should I do music extension? (1 Viewer)

[4025808]

Apparently I feel good at Music performance and my friends recommend me to go into it...
But the problem is that I only want to keep year 12 at 12 units, since the workload is going to be larger and im going to be busier...
It's because I'm thinking about dropping legal studies and picking up 4U maths, but I'm not sure whether if music extension would be good to do... since I do believe 4U has more use to what I'm considering doing, yet Music would be a huge benefit for me...
(same question goes with history extension.... then that means id drop physics.. unrelated but just saying)

Plus my music friends recommended me to do music extension, I've been getting around the 90% mark for my pieces, which were about 8th grade - AMus standard..

so what do you think? oh and btw whos doing music 2 or music extension here?

 

[kyokaku92]

I currently do Music Ext (pianist) and trust me it isn't as difficult as its made out to be (I do 12 units as well) and obviously you have to be proficient in your instrument. The unit scales pretty high and it demands a lot of responsibility and individual practice. You get to pick your own pieces (2 solo, 1 ensemble) but must be contrasting (eg: play Chopin and Debussy). Music ext is much more enjoyable than sitting in a dusty classroom struggling through 4U maths equation. I see you are around the 8th grade-AmusA level so Music Ext should not be a problem here, its whether you are committed to it...

Btw, what instrument do you play?

 

[4025808]

I currently do Music Ext (pianist) and trust me it isn't as difficult as its made out to be (I do 12 units as well) and obviously you have to be proficient in your instrument. The unit scales pretty high and it demands a lot of responsibility and individual practice. You get to pick your own pieces (2 solo, 1 ensemble) but must be contrasting (eg: play Chopin and Debussy). Music ext is much more enjoyable than sitting in a dusty classroom struggling through 4U maths equation. I see you are around the 8th grade-AmusA level so Music Ext should not be a problem here, its whether you are committed to it...

Btw, what instrument do you play?

Hmmm my teacher said that I'd be recommended in already into doing Extension, and apparently she discussed this with me today and yesterday about extension music...

Oh and btw I play Piano, passed my 8th grade with an A, just to let you know...
going for a certificate of performance either this year or next year...

Although at the same time I actually enjoy doing maths...
either I'd do 13 units or hopefully make it to history extension as well
and then I can drop two subs and pick up those three extensions :L

And I gotta ask, what pieces are you playing, since I might need to look around for some pieces to play...

 

[kyokaku92]

Three Extensions!! Either you're kidding or you're incredibly smart and btw congrats on the A in 8th grade...

If I were you, try and avoid Baroque and Classical as they are mainly "technical" pieces and according to my teacher, chances are examiners know those pieces extremely well and are stingy in terms of mistakes you make in the technical sections... I would play any Debussy/Ravel/contemporary with a Romantic piece (your repertoire must be contrasting- won't be hard, AMEB repertoire are usually contrasting).

I'm playing (after changing like 10 pieces)
Nocturne #10 Op 32 No 2- Chopin
(What the West Wind has seen) Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (Prelude Bk 1 No 7)- Debussy
Piano Quintet No 2 Dumka 2nd movt Op 81- Dvorak (had to cut about 5 min and repeats out because it's too long)

Good luck!!

 

[4025808]

Yeah apparently in my 8th grade exams, the examiner stated that 3 out of 4 pieces were of an A+ standard. The only piece that wasn't of an A+ standard was a classical piece. All of the others were romantic and 20th century.

I'm trying to avoid classical and baroque pieces as much as possible, because that's where my performance weakens. :/ I remember in my 7th grade exam for my list A, it was a baroque piece and it killed my mark >_<

the pieces i played for my 8th grade were
- aria by Cramer no. 41 from studio per il pianoforte op 30.
- piuttosto allegro con espressione by muzio clementi
- Intermezzo by Brahms from no. 2 from Fantasien op 116
- Dance in Bulgarian rhythm by Bartok from six dances in bulgarian rhythm no. 6

and the ones now I'm playing are by Debussy, Chopin, Schumann and Beethoven...
I'm also playing Russian Rag by Elena Kats-Chernin. You think it's gonna be good?

and I'm willing to take those three extensions coz i want to, and if I can then i'd be able to reduce the number of subjects I take :L

 

[kyokaku92]

That's quite an interesting repertoire you had for 8th grade, that aria- cramer piece sounds nice...

But however, you'll only have 20 min for the entire performance in ext music- they will deduct marks if you go overtime... I would recommend look at some pieces in the List C and D of the 8th grade, AmusA or LmusA (only if you can play them well- it's pointless to play piece way beyond your level) syllabus for some good pieces to maximise marks- they would be the standard of pieces required for extension music, What pieces have you thought about already- don't forget the ensemble?

Kats-Chernin's Russian Rag is a great piece to play however I would play it in the Music of the last 25 yrs topic in Music 2

 

[Chicobo]

Apparently I feel good at Music performance and my friends recommend me to go into it...
But the problem is that I only want to keep year 12 at 12 units, since the workload is going to be larger and im going to be busier...
It's because I'm thinking about dropping legal studies and picking up 4U maths, but I'm not sure whether if music extension would be good to do... since I do believe 4U has more use to what I'm considering doing, yet Music would be a huge benefit for me...
(same question goes with history extension.... then that means id drop physics.. unrelated but just saying)

Plus my music friends recommended me to do music extension, I've been getting around the 90% mark for my pieces, which were about 8th grade - AMus standard..

so what do you think? oh and btw whos doing music 2 or music extension here?

Hi Linh-da and Amogh's friend =)
Yeah I reckon you should go for it. Like the other person said, it's MUCH better practising on the piano than sitting in a stuffy room working out 4U questions (imo). It's one of the easier subjects to do good in for the HSC (if you're proficient in your instrument, which you evidently are.) I will also be doing Music Ext for the HSC. My music teacher has told me to start selecting songs now for it. I only have one chosen so far: Fantasie Impromptu.