Music Teacher 2014 11 PDF

NOVEMBER 2014
MUSICTEACHERMAGAZINE.CO.UK
MONTHLY 4.95
The piano issue

TRAINING THE GREATS
Stars of the concert platform

discuss their education
LEARN WITH LANG LANG

New technique books
prove effective
SYLLABUS USER GUIDES

Inside ABRSM and TCLs
new piano exams
Wales International
Academy of Voice
Are we teaching
theory wrong?
PLUS IDEAS BANK CLASSROOM TECH REVIEWS
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26
Vol.93 No.11
Editor
Thomas Lydon
News Editor
David Ashworth
Resources Editor
David Kettle
Technology Editor
Tim Hallas
Head of Design & Production
Beck Ward Murphy
Designer
Hal Bannister
Production Controller
Gordon Wallis
Head of Sales
Amy Driscoll
Advertising Executive
Chris Moon-Little
Marketing Manager
Frances Innes-Hopkins
Managing Director
Ciaran Morton
Publisher
Derek B Smith
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Rhinegold Publishing Ltd 2014
CONTENTS
5 EDITORIAL
FEATURES
8 LETTERS
PIANO
10 NEWS
14 REPORT
The BBCs Ten Pieces gets
underway
17 REPORT
Bernarr Rainbow: continuing
the legacy of a giant
19 DIARY
CPD, opportunities and gigs
21 Q&A
Incoming Music Mark chair
Graeme Smith
45 IDEAS BANK
Karen Marshall edits a toolkit of
fresh teaching ideas from around
the UK
59 LUNCH BREAK
Your monthly helping of musical
puzzles
60 PRACTICAL CLASSROOM
TECH
Tim Hallas urges us to encourage

independence in the classroom
70 WORKING WEEK
Primary and ute teacher
Clemencie Gatenby
22 TEACHING THE STARS

Melanie Spanswick asks stars of
the concert platform about their
education
26 LEARNING WITH
LANG LANG
Put aside your preconceptions,

says Fiona Lau
28 USER GUIDE: TCL
TCL head of qualications
(music) Chris Walters explains
the new piano syllabus
31 USER GUIDE: ABRSM
Fiona Lau takes us through
ABRSMs new grade pieces
50 PRODUCTS AND REVIEWS

Including
Yamahas shiny new
Clavinovas
Bach on the oboe
Korgs mighty littleBits
synth kit
34 WALES INTERNATIONAL
ACADEMY OF VOICE
Dennis ONeill discusses staying

ahead of the game as an elite
institution
37 ARE WE TEACHING THEORY
WRONG?
Grade 5 Theory should be a door,

not a barrier, says Pamela Rose
41 CARDIFF SERVICE RISES TO
THE CHALLENGE
Emma Coulthard turns a crisis

into an opportunity
50
Music Teacher is interested in articles on

all aspects of music education; if you wish
to submit one please contact the editor.
We reserve the right to edit material for
publication. The presence of advertisements
in Music Teacher does not imply endorsement.
Music Teacher tries to avoid inaccuracies;
if readers believe an error has been made
they should contact the editor before
taking any other action.
48 ONLINE RESOURCES
Downloadable teaching and
revision materials covering the
whole secondary curriculum and
more. Subscribe and download via
musicteachermagazine.co.uk
This month:
Setting meaningful homework
GCSE Composition: exploring
texture, instrumentation,
timbre and dynamics
Pre-U Music: Topic C1
34
37
41
NOVEMBER 2014 | MUSIC TEACHER
MT_1114_03_Contents_Editorial.indd 3
20/10/2014 15:30:07
CHORAL LEADERS MASTERCLASS

LED BY THE BACH CHOIRS MUSICAL DIRECTOR DAVID HILL & VOICE COACH HILARY JONES
SATURDAY 28TH FEBRUARY 2015

10AM4PM
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OVERVIEW
A day of CPD for primary and secondary music teachers/
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The training will include:
Development of your choral leadership skills
David Hill is a conductor

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across an extensive range
of repertoire.
I learnt a great deal from

the conducting session and
I know it will impact upon and
improve my future practice.
PARTICIPANT IN 2013 EVENT
Developing the singing abilities of children

Basic conducting skills
Sharing an enthusiasm for singing
so you can lead by example
Techniques for improving co-operation and listening skills
Hands-on experience in conducting a talented group
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Teachers who complete this course will be able to:
Use their own voices with confidence
Lead groups of children to sing with enjoyment
Costs to receiving organisation:
Enhance childrens listening skills
120 + VAT per participant
Select appropriate repertoire
To download an application form visit:
Use conducting skills effectively

Use leadership skills to inspire and control rehearsals
Achieve a musical performance
MT_1114 Ads.indd 4
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Or email Nick Cutts, General Manager of
The Bach Choir at genman@thebachchoir.org.uk
17/10/2014 11:09:07
write Music Teacher magazine, Rhinegold Publishing Ltd, Rhinegold House, 20 Rugby Street, London WC1N 3QZ
email music.teacher@rhinegold.co.uk
tweet @musicteachermag
MT EDITORIAL
Is the customer
always right?
Who knows best? You, or the person holding the money? If you were in any other
business than education, the answer would be obvious, and it wouldnt be the rst
option listed.
AN OLD-SCHOOL
APPROACH TO CLIENT
SERVICE MIGHT JUST
TURN YOUR BUSINESS
AROUND
When the person holding the chequebook is the students parent, or the student themselves,
the disagreements can be bizarre to say the least. A look at the most recent dozen threads on
the ABRSM forum reveals that one teacher has an adult learner who writes the letter names
underneath every note, and refuses to stop doing it. Its a wonderfully supportive thread, with
lots of great ideas on how to get him to change his habit and to embrace reading at sight, but
there are a fair few users who suggested that, since the student is paying for himself and is
enjoying the lessons, the teacher should let him have it his own way. Another thread discusses
a pupil who refuses to use their thumbs, who was given somewhat shorter shrift, with some
respondents suggesting that the teacher should get rid of the pupil as soon aspossible.
When your paycheque comes from schools, navigating their needs is a whole different kettle
of sh, and the stakes are high. In this issue, Emma Coulthard of Music Development Cardiff
explains how some old-school, the customer is always right service turned a disastrous funding
announcement into an opportunity to develop stronger relationships directly with her school
clients, and increase business in the process. A short while ago, we interviewed Steven Sammut,
whose private music service, The Rock and Pop Foundation is thriving despite never having
received a penny of public money. Both will be at the Music Education Expo at the Barbican
on 12 and 13 March next year, and are on a mission to spread the word. Emma is fond of the
term civic entrepreneur. One of the several memorable opinions that Steven expressed in
our interview was this: The last thing music services offer is a service. Is it possible that the
customer might be right more often than we'd like?
Thomas Lydon editor
AMONG THIS MONTHS CONTRIBUTORS

