Jazz Syllabus & PublicationsLaunch

LIBRETTO

A Taste ofCT ABRSM

‘The Fourth R’

Music for YouthRegional Festival news

New Editors for the Publishing Company

LIBRETTO

The journal of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music May 1998

UPDATE 3-5

New Jazz Syllabus hits the right note 3

Music for Youth -Regional Festivals update 4

A Taste of CT ABRSM! 4

Time for ‘The Fourth R’ 4

Travelling Teachers 4

Publishing Company -new editorial team 5

Jubilee Jamborees 5

1997 Annual Review 5

EXAMINATIONS 6-7

Piano Grade 8 1999 – 2000 6

Jazz Piano 7

Jazz Ensembles 7

New Syllabus information 7

FEATURE 8-9

How to stop shakingand start playing 8

TEACHERS’ FORUM 10

NOTICE BOARD 11

PUBLICATIONS 12

Setting the StandardsThe Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music

14 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3JG, England

Telephone 0171- 636 5400 Fax 0171-436 4520

E-mail marketing@abrsm.ac.ukwww.abrsm.ac.uk

Registered as a Charity No. 292182

© 1998 by The Associated Board of the RoyalSchools of Music. All rights reserved. Unauthorisedreproduction in whole or in part is prohibited withoutpermission.

Libretto is published termly

Editor: Suzannah Power, Head of Marketing

Production Manager: Nicola Rattray, Marketing Executive

Photo credits:Cover and pages 5, 8 and 10 Robert CarpenterTurner. Pages 3 and 4 Dominic Dibbs.

LIBRETTOMAY 1998

Introduction

In the last issue of Libretto we reported that, as a result of the

erosion in public funding of music services across the UK, there

had been a sharp decline in instrumental playing by young

children. Since 1994 over 300,000 children of primary school age

have almost certainly lost the opportunity of ever learning to play.

A month later the Government announced its effective

abrogation of the National Curriculum for music in primary

schools, pending a comprehensive revision set for the year 2000.

What good can come from this bleak landscape? It is, I suggest, an

opportunity for a profound review of the totality of music learning

which children experience at school - an opportunity therefore to

redefine priorities and to bridge gaps between classroom music

and instrumental tuition.

The time is also right for a re-assertion of the exceptional benefits

which the study of music provides for children right across the

curriculum and beyond it, into areas such as teamwork, social

responsibility and fun. Music will always lose out where education

is seen as instruction in a series of compartmentalised subjects;

conversely it will always be the winner where education is

properly understood as the drawing out of the whole person.

On page 4 of this issue we report on the very timely publication of

‘The Fourth R’, which encapsulates a range of international

research findings in this field.

Lastly, now is the time for strong, clear messages which make

sense to politicians, the public and parents. Here’s one: Every child

should be entitled and enabled to start learning to play a musical

instrument before his or her eleventh birthday.

Richard Morris

Chief Executive

New Jazz Syllabus hits the right noteL I B R E T T O M A Y 1 9 9 8 U P D A T E | 3

Interest in the Board’s new JazzSyllabus has been building upsince the news broke in May1997. We have now received over6,000 enquiries about the syllabusand the range of 20 supportpublications and CDs. All thisinterest and enthusiasm culmi-nated in a series of launch eventsheld in venues across the UK inMarch and April.

The main launch at the PurcellRoom, South Bank Centre,London, featured performancesand improvisations from JulianJoseph. Julian is a pianist andcomposer who has played asubstantial role in the breakingdown of the perceived barriersbetween classical and jazz music.He lived up to his personal motto‘There’s only one golden rule; it hasto swing’ on the day, with hisperformances of the newly-commissioned work by RichardMichael, Bedford Square Blues, andMiles Davis’ All Blues.

Joining Julian on stage was 12year old Paul Michael, a Year 7pupil of Oakwood ParkGrammar School in Kent whoplays sax with Kent Youth JazzOrchestra. Paul performed aGrade 1 Jazz Piano exam pieceplus his own improvisationbefore joining the ‘Chis ‘n’ Sid’Jazz Group for a grand finale.Paul was later interviewed byRobyn Reed for BBC Radio 4’sKaleidoscope and said: ‘It wasfantastic playing in the PurcellRoom and meeting Julian Joseph,who was really supportive. The bestbit was that funny silence just beforeI was about to play!’

Places at the Purcell Room werebooked out weeks before theevent but that didn’t stop overfifty teachers turning up on the

day hoping for returns. The audi-ence was a mixture of teacherswho had been ‘classically’trained, teachers already teachingjazz and teachers working withboth styles but interested in theexam process.

The syllabus itself reflects currentjazz practice and is progressive,accessible and student-centered.The emphasis throughout is onimprovisation and it is designedto appeal to pupils of all ages andabilities, whether having formaltuition or self-taught. The setpieces in the syllabus featureblues, standards and contempo-rary styles, many of which havebeen newly-commissioned.

Mike Garrick* is a well-knownjazz musician, composer andeducator and Professor of JazzPiano at the Royal Academy ofMusic. As one of the fourmembers of the jazz workingparty, he was right behind theproject from its inception in 1992.‘This is real recognition that jazz hasequal musical value to the whole ofthe Western classical tradition. Unlikeothers who pay ample lip service tothis fact, the Associated Board isputting its money where its mouth is’.

The working party was broughttogether again at the PurcellRoom: Mike was joined on stageby Charles Beale (author of the

Feature article, Libretto, January1998), Eddie Harvey and RichardMichael.

The Syllabus is supported by arange of publications includingJazz Piano from Scratch – a bookand CD for the beginner, publica-tions for each grade and 5 CDsthat include minus-one tracks.

The Jazz Piano Syllabus can trulybe described as pioneering: noone has ever identified a Grade 1jazz piano improvisation before.We hope that both the Jazz Pianoand the Jazz Ensembles Syllabuswill nurture the talent of youngjazz performers and composersacross the widest range of styleswhilst supporting the history andcontinued development of jazz.

