Leaving Cert Music Practical

racheld51

Hi, so I'm repeating my leaving cert and have taken up music this year. Overall I'm finding the course ok but I'm just looking for advice on the practical.
I did both the flute and the piano to grade six and I suppose I can sing aswell and I'm just not sure what to do for it.
Should I play one instrument or two? Should I sing? And what pieces/songs should I do? My flute ones from grade six dont sound at all impressive and I can't remember my piano ones. But if you have any advice it'd be much appreciated, thank you.

STP50

I have 3 children all of whom take music as an extra curricular subject outside of school for leaving cert. My youngest will do it this year.

You have a couple of options with the practical - you can do 1 or 2 activities.
1 activity - you play 6 pieces marked to honors standard
2 activities - you play 4 pieces for each activity, marked to pass standard.

Normally the music teachers advise that it is easier to score with two activities albeit that give 8 pieces in total.
You have a total of 25 mins to play and the standard expected is around grade 5/6, so you should be fine with both flute & piano.

You should perform to the standard that can reasonably be achieved in 5 years of secondary school - the marking is not like the grade exams - its more important to play an easier piece with great musicality and technically accurate that try to play an advanced grade 7 piece that is technically challenging and has some slips.!

You have two instruments so that is an advantage- alternatively you could sing 4 songs and play 4 pieces on one of the instruments as
your two activities - so whichever is strongest for you.
The repertoire should be a varied program - does not all have to be classical, or a single genre. My son will play a baroque piece, a
romantic piece, a jazz piece and contemporary piece -maybe a movie theme, play what you enjoy and can play well.

You should also check the technology option if you have a teacher in the school who will cover it is is very simple and can be
one of your activities - one of my daughters choose technology and thought it was a very manageable option.

If you search on here you will find some threads with suggested music pieces - but I would say choose what you can play well
to your standard -the leaving cert is not about the technical difficulty of the pieces - rather how you show your musicality.

Good luck with it.

MightyMandarin

is a paino accompaniment needed for the practical? I play clarinet btw

racheld51

Sorry, I just got a chance to come online now, thanks for all of your help. I think I'm going to play two instruments for the exam and hopefully it'll go ok. Thanks for all your advice.

MightyMandarin wrote: »

is a paino accompaniment needed for the practical? I play clarinet btw

I'm not a hundred per cent sure, when I talked to my music teacher last week about what I should do she asked if I had any accompaniment to go with my flute and said that she'd do it for me but I don't think it's necessary, maybe it just sounds better? I know I had an accompaniment for all of my flute exams but I don't know why that was. Maybe ask your teacher of you need one and see if she'll do it for you or if someone else in your class can. According to Rapid Revision "An accompaniment or a duet is treated as a group performance" so you could see if anyone wanted to accompany you and ye could both do it as your performances.

evolving_doors

If the composer has arranged the piece with piano accompaniment then you have to ask yourself if the piece sounds ok without it (there might be dialogue between the two instruments which will sound 'lacking' without accompaniment). If you do get an accompanist then try and get a few run-throughs with them.
Also Eight pieces is a pretty tall order if you are just starting or brushing up on them now for eight months time. It can be mentally taxing too if you expect it to be like the grades exam with just 3 pieces.

How about the music technology option..you will need to talk to someone about what is required as its an easy exam so the examiners are quite picky that you are doing everything as you should be..

Its good that you are getting it sorted now though... keep practicing..

elliedonks

Hi, just wondering, are you able to play either a Launch Pad or Melodica for the Leaving Cert Practical? Would appreciate if someone could let me know ^^