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ABRSM ABRSM news and views

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@abrsm facebook.com/abrsmwww.abrsm.org

Supporting and promoting the highest standards of musical learning and assessment since 1889.

ABRSM: the exam board of the Royal Schools of Music

Practice makes perfect

Experience shows that working towards an exam gives candidates an extra impetus in their learning. ABRSM offers graded music exams for more than 30 instruments, singing, jazz and music theory, and a selection of other musical assessments to suit young learners and adults alike.

www.abrsm.org/exams

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COVER STORY

16 Supporting tomorrow’s musiciansHow ABRSM’s International Sponsorship Fund is helping teachers and students around the world

FEATURES

8 Singing soloAdvice on all aspects of the unaccompanied traditional songsection of a Singing exam

11 My musical inspirationLincoln Abbotts, Teacher Support & Development Director, shares his passion for music

12 A journey of discoveryFind out what three young South African teachers learnt during a term at the RNCM

14 Beethoven: a student in ViennaBarry Cooper reveals what life was like for the young composer in eighteenth-centuryVienna

19 ABRSM, culture and societyDavid Wright reflects on his newhistory of ABRSM REGUL

REGULARS

4 NewsThe latest updates from ABRSM

21 InboxYour feedback and views

Welcome to the first Libretto of 2013,and an issue that has much to sayabout ABRSM, who we are and our

plans for the future.As an organisation we aim to balance a rich

sense of history with the desire to innovate andlead the way in the changing world of musiceducation. So turn to page 19 to read about a new, independently published history ofABRSM, which reflects on our evolution andinfluence over time. Then on page 11 you canfind out what our Teaching and LearningDevelopment Director, Lincoln Abbotts, has tosay about his musical inspiration and ABRSM’svision for teacher support, and in our Newspages we report on a new qualification formusic educators, which ABRSM is helping to shape.

We also work hard to balance our dedicationto excellence in the provision of music examswith active support for music-making, learningand development in the broadest sense. Withthe focus on graded music exams, you can find guidance for singers preparing theirunaccompanied traditional songs (page 8), butyou can also read about our wider involvementin music education. Turn to page 12 to discoverwhat three South African teachers learnt whenthey spent a term at the Royal NorthernCollege of Music, thanks to an ABRSM grant,and to page 16 to see how teachers andlearners worldwide are benefitting from ourInternational Sponsorship Fund.

As a new year begins we look forward todeveloping the many faces of ABRSM whilecontinuing to provide the high-quality musicexams, assessments and resources that formthe heart of our work.

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Outlook

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8 12

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Editor-in-Chief Tony Pinkham Editor Lucy North

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ABRSM24 Portland Place London W1B 1LU United Kingdom

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© The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. All rights reserved. Unauthorisedreproduction in whole or in part is prohibitedwithout permission. The views expressed inLibretto are not necessarily those of ABRSM;neither are the products or services appearing inadvertisements and inserts endorsed by ABRSM.

Libretto

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We are delighted to be funding 12scholarships as part of the Mayor of

London's Fund for Young Musicians (MFYM).The scheme, launched in January 2012, hasso far provided funding for 166 talentedyoung Londoners who, without this support,would not be able to continue with theirmusic lessons.

MFYM relies entirely on individual and corporate sponsors to fund theirscholarships, which provide four years ofinstrumental tuition via local music services.

We wish our MFYM scholars the very bestas they continue with their musical studies.

For more information, visitwww.mfym.org.uk.

News4

ABRSM's Aural Trainer app has won aprestigious Meffy award in the Life

Tools App category. The Meffys are globalawards, judged by a panel of independentexperts, which reward innovation in themobile content and commerce industry.Aural Trainer was recognised as 'setting a benchmark for how apps can be used to create useful and immersiveexperiences, helping students achieve their educational goals.'

Using mobile recording and touchscreen technology, Aural Trainer offers anew way to practise aural skills. Through aseries of interactive challenges, studentscan develop their ability to identify anddescribe musical features and differencesquickly and accurately. The app covers allelements of ABRSM's aural tests at Grades

1 to 5, including sight-singing and the echotest, while also providing comprehensivefeedback and a page for tracking progress.

ABRSM's Aural Trainer is compatiblewith the iPhone®, iPod touch® and iPad®,and is designed for use whenever andwherever students want to practise theiraural skills. It can be used for personalpractice or by teachers as a tool in lessons.

On receiving the award, ABRSM’s DigitalLearning Manager, Stuart Briner,commented, ‘It's fantastic that our AuralTrainer app has won a Meffy award. We'rereally committed to developing our digitaland online learning resources at ABRSMand to be recognised by such a high-qualityjudging panel is a real boost for us.’

You can find out more about AuralTrainer at www.abrsm.org/auraltrainer.

In July this year we will be publishingrevised repertoire lists for all woodwind

subjects: Recorder, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet,Bassoon and Saxophone. The pieces will bevalid from 2014 to 2017 for Flute andClarinet, and from 2014 onwards for all the other instruments. There will be no

changes to the sight-reading, scales oraural tests.

To support teachers and students wewill be publishing a number of newresources. For flautists and clarinettiststhere will be books of Exam Pieces forGrades 1 to 7, available with or without

CDs, as well as separate CDs of Grade 8pieces. We will also be releasing CDs ofmany of the pieces set on the newSaxophone syllabus. In addition, you willbe able to buy individual audio downloadsof pieces from the Oboe and Bassoonsyllabuses, and the recordings for Flute,Clarinet and Saxophone will also beavailable as downloads. Look out for moresyllabus information in the next Libretto.

ABRSM app scoops award

Revised syllabuses for woodwind

Why not take some time to refreshyour skills and invest in your

teaching this year? We still have placesavailable on our inspiring one-dayworkshops covering a wide range ofteaching and learning topics. Withcourses on The First Lesson, The Art of Accompaniment, Developing Aural Skills, Group Teaching, Play by Ear andPractice Techniques, there’s somethingfor everyone.

Workshops are taking place betweenFebruary and June this year at locationsaround the UK. You can find moreinformation and book your place byvisiting www.abrsm.org/CPD.

One-dayworkshops

New funds for young learners

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This year we are once again running ourpopular Introduction to Instrumental

and Vocal Teaching course at venuesaround the UK.

Covering the main issues you need to explore and be aware of as a newteacher, this one-day workshop provides a great foundation for a future career inmusic education.

As a teacher you may be asked to takeon many different roles, such as teachingindividuals and small groups, leadingensembles or taking whole-class musiclessons. This introductory course will helpyou to understand the skills required andget up-to-date with current trends, whilemeeting other musicians and teachers withsimilar interests and experiences.

Some of the topics you’ll look at include:understanding teaching and learning;lesson planning; the key features ofeffective teaching; professional skills andyour future professional development.

We are running our Introduction toInstrumental and Vocal Teaching workshopsin London (9 February; 19 May), Leeds (3 March), Plymouth (23 March), Edinburgh(20 April) and Swindon (15 June). To find out more and book your place, visitwww.abrsm.org/iivt.

ABRSM will be a key participant in a uniquemusic education event taking place this

March. Music Education Expo, at London’sBarbican Centre, will offer more than 50practical workshops and seminars for primary,secondary and instrumental/vocal musicteachers – all free of charge if you registeronline in advance.