Philip Mundey, Director ofExaminations, now looks forwardto the first exams in 1999. ‘I joinedthe Associated Board ten years agowanting to involve as wide a rangeof people as possible in all forms ofmusic making. Jazz has become oneof the 20th Century’s most influen-tial idioms and I’m delighted that itis now reflected in the Board’s work’.

The Jazz Syllabus: a brief guide• Each Jazz Piano exam consists

of 3 pieces chosen from a selec-tion from Blues, Standards andContemporary, plus modesand blues scales, aural testsand a quick study

• Candidates are asked to impro-vise throughout the grades

• Rhythm skills are built up asthe pupil progresses, devel-oping an understanding of thecomplex syncopation stresses,cross-rhythms and differentstyles and grooves

• Support publications include JazzPiano from Scratch, a book andCD for the complete beginner,five books of graded pieces,scales, aural tests, quick studiesand five CDs with minus-onetracks for several of the pieces

• Exams begin in January 1999 inthe UK and Republic of Irelandonly, initially at Grades 1 – 5

• The Jazz Ensembles exam is forany group of at least 2 players.There is a free choice of reper-toire, but reference should bemade to the syllabus for fulldetails.

The Board will be running half-day Jazz Piano SyllabusWorkshops in September andOctober across the UK. Abooking form and further infor-mation can be found separatelyin this issue of Libretto for readersin the UK. For further informa-tion about any aspect of the JazzPiano or Jazz Ensembles examsplease telephone 0171-636 5400and you will be transferred to theappropriate department.

*Mike Garrick’s Jazz Academy(August 16 – 22) will this yearincorporate a strand devoted to theBoard’s new Jazz Piano Syllabus.For details please telephone: 01422 666999 ■

On Friday 27 March the Associated Boardlaunched its pioneering new syllabus for JazzPiano and Jazz Ensembles.

Paul Michael before the launch Julian Joseph, joined on stage by ‘Chis ‘n’ Sid’ Jazz Group

L I B R E T T O M A Y 1 9 9 84 | U P D A T E

As reported in the last issue ofLibretto, the Associated Boardand joint sponsor UNISONstepped in with funding toensure the survival of thepopular Regional Festival Series.

42 Regional Festivals were heldacross the UK during Februaryand March and an estimated41,000 children and young peopletook part. Instrumental groups,youth orchestras, jazz bands andchoirs were equally well repre-sented in what has becomeprobably the largest celebrationof youth and music in the world.

Once again the Board is grateful to its Honorary LocalRepresentatives who were on handto answer questions about theBoard and to distribute postersand stickers to the participants.

All the groups that qualify fromthe Regional Festivals will beinvited to perform at theNational Festival of Music forYouth which will be held duringJune and July in Birmingham,

London and Manchester.

For further information aboutany Music for Youth eventsplease contact Hazel Shaw, telephone 01865 760319 ■

Music for Youth - Regional Festivals update

The CT ABRSM Taster eventswere once again a sell-out with anadditional London venue needingto be booked at the last minute asapplications flooded in. CourseAdministrator, Anna Munks, said:

‘We were delighted to receive 400applications in the first week alonefor these Tasters. The telephone hasbeen red hot with requests for thenew UK prospectus (1998-99) whichis now available’.

The Taster mornings were held at12 regional venues in March andmany coincided with the thirdweekend of the 1997- 98 CT ABRSM course. This enabledprospective students to see thecourse in action and to meet withMentors and current students inaddition to their regional CourseLeader. Course Director, RichardCrozier, said:

‘We know that last year over 40% ofstudents who enrolled for this coursedid so as a direct result of their posi-tive experiences at one of the Tasterevents held in 1997. Meeting fellowteachers and being able to shareconcerns helped many prospective

students to appreciate the value ofengaging in the carefully structuredand well thought out programmes ofstudy which only the CT ABRSMcan offer’.

If you would like to receive aprospectus for the 1998 - 99 CT ABRSM course in the UK, orif you have any questionsregarding aspects of the course,please contact the ProfessionalDevelopment department at theAssociated Board (telephone:0171-467 8257). Further Tasterevents in the UK are planned forMarch 1999 ■

A Taste of CT ABRSM!

Evidence demonstrating thebenefit of music to a child’s acad-emic development is summarisedin a new booklet The Fourth R.

The booklet, launched by theCampaign for Music in theCurriculum on February 20 1998,presents research from severalindependent European andAmerican sources demonstratingthe benefit of music to children’sacademic studies and personaldevelopment. This was timely asa counter to recent governmentemphasis on literacy andnumeracy within the primaryschool curriculum.

It was also timely in following theBoard’s own research, MakingMusic 1997, which demonstratedthe damage caused by a failure torecognise and satisfy the specialeducational requirements ofinstrumental music in the UK.

A subsequent article in the TimesEducational Supplement reportedChris Smith, Secretary of State forCulture, as saying “I am greatlytroubled about kids not having achance to learn an instrument. Itis bad for them because they are

deprived of the fulfilment to behad in developing instrumentalskills and it is bad for the rest ofus because we aredeprived of theorchestras andinstrumentalistsof the future. Asthe [AssociatedBoard] reportshowed,instrumenttuition has been insharp decline over the past 10years...Together with the ArtsCouncil I’ve been looking at howwe can put together a patchworkof funding in order to try andbuild up instrumental teachingagain.”

As we go to press we awaitfurther news about the level ofsupport being promised to fundmusic education in the UK.

The text of The Fourth R is accessible on the MIA’s website(www.mia.org.uk/mia/4thr) andcan also be reached via theBoard’s website Teacher’sSupport area, Internet Resources(www.abrsm.ac.uk) ■

Time for ‘The Fourth R’

Last term we welcomed JohnDavies and Stephen Massey, bothfrom Limerick, Ireland, as ourTravel Grant Award recipients.Stephen studied the guitar withMichael Lewin at the RoyalAcademy of Music and Johnstudied piano with Peter Elementat the Royal College of Music.Their mentor Eve Halsey andtutor Judith Burton weredelighted with their progress andthe determined way in whichthey approached their studies.