Karen Marshall is a private and
school music teacher with pupils of
all ages. A member of the British
Dyslexia Associations music
committee, she specialises in multisensory learning
MT_1114_03_Contents_Editorial.indd 5
Fiona Lau teaches piano pupils of all

ages, privately and for music services,
and is a mentor for Essex Music
Services and ABRSM
Christopher Walters is the head

of qualications (music) at Trinity
College London, and a past editor
ofMT
20/10/2014 15:31:15
MT LETTERS
HAVE YOUR SAY

JOINING THE DOTS
I was interested to read the

letters in the October issue about
the James Rhodes program Dont
stop the music, after watching both
TV programs with great interest
myself. Firstly, Id like to say that
anything that raises the prole of
music education is a good thing.
I admired James passion and felt
that everything was done with
integrity and drive to make things
better. I wish him all the very best
with his campaign.
I have some thoughts. Firstly,
is it musical instruments that
we are short of, or teachers to
teach them? It is true that schools
generally have very poor supplies
of instruments. However, I know
that many music services have
cellars lled with instruments.
These are not in short supply. In
addition, instruments that were
used for the Wider Opportunities
initiative are also stockpiled in
various locations. Instruments
are available, but the real
problem as I see it is a shortage
of well-trained instrumental
teachers and a shortage of funds
to pay for their services. The
lack of infrastructure to support
music education work adds to
the problems. Hubs simply dont
BY HARRY
VENNING
MUSIC TEACHER | NOVEMBER 2014
MT_1114_08_Letters.indd 8
co-ordinate effectively in most

cases, between the teacher,
school, parent and student.
They dont have the funds or
even the mandate to inuence
some of these stakeholders. And
the Arts Council seems to keep
changing the goalposts on what
needs to be done. Do the people
who make these decisions even
venture out on to the coal face?
Get stuffed in a cupboard to
teach a lesson and get told they
have to pay rent to teach in a
school theyve taught in for years
after being made redundant just
a few months earlier? Its a harsh
life as a peri.
So what is the answer?
Children have at least one term
of instrumental lessons through
First Access programs but how
worthwhile is this? What happens
afterwards? Can they really thrive
in that term with little foundation
to build on? Music in primary
schools is seen by Ofsted as one
of the worst-taught subjects.
I think James orchestra may
have enjoyed greater success
if pre-instrumental work had
been completed. Most children
struggle to maintain a pulse. This
skill is far better tackled in other
ways before embarking on an
A WIDE GAP IN PERCEPTIONS HAS

EMERGED AT THE TOP. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL
TO KNOW HOW POWER OVER AND
CONTROL OF OUR MUSIC EDUCATION
ACTUALLY WORKED
instrument, using singing, use
of rhyme, rhythm games, and
the use of tuned and un-tuned
percussion. Activities used in
Dalcroze, Kodly and Orff
approaches help instrumental
lessons truly stick and children
are more likely to succeed. Can
curriculum music be invested
in via a music specialist in every
school? Can this person provide
post-First Access programs (if
needed, teaching instruments as
a generalist) and sound music
curriculum teaching in each
Primary School? Perhaps the
answer is part of the 1,300 given
to children on free school meals
(Pupil Premium) to provide free
music lessons and an instrument
to practice on? Perhaps an
infrastructure needs putting in
place to properly co-ordinate
schools, parents, music teachers,
students and music instrument
supplies. If this is the hubs job,
then can someone please come up
with some best practice on how it
is possible and join the dots?
Keep up the great work James.
We all need to keep talking about
these things, doing our bit and
keeping music education on the
agenda. Music is worth ghting
for. I myself work with children
who have extremely difcult lives
and live in absolute poverty, yet
when they sing in their music
lessons or play an instrument,
worry leaves their faces. Its like

magic, they escape to a different
place and all is well. And thats
the power of music and why
we must ght for it! So much
good can be done for so many
throughit.
Name and Address supplied
ANONYMITY AT THE TOP
The ISMs Protect Music

campaign (beyond 1900),
responding to the GCSE and
A Level draft proposals raises
questions about the governance
of our music education. The
interface between government
policy and those who represent
those who enact it in the
classroom remains something
of a mystery. Whose voices
are actually heard? There is
anonymity and secrecy at the
top of the power pyramid. While
the drafts claim to represent in
some part a consultative process
in which the ISM played its part,
a wide gap in perceptions has
emerged. It would be helpful
to know how power over and
control of our music education
actually worked. In this case, for
example, do the exam boards
have the loudest voices? We dont
know. I think we should.
John Finney, University of
Cambridge
20/10/2014 15:55:43
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MT_1114 Ads.indd 9
17/10/2014 11:09:16
MT NEWS
last-Minute Venue change for Music MarK