We will be leading a session on our MusicMedals assessments and resources, andLincoln Abbotts, our Teaching and LearningDevelopment Director, will be giving a key notespeech. We are also excited to be presenting agroup-teaching session in conjunction with theFederation of Music Services (FMS), which willfeature a newly-commissioned ensemble workas its centrepiece.

The group-teaching session will focus onthe techniques that lead to effective and

inspirational teaching and will provide ideasrelevant to learners at all levels.

With its wide range of lively workshops andseminars, expert talks and interactive tradeexhibition, Music Education Expo will offer aspecial opportunity for music teachers from allbackgrounds to meet and share experienceswhile enjoying some of the best professionaldevelopment available.

Music Education Expo takes place on 20 and21 March at the Barbican Centre, London. Tofind out more and book your free place, visitwww.musiceducationexpo.co.uk.

January sees the publicationof the latest addition to our

Extraordinary Lives series ofbiographies. In this new book,Beethoven scholar BarryCooper provides a fascinatingsummary of key moments inBeethoven’s life. Cooper, whoedited ABRSM’s acclaimededition of the completeBeethoven piano sonatas, offers fresh insight into thecomposer’s personality andmotivations while challengingthe mythology that surroundshim. In common with others in the series – on Bach, Elgar,Mozart and Purcell – this book is essential reading foranyone with an interest in thelife and work of one of the great composers.

To read an extract fromBeethoven: An ExtraordinaryLife, turn to page 14. You can buy the book from retailers worldwide or fromwww.abrsm.org/shop. An ebookwill be available, from February,from www.amazon.co.uk.

5News

In October last year, we launched a newABRSM website. Developed using feedback

from extensive research, consultation anduser-testing, the website provides quick, easyaccess to the information you need to enter for,

prepare for and takeABRSM exams.

Individual pages forevery instrument andgrade give direct access to all relevant syllabusmaterials, while the examsupport section providestips and advice for bothteachers and students. You will also find a rangeof new exam resources,films, podcasts andapplications.

To improveaccessibility the new website adaptsautomatically to work with mobile devices and

tablet PCs, and responds to each visitor’slocation in order to provide local content forevery country in which we operate.

We hope you enjoy using our new website,which you can find at www.abrsm.org.

New website now live

Music education event comes to London

Your introduction to teaching

Beethoven’slife examined

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News6

IN BRIEF

� Help with jazz examsIn association with ABRSM,Leeds College of Music isrunning courses on ABRSM'sJazz Piano and Jazz Hornssyllabuses this March. The JazzPiano course will be led by TimRichards on four Sundays inMarch (3, 10, 17 and 24); theJazz Horns course is led bytrombonist Jonathan Enright onthree Sundays: 3, 10 and 17March. Both presenters areABRSM Jazz examiners and thecourses are ideal for classicalteachers who would like to startteaching jazz – no previous jazzexperience is needed. At the endof the course teachers willreceive a voucher for a free jazzexam. For more informationemail ppd@lcm.ac.uk or visitwww.lcm.ac.uk/short-courses.

� Horn syllabus audiodownloads available nowYou can now buy recordings of

selected pieces from the new

Horn syllabus as individual

downloads from our website.

The syllabus, valid from 2013,

includes refreshed and

expanded repertoire lists and

these recordings provide a

useful resource for students and

teachers when choosing and

preparing exam pieces. Each

download includes a complete

accompanied performance

together with a play-along

practice track where applicable.

To buy ABRSM audio downloads,

go to www.abrsm.org/audioshop.

� ABRSM publishes first ebooksYou can now buy a number ofABRSM publications as ebooks.Our popular Teaching Notes onPiano Exam Pieces, 2013 & 2014,and the revised edition of Musicin Words, a guide to writingabout music, are both availableas Kindle editions from Amazon,in addition to the printed books.In February we will also bepublishing Beethoven: AnExtraordinary Life as an ebook.You can buy ABRSM ebooksdirectly from www.amazon.co.uk.

Anew qualification for music educators isbeing developed by Arts Council England,

Creative & Cultural Skills and the musiceducation sector. The Certificate for MusicEducators (CME) will be launched later this yearand will be delivered and assessed by a numberof organisations and further education colleges,including ABRSM.

CME has been designed to encourageteachers at every level to develop new skills and build reflective practice in order to enhance their contribution to young people’sunderstanding of music. The qualification will be relevant to all musicians working in

education, regardless of genre,age or experience.

The development of CME is being led by a group ofexperienced music educators,which includes, among others,ABRSM’s Teaching and LearningDevelopment Director, LincolnAbbotts, and representativesfrom the Federation of MusicServices, the Institute ofEducation, the Royal NorthernCollege of Music andNottingham Music Service.

'ABRSM is committed tosupporting and inspiring teachers,' commentedLincoln. 'Working with Arts Council England todevelop this qualification is an important part of this commitment and we are delighted to be involved.’

CME will not replace formal training as amusician nor will it be mandatory for musiceducators. Instead, it will provide a new, flexibledevelopment opportunity for teachers who wantto improve their skills and knowledge, and worktowards a nationally-recognised qualification.

Look out for further details in the next issue of Libretto or, to find our more, visitwww.artscouncil.org.uk.

Our new volume of 21specially-commissioned

piano duets by contemporarycomposers is now available.We launched Spectrum forPiano Duet last October at theRoyal College of Music (RCM)in London with a composerworkshop and a concertfeaturing young pianists fromthe RCM senior and juniordepartments. Studentsperformed all the pieces in thebook, which range from

Grade 3 to diploma level and provide a wonderfulintroduction to new music forpianists of all ages.

Spectrum for Piano Duetcomes with an inspirational CD of recordings of the pieces, plus soundtracks forthose written for duet andsoundtrack, and is availablefrom retailers worldwide andfrom www.abrsm.org/shop.

Anew independent history of ABRSM is aboutto be published, providing a fascinating

account of ABRSM’s origins, evolution andinfluence over time.

The book, by former Reader in the SocialHistory of Music at the Royal College of MusicDavid Wright, looks at the contribution made byABRSM’s graded exams to the development ofmusic education around the world.

The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music: A Social and Cultural History is being

published in Februaryby Boydell & Brewerand will be availablein paperback andhardback editions.The paperback willbe available fromretailers and fromwww.abrsm.org/shop. You can order thehardback directly from Boydell & Brewer: +44 (0)1394 610 600, trading@boydell.co.uk.

ABRSM history coming soon

Contemporary music for piano duet

Teaching certificate underdevelopmentTeaching certificate underdevelopment

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New Piano syllabus now availableFeaturing over 150 brand new pieces across all 8 grades, the syllabus will be valid from January 2013 and is supported by a set of teaching resources, including:• 8 new volumes of Piano Exam Pieces, available with or without CD• A book of Teaching Notes for all pieces featured in Grades 1 to 7• Recordings of every piece available on CD or as audio downloadsAvailable from music retailers worldwide or www.abrsm.org/shop

For further information on the 2013 & 2014 Piano syllabus visit www.abrsm.org/piano2013

ABRSM: the exam board of the Royal Schools of Music Supporting and promoting the highest standards of musical learning and assessment since 1889.

