What does it take to get a 50?

[MathsNerd203]

I'm doing Unit 3&4 Music Performance this year, and I'm really starting to stress about the end of year exams and the outcome that they will have on my study score. I have a few questions for anyone (if you exist) that has achieved an outstanding score in Music Performance:

1. How many marks can you afford to drop on each exam? Do you have to get an A+ on both if you want a score in the 40s?

2. How much do you recommend writing for Section B on Exam 2? Also, how do you prepare/revise for this section?

3. If I get full marks for all SACs (which I have so far, and will probably maintain), how badly will this be affected by my exam results; e.g. If I get a C in the performance exam, will this jeapodise my shot at a score in the 40s?

4. Are there any other tips and tricks that you would recommend for this subject?

I've been putting in several hours of practice each day, as well as a few hours each week to aural training, however I'm aware that Music Performance is incredibly difficult to score well in, and I want to position myself to score as highly as possible.

Thank you for your help 

[Orb]

I'm doing Unit 3&4 Music Performance this year, and I'm really starting to stress about the end of year exams and the outcome that they will have on my study score. I have a few questions for anyone (if you exist) that has achieved an outstanding score in Music Performance:

1. How many marks can you afford to drop on each exam? Do you have to get an A+ on both if you want a score in the 40s?

2. How much do you recommend writing for Section B on Exam 2? Also, how do you prepare/revise for this section?

3. If I get full marks for all SACs (which I have so far, and will probably maintain), how badly will this be affected by my exam results; e.g. If I get a C in the performance exam, will this jeapodise my shot at a score in the 40s?

4. Are there any other tips and tricks that you would recommend for this subject?

I've been putting in several hours of practice each day, as well as a few hours each week to aural training, however I'm aware that Music Performance is incredibly difficult to score well in, and I want to position myself to score as highly as possible.

Thank you for your help 

I haven't done it personally, but from the 4 students i know that've gotten 50 in the past, they've all passed their LMus examinations before year 10, so well above that standard

And yes if you get a C in the performance exam you almost definitely won't get a 40, that's for sure :/

[wunderkind52]

I'm doing Unit 3&4 Music Performance this year, and I'm really starting to stress about the end of year exams and the outcome that they will have on my study score. I have a few questions for anyone (if you exist) that has achieved an outstanding score in Music Performance:

1. How many marks can you afford to drop on each exam? Do you have to get an A+ on both if you want a score in the 40s?

2. How much do you recommend writing for Section B on Exam 2? Also, how do you prepare/revise for this section?

3. If I get full marks for all SACs (which I have so far, and will probably maintain), how badly will this be affected by my exam results; e.g. If I get a C in the performance exam, will this jeapodise my shot at a score in the 40s?

4. Are there any other tips and tricks that you would recommend for this subject?

I've been putting in several hours of practice each day, as well as a few hours each week to aural training, however I'm aware that Music Performance is incredibly difficult to score well in, and I want to position myself to score as highly as possible.

Thank you for your help 

For a 40, you probably need A+ in both, and at most 8 marks from performance and about 10-12 marks from your written.
To get a 50, you need full marks on your practical exam, and pretty much full marks on your written as well (maybe at most 2-2, depending on your year).

You should aim to at least fill out the lines (and I don't mean with garbage). In terms of tips, what you might like to do is divide your page into two columns, (depending on the question), and this will allow you to do a "compare and contrast" between features. It's not just about identification, but analysis. Something I found useful was creating mindmaps for each of the different features, like "tempo", "dynamics", "tone colour" etc, and in each of those, branch off to different characters and then features. For instance, for dynamics, you could branch off to a ominous character, and then talk about swells in dynamics etc. The beauty of this is, when you come to your exam, you don't have to "actively" listen so much, and try to come up with features to talk about, but you'll be able to think - oh the character is ominous - is there swells in dynamic? And then write about those.

Your SACs are only worth 20& of your score, or 30% I can't remember, and your practical is worth 50%. So if you get a C, as hamo said, you really can't come back.

Other tips and tricks? Depending on your own capabilities - just don't get complacent! That's something I'm guilty of! Find your weaknesses and practise with tasks that are slightly harder than VCAA standard. This way you will be well prepared.

[keltingmeith]

I haven't done it personally, but from the 4 students i know that've gotten 50 in the past, they've all passed their LMus examinations before year 10, so well above that standard

Except that AMEB is about technicality and musicianship - VCE is about performance. I've seen people at top acts who were definitely not further than grade 4 in their instruments, but they sounded *good* and knew how to perform.

[Quinapalus]

I'm doing Unit 3&4 Music Performance this year, and I'm really starting to stress about the end of year exams and the outcome that they will have on my study score. I have a few questions for anyone (if you exist) that has achieved an outstanding score in Music Performance:

1. How many marks can you afford to drop on each exam? Do you have to get an A+ on both if you want a score in the 40s?

2. How much do you recommend writing for Section B on Exam 2? Also, how do you prepare/revise for this section?

3. If I get full marks for all SACs (which I have so far, and will probably maintain), how badly will this be affected by my exam results; e.g. If I get a C in the performance exam, will this jeapodise my shot at a score in the 40s?

4. Are there any other tips and tricks that you would recommend for this subject?

I've been putting in several hours of practice each day, as well as a few hours each week to aural training, however I'm aware that Music Performance is incredibly difficult to score well in, and I want to position myself to score as highly as possible.

Thank you for your help 

The main thing is to do really well in the recital, which is 50% of the marks (more once you consider exams and SACs separately, with the moderation of SACS). You should practice regularly throughout the year and fix mistakes/improve minor details as you progress. Try recording yourself and listen to the recordings to identify points of improvement. As the exam approaches, try to have a mock recital in front of someone who can no only identify points of musicianship but also performance etiquette (posture, stance, eye contact, etc.)

I managed to get a 200/200 on the recital, was able to afford to lose two marks on the exam, still got a Premier's.


Again, main thing is the performance.