Music resources

Exemplars for solo performance (AS90012)

The national moderators have reconsidered judgements (see below) and have provided the following model feedback commentaries for the exemplars originally issued on video in 2001. These commentaries should be read in conjunction with the original exemplars if they are available.

There are five changes of judgement for the following students: Rosel (a to m), Simon (e to m), Kimberley (a to na), Miriam (m to e) and Emily (a to na).

Teachers should note that the performances on the video are not complete and the commentaries are indicative only.

A model template with an assessment schedule based on version three of this Standard is available.

The commentaries give examples of the way in which teacher responses can make the link between the criteria and the judgement clear for students. This can most effectively be achieved by combining comments specific to the performance with key phrases from the criteria.

Student:	Barbara	Instrument:	Voice	Repertoire:	Un moto di gioja Mozart You spotted snakes Helen Bowater
Final Result:		Excellence
Comments:		These two contrasting performances demonstrate that you have exceeded the expectation for this level. Your performances were confident, fluent and accurate and demonstrated a developing technique that was secure in the delivery of these pieces, particularly in control of breath support and diction. There was a convincing sense of musicianship (a sense of phrasing and dynamics) and a convincing sense of understanding and communicating the musical intention of the pieces to the audience. Well done.
Student:	Rosel	Instrument:	Voice	Repertoire:	Laughing and Weeping Schubert In dulce jubilo Bach
Final Result:		Merit
Comments:		These performances were fluent and mostly accurate and you demonstrated technical skills that are developing. The main area for technical development is the concept of tone and breath support. Often your sound is rather breathy and unsupported. There was evidence of effective musicianship for this level, in particular a sense of the musical line. However your communication with the audience was weakened by your reliance on looking down at the score. One of the expectations in vocal performance is the direct communication with the audience and even when music is used you should aim to look up and engage your listeners with the story in the songs. The development of these aspects in particular would see your achievement move towards the Excellence level for this Standard.
Student:	Leti	Instrument:	Voice	Repertoire:	Caro mio ben Giordano Love Tender Care original
Final Result:		Merit
Comments:		These contrasting performances were fluent and mostly accurate. Technical skills are developing well but there was some flat intonation from time to time and some breathing mid phrase which suggests further development is required with vowel placement and breath support. There was effective musicianship with a well developed concept of tone, dynamics, and musical shaping. You demonstrated effective presentation skills, engaging the audience appropriately, particularly in your first piece. There is sometimes a danger that when accompanying yourself the focus moves off the quality of the singing. Be sure that each item shows you to best advantage and take advice on this from your teacher(s).Well done.
Student:	Simon	Instrument:	Voice	Repertoire:	Non piu andrai Mozart Deep River Negro spiritual
Final Result:		Merit
Comments:		You are a convincing performer, demonstrating effective stage craft, and a well developed concept of tone and sense of musicianship for this level. These songs were fluent and mostly accurate. However there are some technical aspects that require development before achieving a secure Excellence for this level. In particular there were consistent intonation problems and some unsupported tone, particularly in soft passages, resulting in a lack of accuracy and ?convincing musicianship?, therefore the technical skills were not yet ?secure' for an Excellence at this level.
Student:	Penny	Instrument:	Flute/Guitar	Repertoire:	Sicilienne Faure Study Sargeras
Final Result:		Merit
Comments:		These performances demonstrated developing technical skills that resulted in fluent and mostly accurate performances. Musicianship was effective with carefully considered and musical shaping. There was effective presentation. Areas for development towards Excellence include working on tone quality and intonation in the flute piece and fluency and posture in the guitar piece (try being less hunched over the guitar). As well as this, overall, you need to work at communicating more confidently. This will come as increased technical assurity develops and provides you with the skills to be more outgoing in your overall performance. You need to consider very carefully before presenting on two instruments. You must be sure that one will not disadvantage the other in terms of quality. This could affect your overall result. In an assessment situation, we need to see the upper level of your abilities rather than versatility.
Student:	Dominique	Instrument:	Flute	Repertoire:	Allegro Hasse Scherzetto Harris
Final Result:		Excellence
Comments:		These performances demonstrate a secure technique for this level with appropriate control over fingering, tonguing and registers. The performances were contrasting, confident, fluent and mostly accurate and overall there was effective musicianship and convincing presentation skills. Areas for development would be working at a more centred and fulsome tone.