ABRSM: the exam board of the Royal Schools of MusicT (0)20 7636 5400E abrsm@abrsm.ac.ukwww.abrsm.org @abrsm facebook.com/abrsm

Grades

1–7Teaching Noteson Piano Exam Pieces

2013 & 2014

PianoExamTeachingNotes_13-14.indd 1 15/02/2012 17:05

Grade

Recordings of the complete

2013 & 2014 syllabus

Exam PiecesPiano1

Graded music exams88

Young instrumentalists working theirway through a long list of scales and arpeggios might well feel that

singers have it easy: ‘You’ve just got to sing a folksong that you can learn in five minutes, while we’ve got scales andarpeggios in every single key for Grade 5Piano,’ they complain.

On the surface they may seem to have a point, but look just a little deeper and you will see how many hours, even years, of work need to be put in before a singercan perform the unaccompanied traditionalsong – a requirement at all grades – to an optimum standard.

Why an unaccompanied traditional song?‘ABRSM’s Singing exams used to includeunaccompanied technical exercises,’explains ABRSM’s Chief Examiner, John Holmes, ‘but there was a fairlycommon perception that these were asomewhat artificial and even unmusicalrequirement. So in 1986 ABRSM replacedthem with the unaccompanied traditionalsong, which allows examiners to assessthe elements of unaccompanied singingthrough a more natural, musical and‘singerly’ genre.

'Most candidates and teachers do clearly enjoy this part of the exam,' saysJohn, although it’s true that singingunaccompanied can be a nerve-wrackingexperience for some. ‘Singing is acompletely different discipline to all theother practical subjects,’ he continues.‘Singers have to pitch and produce the notesfrom within, and also have to accommodatethe challenging extra elements of languageand meaning, as well as performing frommemory.’ There’s nowhere to hide here forsingers: no ‘my reed split’; no ‘I didn’t haveany rosin’; and, in this part of the exam, nopiano for support.

Preparation and choosing a songHeidi Pegler is an ABRSM examiner,singer, and teacher at St Paul’s Girls’School in London. She has also writtenand edited a number of books on singing.Heidi is well aware of the challengessingers face and believes some teachersand students leave it too late to start workon the traditional song and also that theydon’t take it seriously enough. ‘I’ve heardstudents say “it’s only the folksong” andthis attitude needs to be changed quicklyif that’s your student,’ she says. ‘Theunaccompanied traditional song can tell the examiner quite a lot about acandidate. Do they, for example, have theconfidence and maturity to perform asong completely by themselves, withoutaccompaniment?’

The choice of folksong is vital, Heidiemphasises. ‘I would go for one which hasan interesting story. This makes it easier forthe student to identify with what’s going onand to develop character and dynamicchanges. Think about the age and gender ofyour student, and also think carefully aboutkeys. Minor keys can be problematic forsome students, particularly if it’s a mode, somake sure they have a real inner sense ofthe key by singing the scale or mode beforethey learn the song.

‘I also think very carefully about thevocal range. Some folksongs can span quitea distance – over a 12th – and this can bedifficult to keep in tune. Be wary, also, offalling phrases which can go flat underpressure.’ Sound advice which may helpstudents to do their best in this element ofthe exam. Other factors to be aware ofinclude, loss of overall pitch or intervalaccuracy, memory lapses and a lack ofmusical communication, which can allundermine musical success, as can theunsuitability of some song choices.

Standards and expectationsEileen Field, an ABRSM examiner, singerand teacher who has been reviewing thetraditional song element of the singingsyllabus for ABRSM, has heard ‘hymns,national anthems, early Italian arias andmusical theatre numbers’ all performedunder the guise of the unaccompaniedtraditional song. ABRSM confirms thatnone of these are acceptable, but theSinging syllabus does provide guidance onwhat a traditional song is, and you can also look at compilations listed there forideas. And the song can be from any folktradition and in any language, thoughcandidates must provide a translation forthe examiner if their chosen language isnot English.

But how do teachers know the standardexpected for each grade? The syllabusprovides guidance on how long the songshould last – apart from that there is free choice. As the grade increases, agreater maturity is expected in the deliveryof the song, for example in the use of rubato and facial expression. It is alsopossible to tackle more complex stories atthe higher grades, such as death, war orunrequited love.

John believes that this part of theexam is less about the musical andtechnical content of the song and moreabout the singer’s ability to convey iteffectively. ‘For the unaccompaniedtraditional song there is a shift in thefocus of assessment towards differentskills. The free choice provides flexibilityfor teachers and allows candidates toperform something they are comfortablewith and which can show off theirabilities,’ he explains.

Whatever the grade, Eileen believes thesinger’s job is to communicate the song ‘as if for the first time and with sincereinvolvement in the text. Singers mightchoose to adopt appropriate dialects,include folksong-style ornamentation,change pronouns or turn the body slightly to indicate which character is singing,’ she says.

Singing soloThe unaccompanied traditional song is an important part of all ABRSMgraded Singing exams. With some expert help, Rhian Morgandiscovers what's involved.

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From Green Bottles to Zulu songsWith around 28,000 entries for Singingexams every year in the UK and Irelandalone, examiners hear a very wide range of traditional song choices. For Heidi, a low point was an afternoon when ‘everysinging candidate – eight, at various grades– performed Ten Green Bottles.'

Eileen, meanwhile, fared better whenexamining in Swaziland. ‘A 17-year-oldGrade 6 candidate asked if she could have a moment to prepare for the folksong. She then took off her shoes and tied leatherstraps around her ankles. These had mothand butterfly cocoons attached to them andthey provided a very effective percussionaccompaniment to her utterly compellingand highly musical performance of a Zuluwedding-dance folksong. She then kept her feet still and just swayed gently as shemoved into the lullaby section of the song. It was one of those very special occasionswhen I had to try hard to hold back the tears.’�

Rhian Morgan is a music educationjournalist, runs a media training companyand is a regular Libretto contributor.

Do you have any favourite traditional songs?To share them, email libretto@abrsm.ac.uk.

99Graded music exams

WHAT THE EXAMINER LOOKS FOR: A TOP TEN

� Excellent communication

� Totally secure memory

� Overall pitch sustained with assurance

� Accurately controlled intervals and intonation

� A well-chosen, comfortable key for the candidate’s voice – ideally a singer will know thisinstinctively and not need a starting note from the piano

� Effective tempo choice and inherent sense of rhythm

� Instinct and ability for story-telling

� Facial involvement – a singer’s eyes are so important

� Expressive use of colour and dynamics

� Use of rubato where appropriate

USEFUL RESOURCES

The ABRSM Songbook series, for Grades 1 to 5, contains authentic traditional songs fromaround the world, alongside a selection of art songs. The traditional songs are not prescribedfor the unaccompanied traditional song element of ABRSM Singing exams, but are a usefulresource to provide possible repertoire and an approximate guide to standards for each grade.

You can find other repertoire books and albums listed in the Singing syllabus atwww.abrsm.org/singing.