Every cloud has a silver lining. Although Music Mark lost its
Manchester venue following the cancellation of The Music Show
this year, Staverton Park in Daventry now plays host to the
stand-alone conference, with accommodation and exhibitor
space now all on one site.
General Manager Jem Shuttleworth says: The venue will enable us
to meet the needs of our membership far more effectively, providing
greater opportunities for delegates to connect to share best practice
and to contribute to membership voice the bar stays open all
night!
The conference is titled Progression in Music Education; Further
Still, Yet Further, and looks at progression in different contexts.
The key note speaker is Paul Robertson, leader of Medici String
Quarter and broadcaster, who has recently been working with The
Music, Mind and Spirit Trust.
Fridays seminars include Awards for Young Musicians on
identifying talent, the ABRSM on musical progression and the role
of assessment, Ofsted music lead Robin Hammertons update one
year on from his notorious paper What Hubs Must Do, Dick Hallam
on research into progression in Sistema-inspired projects, and Helen
Sprott from Arts Council England on the role of music organisations
supporting progression.
There will also be an open space session, where members and
partners can share an initiative they are developing.
Saturday includes a new feature, the conference debate, with
the weighty title of Whole Class Ensemble teaching: a Catalyst for
Progression of an Inhibitor of Progression?
The final session is titled Dear Prime Minister. Incoming Music Mark
chair Graeme Smith elaborates: After we have explored progression
in music education we are going to determine the message we will give
to those who wish to form the next government. We are going to tell
them what they need to do to enable us to provide that progression for
all our children and young people.
The conference takes place on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 November
at Staverton Park, Daventry, Northamptonshire. More details from
www.musicmark.org.uk
Music for Youth supports

eMerging acts
Laura Palmer
Over 100 up-and-coming singer-songwriters, indie and electronic artists, all

aged 21 and under, performed in the first ever Frequencies event, alongside
critically acclaimed acts such as Fyfe Dangerfield from Brit-nominated band
the Guillemots, and UK beatbox champion Hobbit.
The two-day Manchester event, sponsored by the Vivendi Create Joy Fund,
offered a new platform for young artists and
singer-songwriters to get their music heard,
performing on stage alongside established
international artists.
To see these Frequencies acts in action at the
Royal Albert Hall in the Schools Prom concert
series (10 12 November), see the booking
details below.
Mt readers deal for the schools proM

The Schools Prom 2014 returns to theRoyal Albert Hall inLondon on10,11
and12 November and Music for Youth is offering discounted tickets to MT
readers. The concertspromiseto be a spectacular showcase of some of the
UKs most talented young musicians. These distinctive concerts present a
diverse range of repertoire, for full details visit www.mfy.org.uk. Each concert
takes place from 7pm until 9.30pm at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
Get 10% off your tickets (usually 528.75*)by Quoting the members
code 17613 to the Royal Albert HallBox Office on 020 7589 8212 or
atwww.royalalberthall.com.
*Prices are subject to atransaction processing fee of 2.50 per ticket plus a
booking fee of 2% of the total booking.
10
MT_1114_10_News.indd 10
sing up launches new

Music curriculuM
resource
Sing Up has created a new resource, free to its
members, to help primary teachers deliver the
latest music curriculum. Featuring 84 songs,
SingUp Music: Supporting your Music Teaching is
a new addition to Sing Ups extensive resource
bankandoffers a framework to help teachers
develop ayears scheme of work from Reception
to Year 6.
Sing Up CEO Michelle James said Were creating
new singing resources to support classroom teachers
all the time, but weve never really created a scheme
specifically to support music teaching before. Wed had
lots of requests for it and the feedback has been very
positive so far.
Written by Sue Nichols and Hilary Miles, these
resources have been devised to offer a diverse range
of musical learning and assessment opportunities,
embracing performance, composition, improvisation,
listening and appraisal activities, as well as suggestions
for using technology.
The first terms resources are available free to Sing
Up members on the Sing Up website now, with next
terms available before the end of the year.
For more details email Katy Moran at Sing Up:
support@singup.org
20/10/2014 16:48:40
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MT NEWS
youth music champions grEatEr Equity in

supporting young pEoplE across England
The National Foundation for Youth Music
today published its Impact Report for
the year 201314. During this year, the
charity awarded 182 grants to 165 music
organisations, representing an investment
of 9.3m in young peoples music-making.
The Impact Report notes the charitys
success in reaching out to more children in
challenging circumstances; it also records a
significant increase in the employment of paid
music leaders across its funded projects and
a more equitable spread of its investment
across the regions of England.
Eighty percent of participants in 201314
were facing significant challenges in their lives
compared to 57% in 201213, with Youth
Music investing over 6m in music projects
specifically focusing on young people from
such backgrounds. This follows a refresh
of the charitys mission, vision and values
in 2012, placing music-making for children
in challenging circumstances at the core of
itswork.
In 201314, rural isolation and special
educational needs were the challenges most
commonly faced by project participants,
along with financial difficulties, English as a
second language, substance abuse (either by
children themselves, or by their parents or
carers), and physical or mental health issues.
Matt Griffiths, Youth Musics executive

director said: Im delighted these figures
demonstrate that were using our investment
and resources with even greater pin point
accuracy. Our regional balancing system is
clearly ensuring geographical fairness across
the regions of England, enabling us to reach
more children and young people whose
challenging circumstances create significant
barriers to regular music-making.
For further information about Youth Musics Impact
Report 2013-14 visit http://bit.ly/ImpactYM2013-14
Kings Ely launchEs sixth