Student:	Gregory	Instrument:	Oboe	Repertoire:	Sarabande Corelli Gavotte Corelli
Final Result:		Merit
Comments:		These performances were generally accurate and demonstrated developing fluency and technical skills. While the first piece was at the Achieved level the Gavotte showed a greater sense of fluency and some well executed articulate passage work, just reflecting the Merit criteria. As your technical fluency increases the musical shaping that we can sense will become more explicit in your performance. Tone and intonation are the areas which need most focus for development to see the achievement move towards Excellence for this level. Your presentation was effective.
Student:	Sarah	Instrument:	Clarinet	Repertoire:	41 Baermann Dance Preludes 11 Lutoslawski
Final Result:		Merit
Comments:		These performances were fluent and mostly accurate and demonstrated developing technical skills. Tonguing and register changes were well handled for this level and there was a sense of musical shape and developing tone. As your technical fluency increases the musical shaping that we can sense will become more explicit in your performance. Working at tone is the area which needs attention to see achievement move towards Excellence for this level. Presentation was effective.
Student:	Kimberley	Instrument:	Bassoon	Repertoire:	Minuet from Sonata 5 Louis Mercy Theme from Scherezade Rimsky-Korsakov
Final Result:		Not achieved
Comments:		These performances demonstrate some technical skills and are generally accurate but a lack of fluency and appropriate presentation mean that overall you do not quite meet the standard. You need to notice how your continual movement (rocking) is not helpful in creating a relaxed rapport with your instrument and with the audience. This is also not helping you develop the musical skill of thinking phrases or sub phrases, rather than playing note by note. If fluency and phrasing can be improved, as well as a more appropriate posture then the standard could be achieved.
Student:	Gregory	Instrument:	Recorder	Repertoire:	Allegro Vivaldi Largo Vivaldi
Final Result:		Excellence
Comments:		These performances were confident, fluent and accurate demonstrating that you have exceeded the expectation for this level. As well as this there was clear musical shaping and appropriate articulation. Overall this made for convincing communication. Listening to many recordings will help you develop a clearer concept of tone. Areas for development include breath control, refining intonation, and developing full ornamentation in the slow movements. Well done.
Student:	Richard	Instrument:	Alto Sax	Repertoire:	Swinging Shepherd Blues Koffman Greensleves trad
Final Result:		Achieved
Comments:		These performances were generally accurate and demonstrated some technical skills reflecting a third year of study. A clear sense of musicianship was hindered by a lack of co-ordination between tongue and fingers marring the fluency and sense of pulse overall. You need to develop a sense of playing phrases rather than note by note and gain more control over tone and register changes. Developing these aspects would see an increase in achievement from this level towards merit. More listening is required to increase your sense of tone and ?feel'. Working with an accompaniment would help develop some aspects of musicianship.
Student:	James	Instrument:	Tenor Sax	Repertoire:	Vintage Blue James Rae Latin Rondo
Final Result:		Achieved
Comments:		These performances demonstrated a developing sense of musical feel and technical facility. The performances were generally accurate and there was a sense of line in the playing where technical co-ordination did not impede the progress. There was appropriate presentation. Tone and fluency along with a more outgoing musical feel overall are areas for development that could see these performances move to the merit level.
Student:	Barnaby	Instrument:	Tenor Sax	Repertoire:	Girl form Ipanema Anthropology Charlie Parker
Final Result:		Excellence
Comments:		These performances were confident, fluent and accurate as well as demonstrating secure technical skills (effective passage work, good tone) and convincing musicianship for this level (feel, sense of phrase and improvisation). Areas for development would include exploring the range of the instrument more and widening the dynamic range as well but overall this is excellent work for this level, well done.
Student:	Robert	Instrument:	Trumpet	Repertoire:	Air Telemann Cancone Study 12 Reondhart
Final Result:		Excellence
Comments:		Fluent passage work, clear articulation, and effective dynamics were two striking features of your confident and fluent first piece. The second piece had different challenges of tone and control that were harder for you to manage but nevertheless the overall the evidence provided here is at the excellence level. Well done.
Student:	Sam	Instrument:	Trombone	Repertoire:	Old Cape Cod Patti Page Jammin with Charlie Pearson/Sorenson
Final Result:		Merit
Comments:		These performances demonstrate growing competence in fluency, accuracy, musicianship and presentation. They were mostly accurate and there was a sense of musical style and feel evident, close to the excellence level. Development of pitch accuracy and tone and awareness of harmonic background in the improvising would see this merit performance develop towards excellence. You were clearly audible in the group piece which allowed a judgement to take place for this solo performance Standard.
