LIBRETTO - ABRSM · PDF fileLIBRETTO Sally Adams on the new ﬂute syllabus Playing on the right side of the brain Chief Examiner's repor t Group teaching – group learning

LIBRETTO

Sally Adams on the new flute syllabus

Playing on the right side of the brain

Chief Examiner's report

Group teaching – group learning

Goodbye stage fright

Issue 2003:3

In the last issue of Libretto I wrote aboutthe success of the Associated Board’swork overseas, but drew attention to thedamage threatened by the war in Iraq and by the failure to establish politicalconnections between opposing culturesacross the world.

Ve ry shortly after that an even greater threat to the Board ’si n t e rnational work emerged with the totally unforeseen arrival of SARS,p a rticularly in parts of South East Asia where the Board has very larg enumbers of candidates for its exams. I am delighted to re p o rt that, as Iwrite, the unified action taken both within individual countries andi n t e rnationally to combat this virus has enabled all Associated Boardexams to proceed uninterrupted and as planned throughout the world.

So, in celebrating the effectiveness of this concerted action, itseems a good time to focus more generally on connecting rather thanpolarizing, on creativity rather than destructiveness. In this issue youwill find a report on the official launch of the Associated Board’s highlycreative new jazz syllabus and publications, and on the CT ABRSMAwards Ceremony, where our guest of honour, Sir Michael Bichard,spoke stirringly about the vital importance of creativity in education.In his article on page 8, Paul Harris also takes up this theme,emphasising the importance of simile and metaphor, i.e. the making of connections, in the context of music teaching and learning.

At the political level in the UK there has also been a series of jointinitiatives between the Department for Education and Skills and theD e p a rtment for Culture, Media and Sport designed to enhance cre a t i v i t yin education. The Creative Partnerships scheme aims to encourage linksbetween schools and outside arts organisations; schools have now beengiven the opportunity to achieve a specific designation as having a musicspecialism; there is a new ARTS alive! website – www. q c a . o rg . u k / a rtsalive –which is aimed at encouraging and assisting schools to build morec reativity into all aspects of school life; the Culture Online project isseeking to promote innovative means of giving more people gre a t e raccess to creative work; and the current consultation by the Qualific a t i o n sand Curriculum Authority on the curriculum at Key Stage 4 envisages anentitlement for all children to study an art form up to age 16.

The Associated Board applauds initiatives such as these, which areaimed at developing the creative faculties of young people andincreasing their capacity for perceiving and making connections.However, with particular reference to music, we have always sought toemphasise the role of the teacher and the recognition that sustainablebenefits from such initiatives are greatly reliant on the initial trainingand continuing professional development of teachers.

We believe that the Associated Board ’s CT ABRSM course,established in 1995, has made and will continue to make a majorcontribution to meeting these needs. We recognise, nevertheless, thatthe teaching and learning environment has changed in many ways overthe last eight years and that the time is right for a major strategicreview of the Board ’s work in this field. Over the coming months wewill there f o re be re s e a rching such matters as: the relationship betweenthe professional development needs of classroom and instru m e n t a lteachers; the needs of those who teach one to one compared withthose who teach in groups; the impact of music technology and e - l e a rning; the needs of lifelong learners; the diversity of teaching andl e a rning across musical genres; and the level of demand for accre d i t e dteaching qualifications. We will also be reviewing all aspects of coursed e l i v e ry, including the demand for short courses, residential courses and modular courses, alongside the present CT ABRSM stru c t u re .

If you have creative ideas on any of these issues, we would bedelighted to hear from you, particularly during this consultationperiod. The work will be undertaken by Richard Crozier, ProfessionalDevelopment Director, and Beth Morton, Professional DevelopmentMarketing Executive. You can write to Beth Morton at our PortlandPlace address or send an email to [email protected]

Please make the connection and tell them what you think!

ContentsLibretto 2003:3

3 Exams

Back to basicsFocus on flute and clarinetA timely reminderNew syllabusJazz on a summer’s dayTeach to reach… jazz workshops Chief Examiner’s reportUK closing dates 2004Entering online in the UK

6 Features

The new flute syllabusSally Adams

Playing on the right side of the brainPaul Harris

10 Professional development

CT ABRSM expressHong Kong newsCT ABRSM celebrationsGroup teaching – group learning

11 Publishing

Flute and clarinet syllabuses on CDUSA newsCompetition

15 News

Goodbye stage frightSaying thank youMarketing for the futureScholarship successA Scandinavian diaryFull marks for first examsExtra exam session in Hong KongParis on top formFrom South East AsiaWeekend in PenangAthens anniversary

18 Forum

Sight-readingNew topic: nerves

Outlook

Richard Morris Chief Executive

The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music24 Portland Place, London W1B 1LU, United Kingdom

telephone +44 20 7636 5400fax +44 20 7637 0234

email [email protected]

Registered Charity No. 292182© 2003 by The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of MusicAll rights reserved. Unauthorised reproduction in whole or inpart is prohibited without permission.

Editor CGP MorrisAssistant Editor Lucy NorthInsert & advertising sales Dominic Sewell

telephone +44 20 8861 0848Design Tamasin ColeCover illustration Anne Kristin Hagesæther/Inkshed

The views expressed in Libretto are not necessarily those of theAssociated Board neither are the products or services appearingin advertisements and inserts endorsed by the Associated Board .

3

EXAMSFocus on flute and clarinet

Readers of L i b re t t o will have noticed manyre f e rences to jazz and Music Medals in re c e n teditions. While we are excited by these initiatives,and want to share them with our readers aro u n dthe world, we are aware that, geographically, theya re relevant to a relatively small percentage ofteachers. Music Medals are being designed for use,initially at least, in the UK by Music Services, whoo rganise instrumental tuition at a local level. Jazzexams are currently available only in the UK, Ire l a n d ,Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore( t h e re are plans to offer them more widely as andwhen practicable). So for the majority of ourcandidates and their teachers, when we talk aboutAssociated Board exams we mean ‘the grades’.

Let me share with you a few of the thingsthat are happening behind the scenes to enhanceour most widely used product. You will notice the regular update of the various syllabuses –opportunities for us to refresh the repertoireselection and introduce new music of varioussorts. Consultation on this central area of ourwork is wide-ranging and lengthy. For example,we recently hosted a fruitful meeting withrepresentatives from the European StringTeachers’ Association at which the cello syllabuswas analysed and valuable insights were gained.

We know how unsettling it can be, though,when frequent changes are made to other aspectsof the syllabuses, and so we generally avoid them.But this does not prevent us from thinking in ac reative way about the detail of each examcomponent and how, at the right moment, itmight be improved. For example, we are lookingin depth, with the help of a group of highlyexperienced teachers and examiners, at how wego about the business of sight-reading for singers.Some while down the line this may come thro u g hin a revised approach. More radically, we havebeen exploring ways of widening opport u n i t i e sfor non-pedal harpists up to Grade 8, and will bepublishing the results next year.

Back to basics

Philip Mundey, Directorof Examinations, talksabout the AssociatedBoard’s core activity,the graded exams.

■ new website coming soon ■ w w w. a b r s m . o rg ■ new website coming soon ■ w w w. a b r s m . o rg ■

The latest syllabus is now availablecontaining revised re p e rt o i re lists for flu t e ,clarinet, horn, Eb h o rn, baritone,euphonium and tuba. Copies are availablef rom Associated Board Repre s e n t a t i v e s ,music shops and from our London offic e .

We still have a fewplaces available at thisy e a r’s seminars forteachers in the UK. Ledby Sally Adams and PaulH a rris, the seminars wille x p l o re flute andclarinet re p e rt o i re fro mthe new syllabus andmuch more. For an ideaof what to expect atone of these eventst u rn to our features bySally and Paul start i n gon page 6.

■ 13 SeptemberGlasgow

■ 21 SeptemberLiverpool

■ 27 SeptemberCambridge

■ 18 OctoberBristol

■ 9 NovemberLondon fully booked

■ 29 NovemberYork

For availability and a bookingform contact the MarketingDepartment:

■ 020 7467 8254■ [email protected]

A timely reminder

In January this year the timings for exams at Grades1 – 5 were adjusted as a result of feedback fromteachers, parents and examiners. The additionaltuning time for strings and wind was reducedslightly and two minutes were added to our shortestexam, Grade 1 Piano.