Form choral award
Kings School, Ely has just announced the launch of a
sixth form choral award.
The first boy to enjoy the position is Thomas Bruce, a
member of the school since 2006. Bruce will have access to
intensive, specialist musical and academic training, as well
Thomas Bruce with
as the opportunity to perform with professional singers,
principal Sue Freestone
organists, and conductors. In addition, Bruce, like his
peers in Ely Cathedral Girls Choir, will gain the experience and expertise needed to progress to a
university choral scholarship, or indeed to train as a professional musician.
Bruces appointment marks a new era, as the school seeks to give Sixth Form male students
with outstanding musical talent the same opportunities as their female peers. The principal, Sue
Freestone, comments. I am so pleased that we are able to offer such an exciting opportunity
to young men with a passion for choral singing. It has not felt right that the chance to train for
choral scholarships in universities has been the exclusive domain of girls and now the boys are
on an equal footing as they prepare for the next stage in their lives.
a goldEn
hEllo From
thE corps oF
army music
Aspiring musicians are being offered
golden hello payments worth up to
3,500 when they sign up to serve
with the British Armys Corps of Army
Music (CAMUS).
CAMUS is made up of 22 bands from
the Regular Army and 19 bands from the
Army Reserve. It provides a broad range
of musical genres, from wind bands,
marching bands and a string orchestra, to
more modern music such as rock and pop
bands. In addition, musicians who work
in a full-time civilian job can also take part
outside their normal working hours by
being a part of a Reserve band.
To qualify for the elementary level
payment, worth 1,250, applicants
must hold either a grade A to C in GCSE
music, or a Grade 68 instrumental
or vocal qualification from one of the
mainboards.
Supplementary level golden hellos,
worth 2,500, are on offer to those
with an associate diploma from those
institutions, a BTEC, or an AS or A Level
in music.
To qualify for advanced payments,
worth 3,500, applicants must have
a graduate qualification from Royal
College of Music, the London College
of Music, the Royal Academy of Music,
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music
and Drama, Guildhall School of Music
and Drama or Royal Scottish Academy
of Music and Drama.
Anyone interested in a job with
CAMUS or in finding out more about
the golden hello payments can visit
www.army.mod.uk/jobs, call 0207 8744
8608, or email CAMUSHQ-PSO@mod.uk.
11
20/10/2014 17:18:40
ROYAL MARINES
BAND SERVICE
A career and an education
CALL OR VISIT
royalnavy.mod.uk/rMBS
08456 00 37 77
Untitled-5
MT_1114 Ads.indd
1
12
18/03/2014
17/10/2014 14:50:11
11:09:18
MT NEWS
obituary: anice Paterson 19402014

David Wheway, one of Anices closest
friends and colleagues, writes:
It is perhaps difficult to appreciate now
that, for most teachers in the 1970s and
early 1980s, revolutionary thinking about
music education had not begun to impact
on either our training or teaching. Because
of Anice, Leicestershire was among those
education authorities that were at the
forefront of innovative thinking about the
music curriculum. Anice put together a
strong advisory team in Leicestershire and
her drive ensured all schools received support
through a compendium of music materials
and a comprehensive package of professional
development opportunities. With her usual
enthusiasm, Anice secured LEA funding for
the support materials to be distributed free
to all Leicestershire schools. This initiative
ensured that by the early 1990s Leicestershire
teachers confidence was strong, and class
music teaching widespread. Curriculum music
gained in popularity, and local courses for
teachers were often oversubscribed.
Anice had a huge capacity for work, and
a concise and organised method of working
that ensured time was never wasted and
was always productive. She led well, but also
listened well, and highly valued the perspective
others brought to the task in hand. Her ability

to listen to others meant that her advice was
always informed and considered. However
Anices thinking was always underpinned by
strong values that she never compromised.
She was never shy to challenge, and through
doing so helped others clarify their thinking
and values.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s
Anice could be found at the NAME
publications stand, where she needed no
prompting to enter into lively debate on
any topic. Members would consult her to
sound out nascent ideas, and Anice would
quickly point to any flaws in their argument,
sometimes gently, sometimes with a
metaphorical poke in the eye, depending
on how shaky your argument. She played
a major role in promoting NAME and its
publications, and a term was introduced to
NAME conferences - to be Aniced which
meant Anice had either not let you slip away
without purchasing the latest publication,
or you suddenly found you had a role in the
smooth running of NAME such as chair!
Such was Anices reputation among many
NAME members that she was nicknamed
The Boss, out of respect (and affection) for
her awesome abilities. I think we have Helen
Pianos in
the Park
Leighton Park School, located
just outside Reading town
centre, has become the latest
addition to Yamahas Music
Education Partner Programme,
and is the first educational institution in the UK to purchase one of the
companys acclaimed CFX concert grand pianos. Other instruments purchased
include grands, uprights, digital and stage pianos, totalling 19 in all.
At the request of the school Yamaha UK brought virtuoso pianist and
composerJulian Josephinto the CFX selection process. He accompaniedLeighton
Parks director of music, Rosemary Scales,toYamahas European HQ in Hamburg
in June, and helped choose the most suitable instrument.Julian comments, Iwas
thrilled to be invited to help the school select the pianos that best suited the
demanding and varied settings of their musical curriculum; an inspiring school,
inspiring teaching and now inspiring instruments.
The delivery of the new pianos coincides with the start of the schools
125thanniversary.
Anice Paterson
Coll to thank for that moniker.

In the last few years, Anice and I worked
less together, as Anice devoted more time to
enjoying a very active retirement. However,
there are a number of people in our lives who
are so influential that we hear their advice
even when they are not present. I know
Anice will continue to guide me for years
to come. To say I will miss her is a massive
understatement.
rockschool offers
new iPad aPP for
guitarists, bassists
and drummers
Rockschool has just launched an iPad app with
London-based techies, Knowledge Rocks. With the
KR player, musicians will be able to learn, practise
and sit their grade exam directly from their iPad.
The free app is a practice tool for beginner
musicians wanting to get to grips with Rockschool
exam pieces; it includes everything they need to work
on for their grade exam in one place. The app offers a
range of functionality including: tempo and key change;
the ability to loop entire sections or specific bars;
intuitive scrolling; and fully adjustable backing tracks.
Visit www.rockschool.co.uk/apps for more info.
13
20/10/2014 16:49:58
MT REPORT
RepoRt: ten
pieces gets
undeRway
Nicola Benedetti
and Ksenija Sidorova
perform at the West
End Premiere of the
Ten Pieces film
words Thomas Lydon
the woRks
John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 (first
movement)
Britten: Storm Interlude from Peter Grimes
Grieg: In the Hall of the Mountain King
Handel: Zadok the Priest
Holst: Mars from The Planets
Anna Meredith: Connect it
Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 4 (first
movement)
Mussorgsky: A Night on the Bare Mountain
Stravinsky: The Firebird suite (1911) (finale)
the timeline
The BBC launched its Ten Pieces project
with a Leicester-Square premiere early on
a September Monday morning, attended
by industry figures, journalists, Key Stage 2
students from local schools and a host of
celebrity ambassadors. Nicola Benedetti
performed in front of the screen and BBC
director-general Tony Hall stood up and
confessed that his love of classical music
sprang from having been made, at primary
school, to sit on a hard wooden floor and
listen to the stuff. In early October, schools
around the country attended local cinema
screenings of the film.
This was the Inspiration phase of the
project, and if you missed it, and managed
to miss the pan-BBC splurge on it last
month, dont worry. During the next phase
Exploration and Creativity DVD packs
will be distributed to schools upon request,
to complement the huge range of online
resources. In addition to those resources at
www.bbc.co.uk/tenpieces, a range of third-party
providers will be creating bespoke material
to promote study and activities around the
works. We will bring you a full round-up in
our December issue, along with one teachers
experiences of taking the project into a school.
14
MT_1114_14_Report_Ten Pieces.indd 14
Ten Pieces aims to inspire a generation of

