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LIBRETTO

Talking saxophone with Michael Brecker

The Kodály experience

Music Medals moves on

Jazz on the road

Teaching the teachers

Issue 2003:2

ContentsLibretto 2003:2

1 Exams

Music Medals moves onJazz on the roadSomething for the summer: UK & IrelandFlute & clarinet seminarsNew syllabus for woodwind and brassJazz at Music for YouthStop press: virus in SE Asia

4 Features

The Kodály experienceCyrilla Rowsell

Talking saxophone with Michael BreckerJohn Robert Brown

8 Professional development

Teaching the teachers

9 Publishing

13 News

Welcome to www.abrsm.orgCT ABRSM UK: fast trackGetting into jazzAnnual Review 2002Making MusicA world viewSaluting successThailand teachers’ meetingJubilee updateCT ABRSM Hong KongEntries on the increaseJuly jazzMaking jazz workProfessional Development ProgrammeNew Zealand national conference

16 Forum

Theory teachingNew topic: sight-reading

Outlook

The growth in candidates, although substantial in the UK, wasparticularly impressive internationally, averaging 7.5% across the 90other countries in which the Associated Board works. Similarly, sales ofpublications reached record levels for 2002 with overseas sales up aremarkable 30% on the best previous year. It is particularly pleasingthat this growth was achieved in such a diverse range of territories,most notably spanning Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia,Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, the West Indies and the USA.

All of this emphasises the exceptional value which parents world-wide place on music education, even when economic conditions aredemanding cutbacks in many other areas of their spending. On ourside, we aim to maintain this momentum by supporting teachers andstudents with a host of further Associated Board events ininternational centres in 2003. In this issue, alongside all the UK news,you will find news of jubilee celebrations in Egypt, Greece and Malta,teachers meetings in Thailand, the CT ABRSM course in Hong Kongand a series of overseas tours by staff at Portland Place.

It is however deeply depressing that, as I write, all this progress ininternational music education is under threat both specifically fromthe war in Iraq and more generally from increased polarisation ofpolitical opinion across the world. In line with advice received from theForeign and Commonwealth Office, we have already been obliged tocancel tours to some countries in the Middle East. As musicians andeducators, whose fundamental task lies in building channels ofcommunication between individuals, we must all be disturbed by therifts which are opening up between different peoples across the world,with scant attempt at reconciliation between opposing cultures andunequal forces.

Music education is, of course, just one small aspect of internationalrelations and it is hardly at the same emergency level as the need forfood, shelter and political identity. But at least it is not about takingsides. Taking the context of the Associated Board’s work, exams arenot about winning or losing; rather they provide a basis forinternational collaboration and encouragement for diversity oflearning styles and for each individual to communicate through musicto the best of their ability. In all our professional developmentactivities, the constructive sharing of experience through bringingpeople together is at the heart of the Associated Board’s purpose. In2002 this was exemplified by the South East Asia ProfessionalDevelopment Conference, which for the first time brought togetherinstrumental music teachers from Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia andIndonesia, and even more so by our Travel Grant courses in Cyprus,which, uniquely, were conducted in both communities of the island.

So I believe that we can take heart from the growth of theAssociated Board’s international work in these very uneasy times andmust strive our utmost to maintain it. Although the key elementswhich underpin the Associated Board’s activities, music, education andinternationalism, cannot compare with the immediate humanitarianneeds of dispossessed peoples, they are nonetheless criticallyimportant contributors to both improved communications and thealleviation of despair, and as such are vastly needed across the world atthis time.

Richard MorrisChief Executive

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

t +44 (0)20 7636 5400f +44 (0)20 7637 0234

e [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 Michelle JamesAssistant Editor Lucy NorthInsert & advertising sales Dominic Sewell

t 020 8861 0848Design Tamasin ColeCover illustration Anne Kristin Hagesæther

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 .

I have recently been writing theAnnual Review of the AssociatedB o a rd ’s pro g ress for 2002, which isreferred to on page 13 of thisissue. In sharp contrast to globaleconomic trends and the unsettledpolitical environment, 2002 pro v e dto be an outstanding year for theAssociated Board, with annualexam entries exceeding 600,000for the first time.

1

EXAMS

With the publications and syllabus for jazzclarinet, saxophone, trumpet and trombone soonto be available we are holding jazz eventsaround the country for thousands of interestedteachers. The expansion of our jazz syllabus andpublications to include these instruments will begood news to a whole range of teachers andpupils, from those just embarking on a journeyinto jazz to those with more experience who arekeen to find new materials, new goals andrecognition for achievements.

Our jazz tour kicked off in April withpresentations at two high-profile conferences,the Leeds Jazz Education Conference and theBritish Association of Symphonic Bands and WindEnsembles conference in Manchester. Previewcopies of the new jazz materials were met withenthusiasm by teachers who were eagerlyawaiting the CDs and books of tunes.

Further events are taking place inBirmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow and London withthe press launch in London at the South BankCentre’s Purcell Room. We are looking forward tosharing this exciting new jazz syllabus withteachers and hope you can join us at one of thefree events still to come. If you do make it youwill hear some great live music from performerssuch as Chris Batchelor, Dennis Rollins, AndyPanayi, Mark Bassey, Paul Jayasinha, Alan Barnesand Martin Hathaway. You can also pick up a freeCD sampler and book of tunes.

Forthcoming jazz events

Saturday 24 May 11.30am – 1.00pmBirmingham Conservatoire

Sunday 8 June11.30am – 1.00pmRoyal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Cardiff

Thursday 12 June11.30am – 1.00pmPurcell Room, South Bank Centre, LondonPress launch, places limited

Saturday 28 June11.30am – 1.00pmRegent’s College, London

Saturday 12 July11.30am – 1.00pmRoyal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama, Glasgow

For more information about how tobook a place at one of these eventscontact the Marketing Department:

t 020 7467 8254e [email protected]

Jazz on the road

To w a rds the end of 2002 we began the pilot studyfor Music Medals, our new range of assessmentsfor group-taught pupils. Thirty Music Serv i c e sa round the UK were involved, with re s o u rc ebooks and newly commissioned ensemblere p e rt o i re sent to over 170 flute, trumpet andviolin teachers. These teachers and their pupilsthen explored the Music Medals materials for at e rm .

Midway through the pilot we organised atraining day for participating teachers, a chancefor us to provide additional support and forteachers to give us some early feedback. We metteachers from all parts of the country, learn i n gabout their experiences of group teaching, ofusing the Music Medals materials, and of assessingg roup-taught pupils. Central to the day werevideo re c o rdings of typical Music Medalsp e rf o rmances, a valuable introduction to the useof video within the assessment pro c e s s .

With the pilot we aimed to generatefeedback about every aspect of the syllabus, fromgeneral issues such as whether the musical levelswere right for each medal to the fine details ofwhen specific aspects of instrumental techniqueshould be introduced. We were also keen to pin-point the best way to deliver the assessments.

In the end over 650 mock Music Medals weretaken with more than 200 recorded on video. Thereturned questionnaires have now been analysedand we are delighted with the overall response.Over 80% of the teachers who completed aquestionnaire had at least ten years’ teachingexperience providing us with feedback of greatvalue and credibility. Much of this feedback wastremendously positive, not just in terms ofenthusiasm for the new repertoire, but for allaspects of the syllabus. We were particularlypleased that pupils reacted so positively to theuse of video to record performances – enjoyingthe sense of occasion and excitement that thisprocess encouraged.

In recent months we have been exploring theideas raised during the pilot and commissioningmaterial for the final publications. Highlights fro mcomposers not represented in the pilot include aseries of pieces from Sheila Nelson and threeSanday Tunes from Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

With the continued partnership and support of Music Services we hope that our ongoing field-testing and research will lead to Music Medals that aretailor-made for instrumental teachers in the UK.

