01 Lib5 Cover.qxd 16/8/10 14:04 Page 1 2010:3 www.abrsm.org LibrettoABRSM news and views Joanna MacGregor On contributing to ABRSM’s new Piano syllabus recordings Fit as a fiddle Top tips for raising a healthy musician Coaching ensembles An innovative chamber music programme in New Zealand Lib 6 Libretto ads.qxd 16/8/10 09:56 Page 2 • New & pre-owned brass and woodwind instruments • Reeds, mouthpieces, mutes & accessories • Sheet, Brass Band and Wind Band Music • Instrument repair workshop • Instruments from student to professional • Register for Teacher Discounts Tel: 02380 860889 59 Rumbridge Street, Totton, Southampton SO40 9DR www.hayesmusic.co.uk facebook: hayes music Lib 6 Libretto ads.qxd 16/8/10 09:56 Page 2 03 Lib6 Contents.qxd 13/8/10 18:17 Page 3 8 14 Outlook n my last Outlook column, I paid tribute to Clara Taylor, our Chief Examiner since 1997, for her Idedication and commitment to ABRSM. She was due to retire at the end of July, to be succeeded by John Holmes. Very sadly, Clara passed away in early July after a valiant battle with illness. She was a consummate professional, leading our panel of examiners with great authority, and also with great common sense and good humour. She will be greatly missed by all at ABRSM, and 11 16 our thoughts remain with her family. You will find an obituary and tribute to her on page 7. This edition of Libretto includes a number of wide-ranging articles and features, appropriately reflecting the diverse spectrum of ABRSM’s activities and interests worldwide. You will find an interview with Joanna Libretto MacGregor, one of the world’s most innovative musicians, who recently recorded a selection of pieces from our new COVER STORY 16 CT ABRSM Plus • New & pre-owned Richard Crozier, Director of Piano syllabus, as well as a lively tour of the new piano 12 Playing with attitude Professional Development, repertoire by our Syllabus Manager Robert Sargant. Find out how Joanna brass and woodwind Another recent development is our new CT ABRSM Plus introduces the new course MacGregor got involved professional development course, which combines two of in ABRSM’s Piano 19 instruments our most respected qualifications, the Certificate of Going for gold! Helen Lane syllabus recordings Teaching and the Principles of Teaching diploma FEA shares her passion for • Reeds, mouthpieces, Music Medals (DipABRSM). To find out more, turn to page 16 where FEATURES Richard Crozier, our Director of Professional Development, mutes & accessories explains the thinking behind the new course. Add to the 8 Chamber music NZ REGULARS mix our support for a chamber music coaching How a unique coaching 4 News ABRSM • Sheet, Brass Band and programme in New Zealand and the importance of a programme is inspiring developments worldwide healthy mind and body for musicians, and I think you’ll young musicians in Wind Band Music agree that it is a very colourful and varied menu! New Zealand 11 Teachers’ corner Since the last edition of the magazine, we have also Understanding autism • Instrument repair seen a change of government in the UK, prompting debate 9 Fit as a fiddle Top tips for and discussion about the future of music education here. raising a healthy musician 21 Diary dates Your workshop At the time of writing, this new policy is not yet clear, and essential run-down of we wait to see what direction this may take. It seems very 14 New Piano syllabus forthcoming events • Instruments from likely that difficult times lie ahead for many sectors, but Syllabus Manager Robert we believe that, more than ever, the benefits of music and Sargant updates us on the student to professional new repertoire 22 Call and response music education for our communities and society should Thoughts from our • Register for Teacher be recognised and supported. This has been, and will Chief Examiner, remain, our prime objective at ABRSM, whichever John Holmes Discounts direction is ultimately taken. Guy Perricone Tel: 02380 860889 Chief Executive 59 Rumbridge Street, Totton, Southampton SO40 9DR Editor-in-Chief Tony Pinkham ABRSM Libretto is designed for ABRSM by © The Associated Board of the Royal Schools Editor Katherine Smith 24 Portland Place Impromptu Publishing of Music. All rights reserved. Unauthorised London W1B 1LU 2nd Floor Century House reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited Insert & advertising sales United Kingdom 11 St Peter’s Square without permission. The views expressed in Michaela Duckett Libretto are not necessarily those of ABRSM T +44 (0)20 7636 5400 Manchester M2 3DN www.hayesmusic.co.uk T +44 (0)121 429 4362 neither are the products or services appearing in E [email protected] T +44 (0)161 236 9526 E [email protected] advertisements and inserts endorsed by ABRSM. www.abrsm.org www.impromptupublishing.com facebook: hayes music REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 292182 Designer Henrietta Creedy COVER PHOTO: © PETER WILLIAMS 04-07 Lib6 News.qxd 24/8/10 15:44 Page 4 4 News ABRSM renews The Prince of Wales FMS sponsorship extends Presidency BRSM has announced its e are delighted to announce that His Royal Acontinuing support for the WHighness The Prince of Wales has extended Federation of Music Services (FMS) his tenure as President of ABRSM for a further in the UK with a sponsorship five years. The Prince became ABRSM President agreement for the academic year on 1 August 1999, succeeding Her Majesty Queen September 2010 to August 2011. Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who had been The grant will support the ongoing President for 46 years. The Prince has attended a promotion and provision of the number of ABRSM events in the UK including the 12-month FMS course ‘Rising with National Concert for High Achievers in 2000 at the tide: managing and leading the Linbury Studio Theatre of the Royal Opera music services in the 21st century’. House and was the keynote speaker at the 2005 Launched in 2010, the course aims CT ABRSM award ceremony at the Royal to support new, developing and Academy of Music. ‘Everyone at ABRSM is established leaders, both individually honoured and delighted that His Royal Highness and collaboratively, in building The Prince of Wales has extended his term as professional knowledge around our President,’ said Guy Perricone, ABRSM Chief learning-centred leadership. Richard Executive. ‘We value this association greatly, and Crozier, ABRSM’s Director of look forward to continuing to work together for Professional Development, worked the wider benefit of music education worldwide.’ PHOTO: © CHRIS CHRISTODOULOU with the FMS executive committee to devise and implement this course. Speedshifter tool coming soon ave you ever wanted to adjust the tempo title of a piece and its composer, and even Hof the backing tracks, which accompany gives you an ‘A’ for tuning your instrument. many instrumental books, to help your pupils When using ABRSM recordings, practise a piece at a more achievable speed? Speedshifter automatically displays the Now you can with Speedshifter, a new, starting tempo. So, however slow (or free application from ABRSM. Simply fast) your pupils want to play their download and install the application on to piece, the application can easily adjust your computer, and then load your CD or the tempo of the accompaniment to MP3 accompaniments into it. You can adjust suit their ability. the tempo of a recording using the dial by Speedshifter will be available to turning it anticlockwise to slow the tempo download from the end of September. To down, or clockwise to speed it up. find out more about the application, The application also displays other useful including its other exciting features, please information from MP3 recordings such as the visit www.abrsm.org/speedshifter. Listen up! New mock aural tests online ould you like your students to practise examiner rubrics (the words the examiner Wtheir aural skills away from your uses to present the tests), and allows teachers lessons? ABRSM is now offering one free and pupils to prepare thoroughly for the exam set of practice aural tests for each grade to and get a flavour of what to expect on the day. download from our website. They provide a In March 2011, we will be publishing new useful resource for students to use when editions of Aural Training in Practice, which preparing for exams. To download the tests, provide further support for teachers and go to www.abrsm.org/mockauraltests. students to develop and improve their aural This online resource coincides with the skills. CD recordings of all practice recent publication of fully revised Specimen exercises are included with the new books, Aural Tests, which feature completely new along with written and spoken model practice tests at each grade and incorporate answers. To find out more about the minor the minor modifications that come into effect modifications, please visit ABRSM’s PHOTO: © ISTOCK.COM/MOREPIXELS from January 2011. The books also provide the website: www.abrsm.org/aural. 04-07 Lib6 News.qxd 24/8/10 15:44 Page 4 04-07 Lib6 News.qxd 24/8/10 15:44 Page 5 4 News News 5 ABRSM renews The Prince of Wales Share recordings online with PureSolo IN BRIEF FMS sponsorship between ABRSM and PureSolo resource, helping them to enables flute and clarinet work towards their exam and I Jazz course for beginners extends Presidency BRSM has announced its students to record themselves have fun at the same time.’ Do you want to learn to teach e are delighted to announce that His Royal continuing support for the A playing many of the pieces on Tracks can be downloaded jazz but feel out of your comfort Highness The Prince of Wales has extended Federation of Music Services (FMS) W the syllabus with piano for £1.99, which includes the zone? If so, why not enrol on his tenure as President of ABRSM for a further in the UK with a sponsorship ABRSM’s jazz piano course, run by accompaniment, and then on-screen sheet music of the five years.