The new timings have been very effective buthave sometimes been overlooked. If you areplanning your candidates’ exam times and need toknow how many minutes to allow, refer to thecurrent Regulations and Information booklet.

New syllabus

Woodwind & BrassInstruments 2004 & 2005

4

EXAMS Jazz on a summer’s day


Charlie Beale, the Associated Board ’s Lead Jazz Consultant, seesthe new jazz exams and materials as providing a “cohere n t ,p ro g ressive, clearly stru c t u red and enjoyable way in to jazz that willrevolutionise and re - e n e rgise aspects of instrumental teaching.”

Jazz exams are soon to be available in Malaysia and Singapore,and from there our Regional Consultant, Bill Thomson, writes that”the arrival of the new jazz titles from ABRSM Publishing will bewelcomed by the numerous wind and brass players here, many ofwhom play in school and community bands.” Clearly, there’s muchto look forward to for jazz enthusiasts old and new.

Jazz exams are now available in the UK, Ireland, Australia,New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore. The jazz syllabus isavailable in these countries from Associated BoardRepresentatives and local music shops.

If you experience any difficulty obtaining a copy of thesyllabus you can request one by email. Please give your fullpostal address and fill the subject field with ‘Jazz Syllabus’:

■ [email protected]

The Professional Development Department isrunning a series of one-day jazz workshops forclarinet, saxophone, trumpet and tromboneteachers. Working with experienced jazz musicians,teachers will be encouraged to improvise from theoutset, learning how to take improvisation intotheir teaching and adding a new dimension to theirwork. The day will also provide a completeintroduction to the structure and content of thenew Associated Board jazz exams for theseinstruments.

Regional workshops will take place betweenFebruary and July 2004 at venues throughout theUK. Look out for more details in the next issue ofLibretto. In addition, from September 2003,organisations such as Music Services and schools canrequest a jazz workshop at their own venue for aminimum of twenty teachers.

For more information about jazzworkshops, contact Beth Morton in theProfessional Development Department:


Teach to reach… jazz workshops

The official launch of our new jazz syllabus andpublications took place on the morning of 12 Juneat London’s Purcell Room. With the help of somefantastic musicians an audience of teachers andspecial guests were given a taste of the newmaterials for clarinet, alto and tenor saxophones,t rumpet and trombone. Students from the Purc e l lSchool played in the foyer to get everyone in themood and on stage we had the wonderf u lo p p o rtunity to listen to Nikki Iles, Dennis Rollins,Chris Batchelor, Alan Barnes and Martin Hathawaywith students from the Royal Academy of Music.

From left to right: Dennis Rollins,

Martin Hathaway,Alan Barnes and

Chris Batchelor

Students from the Purcell School

5

EXAMS

This summer a remarkable thirty-five per cent of candidates were enteredonline. We have had lots of positivefeedback from teachers who find this avery convenient way to enter candidates,with the extended closing date (one week after postal entries) provingparticularly popular.

Your suggestions and ideas over thelast few months have allowed us todevelop and improve the online entryservice and we are grateful to everyonewho has given us comments.

If you haven’t tried the online formyet and want to find out more, visitwww.abrsm.ac.uk/examentry.html

Entering onlinein the UK

The biggest impact during the year has undoubtedly been the new pianosyllabus. The brilliant green books have been a welcome sign to examinersthat they will be hearing the new pieces. It’s interesting and amusing tofind that current hits soon make their appearance, however varied thechoice. The early grades are especially prone to predictable favourites andthis time they seem to be: Grade 1, Creepy Crawly; Grade 2, Herbie Funky;and Grade 3, Tango. Still on the early grades, we now allow two extraminutes for Grade 1 Piano, making this important occasion more enjoyablefor all concerned.

Many candidates seem to be playing their pieces first, a trend that wasnoticed last year. The exam can be performed in any order, so choosewhichever gives candidates more confidence. It’s encouraging to noticemore candidates trying out the sight-reading in the preparation time – itreally does help the final attempt.

Singers are now asked to bring in a list of their songs with, veryimportantly, the syllabus reference numbers. As the choices are so extensive it can take the examiner much precious time to search for thetitles among dozens of options, especially when some young candidates’pronunciations of foreign songs may be brave but improvisatory! Teachersare asked to be aware of the timings of singing exams and, if necessary, toomit some verses of very long traditional songs, provided that the musicalsense is unaffected.

There has been a very positive increase in the number of candidatestaking higher grades, which in the UK possibly reflects the quest for UCASpoints – so important for students at this stage. The theory entries alsoreflect this welcome trend.

Over the last year I have noticed a more confident response in the Aural Tests, particularly in Grades 7 & 8. The D test often inspires somememorable answers, including the following example:

Examiner Is the piece Classical, Romantic or 20th Century?Candidate Romantic.Examiner Why do you think that?Candidate Because it reminds me of my girlfriend and I love her so much!

Beyond the grades, diploma candidates continue to enter in theirthousands. Here, it is sometimes the Quick Study or Viva Voce that letsdown an otherwise successful candidate.

Performing diploma candidates may find the publication WritingProgramme Notes useful. Written by our Syllabus Principal, Dr Nigel Scaife,this booklet is available free of charge from our London office. We are alsoin the final stages of preparing a diploma video which will demonstrate the standards required at the various levels. The video will also featurediscussions between examiners, candidates and teachers dealing withfrequent diploma enquiries and giving advice for candidates.

It’s good to know, at the end of this academic year, that the AssociatedBoard is able to provide encouragement, information and support, as wellas our worldwide gold standard of assessments.

Look out for more information on the diploma video in the next issue of Libretto.

To request a copy of Writing Programme Notes contact theMarketing Department:

■ +44 20 7467 8253■ [email protected]

Chief Examiner’s report


Clara Taylor looks back over the lastyear’s examining.

UK closing dates 2004

Many teachers planahead for their pupils’exams and find it helpfulto know how exam andclosing dates fit withschool terms and othercommitments. Thepostal closing dates fornext year are:

A Period Friday 16 JanuaryB Period Friday 30 AprilC Period Friday 24 September

For those of you entering online, theclosing date is always the following Friday(see below).

Full details of practical and theorydates are given in the 2004 Regulationsand Information booklet.

6

FEATURES

I’m sure that at some point you all encounter one of those teaching days… days when you wish that the Associated Board would instigateexams for correct music stand assembly so thatsome of the little treasures might start withsomething correctly set up! Days that end upwith a rush to the car and a blast, in my case, of Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run to ease thememory of some of the pieces that your eardrums have suffered.

C e rtain exam pieces have a tendency tobecome an unofficial sound-track to your life.W h e re would we be without that glow ofsatisfaction of mastering the Fauré S i c i l i e n n e o rthe first movement of the Poulenc sonata? Others,I’m sure, are guaranteed to provoke such extre m eresponses that family and friends will wonder ifyour sanity has finally deserted you for good. TheP u rcell A i r, stalwart of Grade 3, List A will have merushing to the nearest darkened room.

However, the new flute syllabus will, I hope,have the effect of both soothing and stimulatingyour palette. The syllabus aims to strike a balancebetween traditional repertoire, beautifulmelodies, twentieth century works and morejazzy/pop styles. I am constantly staggered byhow little classical music pupils listen to or knowabout. I do sense that I am teaching in a musicalvacuum when Bach’s Badinerie is more familiar to my pupils as a mobile phone ring tone. As formy own knowledge of current pop trends, surelya garage is where one puts one’s car and as for rap…

Grades 1 and 2

We are fortunate that there is now a plethora ofrepertoire books to choose from for the earlygrades. We have come a long way since the dayswhen the admirable Flute Fancies was virtuallythe mainstay of the syllabus. Certain composershave a real knack of knowing just what youngperformers want to play. Pamela Wedgwood’sReally Easy Jazzin’ About is full of delightfulshort pieces for young jazzers to get their teethinto. Terry Cathrine’s Easy Blues Tunes couldprovide a really good jumping off point forcomposition and improvisation. Jazzy Momentsfor Flute by Sarah Watts is written in her usualwitty style. For a more contemporary jazz feel,Jazz Routes by Malcolm Miles is a well-craftedand challenging collection of pieces with theadded bonus of a practice CD.