Congratulations to them both ona splendid term’s work!

This term we welcome 4 teachersfrom Malaysia who are helpingus to celebrate 50 years of exam-ining in Malaysia. Chew YewChee, Khong May Leen,Constance Tan Siang andAngeline Tan Yoke Peng arrivedin London in April to begin theirstudies at the Royal Academy ofMusic, under the wing of theBoard’s former Chief Examiner,Jean Harvey ■

Travelling Teachers

Members of the Stepney Greencoat School Choir performing at the London Music for Youth Regional Festival

L I B R E T T O M A Y 1 9 9 8 U P D A T E | 5

Celebrations have already startedin Malaysia and Singapore,where we mark our 50 YearJubilee this year. Since 1948around 2,000,000 candidates havetaken an Associated Board exam-ination in Malaysia andSingapore, and to mark the occa-sion in 1998 every candidate willreceive a special certificatebearing our Jubilee logo.

Richard Morris visited bothcountries in March to attendJubilee concerts and host specialVIP receptions with our keycontacts and representatives.

In Malaysia, the Jubilee concerton March 8th included perfor-mances by high scoringcandidates, a six piano arrange-ment of Liszt’s HungarianRhapsody and a performance bythe Gamelan Group of theUniversity of Malaya.

Celebrations in Singaporecommenced on March 11th witha Jubilee concert at the VictoriaConcert Hall given by formerAssociated Board scholars.Meetings and receptionsfollowed for VIPs, music dealersand the first intake of CT ABRSMSingapore students who havesince arrived in the UK for thefirst week of their course.

Clara Taylor, Chief Examiner,will visit both Malaysia andSingapore in early November toconduct a special series of ESPworkshops on the new Pianosyllabus for 1999-2000. This is anopportunity not to be missed; fulldetails and registration formswill be included with theSeptember edition of Libretto.

Celebrations in New Zealand andSri Lanka, where we commemo-rate our Centenary, are also in

full swing. Richard Morris visitsSri Lanka in early September fora Centenary Concert at theColombo Hilton, a VIP dinnerand a reception for teachers andstudents. Representative Olga deLivera has also arranged a seriesof workshops, seminars andmedia interviews.

Clara Taylor will then joinRichard in New Zealand. Workingwith David Goodyear, NewZealand Examinations Co-ordi-nator, they will present workshopsfor teachers in Auckland,Wellington, Christchurch andDunedin. A Jubilee concert inAuckland will feature high scorersand a special performance of thealternative pieces available forcandidates in New Zealand.Full details of the events canbe found on our NewZealand website(http://www.abrsm.org.nz)

This will be Clara’s firstvisit to New Zealandwhere she will take theopportunity of moder-ating our panel of localexaminers. Speakingabout her forthcomingvisit she says: “It will bemarvellous to join the teachersand examiners as we celebrate onehundred years of the AssociatedBoard in New Zealand. There will beplenty to discuss and share, especiallyon such an important occasion.” ■

Jubilee Jamborees

The publishing company bidsfarewell to its editorial team ofDavid Blackwell, who hasreturned to Oxford UniversityPress, and Kathryn Oswald, nowwith Faber Music. We wish themwell and thank them for theirinvaluable contributions.

In their place we welcome a neweditorial team: Leslie East,Managing Editor, and RosieWelch, Assistant Music Editor,have joined the company andbring with them a wealth ofmusic publishing experience.

Leslie East joins from Novello &Co Ltd after over a decade asPublishing Director, prior towhich he was Director of Musicat the Guildhall School of Musicand Drama, 1975 - 1987. At

Novello he worked with some ofthe leading contemporarycomposers, including RichardRodney Bennett, Thea Musgrave,John McCabe, Aulis Sallinen,Param Vir, Simon Bainbridge andBarry Guy. He was also respon-sible for renewing and extendingthe company’s core choral catalogue, commissioning neweditions of major classics such asVerdi’s Requiem, Mendelssohn’sElijah and Haydn’s The Creation.

Leslie takes a particular interestin the support and promotion ofcontemporary and early music,being past chairman of theSociety for the Promotion of NewMusic (1978 - 1983) and a foundermember of the National EarlyMusic Association. He is currently

Publishing Company - new editorial team

The 1997 Annual Review is nowavailable containing details of thecountries where the AssociatedBoard examined in 1997, exam-iner lists, LRSM and CT ABRSMawards, prizes, scholars, bursarywinners, all the new titlespublished during the course ofthe year and a review of the year by Chief Executive Richard Morris.

If you would like to receive a freecopy please contact the MarketingDepartment 0171-467 8279 24-hour answerphone ■

1997 Annual Review

Chairman of the Early MusicNetwork and Vice-Chairman ofthe City Music Society.

Rosie Welch previously workedfor Kevin Mayhew Ltd, musicpublishers, as a music editor andproof reader. An accomplishedmusician with Grade 8 Violinand Grade 7 Piano she continues

to play in a string quartet and anumber of orchestras. Rosiegained a BMus (Hons) degreefrom the University ofBirmingham and also has aCertificate of Advanced Study inOrchestral Training (violin) fromthe Guildhall School of Musicand Drama ■

Performers after the Jubilee concert in Malaysia

Piano Grade 8 Lists: 1999 – 2000On 3rd August the eagerly awaited1999-2000 Piano Syllabus and revisedPiano Prep Test album will bepublished. You will have been able topick up the flavour of these innova-tive new publications from the articleI wrote for the last edition of Libretto.While the publication date allowsplenty of lead-time to prepare candi-dates for the first examinations of1999 we do understand the wish ofteachers to have the Grade 8 Listsavailable rather earlier, and these areprinted below.