Student:	Miriam	Instrument:	Piano	Repertoire:	Ballade pour Adeline Senneville/Touissant Allegro con brio Haydn
Final Result:		Excellence
Comments:		These performances were fluent and mostly accurate. You demonstrated a range of technical skills and effective musicianship for this level, although the Haydn was a little ploddy. You need to do more listening and find a more fluid sense of phrasing for this classical style. There was shaping nevertheless and demonstration of effective presentation.
Student:	Bridget	Instrument:	Piano	Repertoire:	Mood Swing Original Fur Elise Beethoven
Final Result:		Merit
Comments:		Your rendition of Fur Elise was very musically shaped, particularly the opening. This is effective musicianship and communication which is well developed in your playing for this level. You handled the subsequent technical challenges well although there were some tempo variations at challenging moments! However, your first piece did not really allow us to see evidence of the same level of playing, so be careful that your choice of repertoire allows us to see your developed technical and musical skills.
Student:	Rhadika	Instrument:	Piano Accordion	Repertoire:	Romance Romani Il Rondo Romani
Final Result:		Merit
Comments:		Your performance was mostly fluent and accurate and there was effective control of dynamics and articulation and the musical intention was mostly clear. You demonstrated effective presentation skills as well. Areas for development towards excellence would include developing a more fluid delivery of the phrasing and balancing the volume of melody and accompaniment carefully. As well as this you need to develop the sense of the message or story line of the music more. Listening to expert musicians will help you develop an ear for what this sounds like.
Student:	Tyler	Instrument:	Drum Kit	Repertoire:	Improvisation 1 original Improvisation II original
Final Result:		Achieved
Comments:		These performances demonstrated some developing technical skills on the kit including a good balance of bass drum and stick patterns. The feel is developing but not always consistent. The main area for development is to work at a more consistent internal sense of pulse. Your timing was often erratic when technical demands increased. Doing some playing with backing tracks or with other players will help you develop this sense of pulse. More skill development in fluency, ?feel', transitions, high-hat, and dynamics are required to see your skills move to a merit level. There was appropriate presentation for this level.
Student:	Jeff	Instrument:	Drum Kit	Repertoire:	Study Ex 30 from Fast Forward Improvisation original
Final Result:		Excellence
Comments:		These performances demonstrated confidence, fluency and accuracy. Your skills are secure for this level with some exploration of a variety of surface and beat styles. There was a good feel and a reliable sense of pulse. This enabled a convincing presentation for this level. You were really engaged. Well done. Working at transitions and exploring further beat styles are areas for development.
Student:	Tui	Instrument:	Violin	Repertoire:	Bouree Bach Concerto 2, iii Seitz
Final Result:		Merit
Comments:		Your performances were mostly fluent and accurate and there was some effective musicianship although this was often marred by some technical difficulties of intonation and co-ordination. Areas for development for merit would include more accuracy of intonation from secure technical skills and working at bowing parallel to the bridge to improve the tone quality. Overall there was effective presentation.
Student:	Emily	Instrument:	Cello	Repertoire:	Irish Folk Song trad The Elephant Saint Saens
Final Result:		Not achieved
Comments:		These performances demonstrate some technical skills in very simple music. You are well on the way towards the achievement level. Your basic posture and bow work look relaxed and efficient, and you were generally accurate however overall your level of playing does not do not quite meet the standard we could expect in a third year of study. If fluency, tone, and phrasing can be improved within slightly more challenging pieces then the standard could be achieved.
Student:	Richard	Instrument:	Classical Guitar	Repertoire:	Bouree Bach Blackbird McCartney
Final Result:		Achieved
Comments:		Your playing is generally accurate and there are developing technical skills evident and some sense of musicianship, particularly in the second piece. You demonstrated appropriate presentation skills. To develop your skills to achieve merit you should focus on developing the same level of fluency and sense of musical intent in both pieces. The Bach was rather ploddy. It has much more shape in it than you presented.
Student:	Melissa	Instrument:	Lead Guitar	Repertoire:	Impromptu in a minor Frank Hall The Unforgiven Metallica
Final Result:		Excellence
Comments:		These performances were confident, fluent and accurate. You demonstrated secure technical skills and your musicianship was demonstrated with a reliable sense of pulse, timing, dynamics and shaping. As a result there was convincing communication. Well done.
Student:	William	Instrument:	Rap	Repertoire:	Forgot about Dre Eminem If Your Mother Only Knew Rahzel
Final Result:		Excellence
Comments:		These performances were confident, fluent and accurate. You demonstrated secure technical skills and convincing musicianship and communication for this style. This was an engaging performance.

Last updated: 28 July 2009

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Exemplars for solo performance (AS90012)