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My musical journey‘Do you remember me?’ Standing in thefoyer at the ABRSM teachers’ conference inManchester last year, these words –followed by ‘I accompanied you for yourGrade 5 Flute exam’ – made me smile. Ismiled because, of course, I rememberedthis fantastic teacher in the same way that Iremember all my teachers and all the rolemodel musicians who have been part of my musical journey so far. And I could stillremember one of the pieces I played in thatexam, Dance of the Blessed Spirits by Gluck– a beautiful, lyrical piece, full of energy and life.

That was 35 years ago (I got a merit!),and music still makes me smile, whetherI’m teaching, performing, listening,discovering, conducting or composing. I’mapproaching my role at ABRSM as someonewho cares passionately about music, whocontinues to be involved in all kinds of musicmaking, and has learnt a huge amountthrough teaching.

A common passionABRSM is an international organisationwhere one passion – for music – is commonto all. As teachers, we all care about sharingour musical insight, understanding andcuriosity. ABRSM’s syllabuses are full ofgreat music, from Bach to Bartók and fromtraditional Irish folksongs to the legendarymusic of Abdullah Ibrahim. It’s our job asteachers to bring that music to life – lookingat it from all angles and with enthusiasmand inspiration.

Making connectionsThe Greeks believed that inspiration camefrom the muses while poets Shelley andColeridge believed it came through beingattuned to the mystical ‘winds’. For me, itcomes from exploring the links that existbetween different music, musicians andlearning styles. I’m a big fan of makingconnections that are musically rich and

1111Inside ABRSM

educationally sound and that can take us, and our students, on an exhilarating journeyof discovery.

There are other connections worthfostering too. As teachers working withABRSM you are part of a far-reaching andvibrant network made up of many differentcommunities. We want to support you byhelping to connect you with like-mindedcolleagues in these communities. I also wantto celebrate the fact that in your one-to-oneand small-group teaching you developtechnical facility, listening skills and musicalunderstanding, enabling your students toprogress through graded music exams, butalso opening up other interconnectedopportunities. The same learning gives yourstudents the skills to participate in formaland informal ensemble music making; takepart in ambitious and surprisingcollaborations; create their own musicalidentity in and out of a classroom; and hearmusic in a more informed way.

A new approachAt ABRSM we want to support you ineverything you do as teachers, in terms ofcustomer service and also throughinnovative new services that will evolve overtime. Building on the ground-breakingprofessional developmentcourses that ABRSM hasoffered since 1996 we haveset ourselves a challenge toincrease and broaden the support andinspiration we offer to teachers around the world.

Our vision is to build a foundation ofonline and published resources that willprovide practical guidance as well asthought-provoking and inspiring ideas. Thestarting point for this will be the music thatABRSM champions and that you teach. Thisfoundation will then be complemented by arange of face-to-face networkingopportunities, together with tailoredprogrammes of professional support.

Projects underway include thedevelopment of a range of innovative digitalresources inspired by our new Woodwindsyllabuses, which we are launching in July;active participation in the Music EducationExpo and Music Learning Live Asiaconferences in London and Singapore – bothdesigned to bring together and inspiremusic teachers from all backgrounds; and involvement in the development andfuture delivery of a new qualification formusic educators.

Right now, I plan to keep smiling as Ichampion the wonderful job that you do.ABRSM wants to support and inspire you sothat you can support and inspire yourstudents. They’ll remember you for it! �

For more information about our forthcomingWoodwind syllabuses, conferences and thenew music education qualification, turn to theNews pages.

How can ABRSM support you in yourteaching? What resources would help youand your students? Share your views atlibretto@abrsm.ac.uk.

My musical inspirationABRSM’s Teaching and Learning Development Director, LincolnAbbotts, is leading the way as we develop the practical support weoffer to teachers. Here he shares the passion and inspiration he’ll bebringing to this role.

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In September 2012 a trio of teachers –flautist Ilke Lea Alexander, trombonistJustin Sasman and pianist and

saxophonist Hayley White – travelled toManchester, thanks to ABRSM’s CentenaryTravel Grant (CTG) fund. They spent a termat the Royal Northern College of Music(RNCM) immersed in diverse aspects ofjazz, from its performance and history toeffective methods for teaching improvisationand motivating beginners. They also gainedfrom advanced instrumental coaching andaccess to Manchester’s vibrant culturalscene. The CTG scholars, selected byaudition and interview, are at differentstages in their teaching careers, with Ilkenew to the profession, Justin established inthe classroom for several years and Hayleya highly-experienced teacher.

So much to learnBefore taking up full-time teaching, Justin worked for nearly seven years asbass trombonist with the Cape TownPhilharmonic Orchestra. He recalls that he had no idea what to expect from theCentenary Travel Grant programme. ‘I thought let’s go along and see whathappens. I’m so glad I did.’ He admits thatafter four years away from the orchestralworkplace, his own playing skills had grownrusty. Individual lessons and a place in theRNCM Big Band rapidly revived Justin’senthusiasm for practice and appetite forimproving his performance.

‘After holding down an orchestral job in

Cape Town, I thought I could play trombone,’Justin observes. ‘And then I came here andrealised how much there was still to learn!The approach to playing and teaching theinstrument is different to what I’veexperienced in South Africa. Things whichseemed impossible, like lip-slurringbetween first and fourth or fifth position,turn out to be very possible indeed, as thelessons I’ve received here have shown.’

New approaches to improvisationJustin has also learnt much about how tointroduce beginners to jazz improvisation.Above all, the experience highlighted theimportance of associating improvisatorymusic-making with fun and enjoyment. ‘Iwas brought up on various very technicalapproaches which, to the beginner, read likerocket science! Coming here, I’ve discovereda more straightforward method for teachingthe beginner improviser and I’ll be takingthat home with me.’

As part of their studies, the CTG scholars travelled to Scotland to explore jazzteaching with renowned jazz educatorsRichard and Morag Michael. Justin notesthat he was initially sceptical about aspectsof Richard’s methods before meeting him,but then became a convert to his approach.‘I couldn’t imagine how I might teach a kid toimprovise on just three notes,’ he recalls.‘But Richard showed us how you can givethree notes to a child and invite them tohave fun making music. And then you givethem another three notes and let them have

fun with those before combining all six notesin the last four bars of a Blues. It works somuch better than saying “these are thechords, these are the scales, here’s thechord-scale relationship and I’d like to seethis chord here, that chord there”. Richard’sapproach immediately makes more sense tobeginners and I’m really looking forward totrying it out in the classroom.’

Tools for teachingIlke Lea Alexander, the youngest of the 2012 CTG recipients, has clearly beeninspired by the Michaels and by herpedagogy and teaching studies at theRNCM. She graduated in music from the University of the Witwatersrand inJohannesburg in 2011 and has since beenteaching in schools and private practice.Ilke began teaching private pupils a yearbefore starting her university studies andhad never been trained as a teacher. ‘Ididn’t think teaching was something thatyou could learn – that’s not the idea I wasexposed to in Johannesburg. All my friendsteach part-time but none of them studiedmusic teaching. I’ll take back tools from theRoyal Northern to be better able to teachmy kids. I’ve also learned how to makelessons more creative and interactive. Thisexperience has opened my eyes to howmuch there is to learn and how muchfurther I can take my teaching studies.Teaching music well and being proud of it, I think, are extremely important.’