Folk-song arrangements appear in List A atGrades 1 and 2. Part of the reason for this is anattempt to keep our heritage alive and also todevelop a really cantabile style of playing. The arrangement of Speed, Bonny Boat is simpleand exquisite. Duncan Reid’s arrangement ofPortsmouth for Grade 2 is fun and challenging.

Where would young instrumentalists bewithout the compositions of Paul Harris? Hislatest offering for the flute is a collection calledChocolate Box, which I’m sure devotees ofClowns will avidly devour.

Grades 3 and 4

If 1950s style rock and roll is your thing, Steve Pogson’s The Way to Rock is a must. This is another good book for sparking offimprovisation and composition. Several well-known jazz standards appear on the Grade 3 and 4 lists courtesy of The Magic Flutealbum arranged by Nicholas Hare. One unusualfind at Grade 4 is Solitaire by Malcolm Arnold. It is a little gem of a piece.

The new flute syllabus

Sally Adams is a freelance performer and teacher and has written anumber of popular flute teaching books. These include the Musicthrough Time series (Oxford University Press) and Tutor Flute Basics(Faber Music). Her most recent publications are two flute repertoirebooks and a recorder study book for Faber. She is currently working on a recorder tutor and a flute technique workbook. Sally is one of theAssociated Board’s flute syllabus consultants.

Sally Adams


the new flute syllabus will have the effect of both soothing

and stimulating your palette

7

FEATURES

Grades 5 and 6

Grades 5 and 6 are perhaps the most difficultlevels for which to find suitable pieces. You arejust on the cusp of discovering the bulk of theflute’s repertoire. The challenge is to discoverinteresting and stimulating pieces that are withinthe technical parameters of the level.

Old favourites remain on the Grade 5 list.Where would we be without Gluck’s Dance ofthe Blessed Spirits and the Fauré Sicilienne? Theyare true benchmark pieces in any flautist’sdevelopment. For a change you could try DuncanReid’s arrangement of Mozart’s Dove Sono orNigel Morley’s arrangement of the firstmovement from the Beethoven piano duetSonata in A. For those little welcome Latinmoments Tico Tico, from Play Latin, at Grade 5 isa must. There are some great arrangements byAlan Gout in this album. They are also goodfodder for school concerts and GCSEperformances. An unusual set of pieces which Iam very fond of is The Elements by RobertHinchliffe. These are excellent for developinggood ensemble skills with the accompanist.

At Grade 6 familiar pieces remain but theHummel Sonata in A is a welcome addition. I alsohave to mention Kronke, whose pieces are, infact, delightfully neo-baroque and present anumber of technical challenges along the way.Any information about Kronke would begratefully received as questions about him arebound to follow. Even a rove through the GroveMusic website has not shed any light!

Grades 7 and 8

As flute teachers we are deeply indebted to the work of Simon Hunt and Pan EducationalMusic. Simon is constantly seeking out andcommissioning innovative and enjoyablerepertoire for our students to work on. He hasrecently published Pictures, a collection of flutestudies by Hilary Taggart. Three of these havebeen selected for Grades 7 and 8. Continuing the study theme, some new additions to the lists at this level come from the Jindr

v

ich Feld 4 Pièces pour Flûte Seule. Hommage à Bartókhas a haunting and lilting melody and providesplenty of technical and musical challenges thatare well within the grasp of the Grade 7 student;Méditation and Caprice for Grade 8 demand an imaginative musical approach and technical fluency.

Old favourites abound on Lists A and B atGrade 8: the Mozart G major concerto, the firstmovement of the Poulenc sonata and the thirdmovement of the Hindemith sonata to name buta few. If you don’t know the Kent Kennan NightSoliloquy, it is well worth an investigation, withits elegiac flute line and subtle, shiftingharmonies. It might also be useful as animaginative A level recital piece.

Still feeling that you need soothing? TryM o u q u e t ’s sonata, La Flûte de Pan, on List B atGrade 8. Unashamedly romantic, it is mostenjoyable to play and always delightful to listen to.

If, at the end of a long day’s teaching, youhave that need to let off steam, go for MikeMower at his best – his aptly-titled Grade 7 studyBoiling Point. Take a deep breath – who caresabout the neighbours – and enjoy!

You can find the new flute syllabus, together with full details of the repertoire referred to in this article, in the recently published Syllabus of Examinations, Woodwind & BrassInstruments, 2004 & 2005.


the challenge is to discover interesting andstimulating pieces that are within the technicalparameters of the level

there is now a plethora of repertoire booksto choose from for the early grades

8

FEATURES Playing on the right side of the brain

Paul Harris

Paul Harris is a teacher, composer, writer, clarinettist and examiner.He is the author of over 250 publications, includingThe MusicTeacher’s Companion (ABRSM (Publishing) Ltd) and the Improve YourSight-reading! series (Faber Music), and many works ranging from short educational pieces to five concertos and a ballet.

A good friend of mine, an artist who provideswonderfully exotic art courses in a most beautifulpart of northern France, asked me recently whether Ihad read Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain byBetty Edwards. “An excellent book” she said, “it willrevolutionise your drawing”. Given that my bestefforts with brush and canvas don’t really go beyondstick people and square houses with a chimney(smoke spiralling out, of course), I thought thiswould be a good idea. In fact I found this amarvellous book, and although it hasn’t had mucheffect on my drawing yet, it has set me thinkingabout why so many young musicians don’t play withthe right side of the brain. Or, to put it more simply,why they have so much trouble playing expressively.

I know that the right brain/left brain conceptmay not be one hundred per cent scientificallyprecise (some people are brain transposed, forexample) but it is a useful and convenient way toe x p ress the workings of the brain. I hope those witha particularly detailed anatomical knowledge willforgive my simplifications. We’re all familiar nowwith how important it is to exploit both sides of thebrain if we are to produce a well-rounded musician.All good lessons will mix linear and sequential leftbrain work (technique and notation for example)with imaginative, perceptual and insightful rightbrain activities. Those of you who employ the basicprinciples of simultaneous learning will find thatmaking those essential connections has becomemuch easier and more natural. But still it’s often areal struggle to get our pupils to play reallymusically, really expressively. I often hear very well-prepared performances, both at exams and at musicfestivals, but they frequently miss the degree ofmusical involvement and understanding that wemight desire. Let’s now think how we could help ourpupils to gain access, still more effectively, to theright side of their brain.

Instead of sinking into a long philosophicaldiscussion on what causes music to be expressive letme simply and emphatically proclaim thetremendous importance of simile and metaphor inour teaching. In this way we can start to make somemeaningful connections and ultimately cause ourpupils to begin to play with more imagination andmore musical insight. The essential factor is toconnect with what our pupils already know – a well-known teaching concept that dates back toMrs Curwin’s famous (and still relevant) piano tutorof 1886, and indeed before. These similes andmetaphors can take a great many forms. As youbegin to consider those that follow, many morewill begin to appear in your mind. Here are a few to get you started.

Physical motion can offer the young learner anynumber of metaphors and similes, and is perhaps themost direct to perceive – anything from total inactivityto total activity. This can be coloured by everythingfrom a virtual comatose state (grazing gently likesheep) to one of maximum energy (firing on allcylinders). To this we can add a sense of tempo – fro madvancing snail-like to moving like the clappers. To this movement we can add a mental state: on theone hand calmness and tranquillity; on the other, awild irre p ressible and uncontrollable vitality. We canfurther superimpose a state of awareness – from a dozy stupor to maximum alertness.

Then there are a whole group of emotionalmetaphors: perceiving music as an expression offeeling. And here we must try to move away fromrelying on the basic happy/sad dichotomy. Find apiece of paper and write down as many words asyou can that could be used to describe differentkinds of happiness, and then do the same forsadness. Each will have a slightly differentconnotation and we need these if we are to drawout ever more interesting musical responses andinterpretations. Then we need to consider how eachemotional state is reflected in physical movement.Make a list of the outward physical signs of beingmiserable, agitated or angry, for example.

