentiate, the Mozart Concerto (full), Spohr Concertos, Rossini variations, Muczynski Time Pieces etc are associate) and the Arnold Sonatina, Brahms Sonatas, Poulenc & Bernstein sonatas are 8th grade). Just to give you an idea...

Alyssa- FMusA is the one above LMusA. Very few people do it. The Spohr concertos- #1 and 3 are AMus, #2 and I think 4 are LMus. The way the AMEB does their pieces confuses me, because there`s some pieces for AMus that I think are harder than for LMus.

Also, full Brahms sonatas are AMus. You only have to do some movements for 8th Grade. And the last time I looked, it was the Arnold Fantasy, not the Sonatina, but that may have been changed.

Rossini Intro, theme, variations is LMus. I personally don`t think it`s difficult enough, but I`m not going to pretend to understand the AMEB.

Oops, I did make a couple of mistakes there. I don`t have the book with me. I agree, Rachel. You`re right on everything except the Arnold Sonatina which is 8th Grade (so is the Fantasy - both are listed in that grade). AMEB grading systems are strange though, I agree. And for intermediate players, its difficult to go between 5th and 6th grade because the standard makes a huge jump, technically. Why can`t they just be consistent?

Alyssa- you`re right, the fantasy and sonatina are both listed for 8th grade.

Dimitri,
The States do have grades. It just depends if you learn somewhere where they just teach how to play or if you go to an actual music school. I took clarinet at one where they just taught, and then now I`m going somewhere to learn violin and they have grades. You have to take tests and everything...

Jen, I think the grading scale on the other sides of the pond are different than you are thinking of. But someone not from America enlighten us. It is my impression that you have to be on a certain level to do certain pieces...ok...I really have no clue. I do know that America does not have the entire country on a set of standards as I believe the others do. Seems to me the other countries have a certain syllabus planned out already...