The Nice People Thread, No.16: A Universe of Niceness.

GDB2222

Pyxis wrote: »

....

There's no doubt there are some strange people out there, and some of them have a lot of time on their hands. It's perfectly sensible to be extremely cautious.

[Deleted User]

And I only had an eye test last week .
Hello to everyone BTW, I've bumped into a couple of you on other threads already.

Pyxis

Cakeguts wrote: »

The grade 8 thing usually happens if I am trying to help groups so understand that not all new potential members will have done grade exams at school. Also that adult late starters don't often bother playing lots of solo pieces because they started music in order to socialise. I am very interested in the social aspect of music rather than solos with piano in small rooms and one audience member. Some people like doing this but lots don't. I get called not nice when I suggest that community groups might like to consider that they take people who haven't done any exams. I mean if you are short of violas and there is a viola player looking for somewhere to play my logic says try to put the two together but some groups ask for the exams as standards for membership which seems to me to be cutting off your nose to spite your face. Surely a competent amateur player who can be a valuable member of your group but hasn't passed grade 8 is better than no one at all or even someone who passed grade 8 40 years ago and hasn't done a day's practice since? You would be surprised at the number of people who say that I am not nice when I suggest that people can make valuable members even if they haven't passed grade exams.

That makes sense.

I passed mine yonks ago, but haven't kept up anything like the amount of practice needed to maintain that level.
So going purely on a piece of paper does seem a bit daft. Why don't they just try them out and see if they can cope?

Your job sounds fascinating! I assume it's your job, but it might be be extra-curricular, of course!




Pastures, I guess my remote control spell might have worked?

ivyleaf

Welcome to Cakeguts (with whom i entirely agree re people who haven't done music exams!), Sleazy, elsien and Loanranger (who I think has posted on the NP threads before occasionally?) - and apologies if i've missed any new NP

Loanranger

Hello Ivyleaf, yes I have posted on several previous incarnations of NP threads but thank you kindly for the welcome.

ETA
I miss NeverDespairGirl... whatever caused her to leave?

Tahlullah

PasturesNew wrote: »

What a great idea. I think everybody should go off and check them all right now

It's only after completing an exercise like this that you realise how infrequently you post on a thread!

Cakeguts

Pyxis wrote: »

That makes sense.

I passed mine yonks ago, but haven't kept up anything like the amount of practice needed to maintain that level.
So going purely on a piece of paper does seem a bit daft. Why don't they just try them out and see if they can cope?

Your job sounds fascinating! I assume it's your job, but it might be be extra-curricular, of course!




Pastures, I guess my remote control spell might have worked?

It isn't really my job just something I do. My job is actually voluntary. I am a music volunteer for a mental health charity. I try to improve the quality of the lives of people with serious mental illness by them playing music together in a group. I have a fair bit of knowledge about how playing music in a group can improve the quality of lots of people's lives not just those with a mental illness.

Being told I am not nice because I don't regard grade exams as the most important aspect for enjoying playing music with other people sadly happens quite a lot.

My theory is that you are going to have to try everyone out anyway because some people just are not nice and you don't really want someone who is seriously not nice in a really friendly group however many bits of paper they have got. So if you are going to try everyone out anyway why not just do that? Apparently I am not nice for suggesting this and horror of horrors if everyone was allowed to be tried out you might get someone who couldn't play the music. I am not sure how someone who passed grade 8 40 years ago and hadn't practiced at all since would get on playing the music either but I am apparently not nice for suggesting that grade 8 40 years ago with no practice since would also need to be tried out. All I want to do is to help more people to enjoy playing music together without these daft requirements for grade exams getting in the way. There are so many health benefits for doing it.

Pyxis

You're telling me!

I'm a great believer in the power of music, whether as formal therapy or just as!

Its effects are amazing!

Pyxis

PasturesNew wrote: »

What a great idea. I think everybody should go off and check them all right now

Blimey! That would take me a week! :eek:

GDB2222

I emailed Eurostar CS to say DW had left her phone on the train. That was on Thursday. Today, they emailed back with the email address for their lost property department. Sigh.