We can look at metaphors to do with colour,contrast, brilliance, light and shade. We mightdescribe a piece as being dark. What does thatmean? What aspects of ‘dark’ do we wish our pupilsto assimilate into their performance? How mightthey do this? With tone colour, dynamic level,tempo, rhythm perhaps?

it’s often a real struggle to get our pupils to play really

musically, really expressively


9

FEATURES

There are extensive connections to be made withmetaphors of language: the way we use words, theway we inflect our voices (our tone of voice) tomake what we say understood. When teachingphrasing, a central aspect of expression, we candraw on the manner with which we use our voicesto clarify the meaning of what we wish to say. Byemphasising a particular word in a phrase we cansuffuse that phrase with a specific slant – just in thesame way as emphasising a particular note in amusical phrase. There are endless useful metaphorsin real-life situations, like dancing, praying or havingan argument. Or in mental pictures – I wellremember a lesson with the great Germanclarinettist Karl Leister where he described the endof the first movement of Brahms’ F minor clarinetsonata as ‘an angel singing, welcoming you intoheaven’ – a powerful and unforgettable image. You could hardly play those bars inexpressively withthat idea going through your mind. Then there arepoetic metaphors: ‘play that phrase like the sunrising over a glistening field of awakening creepingbuttercups’ or perhaps ‘this movement is onecontinual attempt to swat a fly’. Can anyone thinkto what I’m alluding?

Of course the list is inexhaustible – and fascinating.And we haven’t even mentioned smells, places,textures, tastes and shapes. But we now need toconsider how to take our pupils to these imaginativeplaces – how do we access the right brain wherethese images live and then apply them to playingAllegretto in C or Dancing Bears, thus causing ourpupils to play with real character?

The secret of success is twofold. First, as in alle ffective teaching, we must tease the thoughts andideas out of our pupils by constantly asking the rightquestions. And secondly, we must never lose ano p p o rtunity for making and developing connections.

In a lesson, awaken the right brain as soon as youcan. Perhaps you begin with a scale (hopefully thesame key as the piece about to be studied). The leftbrain stuff is not a problem – are we using the bestfingering, is the scale in time and rhythmically even?Yes? Fine. But now let’s explore it furt h e r. Let’s enjoythe sensory side of the scale. Play just the first note,listen to it and enjoy the sound quality. Do pupilsenjoy the feel of playing scales? Can they learn toenjoy putting the thumb under or crossing the bre a k ?Talk about the dynamic level, the sense of motion, the tempo. Use interesting words: play it moree n e rg e t i c a l l y, more dre a m i l y, more solemnly, morew h i m s i c a l l y. We are beginning to access right brainthinking. Encourage your pupils to think up diff e re n tways of playing scales. Draw on as many diff e re n tmetaphors as possible.

We know of the importance of creative workand as we begin to explore even the minutest ofimprovisations we are doing incalculable good forour pupils. Let’s move on to a short improvisation

based on just the first few notes of the scale. Thinkof a title and one or two musical ingredients and offthey go. That’s enough to stimulate the imagination.

Now, move on to the piece being learnt. The essential requirement is that once we haveintroduced a metaphor, we try to draw out thespecific from our pupil. Let’s consider for examplehow you might work with a young pupil on thepopular Creepy Crawly (Piano Grade 1, List C) –marked ‘sinister’. First, let’s think about the meaningof that word. What other words mean the same orsimilar? Your pupils may not be familiar with theword ‘sinister’ but they will probably know ‘evil’,‘menacing’, ‘threatening’ or ‘frightening’. They willprobably have read Harry Potter books or seen ascary movie. Can they play just those first two notes in the left hand in a spine-tingling way? Now work on the left hand bars 1 to 4. Enjoy theblood-curdling sounds of that colourful chromaticphrase! Now get them to make up a chilling littlephrase of their own. Now go back and try to playthat left-hand phrase with the intention of leavingtheir audience terror-struck! We’ve used a lot ofverbal and pictorial metaphors here but there are noend of others. Just allow your own imagination totake flight. Always be asking, ‘What’s that like?What does that make you feel?’

In this way you are accessing your pupil’s rightbrain. And the result will ultimately be a much moreexpressive performance because they understandwhat they are doing, what they are trying to say –they become more involved.

We must communicate when we play – always.Performing a piece is like telling a story. It is a storywithout words, perhaps even without a story. Butnevertheless we must converse, in musical terms, toour listeners all the time. We are all excited by apassionate speaker, someone who delivers theirmessage, their beliefs, their character in a play withintensity, sincerity and conviction. It is the same inmusic. And perhaps this is the best metaphor. Nomoment is allowed to go by without a profoundbelief in what we say or, in music, in what we play.And whether that piece is a Beethoven or Brahmssonata, or Creepy Crawly or Dance of the ElegantElephant, the fundamental desire to make contactwith our listeners is pre-eminent. If we successfullymove or amuse them, our objective is met. It isthrough stimulating the right side of the brain, the imagination, that this desire will eventuallybecome a reality.

we must communicate when we play – always

there are endless useful metaphors in real-life situations, like dancing,praying or having an argument


10

Group teaching – group learning

P R O F E S S I O N A LDEVELOPMENT

CT ABRSM express

The Associated Board ’s pro f e s s i o n a ldevelopment course for instrumental andsinging teachers will soon be available in anew format. Until now it has taken a yearof part-time study to complete the CT ABRSM course, but from 2004 a newfast-track version of the course will also beavailable in the UK alongside the existingo n e - y e a r, part-time course. The content willbe almost identical to the existing course;the key diff e rence is that the fast-trackcourse will be located in a comfort a b l eresidential environment so that studentscan concentrate fully on their studies.

The fast-track CT ABRSM coursewill start in Febru a ry 2004 withstudents completing their studiesin July 2004. The next one-yearcourse starts in October this yearand applications will be accepteduntil 19 September 2003. For more information abouteither option contact the CourseA d m i n i s t r a t o r, Judith Jero m e :

■ 020 7467 8257■ p ro f d e v @ a b r s m . a c . u k

Richard Crozier, Director ofProfessional Development,dives into the group teaching debate.

CT ABRSM celebrations


The subject of group teaching arouses strong feelingsamongst teachers. So, which is more effective: teachinggroups of learners, or teaching individuals? There is nosingle answer, but if we focus on the issues of teachingand learning this may help to clarify our thinking: we seethat at the earliest stages of learning the emphasis is onthe quality of teaching, whereas for more advanced pupilsthe emphasis shifts to the quality of learning.

The hidden factor in the debate between group versusindividual tuition is the issue of selection. An acceptedpart of the opportunity to learn an instrument has, in thepast, been the learner’s apparent aptitude for music. Theoutcome of this basis for tuition of western classicalinstruments is that a small number of learners achievehigh standards of performance.

The UK government has made a pledge to give allpupils in maintained schools the opportunity to learn aninstrument if they wish to. Currently about ten per cent ofthe maintained school population is learning to play aninstrument at school. Teaching is provided mostly throughMusic Services and the teaching of children in groups iscommonplace. For the teacher to work effectively thismeans an increased amount of preparation and planningon a lesson-by-lesson basis and may make choosing themusic to be played a more difficult task. Teachers may findthat they need to spend time writing arrangements tomeet the needs of individuals in the group.

T h e re is little doubt that the gains, both economic andeducational, from group teaching are substantial. Forexample, the private teacher working at home could teachfour pupils in fort y - five minutes instead of just one and theh a rd - p ressed school could double or treble the number ofpupils having lessons, even though some instru m e n tsharing may be necessary. Here the skills of the teacher asa teacher, rather than as a perf o rm e r, are paramount.

At more advanced stages of instrumental learning theemphasis may shift. Here it is often the case that theenthusiastic and highly motivated learner listens to anable performer and models him or herself on thatindividual. The actual amount of teaching in lessons maybe relatively limited but is of less importance because thelearner derives sufficient benefit from the opportunity toobserve and mimic.

In an ideal world, a mixture of individual and grouplearning for beginners would seem to be the mostdesirable. Teachers need to be able to help and supportlearners on an individual basis either when particulardifficulties occur or if spectacular progress is being made.Amongst the advantages of group tuition we can identify:peer group support promoting motivation; more childrenbeing able to learn; and ensemble-playing skills beingembedded. Do remember that within a group it is alsopossible to give one-to-one attention. Perhaps the realissue is about the quality of teaching and the availabilityof teacher training.

The CT ABRSM awards ceremony for UKstudents took place in the Royal College of Music’s Britten Theatre on 23 July. Over 100 teachers were present to re c e i v etheir cert i ficates from Associated BoardC h a i rman John Baker and to celebrate their achievement with family and friends.As guest speaker, Sir Michael Bichard ,Rector of the London Institute, spoke about the importance of creativity in allaspects of education and wonderful musicwas provided by two Associated Boardscholars studying at the Royal College.Mark Braithwaite (viola) and Luis Parés(piano) perf o rmed Benjamin Britten’sL a c h ry m a e; their inspiring perf o rmance ofthis beautiful work helped to make thec e remony a very special occasion.