Music Medals moves on

Nigel Scaife, SyllabusPrincipal, reviews theMusic Medals pilot andgives an update onrecent developments

2

EXAMS

Exam clashesThe summer term can be one of the busiest in the academic year with pupils facingend of year exams, GCSEs, AS and A levels plus a whole host of other activities. This term is also the busiest for Associated Board exams. Around 150,000 candidatesenter for exams in the UK and Ireland during the summer – in fact 40% of the year’sexams take place in the space of just a few weeks.

Timetabling these exams is one of the most important tasks in the year – it is alsothe most complex. Despite our best efforts to offer convenient appointments to all150,000 candidates, for some there are inevitably clashes with another importantcommitment, such as a school exam. In these cases we will try to find an alternativeappointment – these are few and far between, especially in the later weeks, and maymean travelling to another centre. We cannot, however, offer new appointments tocandidates who have an early exam date and think they may not be ready. It is vitalthat we keep the few available alternative appointments for cases of genuine needwhere it is impossible for a canddiates to attend on the given date.

For teachers, it’s a good idea to warn candidates and parents that their examdate could be early in the session, even if one of the popular later weeks has beenrequested, and to make them aware that we are only able to look for newapointments for those with an exam clash.

Redirecting resultsWaiting for exam results is never easy and we know how keen candidates are to findout how they have done. To help, we aim to send out mark forms and certificates assoon as possible once they have been through our checking processes and you willusually receive your results between two and four weeks after the exam.

Many results from the summer session will reach applicants before the end of theschool term. However, if exams were taken during the popular later weeks of thesession, the results may arrive at the beginning of the summer break when schoolsare shut and many teachers go away on a well-earned holiday.

It is important to remember that we can only send results to the applicant andthey cannot be given out over the phone, but you can make special arrangementsfor results to be sent to a different address. This could be your home address or the address of a friend or colleague who can pass on the results to candidates inyour absence.

To request this service write to the relevant Associated Board regionaloffice at 24 Portland Place, London W1B 1LU.

In touch, in tuneWith more teachers entering candidates in the summer this is a very busy time forenquiries from teachers and parents, often by telephone. The high volume of callsoften means that all lines are engaged at peak times.

For the most common queries about closing dates, entry forms, entry fees andsyllabus requirements you can visit our website (www.abrsm.org) or contact yournearest Honorary Local Representative (HLR).

For more detailed enquiries where you may need to contact our London officesdirect, remember the following:■ the telephones are always busiest in the morning, particularly on Mondays■ our offices are open on weekdays from 8.00am to 5.00pm■ try the direct line for your region in preference to the switchboard number

HLR contact details and direct lines can be found in the Examination Regulations & Information available in booklet format or at www.abrsm.org

Something for the summer: UK & Ireland

3

EXAMS

Look out for the newsyllabus due forpublication in August.The syllabus, which iscurrent for 2004 and2005, will containrevised repertoire listsfor flute, clarinet, horn,E flat horn, basstrombone, baritone,

euphonium and tuba. Flute and clarinetteachers in particular will find plenty ofnew repertoire with 90% being new forflute and 60% for clarinet.

You can find the new syllabusonline at www.abrsm.orgfrom August with copies alsoavailable from music shops,Representatives and our London office.

New syllabus forwoodwind & brass

To coincide with thearrival of our newsyllabus for woodwindand brass instrumentswe are runningseminars for flute and clarinet teacherslater in the year.

Our presenters are Sally Adams and PaulHarris, who have both been closely involved inputting together the repertoire lists for theseinstruments and are ideally placed to providesome inspirational insight into the new pieces.They are both highly respected teachers in theirfields, Sally of the flute and Paul of the clarinet,and they will be sharing their many experiencesof teaching these instruments during theseminars.

The seminars will take place betweenSeptember and November in Bristol, Cambridge,Glasgow, Liverpool, London and York.

Readers in the UK will find a bookingform enclosed with this issue of Libretto.For further information contact the Marketing Department:


UK flute andclarinet seminars

Jazz at Music for Youth

If you’re taking your orchestraor band to the Music for YouthNational Festival at London’sSouth Bank Centre keep an eyeout for the Associated Board.We will be there on Thursday 10July and Friday 11 July talkingabout our new jazz syllabus andgiving away free samplers.

For more informationcontact the MarketingDepartment:

t 020 7467 8254e m a r k e t i n g @ a b r s m . a c . u k

Stop press:virus in SE AsiaAs we went to print, the implications of the outbreak of Severe AcuteRespiratory Syndrome (SARS) in SouthEast Asia were unclear but the advicefrom the World Health Organisation wasthat non-essential travel to Hong Kongwas not recommended. As always, wealso relied on our Representatives andContacts who were able to give usinvaluable and up to date informationon local conditions.

After consideration, we reluctantlydecided to postpone the ProfessionalDevelopment Programme in Hong Kong,Macau and Taiwan, the final session ofthe 2002-2003 CT ABRSM course in Hong Kong and the opening session ofthe 2003-2004 CT ABRSM course inSingapore. We will reschedule theseevents as soon as the situation becomesclearer and will contact all delegates andstudents with new arrangements.

Exam entries in Hong Kong were dueto close on Friday 4 April, but in view ofthe problems this date was extended bythree weeks to give teachers additionaltime to consult with pupils and collatetheir entries.

Any exams affected (eg Hong Kongdiploma exams in April) will berescheduled.

4

FEATURES The Kodály experience

Cyrilla Rowsell

Cyrilla Rowsell was a class teacher in first and primary schools for 11 years. During this time she became increasingly interested in theKodály approach and attended courses in the UK and Hungaryobtaining the British Kodály Academy’s (BKA) Advanced MusicianshipDiploma with distinction. Cyrilla now teaches for the BKA, primaryschools and on the String Training Programme at the Guildhall Schoolof Music and Drama as well as running courses for a variety of musicorganisations around the country. Cyrilla also runs a 150-strong junior choir.

“How many of you know anything about Kodály?”The group of around 35 students on the CT ABRSMcourse look blank, except for one brave soul wholifts his hand and volunteers, “It’s all that hand signstuff?” This is representative of the general responsefrom any group of instrumental teachers faced withthe same question. However, an hour and a halflater, I see many happy, inspired faces and I leavewith the sound of other questions ringing in myears. “Why have I never heard of this before? Why isn’t this taught in all schools?”

So how did this approach come about?

Zoltan Kodály (1882-1967) was a deep-thinking manwho became increasingly concerned about musiceducation in Hungary. He found that his harmonystudents at the Liszt Academy, whilst technicallyproficient, could not hear the music in their heads.

He felt that a musician should have a well-trained ear, intelligence and heart as well aswell-trained fingers and that the student wouldeventually have problems if the latter raced aheadof the others – which, in my experience, is often the case!

Kodály believed that ‘Music should belong toeveryone… music is a spiritual food for which thereis no substitute…there is no complete spiritual lifewithout music… there are regions of the human soulwhich can be illuminated only through music.’ Hewas impressed by the Galin-Paris-Cheve movementand by the work of John Curwen; he realised thatrhythm names and solfa were powerful tools withwhich to develop musical literacy and incorporatedthese into his overall concept. During the 1940smany of his colleagues and students began to puthis ideas into practice and developed a methodologywhich can be used from birth or before (Kodály said,‘Music education begins nine months before thebirth of the mother’!) to high levels of professionaltraining – conservatoire and beyond.

Kodály identified three stages of learning:unconscious experience, making conscious andreinforcement. In other words:

■ Preparation■ Presentation■ Practice

Young children do not learn through intellectualand theoretical abstractions. We would not teach achild to read who has not yet learned to speak – andyet we often try to teach music in this way. Iremember my very first piano lesson, at the age ofsix. I was shown a symbol and told, “This is acrotchet. It lasts for one beat.” If a child has noexperience of beat or pulse this is uselessinformation!

In Kodály lessons children learn many songs andrhymes, initially by imitation. Gradually what theyhave assimilated unconsciously is made consciousand children learn both the appropriate vocabularyto describe their experience and the symbol whichrepresents it. In this way, musical literacy is taught ina practical and logical sequence. Kodály teaching isstructured so that students progress from the simpleto the complex in a series of logical steps. The stepsare very small – ‘Children learn best that which they already know’ – so that success is guaranteed.Success breeds confidence and the desire to learn more.

