Be well prepared for 'they will chuck anything at you'

Pascal Gillies says he won't study music next year as it caters more to fans of classical and old-fashioned music. Photo / Martin Sykes

Each day the Herald talks to students sitting NCEA exams.

PASCAL GILLIES
Age: 15
School: Western Springs College
Exam: Level 1 music

How do you think you went?

Not too well. The questions were really difficult which I found hard to relate to. The theory side was quite difficult.

What mark do you give the paper: not achieved, achieved, merit or excellence? Why?

I would probably give it an achieved mark. It's possible to do it if you put the effort in but it doesn't really cater for people who don't like classical or old-fashioned style music.

What was the oddest question in the exam?

They played us a piece and asked us to find an incorrect note and it was one note out of quite a large piece. That was quite difficult because the piece actually sounded fine to me.

What was the hardest question?

I think the hardest question was trying to write down the music as they played it to us or trying to mark out the incorrect note.

Will you study the subject again next year?

No way. There's too much theory which is a different language to me. It also kind of clashes with other subjects.

What's your top study tip?

Make sure you've got the whole writing music thing down sussed. You've got to come in completely prepared because they will chuck anything at you.