Students from the London centre

with mentor Ruth Harte (third

from left)

Hong Kong news

As a result of the SARS virus, we wereunable to start the 2003-2004 CT ABRSMcourse in July as planned. Students willnow begin the course on 3 October withCourse Leader Walter Blair and mentorsPeter Noke and Julian Hellaby.

It’s not too late to enrol. For a copy of the propsectus contact Mandy Kwan at the Hong Kong University School ofProfessional and Continuing Education:

■ 2975 5696■ [email protected]

PUBLISHING

N ew s

Associated Board publications are available from all good music retailers worldwide

P L AYA LONG CDsfor the new Flute and Clarinet syllabuses 2004–2007

In a unique collaboration with a majorinternational orchestra, we are pleased toannounce new recordings of the Flute and Clarinet syllabuses 2004–2007, Grades 1 to 8.

The new recordings are produced in association with the LondonSymphony Orchestra. The orchestra’s principal players – GarethDavies on the flute and Timothy Lines on the clarinet – are thewind soloists on the recordings, accompanied by John Alley, theLSO’s orchestral pianist. The producer is principal trumpet player,Nigel Gomm.

As well as complete performances of all the pieces in the syllabus,the recordings also feature playalong tracks so that the soloistcan practise with the piano accompaniment. Please note that thesolo studies from List C of the syllabus are omitted from the CDs.

‘These CDs are designed to be used by students and teachers torecreate the sound of a rehearsal room or exam room – not aconcert hall! When you listen to the recordings, you can heareverything that makes up the performance – from the player’s

Recordings of Flute Examination Pieces2004–2007

Grades 1 & 2 D 442 7

Grade 3 D 443 5

Grade 4 D 444 3

Grade 5 D 445 1

Grade 6 D 446 X

Grade 7 D 447 8

Grade 8 D 448 6

Publication: November 2003

Recordings of Clarinet Examination Pieces2004–2007

Grades 1 & 2 D 449 4

Grade 3 D 450 8

Grade 4 D 451 6

Grade 5 D 452 4

Grade 6 D 453 2

Grade 7 D 454 0

Grade 8 D 455 9

Publication: November 2003

in association with

breathing to their fingers on the keys,’ commented producer andLSO principal trumpet player, Nigel Gomm.

The soloists involved with the project share this desire to createrealistic performances. Clarinettist Timothy Lines is keen toemphasise that these should not be seen as ‘definitive’ recordings:

‘We’ve been very conscious of what is achievable for students ateach grade. In the early grades, it would not be realistic to usevibrato, for example – though creating a good tone is stillimportant’.

The CDs will be released in November 2003, in time for the firstexams using the new syllabus in February 2004.

The flute and clarinet CDs are the first in a forthcoming series ofrecordings of syllabus pieces for orchestral instruments. Plansare in place to produce recordings of the violin, cello and bassoonsyllabuses in 2004.

Associated Board publications are available from all good music retailers worldwide

Time Piecesfor HornMusic through the Ages inTwo Volumes

Time Pieces is an exciting seriesof repertoire which exploresthe wealth of music writtenfrom the fifteenth century tothe present day. Later thisyear, we publish Time Piecesfor Horn, Volumes 1 and 2.The pieces are presentedchronologically within eachvolume and all include theyear in which they were written too, so you can map yourjourney through time!

These two volumes contain pieces required for the new hornexam syllabus commencing 2004.

Time Pieces for Horn Volume 1 D 277 7

Publication: September 2003

Time Pieces for Horn Volume 2 D 278 5

Publication: October 2003

Theory of Music Books inSpanishFollowing the publication of FirstSteps in Music Theory and MusicTheory in Practice Grades 1–5 inSpanish, we are now publishing aSpanish translation of EricTaylor’s The AB Guide to MusicTheory, Parts 1 and 2. These arekey texts in the AssociatedBoard’s support materials fortheory of music exams.

Guía AB de la Teoría musical Parte 1 D 355 2


Publication: December 2003

Also available

La teoría musical en la práctica Grado 1 D 350 1

La teoría musical en la práctica Grado 2 D 351 X




A free brochure has been produced in Spanish showing details ofall these titles and where they may be purchased in Spain. If youwould like copies of the brochure, please [email protected]. The titles are available worldwide.

Spectrum forCello16 contemporary piecescompiled by William Bruce

This collection of cello musicreflects the diversity ofcompositional trends apparentin new music today and willserve as an invaluableintroduction to contemporarymusic for cellists at Grades 1to 8.

The publication willinclude a CD of all thepieces in Spectrum for Cello performed by William Bruce,accompanied by Thalia Myers.

The concept for Spectrum for Cello emanates from the verysuccessful series of three piano albums of specially-commissionedpiano music.

Spectrum for Cello D 373 0

Publication: December 2003

Libros de teoría musical enespañolTras la aparición en español dePrimeros pasos en teoría musical yTeoría musical en la práctica Grados1-5, se publicará en breve unatraducción al español de la GuíaAB de la teoría musical Partes 1 y2, de Eric Taylor. Se trata detextos clave que forman parte del material de apoyo del que la Associated Board disponepara los exámenes de teoríamusical.



Fecha de publicación: diciembre 2003

También disponible


La teoría musical en la práctica Grado 2 D 351 X




Se ha elaborado un folleto gratuito en español que muestradetalles de todos estos títulos y una lista de los lugares dondepueden encontrarse en España. Si desea obtener una copia dedicho folleto, puede hacerlo a través del correo electró[email protected]. Los libros están a la venta en todo elmundo.

NEW PUBLICATIONS – LATE 2003

YN E W

YN E W YN E W

YN E W

CD

Oxford University Press is the sole worldwide sales agent and distributor for ABRSM (Publishing) Ltd.

COMPETITION WINNERS

In the last competition we asked you forthe names of the original members of theModern Jazz Quartet, and to name thebridge in New York where Sonny Rollinsused to practise the saxophone. Theoriginal members of the MJQ were: JohnLewis (piano), Milt Jackson (vibes), PercyHeath (double bass) and Kenny Clarke(drums). Sonny Rollins used to practise thesaxophone on the Williamsburg Bridge.

Congratulations to these five winners whoeach receive a copy of The AB Real Book :

Miss Abriena Xie Enjia, SingaporeMr Thulane Akinjide-Obonyo, Mutare,

ZimbabweMs Jane Coles, Cardiff, WalesMr E England, Selby, N Yorkshire, UKMr G Barterfield, Blackpool, Lancashire, UK

Nicholas Riddle, Leslie East, Roger McClean, Richard Morris

JAZZ POSTERSIn association with other major music publishers, ABRSM(Publishing) Ltd is initiating a campaign to draw attention to thefact that photocopying copyright music is illegal, unless writtenpermission has been obtained from the publisher.

Our new bright red A2 poster, A4 f lyer and round sticker featurean illustration by cartoonist Martin Shovel. If you would like tobring extra colour to your classroom or teachingstudio, please [email protected] free copies. The subjectfield must read: DO NOTPHOTOCOPY.

international music publishing house, C F Peters Corporation.Under the agreement, Peters will be the exclusive distributor forABRSM (Publishing) Ltd in the USA, and will distribute ourcatalogue on a non-exclusive basis in Canada, Mexico, Centraland South America.

Roger McClean, President of Peters, New York, Nicholas Riddle,Chairman of Peters, New York, and members of Peters, London,staff were guests of the Associated Board at a reception held on 8 July 2003 to celebrate the new agreement, which took effect on 15 July.

It's very exciting for us all at C F Peters to be working withthe Associated Board in this w ay. Through our London office,where just about all staff members came through the ABRSMexam system, Peters in America has a profound awareness of theprivilege of working with this unique and vital organization. We look forward to many years of enthusiastic and successfulcollaboration on the American continent.

NICHOLAS RIDDLE

We have produced two brightly-colouredposters and a 6-page leaflet on the newjazz publications. Copies are available freeof charge from [email protected] subject field must read: JAZZPOSTERS.