Creative thinkingStudying at the RNCM, says Ilke, has helpedher recognise the need for the teacher-pupilrelationship to be dynamic and alive, withstimulation and creative thinking on both

A journey of discovery

At the end of last year three teachers from South Africa seized theopportunity of a lifetime to travel to the UK and study at the RoyalNorthern College of Music, as Andrew Stewart found out.

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sides. She points to lessons learned fromDalcroze classes and is eager to apply themwhen she returns to Johannesburg. ‘It’seasy to separate yourself as a musicianfrom your body, to focus on the music andyour instrument in isolation. Once you findyour awareness and expand it throughoutthe body, so many good things can happenin your playing. There’s just so much for meto take back. Since I finished my degree, I’vemissed learning new things and was alreadyfeeling a little uninspired. This opportunityhas given me clear direction about thefuture. Returning to student life has wokenme up, which was just what I needed.’

Stimulating and demandingHayley White’s Manchester experience has been both stimulating and demanding.Although many of her pupils at a schooloutside Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal had expressed interest in learning jazz, she was unsure about how to teach them toimprovise. Individual lessons and classes at the RNCM helped her demystifyimprovisation and acquire the skills to teach it. ‘The learning experience here hasbeen challenging and even humbling attimes,’ recalls Hayley. ‘I found it hard to get my head round jazz harmonies, chord

extensions and voicings on the piano, forexample. But I really have made progress.’

Being a student againHayley speaks of the personal benefits oftaking a complete break from work to returnto full-time study after more than 20 years asa teacher. She last took time out from theclassroom more than 10 years ago to travelaround Africa. ‘It’s amazing to be a studentagain! My experience in Manchester has beentotally refreshing. I’ve never done anything likethis before. What I’ve learned from the varioustutors has given me so many new ideas.’

ABRSM’s support, she continues, hasallowed her to reconnect with thefundamental values of teaching and thinkabout the future evolution of her ownteaching practice. ‘There are times whenyou’re sitting in the classroom and thinkingwhat is this all about,’ says Hayley. ‘Being astudent again, receiving lessons, beingnervous before lessons and having to preparefor them, being in a group and feeling thateveryone is better than you – all thoseexperiences are invaluable as a teacher. I can go back now and tell my pupils how Ifelt. This experience has given me so manyopportunities to see things from theirperspective again.’

Lessons for lifeEach of ABRSM’s CTG scholars believes thatlessons learned at the RNCM will informtheir thinking for years to come. Hayleyrecalls a masterclass given at the college by acclaimed mezzo-soprano Ann Murray,one of many highlights of her term inManchester. The session allowed her todiscover aspects of music-making that hadbarely registered an interest in the past. ‘I’m not a singer by any description,’ sheobserves with a laugh. ‘But I gained so much from Ann Murray’s amazingmasterclass. This kind of input hasexpanded my knowledge and appreciation,and that has to infiltrate my teaching, evenif only indirectly. And I feel sure that it willsupport the things we’ve learned here aboutimprovisation, teaching practice and somany other fascinating subjects. ABRSMhas looked after us so well and I feelincredibly grateful for the opportunitieswe’ve received because of their support.’ ■

Andrew Stewart is a music journalist and critic.

Do you have any memorable professionaldevelopment experiences? To share them,email libretto@abrsm.ac.uk.

13Supporting teachers

Justin Sasman, Hayley White and Ilke Lea Alexander visiting ABRSM’s offices

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From Bonn to ViennaBeethoven’s journey from Bonn to Viennawas not without incident. The French hadalready invaded the Rhineland, capturingMainz in October 1792, and Beethoventherefore had to travel through a war zoneto reach southern Germany and Austria. Hekept a little memorandum book, known ashis Jugendtagebuch, during the journey andfor the next year or two, and this recordsthat he gave the driver a tip ‘because thefellow drove us at the risk of a cudgellingright through the Hessian army driving likethe devil’. Nevertheless he arrived safely inVienna in November 1792, and promptly setabout equipping himself with necessitiesthat he had not brought with him. He firstnoted down ‘wood, wig-maker, coffee’, andthen a longer list including ‘overcoat, boots,shoes, piano desk, seal … writing desk …dancing-master’. He also copied down in hisJugendtagebuch an advertisement forpianos that was published on 10 November,which suggests he arrived in Vienna aboutthat date. Later he confirmed, ‘I have toequip myself completely anew.’

Daily lifeBeethoven’s shopping list tells us muchabout his daily life shortly after his arrival.His rooms were evidently heated by a woodstove, and he would need plenty of wood inwinter, since Vienna has a continentalclimate that tends to be much colder inwinter than the Atlantic climate of Bonn; heoccasionally commented on the difference.He needed to buy a good overcoat andfootwear, having presumably travelled withonly the minimum of these. The piano deskand writing desk were essential forsomeone studying composition, and healways kept a desk beside his piano, so thathe could quickly write down any interestingideas that he happened to discover whileextemporizing. Coffee was something of aluxury but was a drink that Beethovenenjoyed throughout his life in Vienna. Theseal was a standard piece of equipment forsealing letters and documents at the time. A

visit to a wig-maker wasconsidered necessary, sincewigs were still common,though they had all butdisappeared within a few years;later portraits of Beethovenshow him without a wig, unlikeportraits of Haydn and Mozart.Dancing was an essentialsocial accomplishment, and henoted down the name andaddress of a dancing-master,Andreas Lindner, whom hepresumably visited. FerdinandRies, however, reports thatBeethoven ‘never learned todance in time with the music’and was generally clumsy.Ries’s account of Beethoven’smanner is clearly exaggerated(‘He rarely picked up anythingwithout dropping or breakingit’), but it makes the point thatBeethoven lacked refinementof movement. Beethoven wouldsurely have stood out inaristocratic Viennese circles,with his rough andunrestrained mannerisms, hisstrikingly regional accent, andhis dark, swarthy complexion that gave hima Mediterranean appearance. Nevertheless,he was quickly welcomed by the aristocracy,particularly Prince Lichnowsky, in whosehouse he resided for two years or more.Since Count Waldstein was a distant relativeof Lichnowsky, and Elector MaximilianFranz was related to the new EmperorFranz, the enthusiastic testimonials thatthey would surely have written enabledBeethoven to gain immediate acceptance bythe music-loving aristocracy of Vienna, whowere no doubt duly impressed by hisabilities as soon as they heard him at first hand.

Lessons with HaydnSince Beethoven had come to Vienna for thespecific purpose of studying composition

with Haydn, it was not long before lessonswere under way, and they continued forabout fourteen months. Little is knownabout the course of these lessons, but thereis no firm evidence to suggest, assometimes claimed, that they did not gowell or that the two composers did not geton together. Haydn helped Beethoven innumerous ways during the latter’s first yearin Vienna, lending him money when hisallowance from Bonn did not arrive, andinviting him to Eisenstadt (where his patronPrince Esterházy resided) during thesummer; Haydn went there in May andBeethoven followed on 19 June. Otherindications of the warmth of their friendshipcome from the Jugendtagebuch, whereBeethoven records having paid 22 kreuzerfor (drinking) chocolate for Haydn and

Extraordinary Lives14

Beethoven: a studentin Vienna

In this extract from his new book, renowned Beethovenscholar Barry Cooper reveals what life was like for the youngcomposer as a student in eighteenth-century Vienna.