children to get creative with classical music,
and the BBC resources are geared around
creative response, through the visual arts and
dance as well as through music. Materials
already up on the website include Key Stage 2
lesson plans, arrangements suitable for school
ensembles, mini-films, clips, discussions and
creative masterclasses. There are also audio
recordings of the full works, which, if youve
seen the film, youll be needing.
The third phase to the project will be
Performance. Starting next May, various Ten
Pieces Champions around the UK will hold
celebratory concerts, the BBC performing
groups will get stuck in, and schools will be
encouraged to send in videos of themselves
responding to the works.
the film
Both the short film that was screened round
the country and the associated deeper
exploration film often give the actual music a
back seat to celebrities telling you how great
it is. Sometimes this is brilliant like Barney
Harwoods description of the opening to
Beethovens fifth symphony as a dance off
and sometimes, when some of the greatest
moments in Western music are practically
muted so that CBBC presenters can shout
things like CAN YOU HEAR THAT PATTERN
OF SOUND?, it feels like the BBC is falling
into the trap of telling rather than showing.
Each piece opens with live action or
animation visuals and a narration from a
celebrity, before cutting to footage of the BBC
National Orchestra of Wales performing the
work in what looks like an aircraft hangar.

It leads to some curious juxtapositions,
especially in the Mozart section, where a film
of Katy B chasing a period-costumed horn
player round a sunny garden maze cuts to a
bleary-faced orchestra, side-lit by ghoulish
chandeliers.
But all in all, I have to say it is terrific
fun. If the films are used in tandem with the
full recordings provided, maybe the whole
package is pitched just right.
student feedback
I collared some Key Stage 2 students from
St Clement Danes School, Drury Lane, and
asked them what their favourite bits were and
why. The Holst, Grieg, and Stravinsky were
big hits with the boys, and its worth noting
that these were the ones accompanied by
fantasy-style film or animation.
Christopher: I liked the last piece of music
at the beginning [the slow horn solo that
begins the finale of the Firebird suite].
Archie: My favourite bits were the first
and last ones the space one [Holst] because
of the music, and The Firebird because of the
animations and the music.
Veronica: My favourite piece was
Beethovens symphony number five because
its always been my favourite piece and I just
love the music. I listen to it on my iPod.
Adual: I loved The Firebird because it was
fun. And I liked the trolls and the witches [in
the Grieg] that tried to attack the man.
Abdulrahman: I liked the witches [in the
Grieg] because it was quite nice and had good
animations and good music.
20/10/2014 17:22:16
Where education is an adventure

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To apply: contact admissions@kingsely.org
Tel: 01353 660702
We warmly welcome you to visit and experience

the vibrancy of Kings Ely in the shadow of this great Cathedral.
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The ISM is a growing membership of professional musicians who come

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20/10/2014 15:32:04
MT REPORT
Bernarr rainBow: a centenary triBute

words Kenneth Shenton
Bernarr Rainbow, born 100 years ago

this month, was perhaps one of the most
significant and influential figures involved
in music education during the second half
of the 20th Century. Lecturer, composer,
teacher, writer, examiner, editor, organist and
undoubted enthusiast, the sheer breadth
of his industry made him an inspirational
guide for countless generations of aspiring
music teachers. However, despite all the
success, hiscareer was, for the time, a most
unusualone.
the life of a vitalising force

Born in London on the 2nd October, 1914,
Bernarr Joseph George Rainbow was the
son of a cabinet maker, based at Hampton
Court Palace. Educated at Rutlish School,
Merton, while a teenager he was appointed
Organist of nearby St Jamess Church. Initially
becoming a civil servant, working in the Map
Room of the Land Registry, he also studied
part time at Trinity College of Music. While
there he came under the stern but benevolent
tutelage of that famed theoretician, William
Lovelock.
However, like so many of his generation his
seemingly effortless progress was interrupted
by the outbreak of the Second World War.
Married in 1941, by now he was a member
of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, seeing
action throughout Europe and North
Africa. Having badly injured his spine during
hostilities in Italy, he was invalided out of the
army in 1944.
That year he succeeded Hubert Crook as
Organist of the Parish Church of All Saints,
High Wycombe, also becoming Senior Music
Master at the towns Royal Grammar School.
In 1952 his outlook found a particularly
happy and expressive outlet as Director
of Music at the College of St Mark and St
John, a Church of England training college,
based in Chelsea. There he gathered around
him an influential group of music lecturers,
including Peter Dickinson, George Self and
Brian Dennis, all of whom, like Rainbow
himself, were catalysts for change. In addition
MT_1114_17_Report_Rainbow.indd 17
to moulding the creative personalities of