The music used should always be of the bestquality, initially using one’s mother tongue. Kodályfelt that ‘Folksong is the school of good taste…those who develop a taste for what is good at anearly age will become resistant later to what is bad.’Most of the repertoire consists of children’s singinggames. Many of these originated in the street andplayground – a repertoire which, sadly, manychildren do not know today. Children of all ages lovethese games; it is very gratifying to see mature,streetwise 11-year olds revelling in them and,through them, being allowed to be children again.At a later stage, composed songs and art music arealso used but always, the musical knowledge comesfrom the song material.

The voice is the primary instrument used inKodály training. Singing has a profound effect uponthe child’s physical, social, emotional and intellectualdevelopment and is the most direct way of making amusical response. Not only is this instrument freeand portable, but because it is part of our bodiesanything learned through singing is learned moredeeply and thoroughly. Learning through aninstrument is an external skill, as the pupil makessomething else make the sound; singing, an internalskill, is deeply personal as you make the sound.Singing is also vital for developing that essential partof a musician, the inner hearing. It is not possible tosing anything which has not first been imagined inthe inner ear; therefore singing proves that themusic has been assimilated and understood.

“How many of you knowanything about Kodály?”

5

FEATURES

Kodály felt very strongly about this: ‘A child whoplays before he sings may remain unmusical for alifetime. That is why we encounter so many skilfulpianists who have no idea of the essence of music.’

Songs used in the early stages have a small rangeand simple rhythms. Many of the games andactivities encourage solo singing, which is helpful forthe teacher’s assessment as well as breedingconfidence in the child. Growlers gradually learn topitch accurately by singing on their own andimitating the teacher’s voice. Incidentally, I havenever found anyone (child or adult) who is unable topitch a falling minor third – which is the first intervalto be made conscious through solfa (soh-me) –although I was challenged once by a four-year oldwhose natural pitch for this interval was the E to C#below middle C! (He is now 10, in my choir and singslike an angel.)

Pentatonic music is used initially as it is easier tosing with good intonation, without semitones. I findchildren who have a good pentatonic groundinglearn the diatonic notes quickly and easily and theirintonation remains good. Two-part work is animportant part of the training; voice tunes withvoice and the natural tuning enhances the pupil’sperception of relative pitch and tonal functions.

Children first experience pulse, then rhythm;they are taught to differentiate between the twobefore they are introduced to rhythm symbols andrhythm names. An awareness of pitch (movinghigher, moving lower, staying on the same pitch) isdeveloped before the children begin solfa training.New pitches are gradually introduced and thechildren learn songs in various tone sets. Solfa islearned with accompanying hand signs, whichprovide a physical link with the sound heard andproduced. Solfa not only expresses relative pitch butalso the tonal function of each note. Hand signs arepowerful tools in that they can also be used for thechild to read from, thus quickly and easily readingnew music or recognising known material. Music isalways dealt with in phrases or motifs, never insingle sounds or notes; this develops rhythmiccontinuity and a sense of the shape of the phrase.

Children learn to read and write music initiallywith stick notation (the rhythm with solfa symbolsunderneath) and then on the stave. Stave reading isfirstly done without a clef so that the children learnspatially the positions of the intervals withouthaving to worry about sharps or flats. Graduallypitch names are introduced and eventually pupilslearn to read in all seven doh positions.

Kodály’s aim was to teach musical literacy to all.He saw literacy as the ability to ‘hear what you see and see what you hear…performance revealswhether the instrumentalist understands what he is playing.’

Aural training is an aspect of instrumentalteaching which I know worries many teachers.Fitting it within a half-hour lesson already crammedfull is difficult, and several teachers I know feel ill-equipped to teach it as their own pianistic skills arelacking. However, I perceive that maybe the major

problem is that many teachers do not know how toteach aural awareness. It would appear that aural isnot taught, only tested.

I cannot have been the only child who dreadedhaving to stand by the piano and sing. I found auralpetrifying and difficult; I could not sight-singaccurately and O level chord analysis and dictationwere impenetrable, terrifying mysteries. As a result, I grew up with the unshakeable belief that I was not musical. When I discovered the Kodály way of teaching in my mid-20s (having no musicalqualifications other than Grade 7 piano and a very poor O level) it was a true road-to-Damascusexperience. It was a total revelation to me that herewas a way I could learn to sight-sing, write dictation,train my musical memory, and hear and understandintervals and chords.

What would a teacher do for a child who ishaving trouble learning to read? He/she wouldallocate more time to the child, trying differentstrategies in order to make a breakthrough – notsay, “Never mind you can’t read, dear; let’s makesure your maths is extra good instead.” But this isprecisely what happened to me – make sure yourpieces and scales are good to compensate for thepoor mark you’re going to get for your aural!

Kodály felt that ‘before we rear instru m e n t a l i s t s …we must first rear musicians.’ How many moremusicians we would rear if all children who aregoing to learn an instrument had a minimum of one year’s Kodály training before they started, and continued this training alongside theirinstrumental studies!

Children who are taught Kodály thoroughly andsystematically become joyful, rounded, confidentmusicians – not just instrumentalists.

Kodály tapped into the essence of music and ofpedagogy:

‘If, through the reading of music, a child hasreached the stage where he is able to sing a smallmasterpiece in two parts with another child he hasacquired a hundred times as much music than if hehad thrashed the piano from sunrise to sunset. Manypeople are looking for the door to the treasury ofmusic in the wrong places. They obstinately keephammering on the locked gates and pass right bythe open doors that are accessible to everybody.’

How many of us – how many of our pupils – arestill hammering on locked gates?

For further information:British Kodály Academy www.britishkodalyacademy.org

t 020 8971 6561

“Hear what you see and see what you hear”

“A child who plays before he singsmay remain unmusical for a lifetime”

6

FEATURES

I’m going to interview Michael Brecker.A legend, he’s the most recorded saxophonist in jazz.

I expect him to be busy, ourarrangements for meetingcomplicated. They are. Eventuallyour respective work commitmentsmean that our paths cross – in Hong Kong! Many plans, emails and telephone calls gobetween us in Leeds and NewYork. We agree on a provisionaldate to meet.

Once in Hong Kong I make the first of several boat trips backand forth on the legendary StarFerry from Wan Chai to Kowloon,where the musicians are staying.

First, I catch the opening Directions in Music concert. A superb performance, the 2,100 seat Hong KongCultural Centre in Kowloon is sold out for all threenights. Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove, JohnPatitucci, Willie Jones and Michael Brecker are onform. It’s easy to understand why Brecker is themost influential saxophonist in the post-Coltranetradition, an eight-time Grammy-winner, and thefirst to win both the Best Jazz InstrumentalPerformance and Best Jazz Instrumental Solo twoyears in a row. His playing is sensational.

After the concert we meet backstage. Despitethe robust applause fresh in his ears, MichaelBrecker is unhappy. His saxophone is leaking and, ina word, he’s bugged. On his manager Rob Griffin’sadvice I decide not to bother Mike for an interviewuntil his horn is fixed. The next night the saxophonehas been mended. But again Rob counsels that Ipostpone the interview. There is the possibility thatif I return tomorrow, something can be arranged. Icontact Rob next morning. He gives me Mike’snumber. I call. Great, he agrees on a rendezvous.

Eventually, in the polite surroundings of theMarco Polo Hotel, Kowloon, on a busy Sundayafternoon, Mike’s imposing figure looms throughthe crowded foyer to greet me. We sit down with acappuccino. Clearly he is now much more relaxed, ashe tells me how he began.