New US Distribution Agreement with C F Peters Corporation

DO NOT PHOTOCOPY © MUSIC

C O M P E T I T I O NFor the latest Libretto competition we aregiving away five copies of The MusicTeacher’s Companion, signed by the authors,Paul Harris and Richard Crozier.

Send a postcard with your answers to thetwo questions below, not forgetting toinclude your name and address, to:

ABRSM (Publishing) Ltd, 24 Portland Place,London W1B 1LU, United Kingdom

to arrive no later than Friday 5 December2003. You may also enter the competition byemail, not forgetting to include your postaladdress. Send your answers to:[email protected].

1. Who are the presenters for this year's teachers seminars in the UK?2. When does the new fast-track CT ABRSM course start?Answers may be found within the pages of this Libretto.

Publication dates, cover images and other product information are subject to change without notice

’’ABRSM (Publishing) Ltd are delighted to announce the recentsigning of a new sales and distribution agreement with the

NEW JAZZ PUBLICATIONSfrom the Associated Board

The Associated Board ofthe Royal Schools of Music(Publishing)Limited

JAZZ THE AB REAL BOOK C EDITION

THE ASSOCIATED BOARD OF THE ROYAL SCHOOLS OF MUSIC

C edition

MILES DAVIS ALAN JAY LERNER & FREDERICK LOEWE KERRY MILLS SPENCER WILLIAMS W. C. HANDYJOHN COLTRANE FRANK ROSOLINO RICHARD RODGERS & LORENZ HART LEE KONITZ DIZZY GILLESPIE& FRANK

PAPARELLI ORNETTE COLEMAN WOODY SHAW BENNY GOLSON BARNEY KESSEL BILL BYRD, TEDDYMCRAE & HENRI WOODE RICHIE BEIRACH HERBIE HANCOCK DUKE ELLINGTON, JUAN TIZOL & IRVINGMILLS JAMES P. JOHNSON THAD JONES & ALEC WILDER FREDDIE GREEN JEROME KERN & JOHNNY MERCER DON CHER-

RY JIMMY MCHUGH & DOROTHY FIELDS WAYNE SHORTER JAN GARBAREK BENNY GOLSON MARKNIGHTINGALE KENNY WHEELER & NORMA WINSTONE ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM JIM CLARKE NIKKI ILESBLUE MITCHELL CLARE FISCHER MARK LOCKHEART TOM SCOTT JIMMY GIUFFRE HUW WARREN THELONIOUS MONK PETE

CHURCHILL BHEKI MSELEKU RALPH TOWNER DUKE ELLINGTON KENNY WHEELER DUKE ELLINGTON &IRVING MILLS BOB BROOKMEYER NAT ADDERLEY BUD POWELL WYNTON KELLY RAHSAAN ROLANDKIRK PHILIP BRAHAM & DOUGLAS FURBER ROY ELDRIDGE STAN SULZMANN MARIO BAUZA, BOBBYWOODLEN & GRACE SAMPSON ABDULLAH IBRAHIM MALCOLM EARLE SMITH DUKE ELLINGTON, BARNEY

BIGARD & IRVING MILLS ABDULLAH IBRAHIM JOHN COLTRANE GEORGE GERSHWIN, DUBOSE & DOROTHYHEYWARD & IRA GERSHWIN KURT WEILL & IRA GERSHWIN DIZZY GILLESPIE CHARLES MINGUS THELO-NIOUS MONK ARTHUR BLYTHE KID ORY HERMETO PASCOAL JUAN TIZOL, H. J. LENGSFELDER & ERVINDRAKE PAT METHENY LIONEL HAMPTON & BEN KYNARD DUKE ELLINGTON,

IRVING MILLS & HARRY CARNEY MILCHO LEVIEV PAUL JAYASINHA LUIZ BONFA & ANTONIO MARIA CLIF-FORD BROWN DON PULLEN & FRANK DEAN JOE ZAWINUL LEE MORGAN LOUIS PRIMA MARTIN SPEAKEFRANK PERKINS & MITCHELL PARISH THELONIOUS MONK DUKE ELLINGTON & BILLY STRAYHORN STAN-LEY TURRENTINE GEORGE DUKE WALTER GROSS & JACK LAWRENCE SONNY ROLLINS ISHAM JONES &

MARTY SYMES ANDREAS PANAYI NEW ORLEANS RHYTHM KINGS ANNIE WHITEHEAD DUKE ELLINGTONGARY PEACOCK MARK BASSEY PETE HURT RICHARD CARPENTER ABDULLAH IBRAHIM COLE PORTERGUNTHER KUERMAYR JELLY ROLL MORTON

THE AB REAL BOOKJAZZ

JAZZ TRUMPET SCALES LEVELS/GRADES 1–5


JAZZTRUMPET

SCALESLEVELS/GRADES 1– 5

Jazz TunesGrades 1 to 3

One album and CD per instrument per grade

Each album contains 15 superbtunes in a wide range of styles.

The AB Real Book

Four editions: C , B , E & C

Each book contains 100 tunesproviding a wealth of material for

all jazz players.

Jazz ScalesGrades 1 to 5

The jazz scales will help youdevelop the skills required in

playing jazz and can be used asthe basis for improvisation.

Jazz Aural Tests and Quick StudiesGrades 1 to 5

Learn the skill of playing unrehearsed in a creative andmusical way and develop aural

and musicianship skills.

Jazz CDsGrades 4 and 5

One CD per instrument per grade

Each CD contains complete performances of 15 tunes set

for that particular grade, all featured in The AB Real Book,

and ‘minus one’ tracks.

Play Jazz from ScratchDr Charles Beale

Book and CD

A progressive series of simple andenjoyable jazz workshops for the

complete beginner.

CHARLES BEALE

PLAY JAZZ FROM SCRATCH

P L A Y JAZZ FROM SCRATCH


45 jazz workshops for teachers and learners

JAZZCLARINET

J A Z Z CLARINET TUNES LEVEL/GRADE 1


LEVEL/GRADE 1

TUNES

includes CD and piano accompaniment JAZZ SAX AURAL TESTS &QUICK STUDIES LEVELS/GRADES 1–3

JAZZSAXAURAL TESTS &QUICK STUDIES

LEVELS/GRADES 1 – 3


JAZZTROMBONE

LEVEL/GRADE 1

CD

AVAILABLE LATE 2003

CLARINETALTO SAX

TENOR SAXTRUMPET

TROMBONEIn support of the

Associated Board’sexciting new jazz syllabus, we are

publishing a comprehensive set

of new titles for usein the exams, andalso for everyone

wishing to learn jazz informally.

AVAILABLE FROM MUSIC

RETAILERS WORLDWIDE

FREE SAMPLER [email protected]

www.abrsmpublishing.co.uk

In the Exercise and Lifestyleprogramme, participants wereintroduced to concepts fromexercise science, and thenfollowed individually-tailoredexercise training programmes.Those who undertook 16 weeks ofaerobic training showed adecreased level of absolute heartrate – crucially, during

performance – suggesting that aerobic exercise canenable more efficient use of cardiovascularresources for performers.

As a result of Zoning In the RCM now runs anundergraduate course unit on the Psychology ofPerformance and an edited volume of the projectfindings, Enhancing Musical Performance, will be published by Oxford University Press in 2004. It is hoped that the musicians involved in theproject, and those utilising its consequent resources,will proceed to step out onto the world stage withgreater confidence.

More information is available atwww.zoningin.rcm.ac.uk

15

NEWS

New HLRs: UK

Berwick-upon-TweedDenise Wilman■ 01289 305323

ChesterColette Sarson■ 0151 327 1621

Great YarmouthMargaret King■ 01493 732303

Norwich (Theory)Anthony Joule■ 01603 812743

StaffordJames Eld■ 01785 282620

New Representatives

BarbadosMilton Inniss■ 430 0141■ [email protected]

South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal and Free StateIlse van der Walt■ 036 352 1341■ abrsm.kzn

@futurenet.co.za

Goodbye stage fright

One of the most astonishing feats of top concertmusicians is their sheer confidence, overcoming thestage fright which would prevent most of us fromstepping into the spotlight. With the LeverhulmeTrust’s support, the Royal College of Music (RCM)recently launched a major project to investigatehow its young musicians can deal more effectivelywith performance anxiety, drawing on techniquesused in professional sports, neuroscience andexercise psychology. Imperial College London, DeMontfort University, and the SyCon consultancycollaborated with the RCM on this project, entitledZoning In: Motivating the Musical Mind.