LIST A

1 J.S. Bach French Suite no.6 in E,BWV 817: 7th and 8th movts, Gigue and Menuet.Selected Piano Examination

Pieces 1999-2000, Grade 8 (Associated Board)

2 Fauré Fugue in E minor, Op.84 no.6Selected Piano Examination Pieces

1999-2000, Grade 8 (Associated Board)

3 Scarlatti Sonata (Pastorale) in C,Kp.513, L.S.3Selected Piano Examination Pieces 1999-2000,

Grade 8 (Associated Board)

4 J.S. Bach Prelude and Fugue in D,BWV 850: no.5 from ‘The Well-Tempered Clavier’, Part 1 (Associated Board)

5 Handel Fugue no.3 in Bb, HWV 607.Handel Selected Keyboard Works,

Book 4 (Associated Board)

6 Hindemith Interludium (p.45) andFuga 10 in Db, from ‘Ludus Tonalis’(Schott 3964/M.D.S.)

7 Scarlatti Sonata in B minor, Kp.27,L.449. Baroque Keyboard Pieces, Book 4

(Associated Board)

8 Shostakovich Prelude and Fuguein F minor, Op.87 no.18. Shostakovich

24 Preludes and Fugues, Op.87, Vol.2 (Boosey

& Hawkes)

LIST B

1 C.P.E. Bach Sonata in A, Wq.55/4:1st movt, Allegro assai. Selected Piano

Examination Pieces 1999-2000, Grade 8

(Associated Board)

2 Beethoven Sonata in E, Op.14 no.1:1st movt, Allegro. Selected Piano

Examination Pieces 1999-2000, Grade 8

(Associated Board)

3 Haydn Sonata in C# minor,Hob.XVI/36: 1st movt, Moderato.Selected Piano Examination Pieces 1999-2000,

Grade 8 (Associated Board)

4 Beethoven Sonata in F, Op.10 no.2:1st movt, Allegro (Associated Board)

5 Haydn Sonata in Ab, Hob.XVI/46:1st movt, Allegro moderato. Haydn Selected

Keyboard Sonatas, Book 4 (Associated Board)

6 Mozart Sonata in Bb, K.333: 1stmovt, Allegro (Associated Board)

7 Mozart Sonata in D, K.576: 1stmovt, Allegro (Associated Board)

8 Schubert Sonata in B, Op.147,D.575: 1st movt, Allegro ma non troppo.

Schubert Complete Pianoforte Sonatas, Vol.2

(Associated Board)

L I B R E T T O M A Y 1 9 9 86 | E X A M I N A T I O N S

ExaminationsExaminationsExaminations

Philip Mundey, Director of Examinations, brings advance notice of the new Grade 8 PianoLists and full details of all current syllabuses

LIST C

1 Brahms Intermezzo in E, Op.116no.6 Selected Piano Examination Pieces

1999-2000, Grade 8 (Associated Board)

2 Debussy Prélude no.6, Book 2:‘Général Lavine-eccentric’ Selected Piano Examination Pieces

1999-2000, Grade 8 (Associated Board)

3 Field Nocturne no.4 in A Selected Piano Examination Pieces

1999-2000, Grade 8 (Associated Board)

4 Ireland The Cherry Tree, from‘Greenways’ Selected Piano Examination Pieces

1999-2000, Grade 8 (Associated Board)

5 Poulenc Improvisation no.13 in Aminor Selected Piano Examination Pieces

1999-2000, Grade 8 (Associated Board)

6 Carl Vine Bagatelle no.4, from ‘5Bagatelles’ Selected Piano Examination Pieces

1999-2000, Grade 8 (Associated Board)

7 Eleanor Alberga If the Silver Birdcould speak. Spectrum (20 contemporary

works for solo piano) (Associated Board)

8 Bartók Dance in Bulgarian Rhythmno.5: no.152 from ‘Mikrokosmos’,Vol.6 (Boosey & Hawkes)

9 Chabrier Idylle (no.6 from ‘10 Pièces Pittoresques’) (separately:

International IMC 1538 – Kalmus/M.D.S.)

10 Chopin Prelude in Ab, Op.28 no.17.Chopin Preludes (Associated Board)

11 Liszt Valse oubliée (no.1 in Aminor, S.215/1) (Schott 07042/M.D.S.)

L I B R E T T O M A Y 1 9 9 8 E X A M I N A T I O N S | 7

12 Joseph Makholm MainstreamTune, Moderate Tempo or PlaintiveBlues or Bebop’n You, from ‘3Impressions’ (Billaudot/U.M.P.)

13 Martinu Polka in A (Moderato inBook 3), from ‘Etudes and Polkas’(Boosey & Hawkes)

14 Medtner Prélude (Pastorale) in Ab:no.1 from ‘Romantic Sketches forthe Young’, Op.54(Zimmermann/William Elkin)

15 Rachmaninov Elégie in Eb minor,Op.3 no.1. Rachmaninov Piano

Compositions (Boosey & Hawkes)

16 Schumann Abschied: no.9 from‘Waldscenen’, Op.82 (Associated Board)

Jazz EnsemblesIn addition to the basic informationgiven in the Jazz Piano and JazzEnsembles syllabus a booklet/cassettepackage is available, free of charge,direct from the Board. This givesdetailed guidance as to expectationsat each of the three levels, and alsoprovides 10 exemplar performances,each one graded and with an accom-panying mark form. For full details ofhow to apply for this package pleaserefer to the syllabus, page 14 ■

New Syllabuses Available in August 1998Revised syllabuses, with new coverdesigns, are due to be published inAugust this year to take effect inJanuary 1999 as follows:

Piano & Bowed Strings 1999 & 2000containing new lists for -

• Piano in a new format, similar tothat for Violin, of three lists fromwhich candidates choose one pieceeach. This will give them a muchwider and more flexible choice ofrepertoire which will remain currentfor two years, and from which the

Board will publish a selection ofpieces for all grades up to andincluding Grade 8

Harpsichord, Organ, Guitar, Harp,Percussion, Singing & Ensembles1999 & 2000 containing new lists for -

• Organ with a greater range andchoice of pieces

All other subjects within thesesyllabuses remain unchanged, thoughthe information regarding the currentlyset publications will be updated ■

Jazz PianoJazz Piano - the Basis of Assessment.On pages 16 to 19 of the syllabus youwill find tables of criteria for eachelement of the Jazz Piano exams.Those of you familiar with TheseMusic Exams will recognise their basiclayout and, for the most part, theircontent. Jazz Piano candidates at anyone grade are expected to have thetechnical skills and instrumentalcontrol similar to piano candidates atthe same grade, and the criteria state-ments reflect this.