I started playing the clarinet when I was six yearsold. I studied with Leon Lester, who was principalclarinettist in the Philadelphia Orchestra. Ieventually switched to alto sax when I was in theeighth grade, then changed to tenor by the time Iwas in the tenth grade. I don’t think I possessedmuch natural ability on the clarinet, at least towardsclassical music. I was interested in trying to play jazzclarinet. At the time I was listening to JimmyGuiffre. I loved his approach to the instrument. Iloved his dark sound, the fact that he played in thelow register. He had a kind of soulful approach. Ididn’t really gravitate towards players like BennyGoodman. This was in the late fifties, early sixties. Iremember taking Jimmy Guiffre solos off of recordswhen I was ten years old. I can still remember someof those solos today.

What about classical music on the saxophone?Some jazz saxophonists openly state their dislike ofthe stereotypical classical saxophone tone.

I enjoy listening to classical saxophone players. I particularly admire Eugene Rousseau. I appreciatethe classical approach more and more these days. I enjoy hearing a classical sound on the saxophone. I like that it’s played quite a bit softer. It’s often amore contained and concentrated sound. I alsoenjoy the phrasing of classical saxophone players,the dynamic range as well as the vibrato andapproach to pitch.

Knowing that this will surprise some saxophonists, Ipursue the subject of tone quality.

Jazz saxophone involves a different set of tools andsensibilities. Certainly one has to address a personalsound. I have a natural concept of how I want tosound. Some of it is about how I don’t want tosound. Part of my tone is dictated automatically bythe way my body and throat are shaped and by thedirection of the air column. All of that helps topredetermine the nature of the sound. I can’tseparate sound from articulation and phrasing. Forme it’s all connected.

Can the sound be attributed to his saxophone, anold Selmer Mark VI 86,000 series?

I have an array of saxophones at home – mostlySelmers – that are probably better than the hornthat I usually play. However, I continue to gravitateback to this one. I’m so familiar with it. It’s as if I’mable to own every molecule of the instrument. It’s

Talking saxophone with Michael Brecker: a diff e rent set of sensibilities

John Robert Brown plays the clarinet and saxophone. He writes regular columns for the magazines Jazz Review,Crescendo and CASS (the journal of theClarinet and Saxophone Society) and is a contributor to Classical Music.

John Robert Brown

“

7

FEATURES

not a particularly remarkable instrument, but I really feel at home on it. Unfortunately, it’sgradually falling apart from age, and wear and tear, so I’d better start getting used to playinganother instrument!

And the mouthpiece?

My mouthpiece is made by Dave Guardala. Dave’san old friend of mine and we’ve been workingtogether for many years. He created it with myparticular eccentricities, as well as tone, andresistance in mind. The reeds I use are LaVoz,medium strength. I go through a lot.

Arriving at a personal sound for me has been avery gradual process. It has evolved through a lot ofplaying with other musicians, playing both at homeand in performance settings, in all kinds ofsituations. Gradually, I think the sound, to somedegree, almost takes care of itself. You can’t helpsounding like yourself, if you’re pursuing musichonestly, particularly with an instrument like thesaxophone, which is so incredibly flexible andexpressive.

The saxophone generates a very complex waveform. It looks quite complicated when you see itgraphed on an oscilloscope. Each player has greatfreedom to mould the sound. And it’s atremendously creative instrument, just in terms ofsound alone. In times past one could identify asaxophone player immediately by tone andarticulation only, particularly players of the 40s, 50s,60s, and 70s. I could hear one note of Stan Getz, andknow that it was him or Ornette [Coleman] or SonnyRollins. Couple of notes...Jackie McLean. [John]Coltrane is immediately identifiable. And so on. It isa little more difficult for me to identify players inthe smooth jazz idiom by sound alone.

How did he learn to improvise?

I was raised in a jazz environment. My father was ajazz pianist, and an attorney. He made a living in thelegal profession, and played music for fun. Therewas always music in the house. He knew all thestandards. My brother Randy was a great role modelfor me. He’s a bit older, and began playing musicbefore me. He set a lot of good examples. One thingthat he did, that I started doing as well, was to playalong with records. We borrowed our dad’s albumsand played along with them. We played a lot withour dad as well. I was initially attracted to [altosaxophonist] Cannonball Adderley. When I heardCannonball, that was it! I asked my parents for analto, and I started trying to learn his solos fromrecords. Those were some hard solos to learn. But itwas a good way for me to begin to learn thelanguage of jazz.

How exactly did he study the jazz vocabulary?

I listened to music every day and I memorized solosso that I could sing along with them. At that time Ididn’t write them down, but they were etched in mybrain. I also had the opportunity and good fortuneto be around great local musicians in Philadelphia. Itwas a wonderful time to be a young musicianlearning how to play. There was a kind of

community feeling among the musicians in Phillywho were into playing and trying to improve. I hadthe chance to play with guys who were far betterthan me. Eventually, when I was 19 years old, Imoved to New York. I attended Indiana Universityfor a short time. Weirdly enough, I enrolled formusic, and then at the last minute I had a short-lived rebellion and switched to pre-med, since I hadalways been interested in science as well. While atIndiana, I ended up in the music school every dayanyway, in the practice rooms. I had a chance tostudy with the great David Baker while I was there.

Pursuing the differences between classical and jazzapproaches, I ask what differences Michael seesbetween the various approaches to tonguing orarticulation.

It’s a very personal thing. I almost don’t know howto comment. Jazz articulation is certainly differentin many ways from classical articulation, but they’realso related. Articulation is important in both areas.In jazz it’s a very personal thing. It’s a question oftaste, and it further outlines each player’s approachand sensibilities on the instrument. I know I have my own particular way I articulate that feelscomfortable for me. It’s something that has evolved naturally over time. There are no rules.

Without thinking about my question, I enquirewhether he ever has a consultation lesson withanyone? The reply surprises me.

I do go for consultations. In the past, I was lucky tohave had the chance to study with some fantasticsax teachers such as Joe Allard, Vince Trombetta andmany more. Lately I’ve been meeting my coach. I need to check in with another player, who can beobjective and look at what I’m doing, at the veryleast from a technical standpoint. I’m out theretouring a lot on the road and sometimes begin todevelop bad habits, ever so slowly. Not only that, I just found myself wanting some suggestions forpossible things I could change. So I contacted agreat woodwind player friend of mine for coaching.

Gently, I wonder who this is. That information isnot to be revealed. Both Michael and the coachhave agreed – at the coach’s suggestion – that heremains anonymous.

I’m pretty much a professional student. I’m alwayslooking for ways to improve and sound better, aswell as ways to enhance the beautiful experience ofplaying music.

Our time is up. I head for the Star Ferry – again.Michael is off to have a fitting for a shirt he’s hadtailored (Hong Kong is a great place for clothes),then to prepare for his concert this evening. He’sgoing to practise, choose a reed. Despite the tightschedule he thoughtfully offers to pay his share ofthe bill.

Those different sensibilities clearly extend wellbeyond playing the saxophone.

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8

Teaching the teachersP R O F E S S I O N A LDEVELOPMENT

I t ’s 9.30 on Saturday morning and the RoyalN o rt h e rn College of Music is already a hive ofactivity with dozens of youngsters arriving for theS a t u rday Junior School and college students in fora final rehearsal of Don Giovanni, not to mentionthe CT ABRSM contingent. There are 22 students,Course Leader Penny Stirling and six mentors. Thisis the beginning of the third study weekend andall are eager to grab a coffee and start work.

I began by talking to Vi c t o r i aN o rth, a woodwind teacher fro mL a n c a s h i re. What attractedVictoria to the course and whatwas its relevance to her teaching?“I wanted more guidance fori n s t rumental teaching and also a formal qualification, and the CT course is well thought of,m o re so than some teachingdiplomas. I was worried about all the background reading, butonce you get started you’re like a sponge, you soak it all up andc a n ’t get enough.”

Victoria teaches around 140 pupils everyweek, some in groups, some in individual lessons.Her teaching, for Blackburn and Darwin LEAMusic Service, takes her to 14 different schools.