many ofthis countrys eminent practitioners,
Rainbow also began playing a pivotal
role in the artistic life of the wider cultural
community.
As individual in print as he was in the flesh,
over the years he contributed a wealth of
finely-written critiques and scholarly analyses
to a wide range of specialist periodicals
including The Musical Times, Music in Education
and, of course Music Teacher. More extensive
examples of his art can be found in The New
Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, the
Athlone History of Music and The New Oxford
Companion to Music. His early reputation
was forged with the publication, in 1956, of
Music in the Classroom. Eight years later came
the celebrated Handbook for Music Teachers.
Revised in 1970, it remained an essential
resource material for many years.
In the interim however, a chance discovery
of artefacts relating to two distinguished
college predecessors, Thomas Helmore and
John Hullah, led to Rainbows interest in
the social history of 19th-century music. His
resulting volume, The Land Without Music,
called for an urgent re-assessment of the title
sentiment, itself a translation of a famous
pre-war report by a German journalist. An
expansion of his doctoral dissertation formed
the basis of a further study, The Choral Revival
in the Anglican Church 18391872, published
in1967.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Rainbow
became increasingly concerned that so
much of music teaching exercised hand and
eye, while neglecting the ear. To counteract
this, he enthusiastically advocated a return
to the use of John Curwens Tonic Sol-fa
training methods. Together with his fellow
educationalist, W. H. Swinburne, they formed
The Curwen Institute to actively promote
theirideas.
When the College of St. Mark and St. John
moved to Plymouth in 1972, Rainbow himself
transferred to nearby Gipsy Hill College, later
to become part of Kingston Polytechnic.
Retirement in 1978 led to increased literary
productivity. His most comprehensive study,
Music in Educational Thought and Practice,
appeared in 1989, swiftly followed by Music
Professor Peter Dickinson, composer, writer,

pianist and chair of the Bernarr Rainbow Trust
writes:
The centenary of the leading British
authority on the history of music
education, Bernarr Rainbow (19141998)
prompts many tributes to his unique
output. Eight books in his series of
Classic Texts in Music Education have
been published by Boydell and Brewer,
including Music in Independent Schools,
edited by Andrew Morris, which includes
material from Rainbows study, Music in
the English Public School (1990) and brings
that volume up to date.
in the English Public School. He also prepared a

series of 25 classic texts on music education in
an impressive facsimile edition.
A vitalising force in so many facets of music
education, this urbane academic bestrode
the often narrow confines of his art with
consummate ease. Married for 61 years, he
died, aged 84, in March, 1998. Two years
earlier, he had endowed the annual Bernarr
Rainbow Award for School Music Teachers.
This, together with the creation of the Bernarr
Rainbow Trust means that, while we may not
see his like again, the fruits of his labours will
happily live on for many years to come.
17
20/10/2014 15:33:04
MT_1114 Ads.indd 18
17/10/2014 11:41:54
MT DIARY
CPD, COURSES & GIGS

CPD hIGhLIGhTS
RISING WITH THE TIDE MUSIC MARK
JANUARY-NOVEMBER 2015 | LEAMINGTON SPA
c.1,800 +VAT
Music Mark has recommissioned Andy

Hind of ES4S to deliver the eighth year
of Rising With The Tide, its senior
management course for music service
heads, aspiring heads of service and music
service employees seeking to refresh their
thinking and approach. The course is
structured over five two-day residential
sessions held throughout the year and
focuses on questions such as What
is intelligent leadership?, How do the
values of an authentic leader impact on
the organisation?, How can all staff offer
the most effective music sessions for all
learners? and In which ways do leaders
support a movement from improvement
to transformation?. The course also
includes online discussions and tasks
to be completed between sessions, and
is accredited by the Open University.
To register interest, email lucy.aldcroft@
musicmark.org.uk.
www.musicmark.org.uk
ISM ONE-DAY PIANO TEACHERS

WORKSHOP
23 NOVEMBER | CECIL ShARP hOUSE, LONDON
47.50
Tim Barratt and Graham Fitch lead a day

including sessions on the new ABRSM piano
syllabus; a two-hour workshop on practice
techniques including a Q&A; guidance
on running a piano studio with Lorraine
Liyanage and Frances Wilson, to cover
terms & conditions, collecting payments,
marketing and social media; and an informal
performance opportunity.
www.ism.org
LEADING A CHOIR: STARTING OUT

28 JANUARY 2015 | BLOOMSBURY BAPTIST ChURCh,
LONDON
85
Aimed at people who lead or would like

to lead any form of community singing,
including primary and secondary schools,
youth, adult and cross-generational singing
groups and choirs. The day will explore
physical and vocal warm up activities,
developing skills in directing and conducting,
and tips on effective song teaching without
the use of written music and is led by Gitika
Partington.
www.sound-connections.org.uk
MUSIC4U NATIONAL CONFERENCE

27 FEBRUARY | NATIONAL CENTRE FOR EARLY MUSIC, YORK
Music4U, which offers musical

opportunities to young people under the
age of 18 living in challenging circumstances
throughout York and the Humber and is
led by the National Centre for Early Music
in York, holds its second conference on
27 February entitled Music for Life The
Impact of Music on the Wellbeing of Deaf
Young People. Aimed at practitioners, the
conference will focus on the challenges faced
by deaf young people and how music can
promote and improve mental and emotional
wellbeing.
www.ncem.co.uk
MUSIC EDUCATION EXPO

12&13 MARCh | BARBICAN CONFERENCE CENTRE,
LONDON
FREE
The Music Education Expo, run in

association with MT, is free to attend and
offers a wide-ranging programme of CPD
opportunities, networking, performances
and workshops.
www.musiceducationexpo.co.uk
LIVE MUSIC
EFG LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL
1423 November | London
The London Jazz Festival sees jazz pop up

in venues across the city, with strands this
year looking at South African jazz musicians
and 75 years of Blue Note records. Many
dozens of performers include the funk
and hip-hop influenced Hackney Colliery
Band (15 November), guitarist Bill Frisell
celebrating the Fender Telecaster (15
November), saxophonist Trish Clowes
and the BBC Concert Orchestra (17
November), sarod player Soumik Datta (18
November), and the euphoric dance of the
House Gospel Choir (21 November).
www.efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk
OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR

STUDENTS
BBC TEN PIECES PODCASTS
ONLINE | FREE
The BBC has made the five-minute

arrangements specially recorded by the
BBC National Orchestra of Wales for its
Ten Pieces scheme available indefinitely as
MP3 podcasts.
www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/tenpieces
WIGMORE HALL VARIOUS

LONDON
The Wigmore Hall runs a programme

of family events, its regularly sold-out
Chamber Tots concerts for 12 and 35
year-olds, and For Crying Out Loud
45-minute chamber concerts for parents
and babies up to one years old, performed
by musicians from the Royal Academy of
Music. It also runs Chamber Zone, a scheme
which offers free tickets to 1825-yearolds, and composition students may be
interested in several pre-concert talks in the
new year with composers Kaija Saariaho
(14Jan), Simon Holt (19 Jan), Wolfgang
Rihm (28 February), Joey Roukens
(4March) and Julian Anderson (7 July).
www.wigmore-hall.org.uk
MT_1114_19_Diary.indd 19
19
20/10/2014 15:33:54
www.minuteoflistening.org
Minute Of Listening has
really helped our kids start
appreciating the sounds
around them and articulating
what they hear
Mary Doe, Sandringham High
A minute of listening for every

day of the school year, produced
by Sound and Music, the national
agency for new music.
Sound
and Music
MT_1114 Ads.indd 20
17/10/2014 11:09:29
MT INTERVIEW
Q&A
CAreer PAth:
197276 MA in Mathematics at St Johns
College,Cambridge
197681 Studied Violaat the Guildhall
School of Music and Drama and
the National Centre for Orchestral
Studies; trained as a teacher at the
University of London Institute of
Education; freelance viola player in
London
198186 Taught at St Marys Music School
in Edinburgh
19862000 Head of Eastbourne Regional
Music Centre, East Sussex Music
Service
2000 Head of Croydon Music and Arts
2014 Appointed chair of Music Mark
MT Graeme Smith, congratulations on
your new post. What is your absolute
priority in terms of your members
interests?
Thank you. There are two priorities. First,
Music Mark exists to enable its members to
learn and develop, especially from each other.
Much of the activity in my first few weeks
as chair has been around putting together
our annual conference. It promises to be an
extraordinary gathering of music educators.
Yes there will be presentations to interest
and stimulate delegates, but there will also
be plenty of opportunity for sharing and
contributing. For example we have an Open
Space session where members and partners
can share an initiative they are developing
speed dating for music educators! We shall
also have an absorbing debate exploring
whole class ensemble teaching.
The other priority is that Music Mark exists
to provide a voice for its members to ensure
government and other stakeholders create
the environment where music education can
flourish. It is not just about calling for more
money for music education. We need to
build a compelling case by explaining how
MT_1114_21_Q&A.indd 21
Graeme Smith is the
incoming chair of Music Mark
music education hub funding can be used

most effectively, how music services and
schools can work together, and how other
musicians and cultural organisations can
contribute. With the combined expertise of
our members, we can do that. We are calling
the final session of our conference Dear Prime
Minister. After two days exploring progression
in music education we are going to determine
the message we will give to those who wish to
form the next government. We are going to
tell them what they need to do to enable us to
provide that progression for all our children
and young people.
MT As head of Croydon Music and Arts,
are you having to plan ahead for a
possible future without government
funding?
No, we are focussed on what we do with the
funding we have. It is true that the three-year
cycle of government funding provides at least
a theoretical chance that funding will stop,
but a childs education lasts for 13 years. We
need continued funding to provide access and
progression for all. But Im not hiding my head
in the sand. Thats why I belong to Music
Mark and why I am determined that we get
our message across about all that we shall be
able to do with continued funding.
MT Music Mark must have the most

diverse membership of any professional
association for musos. Why should
potential members join up, rather than
a more specialist organisation?
From some perspectives perhaps our
membership is diverse, but what unites us is
that we are all music educators. The diversity
stems from the range of personal, social,
cultural, educational and therapeutic effects
music can have to meet the different needs of
children. Music as a form of communication
is so personal, and for young people it is a
critical part of their identity. To meet those
needs and interests we need many different
types of music educator, each making their
own contribution. But we also need to work

together effectively as a team. That is why we
need Music Mark and our network of music
services and their hub partnerships to bring
music educators together.
MT You now have a chair and a general
manager helming Music Mark, where
you used to have a chair and a chief
executive. Who now makes the strategic
decisions and responds to member
feedback?
As a membership organisation we have a
structure through our Focus Groups and our
regional music service networks to enable
members to communicate with each other
and to the board of trustees and the staff
team. Jem Shuttleworth, our general manager,
works with the board to set the strategic
priorities and the staff team ensure they are
carried out. As chair I am in regular contact
with Jem to keep up to date with the different
work streams.
Thats the formal bit. In any organisation
there is also a great deal of informal
communication which supports that process.
In Music Mark we also need to draw on the
expertise of our members, for example to
respond to a particular consultation or drive
forward a particular initiative. We aim to
harness our members expertise and give
them their voice.
MT What is Music Marks role in the

context of similar organisations and
the wider sector?
Music Mark is committed to working
collaboratively with other organisations
across the sector. We have our own distinct
perspective and will always ensure our voice is
heard, but ultimately our members interests
are best served if we can build a broad
coalition across the sector.
21
20/10/2014 15:34:52
Royal Academy of Music
teAchiNg the stArs

Melanie Spanswick asked three concert pianists how they developed
their technique
Noriko ogAwA
Satoru Mitsuta
Aiko Iguchi, who was one of the best-known

piano teachers in Japan. But probably my
biggest influence, I would say now, was from
Benjamin Kaplan, who is in London. He, very
unfortunately, passed away recently. He was
the teacher that I found by myself and I have
not been in London yet without him.
So which teacher do you think was the

most crucial in your development as a
pianist?
Right from the beginning everybody was very,
very important. Of course my mother was a
big influence for me. She was always making
sure I practised every day. So in a way I had a
tutor at home. It was Mrs Kuroda who really
taught me how to use each finger. She was
very important. Then I started with Madame
22
MT_1114_22_Spanswick.indd 22
So how old were you when you came to