What is different of course is theaddition of improvisation criteria - inall areas of the exam, except the tech-nical requirements - and of referencesto ‘feel’ and ‘groove’. These areperhaps the most exciting and chal-lenging aspects of the syllabus, andcome right to the heart of jazz. JazzPiano from Scratch (Published by theAssociated Board) is invaluable as astep-by-step guide to playing withconfidence and style right from Grade 1.

It is essential, though, for students tolisten, and then listen again, to asmuch jazz as possible so their ownperformances benefit not only fromwhat they have been taught, but alsowhat they have ‘caught’. The Board’sJazz Piano: The CDs series provides acomplete aural guide, not just to the

pieces but also to all the otherelements of the exams. It will alsohelp enormously in getting inside thesound world of jazz and the specificfeel of the pieces to take the ‘recom-mended listening’ advice printed as afootnote to each piece in the albums.

Copies of the Jazz Piano & JazzEnsembles Syllabus should be avail-able from your local music shop.Alternatively you may request a copydirect from the Board. (Telephone 0171-636 5400).

In addition to offering these exams inthe UK we have decided to extendtheir availability to include theRepublic of Ireland. Please refer tothe syllabus for details of the variousentry options ■

Peter Kendall, a child psychologist, isPrincipal of Child Consultants, CharteredPsychologists, London.

Human beings need nerves; they sendmessages to and from our brain andenable us to deal with vast quantitiesof information. However, when pres-sure builds up before an exam thepanic that can result interferes withhow we function. Result: exam nerves.

The symptoms are very easy to spot;they include not being able to settledown, loss of memory, the idea thatyou aren’t in control, a sensation ofhopelessness, the conviction thateveryone else will pass the exam

except you and feeling cross andshort tempered. Physical signsinclude butterflies in the stomach,difficulty in sleeping, and often (espe-cially in adult candidates) anuncontrollable trembling of the hands.

Exam nerves can be caused by:• Insufficient and ineffective practise• Other people’s expectations• General tension• Lack of self-confidence.

Now for some cures. Systematic prac-tise is one of the hardest things to getright, but it pays enormous dividendsonce it is achieved. Set yourself real-istic targets and deadlines. There’snothing worse than being over ambi-tious in what you expect to achieve,then failing. Organised time includessetting aside regular periods for prac-tise. This needs to be divided intoshort units; we know from researchthat little and often is worth far morethan the same amount of time in onesession.

Other people’s expectations can havethe effect of increased pressure; thiscan come from your friends, yourparents and indeed from your teacher.Knowing that someone else wants youto pass just adds to the tension. Tocounteract this everyone involvedneeds to have a positive attitude tothe forthcoming exam. Talk thingsover with other people; it usually clearsthe air and restores a sense of balance.

General tension can often bemanaged successfully with a varietyof physical approaches; this includeseating sensibly (and regularly),getting enough sleep, improvingbreathing and posture and makingsure you have a range of leisure activ-ities to offset the impending exam.Work needs to be broken up intomanageable chunks if it is to beassimilated effectively and the inter-vals between are best filled withsomething completely different.

If you feel nervous about the exam

L I B R E T T O M A Y 1 9 9 88 | F E A T U R E

“HELP ... I’LL NEVER PASS ... I CAN’T REMEMBER ANYTHING

... MY HANDS WILL SHAKE ...”

Exam nerves afflict everybody at somepoint in their life, and Associated Boardexam candidates are no exception

How to stop shaking and start playing

Use other people to help monitor yourown practise schedule; these includeparents, friends and most importantly,your teacher. Devise a personalisedtimetable, pin it up somewhereprominent and stick to it. Make sureyou give yourself a reward when asuccessful practise has been completed.Being focused and interested willensure that much more of what youlearn is actually remembered.

itself visit the place where the exam is

to happen before the date, if this is

possible. On the actual day, it helps to

get up that bit earlier, have a good

breakfast and leave in plenty of time.

You may have taken care of your end

of things but you can’t predict the

weather, traffic jams or natural disasters.

Going in to take the exam is much

less worrying when you remember

We often receive lettersfrom teachers and parentsasking for advice on howto deal with exam nerves.In this two-part feature,

psychologists Lucinda MackworthYoung and Peter Kendall suggest anumber of ways of managing examnerves and pre-exam tension andworking to bring out the best in yourpupils. The second section is aimed atteachers or parents, the first has beenwritten for the candidates themselves.

L I B R E T T O M A Y 1 9 9 8 F E A T U R E | 9

INSECURITY IS INFECTIOUS WHILE CONFIDENCE IS CONTAGIOUS

that examiners are human too! Theyshare your love of music, want you todo your best and are always hopingto hear pieces performed with enthu-siasm and commitment.

Self-confidence means believing inyourself and taking responsibility foryour own learning. Other people canhelp, support and encourage but inthe end it’s up to you. This doesn’tmean that you won’t feel nervousbecause being confident involvesbalancing a healthy level of anticipa-tory tension with the knowledge thatyou have given it your best shot.

Remember: insecurity is infectiouswhile confidence is contagious. Go intothe exam well prepared and expectingto succeed and you will surpriseyourself. Good luck and go for it! ■

Lucinda Mackworth Young is a consul-tant psychologist, pianist and teacher.