“Peripatetic teaching is an isolated profession.My teaching has really benefited from thecourse. It’s boosted my confidence and confirmedthat lots of the things I do already are good.Talking to other teachers has been great and Inow have the confidence to interact more withclass teachers, which has proved very useful whenteaching pupils with special educational needs.”

Later, during the coffee break, I talked to TedMilner, saxophone teacher and Steven Chandler,brass teacher. Ted commented that the course has“given me loads of new ideas for my teaching – ideasthat I wouldn’t have got hold of otherwise” andSteve added, “When I heard about the course Ijumped in with both feet. It was an ideal opport u n i t yto improve my teaching and to get a qualific a t i o nto back up what I do in the eyes of parents.”

With this year’s UK Certificate ofTeaching course now passed the half-way mark, Suzanne Gray from our Marketing Department went to the Manchester centre to talk tostudents and mentors.

CT ABRSM UK and Hong Kong

For the latest news fromthe UK and Hong KongCT ABRSM courses turnto pages 13 and 14.

Rebecca, a piano teacher, commented “I wasgoing to sign up for a teaching diploma, but thenmy teacher, who had done the CT course herself,showed me her course materials. I thought thiswas definitely for me. I’ve learnt how to makelessons more fun and interactive, which in turnmakes the pupils more enthusiastic. The lessonobservations are really useful. At first I thoughtthey would be daunting, but now I think I’ll missthem when the course has finished as they keepme updated on how I’m doing.

“What surprised me most about the course is how much fun it is! I’ve had a great time. I’malso enjoying the interaction between teacherswho don’t necessarily teach your instrument. The course has more than lived up to myexpectations. I’m learning so much aboutdifferent teaching techniques and styles, and myconfidence has had a real boost. It’s good valuefor money and I’ll be sorry when it ends.”

So the students seem pretty happy but whatabout the mentors?

Raewyn Bailey, piano mentor:“I’ve been on the mentor panel for five years andthe course is amongst the most rewarding workI’ve ever done.”

Paul Cameron, percussion mentor:“The best thing for me is the fact that I meet arange of active teachers, and that I keep incontact with past students. We recently had ourfirst percussion refresher session, which was really useful.”

Tony Shorrocks, string mentor:“Being a mentor on the course has made me abetter teacher! I’ve enjoyed helping to bringabout a definite transformation in so manypeople’s teaching; it’s extraordinary, and it makesthe course the most rewarding aspect of myprofessional career.”

The CT ABRSM is designed forinstrumental and singing teachersseeking professional development at any stage in their career. If you like thesound of the CT ABRSM course andwould like to find out more, contact theProfessional Development Department:


PUBLISHING

N ew sA new updated Singing Prep Test has justbeen published and can be used in examsfrom B Period (June 2003) in the UK andfrom the next exam sessions overseas.

The Associated Board’s Prep Test isdesigned to introduce young children, viaa friendly environment, to the concept ofmusic exams. The Singing Prep Test maybe taken by singers who have beenlearning for just a few terms. Built into itare all the skills they will be developing atthis stage, such as a sense of pitch andrhythm, clear diction, accuracy andquality of tone.

This book contains specially commissionedtunes and songs, as well as everythingelse that the singer will need to take thetest. There are also entertainingillustrations and a Fun Page – sopractising for the big day will always beenjoyable!

The existing Preparatory Test for Singing(D 754 0) will be valid for exams untilDecember 2003.

D 375 7

Publication: April 2003

The Associated Board does not sell publications direct ● Please order from your local music retailer

Singing Prep Test


There’s a huge job to do in music education generally,not just in jazz – in the whole non-classical music area,even in Shetland fiddle and morris dancing. There’s somuch going on at the moment, and the idea of music ischanging around us. It’s time music education caught upwith that. What excites me about the new jazz syllabus isthat in its small way, we’ve done a really comprehensiveand systematic job. If you’re going to do jazz rather thanclassical music, what will Grade 1 look like? How wouldyou do it? What would be suitable for nine-year-olds andadult beginners as well? Teachers need a structure – jazzcriticism and journalism often suggests that in thehidden curriculum of jazz, it somehow all happensintuitively, that people show up at the gig and itmiraculously happens! But it’s not like that – it’s entirelypossible to say, here are some skills, here are someconcrete things you can do to start being a jazz musician.Which all jazz musicians did, at some point.

CU T T IN G TO T H E C H A S ECharlie Beale tells Richard Cook about the AssociatedBoard’s new jazz publications, and why jazz teaching is readyfor revolution.

Interview with Charlie Beale

Charlie’s touching on a thorny topic here. TheAssociated Board’s new series of books for practicaljazz teaching are extraordinarily handsome. Each bookoffers a range of tunes in different jazz idioms, fromtraditional to fusion, with original arrangements andan accompanying CD that, on the minus-one tracks,lets you play alongside a formidable line-up ofcontemporary British players. And if the approach iswelcoming and accommodating, that doesn’t meanthere isn’t a degree of connoisseurship involved, evenat Grade 3: the trombone book, for instance, includessuch unexpected tunes as Carla Bley’s Ida Lupino andStanley Turrentine’s Minor Chant. But a counter-argument might insist that the very concept ofteaching jazz is awkwardly restrictive: in a musicwhich relies so much on improvisation and instinctualresponse for its character, many would resist any ideaof formal jazz ‘education’.

Education is about how you define a curriculum. Isit possible to define a jazz curriculum of any sortwithout defining the openness of jazz out of it? I don’tthink it’s impossible. Most would agree that jazzmusicians are musical. It’s a question of acknowledgingdifferent approaches and designing a porouscurriculum, a very student-centred one, which respectsdifference – hopefully there isn’t a constituency of jazzwhich isn’t represented there.

Useful man to have around, Charlie Beale. Musiceducation has its vocational aspect, but if it’s going tosucceed, it needs can-do figures above all others.Here’s how he got started.

I’ve always been a jazz musician in a way, though I’dprobably call myself a musician who plays jazz. I startedas a classical pianist – at school I played the organ a lot,and I sang in the choir, played clarinet and bassoon – Iwas very involved in music-making. I ran the big band atCambridge which later became the Cambridge UniversityJazz Orchestra, although at that stage it was called 78 RPM.

Then I became a teacher, and I taught in state schools fortwo years, and had a ball doing that – but I was stillworking with big bands, and I got into jazz educationseriously when I went on the Guildhall Summer Schoolin 1984, which was run by Scott Stroman. That was alife-changing week. I’d never written a big band chart inmy life. Scott got five of us in a room and said, well,you’re going to write a big-band chart and we’ll record iton the last day of the course. And on the fifth day, afterfour days of no sleep, I came away with a tape!

Five years down the line, I decided to go on the GuildhallJazz Course, and I applied as a composer and got a place.Educationally, that was the best year of my life, like adoor opening. Tim Garland, Phil Robson and ChristineTobin were on that year, some seriously conceptualplayers. Ever since then I’ve been freelancing – I got aPhD, and I see myself now as the person who never tooka decision about what I wanted to do when I was 18. I’mstill a player and I teach, and write, and freelance... a lotof everything.

Besides all that, Charlie teaches Jazz History and JazzPiano at the Royal College of Music in London and isalso a choral director - as well as being Lead JazzConsultant to the Associated Board. You’ll have readhis words of wisdom in Libretto before.

My association with the Associated Board beganback in ’95-’96, and now I work with a team ofconsultants, help design the syllabus and assist themoderators. I like to think I work in a collaborative way– I think sometimes they see me as someone who asksdifficult questions, but I hope I ask questions ratherthan not. There’s a limited amount that you can do byupsetting people!

Beale’s big agenda is no less than a complete overhaulin the way we approach teaching the subject, on apragmatic level, and in the various hierarchies whichhave been traditionally imposed on (capital-lettergenre identification coming up) Music.

One of my big issues is that we’re in a world of 85%classical music education, and a world of kids whocertainly aren’t interested in 85% classical music.