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himself, and on another occasion 6 kreuzerfor coffee for them. As for the lessonsthemselves, Haydn generally preferred toteach composition by studying scoresinformally with his pupils, and probably didso with Beethoven too during most of thecourse of lessons. In addition, Beethovenwrote a batch of about 300 exercises instrict elementary counterpoint, of which 245still survive. The uniformity of both ink andpaper type, however, suggests that theseexercises were not spread over a year butconcentrated into quite a short span of time,perhaps as little as four to six weeks (hisother music manuscripts from 1793 show avariety of ink and paper types). Haydn wrotecorrections on some of the exercises, butleft many mistakes uncorrected. Somewriters have criticized him for adoptingsuch a slack attitude; but this was not acorrespondence course: Haydn andBeethoven were meeting regularly, perhapsthree times a week, and there was no needto annotate all the errors, since they couldbe discussed verbally. What is moreinteresting is that Beethoven was making somany ‘mistakes’. The rules of counterpointwere in some cases unnecessarily strict,and Beethoven was finding ideas that weresatisfactory musically but in some way didnot quite conform. He preferred to seek outrules for himself, which might not alwayscoincide with traditional ones, and histendency to strain the boundaries ofacceptability formed an essential ingredientof his style throughout his life.

Latest worksHaydn also oversaw Beethoven’s latestefforts in composition during 1793, whichincluded a set of variations for piano andviolin (on ‘Se vuol ballare’ from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro), an oboe concerto, awind octet, and a wind quintet, plus arevision of the piano concerto in B flat thathad probably been originally composed inBonn a few years earlier. The oboe concertois now lost, apart from its main themes andextensive sketches for the slow movement;the quintet also survives only incomplete.But the manuscript material that is knownfrom these works is almost all on Viennesepaper, confirming that all of them werewritten or at least completed afterBeethoven had arrived there. Together theworks are a major achievement, and Haydnwas duly impressed. He sent a copy of thefirst four of them, plus an unidentifiedfugue, back to Maximilian Franz in

November, along with a letter concludingthat Beethoven would become ‘one of thegreatest musical artists in Europe, and Ishall be proud to call myself his teacher’.The elector’s reply, that all these worksexcept the fugue had already been heard inBonn before Beethoven left, is clearly basedon misinformation. It is of course possiblethat earlier versions had been heard inBonn and that the works were merelyrevised in Vienna, but even this is unlikely,for if Beethoven were putting newly revisedworks in his package he would surely haveincluded the B flat piano concerto. Thussuggestions in many biographies thatBeethoven deceived Haydn, perhaps causinga rift between them, are mistaken.

According to Ries, Beethoven onceclaimed that he had ‘never learnedanything’ from Haydn; but this seems likeanother exaggeration, when one recallsRies’s claim that Beethoven ‘never’ learnt todance in time and ‘rarely’ picked somethingup without dropping it. Beethoven clearlylearnt an enormous amount from Haydn,even if the works he composed underHaydn’s immediate tutelage show little orno direct benefit from the actual instruction.The course of lessons came to an end inJanuary 1794, when Haydn left Vienna forhis second and final visit to London.

This would have been an appropriatetime for Beethoven to return to Bonn, butthe political situation there was increasinglyunstable, and by the end of the year theelector had been driven out by the French.Meanwhile Beethoven was allowed toremain in Vienna, though without anyfurther salary from the elector. Beethoven’sbrother Carl moved to Vienna in 1794, andhis other brother Johann joined them a yearlater, their father having died shortly afterBeethoven’s own move in 1792. Thus from1795 onwards there was no family reasonfor any return to Bonn, and so Beethovencontinued to reside in Vienna for the rest ofhis life, apart from short spells in thecountryside most summers, usually in avillage near Vienna; the most favouredvillages were Baden, Mödling, Heiligenstadt,and Hetzendorf.

A new teacherInstead of returning to Bonn, Beethovencontinued his composition studies in a series of lessons with Johann GeorgAlbrechtsberger (1736–1809) that lastedover a year. Albrechtsberger had justbecome organist at St Stephen’s Cathedral

in Vienna and was thus effectively theforemost church musician in the land. Hehad also recently published a treatise on composition (Gründliche Anweisung zur Composition, 1790) as well as one on figured bass, and was a renownedcomposer of counterpoint. His instruction ofBeethoven was extraordinarily skilled andthorough, as can be seen from nearly 200pages of exercises by Beethoven that stillsurvive. They consist mainly of exercises in specialized techniques (such as speciescounterpoint, fugue, and invertiblecounterpoint), gradually increasing indifficulty and complexity, and based on theold modes rather than the more modernsystem of keys. The fugues could beregarded as actual compositions, and theycompare favourably with fugues written bymany minor eighteenth-century composers.Albrechtsberger was nevertheless able tomake quite a few improvements to theseexercises, despite Beethoven’s extensiveprevious training and his innate ability.Beethoven was kept so busy with this workthat he composed very little other musicduring 1794, although he was beginning toprepare a set of piano trios and pianosonatas that would eventually emerge as his Opp. 1 and 2.

The rigorous tuition certainly left a markon Beethoven’s style, for his music tends toshow more contrapuntal awareness of themovement of individual parts in 1795 than ithad done in 1792–3. The differences are not conspicuous, however, and imitativecounterpoint remained fairly uncommon in Beethoven’s music until his late period.Conversely there are examples of it even in the music he wrote in Bonn, since he had absorbed many of the principles of fugue-writing by learning Bach’s Daswohltemperirte Clavier with Neefe. Thus it is difficult to identify individualpassages in his works of the late 1790s that would have turned out differentlywithout Albrechtsberger’s instruction. The techniques learnt were neverthelessimportant in the long term. �

Barry Cooper edited ABRSM’s edition of The 35 Piano Sonatas (Beethoven) and is Professor of Music at Manchester University.

You can buy this book from retailersworldwide and from www.abrsm.org/shop.An ebook edition will be available inFebruary from www.amazon.co.uk.

15Extraordinary Lives

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ABRSM’s International Sponsorship Fund,launched in 2011, enhances music trainingand development in many ways around theworld. ‘ABRSM is an internationalorganisation,’ says Chief Executive GuyPerricone, ‘and this fund is all aboutstrengthening our engagement with theinternational music education community.After just one year we’ve been delighted bythe difference this funding has alreadymade to all those involved.’

Education in UgandaIn Uganda the fund has provided support forthe Tender Talents Magnet School (TTMS).Since 1999 the school has taught some 450students at Kasangati, near Kampala,thanks to the vision of its founder FrankKatoola and his wife Brenda. Dependententirely on donations, the school teachesyoung people up to the age of 20 from themost deprived parts of the community. Manyhave lost parents to AIDS. Others arerefugees. Some have no homes to go to.

Developing the musical dimension to theTTMS curriculum was the first projecttackled by UK-based charity, Musequality,after its launch in 2007 by violinist DavidJuritz. He set off from home with just arucksack and violin to raise money andawareness of how music can enhance young people’s lives round the world.‘Having funded the music programme atTTMS for five years,’ says Musequality’sExecutive Director, Jeremy Bradshaw, ‘wefelt it was time to look for partners. Weapplied to ABRSM and were delighted toreceive £2,000, which goes a very long way in Uganda.’