“I can’t wait for my recorder exam!”My daughter knows with thecertainty of an unselfconscious 6-year-old that she’ll play her belovedmusic and be appreciated. (I, on theother hand, know that she can’t playall her scales yet!)

Will her positive attitude last?Unfortunately children tend tobecome self-conscious and aware ofthemselves and of the ‘rights’ and‘wrongs’ of their performance. Theybecome sensitive to the expectationsof their teachers, parents and peers.Rather than being fully confident ofsuccess, older children may beconscious of the possibility of failure.

So, aside from thorough preparationin practise and performance, whatcan we do for our pupils? Can we

help them rediscover their InnerChild so that, like the 6-year-old, theycan look forward to playing theirbeloved music, knowing they’ll enjoythe playing of it to someone who willappreciate it?

Let’s look at the possible problemsfrom a psychological perspective:

to the examiner expecting him to beas positively or negatively disposedto him as he is to himself. Pupils witha strong Inner Carer are certain theexaminer will be empathetic andencouraging. Pupils with a strongInner Critic are certain the examineris looking to catch them out. Under

stress a pupil without a sufficientlystrong Inner Carer to draw on maymore easily go to pieces.

So what can we do? Here are somesuggestions of how to free the InnerChild, outface the Inner Critic andfoster the Inner Carer;

• Make sure the desire to take anexam comes from the pupil and thathe loves the music chosen

• Model, by your teaching, thatenjoyment and self expression aremore important than getting all thenotes right

• Have the pupil - rather than theteacher - in charge of criticism. Havehim only think and say constructivethings about his own performance

• Have your pupils play to each other in a circular, party atmosphererather than a formal stage and audi-ence set-up

• Have them only feel and thinkappreciative thoughts about others asthey perform.

• Have the pupil who has performedto the group say what he enjoyedabout his playing

• Have them take it in turns to be the‘examiner’. They may well besurprised by how much they want the‘candidates’ to do well and how theydon’t want them upset by any errors

• Above all have fun ■

This feature may be photocopied forpupils and parents.

© The Associated Board of the RoyalSchools of Music, 1998

1. Looking forward to playing their beloved musicThe Inner Child is free; a child whoknows what he wants and what he isable to achieve. He knows when he isbeing met with the truth and when heis being persuaded against his ownbetter judgement. If there is adultpressure against his own innerwishes, he may deny his own feelingsto the extent that he is not consciouslyaware of them. But they will still bethere underneath, preventing himfrom fully co-operating with thelearning process.

2. Knowing they’ll enjoy the playing of itThe Inner Child loves self-expression.But the growing child may have tolearn to control his expression inresponse to his environment. Onecommonly held notion is that it is notokay to perform unless you can do itperfectly and that it’s even less okayto actually enjoy performing. Throughhearing such phrases the child learnsthat his expression must be repressedand may feel very unsafe when hisself-expression is required.

3. To someone who will appreciate itThe Inner Child is sure the examinerwill appreciate him. But the growingchild, with his increased sensitivityand awareness, has received manymessages and may not be so sure.Positive and caring messages becomeinternalised as the pupil’s Inner Carer‘You are wonderful’. Negative and crit-ical ones become internalised as hisInner Critic ‘The others are much betterthan you’. The strength of the InnerCarer versus the Inner Critic is vitalbecause the pupil projects himself on

All letters should be addressed to Teachers Forum,c/o Libretto at the usualaddress.

Clara can be contacted bytelephone on 0171-4678267 (Monday, Wednesdayand Friday) or alternatively by e-mail on chiefexaminer@abrsm.ac.uk.

Telephone calls and lettersfrom teachers continuallyshow the protective feelingsthey have for their pupils.

This almost parental instinct is atits fiercest at exam times andnever more so than when thecandidate is at some kind ofphysical or educational disadvantage.

The dilemma is so understand-able. Should teachers tell theBoard in advance or will it seemthat they are requesting an unfairadvantage? Investigation of the

Regulations booklet quicklydispels doubts, but not all appli-cants or parents will haverealised the various ways inwhich the Board can makespecial arrangements in partic-ular circumstances. A carefulcheck in the current Regulationsbooklet will give exact details,but let me take this opportunityto point out that special arrange-ments are made for a) blindcandidates; including Braillecertificates and extra help withTheory exams and b) Dyslexiccandidates; who are given everychance to receive instructionswithout misunderstanding.

Of course it is essential to alertthe Board at the time of the entryfor all candidates who require aslightly different pattern from theusual exam format.

There are candidates whosephysical or educational difficul-

ties make graded exams an inap-propriate choice of assessmentand it can sometimes be anagonising decision for teacherswhether or not to attempt anexam, especially when the candi-date is enthusiastic. If the usualexam format with supportingtests is inaccessible, thePerformance Assessment is available for these candidates,providing written application ismade at the time of entry. Thecandidate has 15 minutes inwhich to present one or morepieces of his or her own choiceand to have a short chat with theexaminer. There is no pass or failand the certificate is completedwith full and helpful commentsand given immediately to thecandidate.

The Performance Assessment isalso growing in popularity withadult candidates. The absence ofa pass or fail mark makes the

occasion much more relaxed forall concerned. We often comeacross teachers who take thePerformance Assessment goinginto the exam room before thefirst of their own candidates,emerging afterwards with a smileand providing a sense of musicalsolidarity and leadershipcombined!

One of the delights of examiningis the spread of ages and person-alities that passes through theexam room each day. Wewelcome them all, whatever kindof assessment they have chosenand applaud the effort that hasgone into their brief but impor-tant appearance.

Late starters!Letters frequently come in fromadults asking, “Am I too old tostart again?” Here are someheartening reports, which mayencourage those who arecontemplating either beginningan instrument or re-starting aftera break.

• Mrs Kate Booth began takingpiano lessons again in her earlythirties, having had a couple ofyears’ learning as a child. Shewas a modest Grade 2 standardbut continued with determina-tion and passed Grades 2 - 8, alsoattending a theory course for awhile. Mrs Booth successfullycompleted the CT ABRSM courselast year and now has a privateteaching practice at her home inBourne End.