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When we were doing The AB Real Book, we had thisdiscussion as to whether we should use this handwrittenfont, in the great fake-book tradition, but the argumentin the end was that jazz musicians deserve the best, andit was only previously this way because no one wouldpublish it. To not use professional fonts, simply becauseit hadn’t been done that way in the past, seemed wrong.When I saw how it would be, it was obviously going to beclearer.

The big change in the way the Board’s worked in the pastand how it works now is that ‘minus-one’ CDs areeverything. In an average secondary school, it’s better tohave a professional rhythm section behind you on a CDthan whatever alternative there may be. It should bepossible to do the exam and get fun from the music, justfrom that one book and the CD that goes with it. At thebottom end, it’s got to be a mass music. I’ll go to the wall

on the idea that jazz is a group music and you losesomething with having a CD, but for a nine-year-oldcoming to jazz for the first time, in the currenteducation situation, where there are a lot of teacherswho aren’t sure about how to make a drummer and abassist sound good – it’s what’s needed. And there’s apiano accompaniment available if your teacher wants toplay, or use the lead sheet in the Real Book if your jazzguitarist friend wants to play with you.

Richard Cook is editor of Jazz Review

The new jazz publicationssupporting the AssociatedBoard’s new jazz syllabusfor Clarinet, Alto Sax,Tenor Sax, Trumpet andTrombone, Grades 1 to 5,will be published on 12 June 2003.

Play Jazz from Scratch willbe published towards theend of 2003.

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Yet many complain that, in the US especially, much ofthe surprise has gone out of contemporary jazzbecause of the generation of finely-schooled andpredictable players coming out of American musiccolleges.

Well, Pat Metheny went to Berklee and nobody say she isn’t individual. It’s like any course – the people wh oa re going to be the great playe rs will go on a course andthat will be the beginning of their journey and not theend of it. There are some disadva n t ages in college cours e s ,but there ’s almost a class distinction invo l ved, which say sthat jazz musicians have to be poor and uneducated. There a l ly good guys will transcend any sort of b o u n d a r i e sthat you give them. A cleve rly - built college curr i c u l u mhelps get your ears tog e t h e r. You could argue it’s killedjam-session culture, because they get the experience inclassrooms.

Beale sees jazz as ‘a performance practice rather than aset of texts’, and as usual he takes a practicalline, walking between the idea ofjazz as an established idiomand one which keeps its doorsopen to new notions andpractices. Another new Beale opus isPlay Jazz from Scratch – how does thisdiffer from his earlier Jazz Piano fromScratch?

One is for pianists and one isn’t. The new book– Play Jazz from Scratch – is a set of workshops,rather than a through-composed tome. When I wrotethe earlier Jazz Piano from Scratch, there was a lot offeeling within the Board that ‘we have to explain’ – whywas the Associated Board doing jazz, what was it about?That book is full of long paragraphs that say things like,the reason why we have to work by ear is that this iswhat happens in jazz, and so forth. The feedback I gotfrom teachers was, cut to the chase. This new book is formelody instruments, and it’s full of activities and thingsto do. On page one it says, pick up your instrument andplay this, and there’s much less rationalising through alot of text. Something that a teacher who’s short of timecan pick up and say, right, that workshop will work forthis nine-year-old – and off they go.

Completing the line-up of publications is The AB RealBook. We’ve established that it’s better-looking from adesign and print perspective but how else does thisone differ from other Real Books?

The main thing about it is it’s moderated. All thetunes are suitable for kids who haven’t been playing forvery long. We’ve covered the basics, the styles of jazz, therange of instruments, but it’s a Real Book kids can use insecondary schools – they can instantly play in groupstogether using it. The idea was to establish a core of 100tunes that would be good for them to play, good forgroup playing, and which can also be used in an exam.Jazz is a group music, and having a Real Book offerssomething for a group to deal with. There are leadsheets, and there’s an optional piano part [downloadablefrom www.abrsmpublishing.co.uk] so you can use it asan arrangement if you want to. It has to be understand-able by a bright 13-year-old, and it has to ha ve tunes thatare playable after you’ve been playing your instrumentfor three or four years. Grades 4 and 5 is where the RealBook fits in. From that point of view, I think it’s a crucialtool for teachers.

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

24 Portland PlaceLondon W1B 1LUUnited Kingdom

t +44 20 7636 5400f +44 20 7467 8833 e [email protected]

www.abrsmpublishing.co.uk

Oxford University Press isthe sole worldwide salesagent and distributor forABRSM (Publishing) Ltd.


COMPETITIONTo coincide with the launch of the new jazz publicationswe have five copies of The AB Real Book to give away.Just write the answers to these two questions on apostcard and send to:

ABRSM (Publishing) Ltd, 24 Portland Place, London W1B 1LU, United Kingdomto arrive no later than Friday 25 July 2003. You may alsoenter the competition by e-mail. Send your answers to:[email protected].

1. Who were the original members of the Modern JazzQuartet?

2. The saxophonist Sonny Rollins used to practisesaxophone on a bridge in New York. What is thename of the bridge?

COMPETITION WINNERSLibretto, January 2003

In the last competition we asked you which famouscomposer conducted a performance of J S Bach’sSt Matthew Passion about 100 years after its firstperformance, spurring a worldwide interest in Bach’smusic, and on whose play was Debussy’s opera Pélleaset Mélisande based. The answers are: ‘Mendelssohn’and ‘Maeterlinck’.

Congratulations to Nikhil Suares from Madras, India,who receives a set of five titles in the First Discovery –Music series. Four runners-up each receive a copy ofthe volume on Bach from the series:

Miss Doreen Kaw Sze Yee, Selangor, MalaysiaMrs Mary C Russell, Edinburgh, UKMr John Simmonds, Kent, UKMrs H J Ford, Norfolk, UK

Thank you to all who took part in the competition.

Music donationsEvery year we donate music to educational institutions aroundthe world, which, for whatever reason, find it very dif ficult toobtain sheet music. Many of the recipients are put in touch withus through the European Piano Teachers Association (EPTA) andthrough our local Associated Board representatives worldwide,and are often from countries where poverty and war force musiceducation to the bottom of the list of priorities for any funding.During 2002, we donated music to over 30 countries.

Here are some of the messages we received from recipients:

CompleteCatalogue 2003Our new fully-illustrated CompleteCatalogue 2003 is now available. Askyour local music retailer for a copy,or e-mail: [email protected] subject field must read‘Complete Catalogue 2003’

‘The music you send us every year is really useful for Latvianmusicians, music teachers and children. The music isaccessible for all Latvian music schools.’

Irene Strause, Association of Latvian Piano Teachers, RigaJanis Porietis, Latvian Arts Education Centre, Riga

LATVIA

YN E W

13

NEWS

CT ABRSM UK: fast track

For teachers who are keen to complete theCertificate of Teaching over a shorter time, we arenow running a fast track CT ABRSM course. This isplanned to take place between February and July2004, with the course taking just 6 months tocomplete over a series of residential study sessions.

If you are interested in this version of the course contact the ProfessionalDevelopment Department:


New HLRs: UK

LondonderryHeather Buickt 028 71342478e heather@buicktr.

freeserve.co.uk

HexhamAnne Wallacet 01661 844533

Thurso (Practical)Ann Warnert 01847 831 227e [email protected]

Newport, Shropshire(Practical)Penny Westgatet 01952 812920

Bishop’s Stortfordjoint HLRKeith Hallt 01279 724 868e d.k.hall@

ukgateway.net

DundeeAvril Ogilviet 01382 860962

TavistockCatherine Jordant 01822 612244e catherinejordan@

beeb.net

Welcome towww.abrsm.org

Checking syllabus requirements, closing dates, andcontact details will be simpler than ever with thelaunch of our new website. However, as well asproviding a quick and easy route to essential examinformation and online entry facilities, the new sitealso includes a wealth of articles, support materialsand links for teachers, parents and pupils.

As part of the redesign process we have aimedfor a user-friendly site with clear navigation,printable pages and a high level of accessibility.These have been priorities for our web designconsultants, Web Projects, when working on theredevelopment.

