I have accompanied students in their music exams for over 10 years. I have played for ABRSM, Trinity and MTB exams. My priority as an exam accompanist is to help the student play their best on the exam day, and to make them feel confident so they can enjoy their music exams.

Please contact me if you would like me to accompany you for your exam, or if you would like more information.

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In an exam rehearsal session I usually cover:

• to warm I always suggest a couple of scales. This is great practice for the exam day and will also get your body/fingers ready to play.

• we run through each of your exam pieces.

• we work through any changes in tempo/big dynamic changes/pauses etc. so that we are playing perfectly in time together.

• we sometimes practice the aural exercises, especially if this is something you are less confident with.

• we discuss what will happen on the exam day. Especially if this is your first exam, or your first time at a particular exam venue, I will let you know where it is, what it's like, and what to expect on the day. Knowing a bit more about what's going to happen can make the exam less daunting.

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It is also great to practice playing your exam pieces in front of a stranger. Playing in your lesson, in a place you go to every week, in front of your teacher (who you are hopefully comfortable with and used to playing for) is very different to playing in front of someone new, in a new place and a different environment. Practicing this before your exam will make you more comfortable on the exam day.

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Accompanying fees:

Initial Grade-Grade 3

• £20/30-mintute rehearsl

• £20/exam

Grades 4-5

• £25/30-minute rehearsal

• £25/exam

Grades 6-7

• £37.50/45-minute rehearsal

• £37.50/exam

Grade 8

• £50/1-hour rehearsal

• £50/exam

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The fees increase with each grade due to the length of the exam, the time needed for rehearsing longer and more complex pieces, and the difficulty of the accompanists parts in the higher grades. My fees are based off the Musicians Union suggested exam accompaniment fees.

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When should I organise my exam rehearsal? 

I would suggest to have your exam rehearsal a week or so before your exam. By this point your pieces will all be confident and ready for the big day, but this also leaves room if the rehearsal brings out anything you want to work on.

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Do I need the rehearsal? Can I just do the exam without a rehearsal?

If you are taking an exam I would strongly suggest that you have a rehearsal with me before the exam day. This is to make sure we are playing in time together, and for more advanced grades to make sure we're on the same page with ny repeats, dynamics, cuts, or changes in tempo. If you have played your pieces with the piano before and are confident that you can do it on the day then that's totally up to you, but in my experience musicians always play better when we've had a rehearsal first.

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