• Mrs Kathleen Thornhill, whois 74, had previously passed herGrades 1 and 2 Piano examssixty years ago. Having had, asshe said, “a bit of a pause”, shetook up the piano again, takingregular lessons, and last sessionpassed her Grade 3. Speaking toher on the telephone about herplaying her enthusiasm wasobvious. Any pre-exam nerveswere centred on scales and sheadmits they were not herfavourite subject - “I simplydidn’t practise them enough”.

Grade 4 is on the horizon andnew-year resolutions includelearning one new scale a week.As she states; “I’m going to doeven better in the next exam!”

Phrasing of scales in examsWhy are scales phrased for otherinstruments but not for pianists

in the Associated Board exams?Would it be more interesting forexaminer and pupil if fewerscales were asked and technicalpoints were included, forexample having one or the otherhand predominant?

P. ProttsEpsom Downs

Reply: Bowing indications forbowed strings and articulationfor all wind instruments are abasic and practical necessity, butscales and arpeggios for theseinstruments are still required tobe played as evenly as possibleand without undue accentuation,as required for piano candidates.

One of the purposes of learningscales is to gain key familiarity,so we would not wish to reducethe number of scales etc. whichare considered appropriate to thepreparation for any grade exami-nation. Teachers may of courseintroduce all variety of phrasing,broken patterns and other tech-nical points into the learning ofscales to good effect, but sincethere is only a limited time in theexamination to cover all theseaspects it is felt to be more bene-ficial to assess them in theperformance of pieces ratherthan as incorporated into specialscale requirements.

Martin TealeSyllabus Secretary

L I B R E T T O M A Y 1 9 9 81 0 | T E A C H E R S ’ F O R U M

Mrs Kathleen Thornhill

International RepresentativesCanada (Vancouver)Please refer all enquiries to theInternational AdministrationDepartment in London:Tel: +44 171 467 8240 Fax: +44 171 631 3019 Email: international@abrsm.ac.ukIndia (Goa)Carlos Ferreira has an emailnumber: charles@bom2.vsnl.net.inIndia (Mumbai)The Acting Regional Co-ordinatorfor one year is Ferriel Palkhivala.8 Breach Candy Gardens, WardenRoad, Mumbai (Bombay) 400 0216Tel: (022) 367 0895IndonesiaDenis Umar’s fax number is now:(031) 563 3119JapanMariko Masaki who deals withthe Board’s examinations atPTNA now has an email number:masaki@piano.or.jpJordanThe contact numbers for Mr Kifah Fakhouri have changed:Tel: (6) 5687620/5605772Fax:(6) 5687621

UK and Ireland High Scorers’ Concerts

Forthcoming concerts are as follows:Centre Date RepresentativeSunbury 17 May Moira EdwardsDublin 30 May Miriam HalpinNorwich 13 September Carmela Furniss

L I B R E T T O M A Y 1 9 9 8 N O T I C E B O A R D | 1 1

New HLRsThe following HLRs have beenappointed recently:BanburyVictoria BlissTel: 01295 251451 ext 170BrentwoodJean BaderTel: 01277 651042Burton on TrentAngela MoffatTel: 01283 713735Derby (Practical)Margaret ClarkeTel: 01332 559374 (home)Tel: 01332 550995 (work)Derby (Theory)Karen EleyTel: 01773 828462

EastbourneSally MunnsTel: 01323 460416

ExeterGladys Walden-AspyTel: 01392 412070

LouthBarbara PeeblesTel: 01507 604668

PeterboroughChristine FrostickTel: 01733 756492

RotherhamGeoffrey ThomasTel: 01709 828191 (work) Tel: 0114 288 9316 (home)

WorksopAndrew DibbTel: 01777 703138

The establishment of the firstHigh Scorers’ Concert in Spainthis year was an exciting event onthe international calendar. It wasorganised by Timothy Jones,Representative for Madrid, andtook place on 6 February. Morethan 300 people attended to hearpupils from private teachers,large music schools such as the‘Liceo Arturo Moya’ in Albacete,and three of the main Britishschools in Madrid: HastingsSchool, Kensington School andthe British Council School.Standards ranged from studentsat Prep Test level to flautistAlfredo Deano, who achievedDistinction at both Grade 8 andAdvanced Certificate during 1997.The British Embassy was repre-sented at a very senior level by

Mr Martin Gomme, First Secretary,whose presence and shortaddress added greatly to makingthis a very special occasion.

Another inaugural concert tookplace at the beginning of this yearin the USA. An examinationcentre was established in Atlanta,Georgia in 1996 and since then143 students have taken exams.To celebrate their success ourRepresentative Margaret Liuorganised the first Honors Recitalin January, where all Distinctioncandidates were invited to takepart. The recital was wellattended and students performedone piece from the examinationrepertoire and one piece of theirown choice with great enthusiasm. Margaret Liu with 15 Distinction candidates from theAtlanta inaugural concert

International High Scorers’ Concerts

OmanYvonne Edge now has an emailno: yedge@gto.net.omSouth Africa (Eastern Cape)Ayleen Radley’s contact numbershave changed to:Tel: 041 360 3218Fax: 041 360 5281South Africa (Gauteng)Chris Vels is now Regional Co-ordinator for Gauteng and thesurrounding regions, Botswanaand SwazilandPO Box 1895, Houghton 2041Tel:/Fax (011) 678 7768 Email: accent@pixie.co.zaSpainAlison Jackson now coversAlicante, Almeria, Mallorca,Murcia and ValenciaMaria Martinez now coversAsturias, Galicia, Castilla-Leonand Cantabria TaiwanContact numbers for Mr Shaoare now:Tel: (02) 2375 1768 Fax: (02) 2375 1814ThailandChorlada Bunnag’s fax number isnow: 662 0352

UK Centre NewsClactonBrenda Ellis’ telephone number isprinted incorrectly in theRegulations booklet. It should be:01255 223455LiskeardVictoria Van der Vliet now has amobile number: 0378 935085. Herhome number is also a faxnumber: 01579 345361NorthamptonPeter Dunkley has an extra digitin his telephone number: 01604 637117

OrkneyStephen Cameron’s new tele-phone number is: 01856 873108SouthportRichard Rigby has an extra digitin his telephone number: 01704 227463TruroMichael Sadka has an extra digitin his telephone number: 01872 275777

ABRSM Web SiteThe Board’s web site has recentlyundergone revision and is nowon-line again. If you visited thesite previously and are now

going back to it again please usethe ‘Reload’ or ‘Refresh’ buttonto ensure that the latest versionof the site is viewed.