Three distinctive approaches were developed. In the Neurofeedback programme, musicians werepresented with an aural or visual re p resentation oftheir brain activity and learned how to pro m o t eactivity associated with psychological states such asfocused attention and re l a x a t i o n .

The Mental Skills programme adapted processesfrom the training of elite sportspeople to the needsof musical performers. Relaxation and mentalimagery techniques were the most useful, withnoted improvement to attention during practiceand performance, and to the ability to memorise.

The Associated Board’s UK and I re l a n dexams are supported by 300 Honorary LocalRepresentatives (HLRs) who co-ordinatearrangements at a local level.

High Scorers Concerts:UK & Ireland

25 September 2003Bolton

27 September 2003Southampton

28 September 2003DoncasterDublin

15 February 2004Sunbury-on-Thames


Saying thank youMarketing for the future

The last few months have seen ac o m p rehensive re o rganisation ofmarketing and pro m o t i o n a lactivities within the AssociatedB o a rd. As Richard Morris, ChiefExecutive, explains, “With thecontinuous expansion of theAssociated Board ’s exams andpublishing activities, alongsidenew projects in pro f e s s i o n a ldevelopment, jazz and gro u ptuition we have for many monthsbeen reviewing how we org a n i s eourselves to best communicateand present all these services toteachers, candidates, pare n t s ,retailers and all other stakeholdersin the Associated Board . ”

We now have a newCorporate Marketing Departmentwith Giles Morris, formerlyMarketing Manager for ABRSM(Publishing) Ltd, taking on therole of Head of CorporateMarketing. Additionally, theInternational Department and the Professional DevelopmentDepartment each now has adedicated Marketing Executive totake forward projects in theseimportant areas of our work.

In recognition of theircommitment we have this yearextended the existing 20 and 25-year long-service awards toinclude new awards for HLRs whohave completed 5, 10 or 15 yearsin the role. Presentations weremade to our many long-servingHLRs at this year’s Annual Lunchwhen HLRs, internationalRepresentatives, examiners, staff and many others involvedwith the Associated Boardgathered at the Hilton Hotel inLondon. The occasion was afitting celebration of the uniquecontribution made by ourHonorary Local Representatives.

5-year awards:Sheila and MichaelNewland, HLRs forBeaconsfield

25-year awards:Gilmour Davies and AlanPickard, HLRs for Carmarthenand the Isle of Man

20-year award: Joseph Bulley, HLRfor Minehead

16

NEWS


Full marks for first exams

Scholarship success

Each year Associated Board scholarships are award e dto talented students of all ages and from countries allover the world. The scholarships fund studies at one ofthe four Royal Schools of Music in the UK. As RichardM o rris, Chief Executive, commented at the AssociatedB o a rd ’s Annual Lunch, “Allowing for the length of the courses, there will be up to 52 Associated BoardScholars studying at the Royal Schools at any one time.”The latest scholars are about to begin their studies andwe wish them the very best in the year to come.

■ Royal Academy of MusicJunior

Isobel Wick (UK) french hornUndergraduate

Petr Limonov (Russia) pianoChristopher Gomersall (UK) trombone

PostgraduateHelena Dix (Australia) sopranoEurico Pereira (UK) guitar

■ Royal College of MusicJunior

Anthony Fort (UK) violin and oboeUndergraduate

Aliaksei Kisialiou (Belarus) celloSijie Chen (UK) violin

PostgraduateJacques Imbrailo (South Africa) baritoneBenjamin Hancox (UK) violin

■ Royal Northern College of MusicJunior

Sam Thisleton (UK) pianoUndergraduate

Vyacheslav Sidorenko (Ukraine) pianoRosemary Jane Toll (UK) percussion

PostgraduatePei Jee Ng (Australia) celloBurak Marlali (UK) double bass

■ Royal Scottish Academy of Music and DramaJunior

Katherine Kemp (UK) harpUndergraduate

Bede Williams (New Zealand) trumpetAncuta Nite (UK) piano

PostgraduateNatalia Zarivtchatskaia (Russia) pianoAlasdair Spratt (UK) composition

A Scandinavian diary

Meeting the people who conduct the AssociatedBoard’s work, and experiencing what theyexperience, is important to us here at the Londonoffice. Alan Tait, our Deputy Head of InternationalOperations, was therefore delighted to visitDenmark, Norway and Sweden in May to see theexams in action and to meet examiners,Representatives and teachers.

Alan’s first stop was Roskilde in Denmark, withits famous cathedral and seafront Viking Museum.Here, with Kaj Nyvang, our contact in Denmark,Alan spent valuable time at the exam venue atBirkerod Music School. Whilst helping out with theexam stewarding, Alan enjoyed talking to teachersand parents. “I spoke to one parent who hadtravelled all the way from the north of Jutland toenter his children for exams. It was good to be ableto give out information about the exams and toprovide a display of music.”

Staying in the same hotel as the examiner, Alangot a sense of what it was like to work for theAssociated Board in a different capacity, and cameaway with ideas for improvements for everyone –candidates, teachers and examiners.

F rom Denmark, to Norw a y, where Alan spenttwo days with our Representative, Berit Vik, visitingmusic schools and even fitting in a memorable trip toG r i e g ’s summer residence in Troldhaugen. Berit is apiano teacher in Sandnes and as Associated BoardR e p resentative promotes our exams to teachers andmusic schools in the area. One such school is theMoss Culture School where over 800 pupils up to theage of 16 study. Alan saw them engrossed in a wholerange of creative activities: music, painting, danceand drama. “It was a pleasure to help with exam-related topics such as aural training, sight-re a d i n g ,s t a n d a rds of assessment and support materials. Examentries in Norway are increasing steadily and this isdue in large part to Berit’s hard work.”

A l a n ’s final destination was Sweden where he metour Representative, Vivianne Vikersjö, talked to manyteachers and was delighted to answer questions one v e rything from syllabuses to Swedish composers!

A fabulous few days came to a close with a tripto see the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra playingtheir last concert of the season.

Local musicians have been celebrating a one hundred per centpass rate for the first Associated Board exams taken in the townof Oerlinghausen in nort h e rn Germ a n y. The 21 candidates tooktheir practical exams last April and David Clarke, AssociatedB o a rd Representative and head of Oerly Music School,p resented the cert i fic a t e s .

David emphasised that both candidates and teachersdeserved the achievement. “They are delighted with theirsuccess, and they deserve it after their efforts. They are alllooking forward to moving on to the next grade.”

“Everyone can participate in the exams, it is not restrictedto pupils of the Oerly Music School” explained David’s wife,Barbara, “and in the next few months David will be holdingseminars at music schools in the region to encourage otherteachers and students to find out how Associated Boardexams can benefit their teaching and learning.”

For more information about exams in N o rd rh e i n -Westfalen and Niedersachsen contact David Clarke:

■ 05202 3794■ [email protected]

Extra exam session in Hong Kong

Since the launch of Associated Board examsin Hong Kong in 1951 their popularity hasg rown continuously, but over the last fewyears we have seen a dramatic increase inentries. To meet this demand we will beholding an additional exam session in Hong Kong during April and May fro m2004. Our Hong Kong Consultants, Pro f e s s o rDavid Gwilt and Shirley Gwilt, are veryenthusiastic about this development. Davidcommented, “Exams currently take placebetween August and December, buto ffering additional exams in the spring will bring many benefits to both teachersand pupils.”

17


Paris on top form

If Apollo, the Greek god of music, was alive today hewould have been delighted with the work of theAssociated Board, or so the people of Greece said,during Tim Arn o l d ’s tour of Greece. Tim Arnold, Headof International Operations, visited Greece in May forthe 25-year anniversary events and to meet musicteachers, retailers and our Representative at t h eBritish Council, Vlassis Klitsiotis. Tim was also able tomeet the former Minister of Education for Cypru sand a number of key university teachers at areception organised by Vlassis.

As part of the celebrations, Campion School inPallini, a suburb of Athens, hosted a teachers’seminar led by Tim which was a great success. “We experienced the largest ever turnout for thisseminar, and I would like to thank Rebecca Helsby,Head of Music at the school, for organising this. Itwas good to meet the teachers, and I really valuedtheir feedback.” Campion School was also the venuefor a High Scorers Concert. Over 80 guests werepresent to hear piano, clarinet, saxophone andviolin pupils play pieces ranging from Grade 1through to LRSM level.