We hope you enjoy exploring the new site and don’t forget to use the new address:www.abrsm.org

Do let us know what you think, as yourcomments as users are invaluable.

Once again Tim Richards and Roland Perrin arerunning an intensive four-week course of eveningclasses for piano teachers who want to get into jazz.Taking place in London the course is part of theMorley College Summer School. The course isdesigned for teachers intending to enter candidatesfor Associated Board jazz piano exams and will bebased around the tunes at Grades 1 to 5.

Tim and Roland were both involved in puttingtogether the jazz piano syllabus and are respectedjazz performers and educators. Tim is also anAssociated Board examiner.

Morley College Jazz Piano Course23 June - 16 JulyMondays and Wednesdays 6.30pm – 9.00pmMorley College, London SE1Cost: £75 (concessions £21)

t 020 7450 1838t 020 7928 8501 (enrolment)e [email protected]

www.morleycollege.ac.uk

High Scorers’ Concerts: UK

11 MayDoncaster

We are shortly to publish the results of ourlatest research into the playing andlearning of musical instruments by childrenin the UK. With this study we have beentracking the musical activities of 5 to 14-year olds every three years since 1993.During this time the Making Musicresearch has highlighted important trendsin the playing of musical instruments.

The latest research is based on datacollected in 2002 and for the first timeincludes information about 15 to 19-yearolds, broadening the scope of the findings.The research reveals patterns of instrumentplaying and learning by age, gender andregion and provides a useful snapshot ofinstruments played.

Making Music gives an invaluableoverview of the general health of musiceducation in the UK from the verybeginnings at age five to secondary andsixth form levels.

The full report, Making Music 2003, willbe available in June at www.abrsm.org

Making Music2003

Annual Review 2002

The latest Annual Review, looking back at theAssociated Board in 2002, is now available.

You can find it at www.abrsm.org, or to order a copy contact the Marketing Department:


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

Getting into jazz

A world view

2003 will be an important year for internationaltravel reflecting the strong role that the AssociatedBoard plays in the musical lives of more than 90countries. We are met with tremendous enthusiasmin our international centres, with teachers always sohospitable and welcoming. Our ongoing provisionof teacher support and professional development inthese many countries is a top priority.

This year will see visits to Australia, Cyprus,Germany, Greece, the Gulf States, Hong Kong, India,Korea, Malaysia, Malta, New Zealand, Scandinavia,Singapore, Thailand and the USA together withother destinations in Europe still to be confirmed.For the first time Regional Managers and Tour Co-ordinators from the International Departmentwill also be visiting key countries, helping toimprove our service to teachers and providingsupport for our Representatives.

Despite the political uncertainties felt in a number of our international centres, the AssociatedBoard continues to see growth across the world. This must be a reflection of the enthusiasm ofi n s t rumental and singing teachers, the dedication ofour Representatives and the inspiring power of music.

Turn the page for more information aboutevents around the world.

With seminars, High Scorers’Concerts and teachers meetingstaking place around the globe,Tim Arnold, Head of InternationalOperations, gives his perspectiveon this year’s events

Piano and string teachers working in HongKong still have time to enrol on the nextCertificate of Teaching course. The closingdate is 14 June and the course starts at thebeginning of July.

For a copy of the prospectuscontact Mandy Kwan at the Hong Kong University School of Professional and ContinuingEducation:

t 2975 5696e [email protected]

14

NEWS

New Representatives

GhanaMr E B Takyi-MicahPO Box OS 1910OsuAccrat 21 663 085e [email protected]

NevisNevilla ChallengerNelson’s SpringNevis t 469 7705 (home)t 469 8026 (work)

St KittsVelma Gumbs35 Shadwell HousingBasseterreSt Kitts

USA: Washington DC/VirginiaAnastasia Rice891 Azalea DriveRockvilleMD 20850t 301 675 8086

(cellphone)e [email protected]

Thailand teachers’meetings

Later in the year Bill Thomson, South EastAsia Consultant, Tim Arnold and ourRepresentative Chorlada Bunnag will beworking together to run a series ofteachers’ meetings in Thailand.

For more information contactChorlada Bunnag:

t 2 259 9900 e [email protected]

Jubilee update:Greece, Malta, Egypt

Our first celebrations of the year take placein Greece. We are marking 25 years ofAssociated Board exams, in partnershipwith the British Council, and Tim Arnoldwill be visiting Athens in May to hold ateachers’ workshop and to attend a special High Scorers’ Concert at the Odeion Athinon.

2003 is our centenary jubilee in Maltaand our Representative, Maria Conrad, hasbeen working hard to plan various eventsfor later in the year. Highlights to comeinclude a High Achievers’ Concert and aone-day Professional DevelopmentWorkshop. Richard Morris, Chief Executive,and Tim Arnold will be visiting Malta forthese events and all successful examcandidates will receive special jubileecertificates and a jubilee badge during this year.

Finally, we will also be celebrating 50years of exams in Egypt this year. Look outfor news of special jubilee festivities in thenext issue.

CT ABRSM Hong Kong: closing date


Saluting success

The diploma and CT ABRSM award ceremony for Indonesia,Malaysia and Singapore took place on 31 March at LeMeridien Hotel, Singapore. Successful diploma candidatesand CT ABRSM students from across the region assembled toenjoy an evening marking their achievements. The ceremony,which included a recital given by diploma holders, wasattended by an audience of around 700 parents and friends.Diversity in the recital programme was clear evidence of theincreased variety of instruments now examined in thesediplomas; the audience enjoyed music for unaccompaniedviolin, solo piano, baritone vocalist and string quartet.

Tim Arnold, Head of International Operations, attendedthe ceremony and his address was an inspiration to the youngteachers, performers and directors. Diploma holders and CTABRSM recipients received certificates and a special gift waspresented to Mr and Mrs Denis Umar, our IndonesiaRepresentatives, as a thank you for their service to theAssociated Board over 25 years.

Bill Thomson, our South East Asia Consultant, was alsothere and commented:

“It was delightful to have guests and friends from acro s sSouth East Asia at this evening which served not only tocongratulate all the diploma and CT ABRSM successes, but alsoto raise the pro file of the Associated Board in the region. Finally,good wishes to all those about to take their diploma exams inKL, Penang, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Jakarta, Bangkok andS i n g a p o re…I hope to see you at next year’s award cere m o n y ! ”

Entries on the increase

The news may well be out alreadybut in 2002 Hong Kong postedanother major rise in candidatenumbers for the grades, whileentries for the new diplomas wentup by over 50%! Such enthusiasmfor the diplomas just confirmshow welcome these qualificationsare and how the possession of adiploma certificate represents areal step forward in a Hong Kongmusician’s career.

We are expecting yet anotherrise in candidates this year and asa result have been rethinking theissue of exam availability alongwith HKEAA (the Hong KongExaminations & AssessmentsAuthority) who help to run theexams. For many years exams tookplace from August to Decemberbut last year we added a diplomasession in April. The numbers forthe April session have now grownand it has been extended to three weeks.

All this activity is backed up byseminars and support for teachersand candidates. As usual what isdescribed by RTHK (Radio andTelevision Hong Kong) as a ‘26-part education series – pianoexams 2003’ is being broadcastfrom February until July. Three of

the programmes are devoted tothe Grade 8 pieces, two each toGrades 7, 6 and 5 and one eachfor the lower grades. Over theyears these programmes haveturned out to be highly useful toteachers, candidates and evenparents, and the programmeshave the highest audience ratingof any Radio 4 series! We alsoprovide advice by telephone,answering questions about theexams, setting minds at rest as towhat exactly is required, talkingabout editions, and helping toclarify diploma matters, amongstmany other things.

As candidate numberscontinue to grow this support forteachers becomes an i n c re a s i n g l yi m p o rtant and fulfilling part of ourwork in Hong Kong.

