Yesterday was Catherine's Second grade violin exam for the Royal Conservatory of Music. This is something she's been nervous about for weeks.
No worries now. Although we haven't got the results yet her teacher, who was present in order to accompany Catherine on a couple of pieces, thinks she did really well. Catherine herse'f came out of the examination room with a big smile, partly because she also thought she did well and partly because she had actually enjoyed the experience. Now we simply have to wait. I think that will be harder for her teacher and I then Catherine who's simply happy it's all over with for awhile (until a theory exam in the spring).
I'll post results when I get them.
5 comments:
Good luck! I always think a world with more violin players is a better place.
Hmmm - so she "actually enjoyed the experience" yet is happy it's over for a while? Sounds like all the nervous weeks leading up to it were not enjoyable, but not being counted as part of the experience in her/your mind?
Maybe she hasn't realized as most performers eventually do, how much a part of successful experience those feelings may continue to be no matter how good you get? The actors and singers and musicians we know say that it's an important part even, that without it the performance would suffer.
So they sort of learn to enjoy that too. :)
We actually did have a talk about the preceeding weeks after we got home. It's not a new thing of course. She gets the same feelings before any recital or performance and last night we sort of talked about whether they were really "bad" or whether maybe they could be translated as feelings of eagerness and excitement that build up to the enjoyment of a performance or exam.
But her great strength is that those feelings and worries never win anyway, regardless of whether she sees them as bad or good. It never occurs to her that they're a good reason to quit. Or that the risk of failure is a good reason to not follow through with something.
I think she's a natural performer in no small part because of that. :)
Sounds like it! :)
Ah, the joy of music exams. I think most of the nerves comes from being watched and judged. Mostly, you know you can play the pieces needed, but with the idea of somebody watching and grading I think there's just enough nerve to inspire fear of royally messing it up.
I'm glad she finished. As JJ Ross stated in the comment nerves can be a part of a successful experience...but only if they don't get in the way of one.
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