Music - drop it or not? (1 Viewer)

[Haruka]

Just today, my Music teacher rang my mum telling her I came top of the class in my yearly (it's a small class, so the marking obviously didn't take very long). However, the exam was entirely theory-based, and while I'm fairly good at theory, practical isn't my strong point at all, since I don't really have a strong background in music. (I sing; have pretty much given up guitar at this point since it takes more than one year to get really good) Nor does it relate to my dream uni degree/job at all, but my teacher really wants me to stick around since she says she believes in me.

So what should I do? Keep the subject, or drop it?

 

[BLIT2014]

I'd say keep it, and if you feel you are really struggling with it you can drop it . However , you can't repick up subjects if you start regretting it.

 

[nerdasdasd]

I would suggest that you keep it . Music is a fun subject ( as opposed to chem or maths )

 

[madharris]

I would suggest that you keep it
As said above, music is a fun subject where you laugh and sing and do nothing for the whole lesson (well that was my class anyway)
Remember that the paper is worth about 35% which is a huge chunk, and you can choose your elective to be musicology as well, which makes the theory part worth even more (I'm not too sure on the percentages with music 1)

If you're not struggling then I suggest that you keep it, if however you do really want to drop it then maybe keep at it for a while, see how you do and see if it gets better before you drop it

 

[Haruka]

I've made up my mind to keep the subject, but have a question: does being able to play an instrument make any difference in the practical component? As in, will I be able to get a good mark based on vocal skills alone? I'm not really confident in my vocal skills either since I don't know how to project my singing voice well. My parents are looking into getting me vocal lessons next year so I can learn different techniques and things.

And according to my teacher, I need to work on my stage presence as well; I don't know how to do that, since I'm shy and prefer to avoid being in the limelight (picked the wrong subject, I know) Any tips on how to make my performance more engaging?

 

[madharris]

Don't wait until next year, get music lessons asap
They can help you with your voice as well as help you with your repertoire

Playing an instrument makes no difference in the practical component as the voice is counted as an instrument.
I'm pretty sure, in 2011, the person who came 1st in music 2/ext was a singer

THe only thing I can say about stage presence is not just to sing, but to perform. This includes body/facial expression, expression in your singing, emotion, etc.
If you're scared and shy, then the best thing for you to do is to practice performing! When I was younger, I used to hate performing infront of people, but because in year 10, 11 and 12 I performed so much, I was fine for my hsc. I wasn't even nervous (the only thing I was nervous about in my performances was my sight singing but you don't have to do that in music 1).

 

[AnastasiaH1991]

Congrats on the fantastic marks! The music course is great, and the content and practicing is a breath of fresh air compared to other subjects.

A number of things I would recommend to you.

1. Listen to as many recordings as you can of your pieces, and watch video performances of other people singing the same song. Each person has an individual way of performing that particular song, and by exposing yourself to as many different recordings as possible, you will be able to pick and choose aspects and incorporate them into your own performance. This will make for a unique and well planned performance, which will be evident to the examiners.

2. Sing with passion and feeling. Let your voice tell the story. The examiners do not have the music in front of them and are not following along with a score, as is often the case in auditions and competitions. This gives you little bit of a leeway . Also, keep in mind that the examiners may not be trained vocalists. This is why it is so important to make sure your performance is convincing and full of life and emotion. The examiners have no score and possibly little to no vocal training to compare you against. You need to sell your performance in order to gain top marks!

 

[koreafantasy]

you dont have to do performance elective. if you don't, only 15% of your whole mark is based on performance. the other 2 options are musicology and composition. since you dont have a background in music, the musicology seems like the best option for you. espescially in music 2, where the recommended standard is grade8 ameb to do decently (~8 years exp in ur instrument). so my suggestion is- do it. do you wanna be doing bullshit like physics,chem or bio? or a fun, practical, fuckaround subject?

 

[Haruka]

Well, I ended up dropping. Hated the subject too much to keep going, and decided to improve my others instead. I'm not regretting it at all, since music is just not a hobby of mine and I found the subject to be no fun. (I posted this at a ridiculous time because of insomnia.)

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