PLEASE READ CAREFULLY - AS THE ASSOCIATED BOARD SYSTEM HAS RADICALLY CHANGED, THERE IS A LOT OF NEW INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE!
Are you an instrumental or vocal teacher with exam candidates needing an accompanist?
Or are you an exam candidate or a parent applicant?
Then why not consider joining us for an ABRSM Private Visit in Cottenham? We run three sessions a year, one at the end of each term.
Advantages include:
You will know the start date for the exam session from the beginning of term.
You will have the whole term to prepare, as our exams always take place at the end of term.
You can enter at any point up until four weeks before the exam.
You can rehearse with your accompanist (Maurice) as many times as you like in the actual exam room.
You know your accompanist will be available on the day!
We are not paid by the ABRSM for these visits - they were established to enable our own piano pupils to take their exams on a familiar instrument and in a familiar environment: also so that we can pursue our accompaniment work without spending so much time travelling.
Therefore we do not accept other teachers' candidates who do not require Maurice's accompaniment (pianos, harps, guitars etc.).
Also, we cannot accept jazz exam entries, as these usually require separate examiners (there are very few who examine both classical and jazz).
However, although we cannot generally accept diploma candidates, we can accept candidates for the ARSM diploma.
Please note that candidates for Grades 6-8 and ARSM will need to bring some form of ID to their exam. Please follow this link to find out more https://gb.abrsm.org/media/63722/final-candidate-identification-policy-pdf.pdf .
FEES for accompanying an exam are now £40 per hour (pro rata for 15, 20 minutes etc.) for rehearsals for Grades 1-8 and £45 per hour for ARSM exams in the exam room before the exam day - the minimum chargeable period is 15 minutes (£10) for Grades 1-7 and 30 minutes for Grade 8 and ARSM (£22.50). We operate a sliding scale as follows for the exam day itself, including as much of a run-through as there is time for just beforehand .
Grade 1: £13
Grade 2: £14
Grade 3: £15
Grade 4: £16
Grade 5: £17
Grade 6: £18
Grade 7: £19
Grade 8: £20
ARSM: £40
In practice this means that an early grade wind exam (with two accompanied pieces) may only require a rehearsal of about 15 minutes (£10) plus the relevant fee shown above, whereas a Grade 8 string candidate playing (say) a Brahms Sonata movement and two other accompanied pieces may require two hours of rehearsal plus the fee above, totalling £100.
Payment by cheque or bank transfer, please. We do not take cash. Please have payment ready for the last rehearsal before the exam - this avoids having to think about it on the day!
N.B. If you forget to come to a rehearsal, or forget your piano accompaniment or instrument, you will be charged (all these things have happened!).
PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS EXPECTED THAT ALL CANDIDATES (EVEN EARLY GRADES) DO ATTEND A REHEARSAL BEFORE THE EXAM. They should not just turn up on the day and expect me to produce a professional result with a two-minute run-through. This is not the message any of us would wish to give to our pupils, hopefully! A minimum of 15 minutes rehearsal time, in addition to the accompaniment fee for the exam, will be charged even if no previous rehearsal has taken place. We try to create a relaxed atmosphere in the waiting room, the run-through room and the exam room, and the opportunity to rehearse here in the weeks before the exam is an important part of that.
Until all the entries are in, we do not know how many hours of exams we will have. We have often run into a third day and sometimes a fourth although, since the pandemic, more candidates have opted for performance exams so the Private visits have been shorter. We do our own timetabling, which is very time-consuming (particularly hard at the busy end of term!). Therefore it is very important that you are available, not just for the start date, but also for any other days that the Visit may cover. If you have any unavoidable commitments, you must let us and your teacher/applicant know at the time of entry. I hope you will agree that it is still better than having to be ready for any of six days a week over a period of four to five weeks!
Please try to contact Maurice by email at mauricehodges7754@gmail.com at least 2-3 weeks before your exam to arrange a rehearsal. If you leave it until a week before, it makes it very difficult for us to fit you in, and you will have to take whatever time is left (if any), however inconvenient it may be for you or us!
ENTERING FOR A PRIVATE VISIT (WE DO NOT ENTER YOUR CANDIDATES!).
Please note that the ABRSM system has completely changed and it will not now be possible to enter without previously notifying Thanea (thaneahodges@icloud.com) of the details of your candidate(s) (name, instrument, grade, any special requirements regarding the exam, including requests to avoid certain dates if absolutely necessary). In order to enter you will need a code, which Thanea will send you on receipt of this information. Hopefully all will be clear if you go here: https://gb.abrsm.org/en/exam-booking/ !
The official closing date of four weeks before the start date still stands; however please note that the new AB system will no longer accept late entries!
Thanea is the Visit Co-ordinator; therefore all emails concerning entries should be sent to her dedicated exam email address: thaneahodges@icloud.com . Please do not use WhatsApp, Messenger, text message or any other method, as it makes administration very difficult. Please include your phone number(s).
We will open a rehearsal book for the exam room four weeks before the exams. You may rehearse earlier than that but we can't guarantee that you will be in the exam room. All enquiries for rehearsals should be sent to Maurice's email address: mauricehodges7754@gmail.com - please note the change of address, as "maurice.hodges@ntlworld.com" is no longer functioning. Please include your phone number(s).
Please would all teachers inform their candidates and their parents of this website and email address so that they are clear about the terms and conditions, know where they are coming to and can access the timetable as soon as it is available here.
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU BRING YOUR PIANO ACCOMPANIMENTS TO THE REHEARSALS AND THE EXAM!