JAZZ P IANO

To herald the approach of the millen-nium, the Associated Board hasprepared a new and expanded pianosyllabus, which combines quality andauthority with greater choice andflexibility. There is now a choice of18 pieces in each of the first sevengrades and 32 in Grade 8, encouragingteachers and pupils to create individually tailored programmes.

Each of the Grade 1 - 7 albums of Selected Piano Examination Pieces

1999 - 2000 contains nine of the 18 pieces, three from each list.

For the first time we are also offering a Grade 8 volume of 12selected works, chosen to reflect the scope of the syllabus.

Jazz Piano ScalesGrades 1 - 5 £2.25Developing your technical skillsis essential to playing jazz effec-tively. Regular and flexiblepractice of the various forms ofscales, and using them as thebasis for improvisation, will giveyou fluency and technical controland help make your playingsound effortless and relaxed.

Jazz Piano Quick StudiesGrades 1 - 5 £3.95The skill of playing unpreparedin a creative and musical way isat the heart of jazz performance.The quick study, requiring therecreation of a previously unseenor unheard short head followedby an improvised response, helpsyou to practise this skill.

Teaching Notes on PianoExamination Pieces 1999 - 2000, Grades 1 - 7Clara Taylor & Anthony Williams £4.95This invaluable teaching aid iswritten with personal under-standing of the many challengesthat teachers face. These notesoffer advice on how to helpstudents overcome technical insecurity, suggest variousangles of approach and methodsof practice and discuss the char-acteristics of each piece on thesyllabus, encouraging a freshand imaginative approach toplaying.ABRSM (Publishing) Ltd will notbe producing recorded commen-taries for the 1999 - 2000 PianoExamination Pieces.Publication 16 July 1998

All Associated Board publications are available from your local music shop. If youexperience difficulties obtaining titles pleasecontact the Marketing Department at theaddress below:ABRSM (Publishing) Limited14 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3JG United KingdomTel: +44 171 636 5400Fax: +44 171 436 4520E-mail: publishing@abrsm.ac.ukwww.abrsmpublishing.co.uk

L I B R E T T O M A Y 1 9 9 81 2 | P U B L I C A T I O N S

Selected Piano Examination Pieces 1999 - 2000Grade 1 £3.25Grade 2 £3.50Grade 3 £3.50Grade 4 £3.75Grade 5 £4.25Grade 6 £4.25Grade 7 £4.95Grade 8 £5.95Publication: 16 July 1998

PianoExaminationMusic

NEW

New editorialteamABRSM (Publishing) Limited isdelighted to welcome its neweditorial team to Bedford Square.Leslie East and Rosie Welch haverecently joined the company asManaging Editor and Assistant Music Editor respectively.Turn to page 5 for further details on their appointments.

Jazz Piano Aural TestsGrades 1 - 3 £4.95Grades 4 - 5 £3.95Every time jazz musicians play,they ask themselves questionssuch as ‘What feel is this in?’,‘How many beats in a bar arethere?’ and ‘How does thisrhythm go?’. The process oflistening and continuallyanalysing is a fundamental partof jazz performance, and it is thisprocess which is explored in theaural tests.

Piano Prep Testfrom January 1999 £1.95The new Piano Prep Test containsall that the player will need totake the test, explaining how eachpart will help in the developmentof musical skills and givingadvice on what the examiner willbe looking for. As well as tunes,pieces and musical games, it alsoincludes some entertaining illustrations and a fun page - sopractising for the Big Day willalways be enjoyable!Publication: 16 July 1998

Party Time! on HolidayAlan Bullard £2.95This is the second exciting collection of pieces for piano inthe popular Party Time! series.Alan Bullard has written a set of pieces to conjure up theholiday mood. Many of thesepieces are suitable for the newPiano Prep Test.Publication: 16 July 1998

Jazz Piano from Scratch A how-to guide for students andteachersCharles BealeBook + CD £16.95A complete step-by-step guide toplaying jazz with confidence andstyle.

Jazz Piano PiecesGrade 1 £3.95Grade 2 £4.25Grade 3 £4.25Grade 4 £4.95Grade 5 £4.95Five superb albums of gradedpieces provide a wealth of jazzrepertoire covering blues, stan-dards and contemporary styles.

Jazz Piano: The CDsGrade 1 £6.95*Grade 2 £7.45*Grade 3 £7.45*Grade 4 £7.95*Grade 5 £7.95** Price includes VAT @ 17.5% (United Kingdom only)

Specially-recorded CDs includeall graded pieces, inspirationaltrio performances and minus-onetracks.

FORTHCOMING TITLES

WEBSITE

Rhythm and Rag for ClarinetAlan Haughton in preparationThis collection of 19 pieces forclarinet and piano reflects a widevariety of jazz styles, from ragand cakewalk to blues and balladnumbers. Exploring the distinc-tive sound and rhythms of jazz,these idiomatic pieces are well-written for the instrument and forthe level, and will prove popularwith early-grade clarinettists.

All albums are scrupulouslyedited and presentedthroughout, and include invalu-able syllabus information as wellas useful footnotes.

ABRSM (Publishing) Limited’swebsite is now live. Visit us atwww.abrsmpublishing.co.uk for complete information on allcurrent and forthcoming publications.