The US hasn`t embraced the ABRSM grading system. So when you asked for grades... you got grades. lol.

Here`s the ABRSM grading system outline for everyone else:
http://www.abrsm.org/?page=exams/gradedMusicExams/latestSyllabuses.html

And let`s hope it never does.

so uguys don`t have to take exams on the oboe??? lucky.

sorry i typed that a bit wrong

I think its sort of a bad idea not to take grades. I mean by not taking grades you never know what sort of standard you have and even if you fail then you understand that just werent ready for it. Ok practicing your exam pieces and doing theory isnt fun but its worth it especially if you get a distinction and then a medal.

Leprachaun

While here in the US we do not have a standard grade system for instrumental skills, we do have many kinds of competions and honor bands as a sign of skill. When I was in middle & high school I competed in the annual solo & ensemble competion. If you recieved a superior rating, you recieved a medal. Each person could enter one solo per instrument and up to 5 ensembles per instrument.

Scoring factors taken into consideration was how long the person had been playing and their age and how well the player performed - and also if the piece was considered appropriate for the level of skill the person should have.

We also have honor bands. I usually did all county and some of the local univeristy honor bands - usually several hundred students would audition but only 60-70 students would place high enough to be accepted into the band - these were also events that would earn medals.

My senior year in HS was funny. The weekend the All County Band planners had chosen for that festival happened to coincide with our annual HS band trip. As our school produced a majority of county band members, they were short on strong players. They had to take music ment for the junior high band and give it to the senior high band! Meanwhile, we were playing movements 1-4 of "Pines of Rome" at Carnige Hall.

I should also note that audition material for the honor bands usually consisted of orchestral excerpts with additional scales being mandated, and then some sightreading. As I`ve only taken up the oboe since leaving school, I don`t know what kinds of material an oboist would have to play, but having seen what is on the referenced examination site, I would say each of those grade exams comes pretty close to the type of thing one would have to do to get into some of the honor bands.

When I was in school, I was a trumpet player, as a result we usually had 1-2 excercizes from the Arban`s book (kinda like the Barrett book, but for trumpet) all 12 major scales, some 2 octaves, most only 1 though, 1 2-octave chromatic, and something that was 1-2 minutes long as sightreading. Everyone had to do the same preped pieces, but the sightreading was usually 1 of 3 pieces that they would trade out between each candidate. All country wasn`t usually too hard, but if it was All-State or a university honor band they might do something pretty tough.

im in 9th grade

It's not like in the US our performance is never evaluated. We just happen to go about it differently. When I was in highschool, I had to perform weekly in my music class(I was in band and a separate music theory/solo performance class which included a random hodge-podge of about 10 instruments/voice students) and I was graded on progress. Also we had weekly theory, history, and eartraining tests as well as basic piano skills and sightreading. However, for a band class the director doesn't have enough time at his disposal to be testing everyone all the time not to mention in public school everyone has a right to join band and the school can't kick you out or prevent from participating based on skill or even behavior. However each semester we did have an exam for band which included all major scales and two etudes selected by the director per instrument.

Q. When is an oboe a good oboe?
A. When it's down a toilet

carterdriggs - that's mean!

Once there was a cellist playing in the Winnipeg Symphony. He wasn't that wonderful a player, so he sat at the back of the section. One day he was cleaning out his attic and discovered an old lamp. He gave it a rub and out popped a genie.

"For letting me out of my lamp I'll grant you three wishes!" he said.

The cellist thought for a moment and replied, "Make me a far better musician than I am now."

The genie told him that this would be done. He was to go to sleep, and in the morning he would be a much better musician. The next day he woke up to find himself the principal cellist of the Symphony. Well, this was just great, he thought! But he knew he could do better. He rubbed the lamp again, and out popped the genie.

"You have two more wishes!" he said.

"I want you to make me a better musician than I am even now!"

Once again, the genie told him to go to bed, and when he woke up it would be so. When the cellist awoke, he found he was now the principal cellist of the Berlin Philharmonic. Well, the cellist thought this was pretty grand, but knew he could do better yet. He rubbed on the lamp again, and once more out came the genie.

"This is your last wish." the genie said.

"I want you to make me yet a better musician still!"

Yet again, he was told to go to sleep. The next morning, he woke up to find himself back in Winnipeg, sitting in the last desk of the second violin section.

Touché

I don't know anything about a grading system but I must be good cause I made All-State Honor Band. 1st chair!! I'm in 8th grade.

If you are in Junior High and play oboe, I want to know all about you. E-mail me at oboegirl91@sbcglobal.net PLEASE!!!

ABRSM grade 5 going on 7
Year 11( grade 10 if i were American)