The External Performance Exam: Programme Timing and Stamina
For the external performance assessment, a student proposes a programme of four works totalling 18 minutes: a 6-minute Romantic piano work, a 5-minute contemporary work with extended techniques, a 4-minute Baroque movement, and a 3-minute own composition. The exam session allows a maximum of 20 minutes including setup and tuning. The student's teacher notes that in rehearsal the student's accuracy in the contemporary work drops markedly after the Romantic work, and that the own composition is technically far easier than the other three. The student wants to keep the order as listed because 'it builds to the contemporary piece'.
1. Assess the programme against the time limit and recommend an order, justifying the change.
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The 18 minutes of music leaves only 2 minutes for setup, tuning, and transitions between four works - tight but feasible if the student has a settled routine. The order as proposed front-loads the most physically demanding Romantic work and places the technically fragile contemporary work second, when fatigue and concentration are already tested. The own composition, being easiest, is wasted in last position where it neither showcases growth nor manages stamina. A better order: Baroque (4:00) as a controlled warm-up, own composition (3:00) to settle nerves, Romantic (6:00) while concentration is high, and contemporary (5:00) last only if the student can rehearse the transition and sustain accuracy; otherwise place contemporary third and Romantic last. The student must rehearse the full programme in the proposed order at least three times and log accuracy, because the panel assesses the performance as delivered, not the intended build.
2. The own composition is much easier than the other works. How should the panel treat it, and what should the student do?
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The panel assesses the programme as a whole for technical and interpretive demand. A substantially easier own composition can be included - it demonstrates compositional understanding and can show stylistic range - but it will not raise the technical ceiling, and if it occupies a large share of the programme it may lower the overall judgement of demand. The student should either (a) revise the composition to include at least one passage that stretches their technique, or (b) keep it short and frame it deliberately as a contrast piece, ensuring the other three works clearly carry high demand. The student should also be ready to discuss the compositional decisions if asked. The key judgement is that easy repertoire is not penalised per se, but it must be balanced by demonstrably demanding repertoire elsewhere in the programme.