David Gwilt,our Hong Kongconsultant,reports

15


Much time and energy has been devotedto preparing for the first jazz exams inOctober this year. We have been runningseminars for around nine months now,providing teachers with a real insight intothe world of jazz, with a special emphasison teaching and learning. Practical advicehas been combined with opportunities toexplore new sound worlds, improvisation,jazz styles, and rhythmic and harmonicvocabulary. The response from teachers has been overwhelming and many whoperhaps felt intimidated at trying outsomething as different as jazz, weresurprised at their success.

The focus for the final seminars in Julywill be the exam requirements themselves.If you are interested in jazz, don’t miss out!

Information on the seminars canbe found in the March edition ofUpbeat, for teachers in Malaysia,and from Music Plaza, SingapuraPlaza, for teachers in Singapore.

Jazz seminars■ 15 – 17 July

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia■ 23 – 25 July

Singapore

July jazz

Bill Thomson, our SouthEast Asia Consultant,with a reminder aboutthe latest workshops

Tw e n t y - five Local Representatives gathered withAssociated Board staff over a weekend in March toattend a national conference in Palmerston North. Thec o n f e rence consisted of three working sessions, heldover Saturday and Sunday morning, and a dinner onS a t u rday evening. The main focus was the marketingand merchandising presentation made by ourMarketing Executive, Fleur Knowles, on Saturd a ya f t e rnoon. This looked at the trends, opport u n i t i e sand threats facing exam boards, the strengths andweaknesses of each, and the main objectives or goalse m e rging from this analysis. We then went on todiscuss merchandising and how to promote theAssociated Board ’s work.

New Zealand national conference

New ZealandExaminationsAdministrator,David Goodyear,reports back

It was a great delight to welcome ChiefExecutive, Richard Morris, who made a specialj o u rney from London to meet with officials of theNew Zealand govern m e n t ’s Qualifications Authority,and to address the conference. He gave a mosti n f o rmative talk which covered such topics as thenew jazz and Music Medals syllabuses, the latestpublications from ABRSM Publishing, pro f e s s i o n a ldevelopment work, and included fascinatingglimpses into the future with the possibility of onlinel e a rning and smart accompaniments. Perhaps mosti n t e resting was his description of how the AssociatedB o a rd is no longer simply an exam board, but israpidly developing into an organisation whichp rovides a whole range of educational services tomusic teachers, parents and children. As Richard said, “Music is too important to be left just to the musicians!”

The final session on Sunday morning coveredupdates to the Local Representatives’ handbook and a general discussion. The Associated Boardcould not function without its Local Representatives.In New Zealand they are separated by long distancesand rarely meet each other so the opportunity toget together every two years is one which they allenjoy very much. This one was voted the best yet!

In January, 65 teachers attended our Jazz Works courses inAustralia. Leading the courses in Perth, Wollongong andMelbourne were Pete Churchill and Nikki Iles both highlyexperienced performers and educators from the jazz world.

Teachers travelled from all over Australia and NewZealand to attend these courses which were described as‘inspiring’ and a ‘revelation’, ‘taught with good humour andpatience’ by ‘brilliant presenters’.

Jazz exams take place in Australia from October toNovember and in addition to jazz piano, candidates will soonbe able to enter for jazz clarinet, saxophone, trumpet andtrombone. The syllabus and new publications will beavailable soon, look out for them at your local music shop.

For more information about jazz exams in Australia contact Judy Thönell:


Making jazz work

Professional DevelopmentProgramme

The second part of our 2003 Professional DevelopmentProgramme, or PDP, takes place from August to September inMalaysia and Singapore. This year’s seminar will feature twostrands, Stress management for busy teachers and Using yourvoice to find your ears. Presenters David Barnard and RossCampbell will deal with time management, communicationskills, using singing in your teaching, Aural Tests and muchmore. The seminars will take place at venues throughoutMalaysia finishing up in Singapore.

Readers in South East Asia will find full details and abooking form on the back page of this issue.

16

FORUM

The frequent response to this moment in the exam is anxiousresignation but sometimes we also hear “Oh no, I’m no good at this”.I’ve yet to hear a candidate say “Hurrah, this is my favourite part”.Sight-reading is a necessary musical skill that takes time to establish.Few early grade candidates are confident readers but most do pass,with more successful results as the grades progress. During thepreparation time some candidates count out loud while they try tofind the notes, and some clap the rhythm. This half minute is awonderful chance to register the time signature, the key, to play asmuch as possible (certainly any awkward corners) and to check the lastfew notes for a safe ending. Unfortunately many candidates just gazeblankly at the test despite the examiner’s suggestion to try it out.

It’s all to do with processing the musical information within thetime frame and producing a reasonable number of correct sounds. Ifthere were to be five minutes between each note nearly all candidateswould be able to position their fingers or voices accurately. It’s thepressure of finding the patterns within the rhythm that is scary, andthe teacher’s encouragement to “keep going, keep going” may be afurther distraction, although keeping the momentum is, of course, oneof the main aims of the exercise.

The more sensitive pupils hate to make mistakes and find it hardnot to go back and correct them. It takes a strong sense of priority tobe able to put the rhythm first, remembering that the next note isalways more important than the last.

On a positive note, it is possible to learn to become a good sight-reader, and it’s one of the most enabling skills that we can give to ourpupils. I’m sure many teachers will have suggestions to share on thisemotive subject so please write or email to Forum.

Your chance to share experiences and ideas with other readers.In each issue our Chief Examiner, Clara Taylor, introduces a subject for discussion. We then publish your responses in the next issue. Your contribution may be edited for publication.

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

Theory teaching

Next topic: “…and now the sight-re a d i n g … ”

Clara Taylor

Ears, eyes and hands

Aural and theory are integral tomy piano lessons. Pupils learnthat being a musician means thatyour ears, eyes and hands worktogether as a team; you have to listen with your hands, hearwith your eyes and feel with yourears. Then, once they’ve beenintroduced to inversions, forexample, they can recognise afirst inversion when they hear it,they can sing one, they knowwhat it looks like written down,and they know how it feels toplay it.

Pupils also learn that thereare two aspects to learning:understanding what they aretrying to play, which is myresponsibility, and teaching theirhands to play it, which is theirresponsibility (practice!). Wedon’t necessarily go over and overa passage until they get it right.Provided pupils can prove thatthey understand the rhythm byclapping it, the phrasing bysinging it, and how to practise it,I’ll leave them to do the work.

Clare RedfarnLondon

A race against time

How I agree with Clara Taylor’scomments. I inherit many pupilswho have just taken Grade 4practical and have no theoryexperience. If theory is notstarted early it can feel like a raceagainst time.

I liken music to language, it isimportant to understand thelanguage written down as well asspoken.

Theory needs to be anintegral part of lessons. If we are singing intervals we look atintervals in our theory, if we do anew scale we look at it writtendown too. This works well and Ican honestly say that none of mypupils hate theory, they just see itas part of their musicalexperience.

Liz LittlerKidderminster

Rooting theoryin practice

I use pieces as the focus andstarting point for theory work.For example, a piano candidate Iam currently working with foundthat the Grade 8 piano pieceLandscape by Philip Cashian wasan excellent vehicle to stimulatework on tonality and timesignature. This approach rootstheory in practice and it becomespart of the overall learning,understanding and interpretationof pieces.

Howard CammBillingham, Cleveland

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Waking up to theory

As a peripatetic woodwindteacher in primary schools fittingeverything in is a problem.Lessons are usually 15 minuteslong, sometimes with twochildren sharing. I was worriedthat when the children moved tosecondary school and found outthat they would soon need totake Grade 5 theory, they mightstop having lessons. Therefore, Ioffered a group of eight childrenthe chance to do theory at8.30am, once a week. After twoterms they had passed Grade 1theory and I had no difficultyrecruiting a second group ofeight for a different morning. The first group, after four terms,is now working towards Grade 3theory and the second group hasjust entered for Grade 1. Thesechildren are keen to learn andnow realise how beneficial thisextra knowledge is to theirpractical and aural skills.

Valerie BlakeHitchin

libretto - abrsm · pdf filelibretto talking saxophone with michael brecker the kodály...

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