From South East Asia

2003 has been a record year so far for professional developmentactivity in the region: Teachers’ Meetings in Brunei, East Malaysia,Thailand and Vietnam in January and February; two rounds of jazzseminars with Charlie Beale and then Richard Michael in Singaporeand Malaysia; and two separate Professional DevelopmentProgrammes bringing seminars on A Sense of Style and StressManagement for Teachers to Singapore and Malaysia during Marchand April, and August and September respectively.

Violin teachers can now look forw a rd to workshops with theMalaysian violinist Yap Ling being held in Kuching, Kelana Jaya andPenang this November. And fin a l l y, a year of professional developmentcomes to a close with the second South East Asia Pro f e s s i o n a lDevelopment Conference, once again being held in Penang.

It is always such a pleasure to meet teachers from across the regionat these events where we continue to develop the synergy betweenexam syllabuses, support materials and a range of teaching andlearning issues. Whatever the occasion, I look forward to meeting andgreeting you as ever.

Bill Thomson, Regional Consultant, reflectson seminars past and future.

Athens anniversary

With the celebrations over, we look forward tocontinuing to develop our relationship with Greece,its music teachers and its students.

Buying music in Greece Teachers will be pleased to know that it will now beeasier to buy ABRSM Publishing music in Greece. Topurchase, please contact one of the followingretailers:

Marios Nikolaidis & Co (Athens)telephone 210 323 2174

fax 210 323 2175email [email protected]

Music House Do Re MiMavromoustakis SA(Thessaloniki)

telephone 231 023 7595fax 231 026 7229

email [email protected]

In cases of difficulty contact the exclusive distributorfor ABRSM (Publishing) Ltd:

Oxford University Presstelephone +44 1536 454534

(24 hour credit card hotline)

Or you can order online atwww.abrsmpublishing.co.uk

Athens in the spring – a perfect time to celebrate 25 years of Associated Boardexams in Greece.

Weekend in Penang

South East Asia Professional Development Conference 200328 November – 1 December, Penang, Malaysia

A re you preparing for one of our perf o rm i n g or teaching diplomas, ordo you already hold the CT ABRSM, DipABRSM or LRSM? If you fallinto any of these categories then this residential conference providesthe ideal opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and professionalcontacts in beautiful surroundings. Speakers include: Professor KeithSwanwick from the University of London; Associated Board ChiefExaminer, Clara Taylor; Mark Ray, Head of Keyboard Studies at theRoyal Northern College of Music; and Peter Noke, pianist in residenceat Lancaster University.

For more information contact Su-San Hay:

■ +65 6339 2624■ [email protected]

For many teachers and candidatesthe Associated Board’s HighScorers Concerts are a high point in the year, giving youngperformers who have excelled intheir exams a chance to playin front of parents, teachers and friends.

Paris saw its most popular HighS c o rers Concert in June when over90 people gathered to listen tostudents perform pieces spanningthe eight grades. Some perf o rm e r stravelled for four hours to takepart in this special event.

R e p resentative Anne Tre z i s eo rganised the concert alongsidethe end-of-year orchestral concertat the British Junior School ofParis. Anne paid tribute to theBritish Schools of Paris whichplayed a major part in ensuringthat the concert was such a success, saying “It is their helpwhich made this happen.”

For participants and audiencealike it was a memorableoccasion. Michele Jouve is a pianoteacher from Coutances inNormandy whose students playedin the concert. “They were verystimulated by the experience ofthis concert, and are alreadyworking towards their nextexams.” Feedback from theaudience was also positive, witheveryone enjoying the variedmusical programme and excellentperformances!

NEWS

For UK enquiries contactJudith Jerome:


18

FORUM

Everyone is equipped with the adrenaline-fuelled fight or flightreaction to an approaching challenge but neither course of action is anoption in an exam. The physical signs of nerves, especially the shakingfingers and unsettled breathing, can seriously threaten a candidate’susual standard, causing disappointment to all concerned. Some degreeof tension can be a benefit – increasing the sparkle factor in aperformance and heightening alertness – but too much could bedescribed as real fear, and has the opposite effect.

Examiners sometimes write ‘Today…’ on a mark form, implying that things may have been safer away from the exam room. We canonly mark what we hear at the time and some candidates do copebrilliantly with the performing situation, while others – particularlyadults – can crumble. Predictably, most fall between these twoextremes. The examiner will always try to reassure and create anencouraging atmosphere, but by then it’s really too late. Theresponsibility for the candidate’s state of mind lies fairly heavily withthe teacher and parents who, hopefully, will be in communication and agreement about the support needed. Fear of letting peopledown or of making a complete mess of things is usually at the heartof the matter and much can be done to reassure the very nervouspupils and take the pressure off.

If you have any helpful suggestions for coping with this all-too-familiar situation in a positive way, please write to Forum,as this is a topic that will strike a chord with everyone involved in exam preparation.

Your chance to share experiences and ideas with other readersRead Chief Examiner Clara Taylor’s thoughts on the latest subject, thensend in your response. Contributions may be edited for publication.

Write to Clara Taylor, marking your envelope Forum,or email [email protected]

S i g h t - re a d i n g

Next topic: nerv e s

Clara Taylor

Focus on enjoyment

I recently bought some intere s t i n gmusic at a book sale which I’mlooking forward to exploringwith my son. The star buy was abook of dances for recorder andpiano, a collection of delightfulshort pieces, some by Haydn andMozart. We can both play thepiano and the recorder and Ihope that we will sight-readthese together. When playingtogether the convention of givingpriority to the pulse of the musicwhilst ignoring wrong notesmakes sense, and using suchmaterials means that my son willbe practising sight-reading skillsbut the focus will be on makingand enjoying music.

Simon AbramoviciEdinburgh

Conquering fear

As a student I actually like sight-reading. The most important thingis to have confidence and the keyis to practise with music that youlike, starting with simple pieces.The hardest thing to conquer isthe fear of making mistakes.

Loh Ji NinSingapore

Singing not playing

During the preparation time Iprefer my pupils to sing the sight-reading test through in theirheads. If they start playing theyget bogged down in the earlybars and have no chance to spotany pitfalls later on, as they runout of time.

Anne NorgateSheffield

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Fluency and practice

The sight-reading that a pupil isasked to do in an exam is alwayswithin his technical competence.What he lacks is fluency. Manypupils do not have anyone (asibling, parent or friend) with themusical knowledge to help them,in the way they were helped toread words, so it is up to us asteachers to make time in lessons.

Before playing a note we lookat the key and time signatures,discuss melodic and rhythmicpatterns (and clap the latter), and look at hand positions andfingering. By doing these thingsin the lesson, and often enough,the hope is that pupils will havethe confidence to do them ontheir own and get quicker at it. In the end, however, as witheverything else, sight-readingrequires practice, practice, andmore practice.

Suzanne J WebberHampshire

A favourite story

My father’s advice was, “take themusic away from the piano andread it as though it was yourfavourite story. Look at the titleand build up a picture of thepiece you will eventually play.How many sentences, commasand full stops are there? Is thestory lively or sad, slow or fast?Can you remember the openingsentence and what about thefinal phrase?”

I took his words to heart andbecame a fluent sight-readeroften doing more reading awayfrom the piano than at it.

Beryl LambertBerkshire

Into the unknown

In every lesson aim to include atleast one piece of music, howevers h o rt and simple, which the studenthas to read without being toldanything about it, and definitelywithout hearing it played.

Patsy MooreBerkshire

In praise of patience

Clapping and tapping rhythmsbefore applying pitches can beuseful. Asking students to playonly on the first beat of the bar,then perhaps the first and thirdwhilst keeping time with themencourages the eye to keepmoving across the page. Above all, I encourage students to writemusic of their own – howeverbasic – as this develops a sense ofownership around notation.

Lastly, let us be patient. It may take many years to developconfidence and fluency in sight-reading but the rewards makethe journey worthwhile!

Jon SteinBristol

Documents

LIBRETTO - ABRSM · PDF fileLIBRETTO Sally Adams on the new ﬂute syllabus Playing on the right side of the brain Chief Examiner's repor t Group teaching – group learning