‘We urgently needed funds to continuewith our music education programme,’ saysFrank, himself a choir trainer at the school.‘With ABRSM’s help we’ve been able tosupport the music teachers who come to us from Kampala Music School and pay for a piano we’d been renting.

‘The school has shot up the table ofacademic achievement in Uganda,’ says

Jeremy, ‘and we believe music has been akey element in promoting that. Learning amusical instrument or to sing provides the discipline, practicality and sense ofpersonal responsibility that then spins offinto academic subjects.’

Singing in the PhilippinesThat accent on music playing a part inimproving lives is a recurring theme. In thePhilippines, funding from ABRSM isassisting the work of the MandaluyongChildren’s Choir, which gives specialattention to talented young people fromdeprived backgrounds.

The sponsorship has gone towardseverything from the choir’s annual summeroutreach programme, choral competitionsand concerts, to seminars for teachers anda Choral Fiesta in Mandaluyong City. Aboveall, funding from ABRSM has meant that thechoir can now invite more young people totake part in its many activities and reap the musical and wider benefits.

International sponsorship16

Supporting tomorrow’s For many, the name ABRSM brings to mind scales, aural tests, sight-reading and set pieces but, asAndrew Green finds out, ABRSM is about much more than just exams.

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Instruments for JamaicaIn Jamaica, ABRSM is helping to meet themost basic of musical needs – instruments– for the Providence Heights Community & Marching Band. The band works with ‘atrisk adolescents and young adults from the Providence Heights National HousingTrust development, near Montego Bay, whohave the determination to be successful in life,’ explains Music Director DwayneHaughton. ‘Before receiving the grant it was challenging to conduct a rehearsal. Our instruments were second-hand and donated, and their condition haddeteriorated. We had no funding to repairthem or buy new ones. ABRSM supportmade this possible. It also meant that someof our students could take part in seminarsand local programmes. Our grant fromABRSM has changed the future of the band.’

Inspiring musicians in MalaysiaABRSM sponsorship is also finding its way to Malaysia, helping to finance anorchestral training event run by MusicaSinfonietta. Formed in 2010 by a group of music educators and performers, the

Sinfonietta promotes bothmusic-making and the arts inPenang and across the widerMalaysian community.

‘Students, from all parts ofsociety, form the majority ofour musicians,’ explains JuneOng, the Sinfonietta’sPresident. ‘We present twomajor concerts a year andstage an annual musiccamp, alongside other events.The training orchestrafeatures around 20 players,while the main orchestraincludes around 50 musicians,aged from 9 to 55. Thisnumber grows to 100 at music camp.’

It’s the music camp that was helped by ABRSM's donation. ‘As a non-governmentalorganisation,’ says June,‘we’re always looking forsponsorship. So we took theopportunity to apply forABRSM's help. Now we canafford what we need to make abetter camp, with more tutorsand better facilities.’

India’s new orchestraThe India National Youth Orchestra (INYO)was launched in 2010 as a pioneeringmusical initiative in the sub-continent.Some 150 musicians representing 12different states have become involved,demonstrating ‘unity in the cultural diversity of our country,’ says Sonia Khan,INYO Managing Director.

The diversity extends to social andprofessional backgrounds. Alongsideengineers, students and doctors, the INYO also collaborates with the OxfordMission in Kolkata and the Gandhi AshramSchool in Kalimpong to offer openings forunderprivileged young people.

Training and developmentKey to the development of the orchestra isboth training for players but also ongoingprofessional development for teachers.Already the INYO yearly schedule embracesa 10- to 15-day workshop, which this yearwas held at Bangalore in southern India.‘We received enough assistance fromABRSM to get our musicians from Kolkataand Kalimpong to Bangalore and also to pay

for their accommodation. Without ABRSM'shelp, some of our most talented musicianswould have missed the workshop.’

'Intensive training has meant rapidlyimproving standards,' says Sonia, which in turn have widened horizons. ‘We’vegiven our musicians the opportunity toplay at various international concerts –they’ve rehearsed and performed with German, Austrian, Italian andCanadian orchestras.’

Through playing in this orchestra youngpeople are gaining much more than justmusical knowledge and skills. ‘Travelling,staying together and playing music in thecompany of other young musicians fromaround the world has been such fun,’explains 15-year-old violinist Jasiel Peter. ‘I feel the INYO is family!’

‘The INYO has given me opportunities I could never have dreamt of,' adds 16-year-old Divya Raghunathan.

Working with teachersFinally, back in Uganda, ABRSM funding hasbeen helping the Kampala Music School(KMS) to develop its support for teachers –both at the school and elsewhere in theregion. Regular workshops have beentaking place in term time on instrumentaltechnique, musicianship, sight-reading andaural skills, expanding material, exampreparation and performance practice.

‘We also hope to organise training frombeyond Uganda for our teachers,‘ explainsNatasha Chong, Deputy Director at KMS.‘The teachers here have so much drive and commitment and long to have theopportunity to progress,’ she adds, ‘but until now neither KMS nor the teachersthemselves have been in a position to payfor such development. We hope that in thelong term this funding will help the schoolto grow, providing more work for teachersand new musical learning opportunities foryoung people in Uganda.’ In short,supporting and encouraging music making and learning at all levels and in allsettings – just what ABRSM’s InternationalSponsorship Fund is all about. �

Andrew Green is a writer, broadcaster,producer and reviewer, and Senior VisitingResearch Fellow at the University ofHertfordshire.

You can find our more about ourInternational Sponsorship Fund atwww.abrsm.org/engagement.

musicians

17International sponsorship

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Iam still astonished by my goodfortune in being the first to write ahistory of ABRSM. Perhaps this is

another way of saying I am amazed thatothers before me had not realised justhow significant ABRSM’s role has been in British music. But it is onlyfairly recently that music history has expanded much beyond thetraditional ‘life and works’ treatment of composers.

Newer historical writing emphasisesthe importance of the social, culturaland economic context in shaping theways that people use, learn, performand understand music. And few thingshave been more influential on themusical taste and development ofmillions of people than graded music exams.

My interest in ABRSM’s historyresulted from researching thefoundation of the Royal College of Music(RCM). I was intrigued by significantdifferences between the documentaryevidence and false assumptionshistorians have endlessly recycled. Itstruck me that no one had attemptedany satisfactory explanation as to why theBritish had embraced music exams on sucha massive scale. Writers frequently mockedthe proliferation of exam boards anddiplomas without probing the phenomenonitself. So in the first part of the history Iexplain how music exams helped transformthe status of music teachers from socialpariahs to diploma-bearing professionals.

The founding of ABRSM itself was anattempt to end the enmity between the Royal College of Music and the RoyalAcademy of Music (RAM) and to establishthese two royal schools as Britain’sunquestioned musical authority.

There were some early ABRSM heroeswhose names have long since beenforgotten. One was George Watson, its firstSecretary, who set up the ‘Board’ in 1889with amazing speed and efficiency, just ashe had helped George Grove establish theRCM on a sound footing. Another was the

1199ABRSM history

intrepid Frederic Cliffe, an early examinerset adrift in Australia and New Zealand tomake the best of uncertain communicationsand hazardous travel over extremely longdistances. ABRSM examiners wereimportant cultural ambassadors betweenBritain and the British Empire countries, andABRSM made a significant contribution tothe cultural glue of empire, with its earlyoverseas exams running often at asignificant financial loss.

There were also some unexpecteddiscoveries to be explained. For example, in the whole 1930s, only six clarinettists took ABRSM grades as against 20,468 in1980 alone. Until the rise of county music centres after the second world war, very few brass or woodwind players (fluteexcepted) took graded exams – the majorityof candidates were for keyboard, strings and singing. Brass and woodwind playerslearned through local bands – graded

exams were irrelevant for them. Theflourishing of school instrumental teachingafter the war generated huge growth in the numbers taking orchestral grades andABRSM had to adapt to this change in themusical landscape.

There is not the space here to tell ofABRSM’s resistance to women examinersuntil 1956. Nor of the difficulties faced byexaminers as they endured dangerouswartime conditions. Nor even of many otherfascinating aspects including some heart-warming stories. The history ofABRSM is about so much more than just theprocess of examining, as the perenniallychanging relationship between teacher,pupil and examiner illustrates.

My research on the book was supportedby a British Academy grant, and in carryingit out much kindness was shown me by all atABRSM. From the beginning it wasunderstood that this history should be anindependent academic study, with noconstraints put on my research or on what Icould write, and published by a leadingscholarly publisher, Boydell & Brewer.

As a history, rather than an educationalstudy, the book is ‘agnostic’ about theeducational value or otherwise of gradedmusic exams. But I must declare myposition in one important respect. Writingthis book has linked me back into my own early days teaching music to younglearners. That grounding convinced me just how important it is to give children theopportunity to experience music throughlearning to play or to sing, and the book’scover wonderfully captures the absorptionand pleasure of doing so. �

David Wright was formerly Reader in theSocial History of Music at the Royal Collegeof Music.

The Associated Board of the Royal Schoolsof Music: A Social and Cultural History ispublished by Boydell & Brewer and will beavailable in paperback and hardbackeditions from February. The paperback willbe available from retailers worldwide andfrom www.abrsm.org/shop. To order thehardback, contact Boydell & Brewerdirectly: +44 (0)1394 610 600,trading@boydell.co.uk.

ABRSM, culture and societyAs publisher Boydell & Brewer brings out the first ever history ofABRSM, author David Wright explains the thinking behind the book.

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that my students would disagree!Over the years I have had quite afew students referred to me fortheory. I encourage these studentsto bring their instruments withthem occasionally so that we cantry some of this sort of activity toreinforce certain subjects and tobridge the gap between thereading/writing/rules and theperceived 'fun' part of music.

These 'outside the box' ideas helptremendously with the learningprocess and are great fun forstudent and teacher alike.

SALLY NUTT

Gorgeous Grade 7How I agree with AnthonyWilliams on the joys of the List Cselection at Piano Grade 7(Piano delight, Libretto 2012:3).We are totally spoilt for choiceand I imagine that students will want to learn more than one of these gorgeous pieces. Icertainly do!

HELEN MCANDREWS

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to trying out some improvisationand composition during thecoming weeks.JO FRASER

Fun for student and teacherI read the article by RichardSmith (Outside the box, Libretto2012:3) with great interest.

I already use many of thesetechniques not only ininstrumental lessons but alsowhen teaching Grade 5 Theory.For example, playing a simplepiece by ear in several keyspromotes an understanding ofwhat is entailed in transpositionand key signature work. The homecomposition exercise can be takenfurther too by working out a basicpiano accompaniment (it has tobe basic – I’m a woodwind playernot a pianist); playing aroundwith chords helps with harmony,as well as learning how arpeggios work.

Theory is often seen as being the'boring' part of music – I hope

Inbox is the place to shareyour views and feedback onLibretto, ABRSM and musiceducation in general. We wantto find out what you think on a range of music educationtopics, from exam tips andexperiences to ideas on teaching,resources and professionaldevelopment. Please get in touch!

Thanks for the ideasThank you for the useful andconstructive ideas on wideningthe scope of a piano lesson(Outside the box, Libretto2012:3).

One of my teenage pupils learntto play the guitar by ear andwas very insistent at first that hedid not want to use music whenlearning to play the piano. Thispresented me with a challengeas I have never taught withoutusing a music book. Since thenhe has changed his mind, as hecould not remember what I hadtaught him from one week to thenext, and is now progressingwell with note reading. However,it is good to have some ideas tohelp him develop his ability toplay by ear, and I look forward

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Grade 1 baking!An adult pupil of mine ispreparing to take her first evermusic exam and we werediscussing possible pieces. ‘Chooseones which you will enjoy playingand will reflect your strengths,’ Isuggested. ‘What do you thinkyour strengths are?’ She pausedbefore answering: ‘Cooking, Ishall bake the examiner a cake!’

JULIA HERRICK

Duets for all stagesI agree that duets are a valuableteaching tool (A history in fourhands, Libretto 2012:3).

Duets are helpful for improvingfluency and provide opportunitiesto make music with others, whichis such an enjoyable experience.

For young pianists in the earlystages I like the duets in Me andMy Piano in the WatermanHarewood Piano Series. My otherfavourite collection is the EasyDances by Matyas Seiber. Thesehave enormous appeal – reallygood examples of various dancestyles and great fun to play. The difficulty range is quitebroad, so they can be used across the grades.CATHY COOPER

The pleasure of duetsThe following duets – all forcompetent pianists – have givenme pleasure over the years: Bach's Brandenburg Concertos(transcribed by Reger) are greatfun, but some more manageablethan others; Mozart's FantasiaK. 608; Schubert's Grand Rondeauin A, D. 951 is a simply wonderfulpiece, although tricky for theprimo part; the Brahms Waltzes,Op. 39 – not too hard andeminently enjoyable; Dvor̆ák’sSlavonic Dances – a perennialdelight of the repertoire; Debussy's

Petite Suite – an all-timefavourite; and Poulenc's Sonatafor piano duet – riotous fun forplayers and audiences.

As a pupil many decades ago Ialso had great fun playing two-piano repertoire with myteacher and others. Wherefacilities for this exist it should be encouraged. I still get muchpleasure from the occasional two-piano session, and therepertoire of original andarranged material is vast and varied.ANDREW MITCHELL

Your views2222

Write to Lucy North, Editor, Libretto, with your views. Emaillibretto@abrsm.ac.uk or send letters to Lucy North, Libretto, ABRSM, 24 Portland Place, London W1B 1LU,UK. Letters and emails may be edited for publication.

Correction

In the last issue of Libretto we made amistake when editing Robert Parker’sletter. We printed a version whichclaimed that Norman Del Mar was‘arguably the world’s greatest hornplayer’. The original letter actually gavethis accolade to Dennis Brain, referringto ‘Norman Del Mar, who played thehorn professionally, including as secondhorn to Dennis Brain, arguably theworld's greatest horn player ever!’ Ourapologies to Robert Parker formisrepresenting his views.Lucy North

Libretto Editor, ABRSM

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