London to study?
Well, I was a junior student at the Juilliard
School when I came across Benjamin Kaplan.
He was visiting New York and I was a very
difficult, frustrated student back then.
And rather cynical, because I would go to
competitions and I would always do okay but
never really, really well, because I was a very
frustrated student, not getting what I wanted.
I was not able to have any kind of magical
click with anybody at the Juilliard.
My music education was a very personal
thing, and I needed to have someone that
I could fully trust musically. And a friend
of mine said, Why dont you play for Ben
Kaplan, who is visiting New York? Not for
a very long time but you know, he might be
able to spare an hour or two for you. So I
went along to the flat where he was staying
and played to him, and I have to say it was
musical love at first sight. I knew I had found
somebody I was looking for and that it had
been well worth it for me to go all the way
to New York, even after spending years
being a frustrated student. So he found me
a scholarship in London and I came here
absolutely penniless. I had lessons as many
times as I wanted, and suddenly, after The
Leeds [International Piano Competition, in

which Ogawa came third in 1987] all the
doors opened.
What do you think is the difference
between learning the piano in Japan
compared to learning it here in the UK?
Well, the stages of my life were so different.
I was a child, a teenager when I was in Japan
and then when I came into London I was a
grown-up. So I cannot actually compare in
a very simple way. But, what I would say is
that in Japanese society you do what you are
told to do, and over here you have to find
what you have to do, and both [situations]
are easyand not easy at the same time. For
Japanese children it can be very demanding
to be giventoo many opportunities because
we areborn in to a society where you do
what you are told. If you are suddenly free
then it could be too much pressure in a very
strangeway.
For a Japanese child like I was, it was good
to have some kind of framework during my
formative years.
After your teens, it would be fantastic to
have the kind of education that the British
music world can offer to be free to think,
choose what you want to play in terms
of repertoire, to go and find for yourself
what you like to do and explore all kinds of
possibilities. Its really too much for Japanese
children, I would think. I dont want to sound
too chauvinistic about it. This kind of freedom
and the endless opportunity that weve got
in the British music world is really absolutely
fantastic its like a honey pot!
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I played for BenjamIn Kaplan and I have to

say It was musIcal love at fIrst sIght
20/10/2014 15:37:06
So, how did you develop your

technique?
Lets see. For the first couple of years, still
with my grandmother and my first teacher.
What they really concentrated on was just
getting my hands sorted. I think I could do
about a fourth or a fifth; that was about it,
and that was with my hands wide open. They
just made sure that my hands werent doing
anything that would hurt my development,
or hurt them. So I think they concentrated on
my being as relaxed in front of the instrument
as I could be. But it wasnt until I started
working with Sequeira Costa, when my hand
was already a little bit bigger, that we really
started on the correct position of the hand:
creating the support arch; making sure that
the knuckles were the highest point of the
hand; making sure that the wrists were never
blocked. So, creating strength in the hand but
not blocking the wrist, making sure the wrist
was in permanent use, and keeping the nice
circle that you have in the hand, so, you know
it doesnt look flat.
We also worked on making sure that
the thumb is loose, all that kind of thing.
This work started from age five onwards.
We didnt do the really repetitive motion
things, like the Brahms, Pischna or the Joseffy
exercises. None of those seriously repetitive,
mechanical things. We used a lot of the
various books by Czerny, from the Five-Finger
exercises and the School of Velocity to, for
example, the Daily Exercises, the ones that
repeat every two bars. Forty times, and all
that. We didnt do those so much.
Great stuff.
We did do, for example, The Art of Finger
Dexterity. That is kind of where I wound up with
the Czerny exercises. We did a lot of Clementis
Gradus ad Parnassum, the Cramer exercises and
the Clementi exercises. And that was it. Lots
of scales, lots of arpeggios, and doing scales
correctly, at the distance of octaves, thirds,
sixths and tenths. Sometimes also chromatic
Sven Arnstein
Artur PizArro
scales and the arpeggios with all the inversions.

And all of that legato, at various speeds and
dynamics and so on. The idea was that by
the time that I was ten or eleven I would have
physical command of the instrument; I would
know how to play thepiano.
Even lessons started with that scales
and arpeggios followed by your Czerny
exercises, or whatever other exercises. That
was usually the first hour of the lesson,
and then the last half hour would be little
Mozart minuets, Bach two- and three-part
inventions, slowly graduating into the French
Suites. What else did we do? Little Beethoven
sonatinas, Clementi sonatinas, slowly and
very progressively and methodically layering
technical issues and allowing my hands
togrow.
So, very much like singers: singers have
a certain age where they can start singing,
and then theres a certain age where they do
a certain repertoire, otherwise you ruin the
instrument. And we all know that singers
are hyper-aware of their instrument because
it is in their body, and theyre the only ones
If you dont layer the learnIng very carefully

not only technIcally, But musIcally so that
as a person you develop and you develop your
emotIonal output, you can cause proBlems
who have that instrument; well the hands are

our instrument, and they grow in the same
way. Our hands only really mature in our
twenties, and if you dont layer the work very
carefully not only technically, but musically
so that as a person you develop and you
develop your emotional output, you can cause
problems. And if you tackle things too soon
or too late, youre out of whack and you never
reallyrecover.
When I then started teaching, and I did a
few years at Guildhall, I saw people in their
late teens who were either doing repertoire
that was well above what they should be
doing, because they hadnt been given the
foundation to get there, or they were still
playing things like Beethoven sonatinas
because they hadnt been given enough. So,
its a tightrope, and I have to really give thanks
to the fact that everybody I worked with was a
performing musician.
Makes a huge difference!
Because youre not only teaching how to play
the instrument, youre not only teaching the
repertoire, youre also having to teach and
condition from a very early age what its like
to be on stage and prepare the repertoire
for that whether you get there or not. It is a
slightly different path, and there is a slightly
different confidence to it. And I find that the
modern separation of you either play or you
teach, very toxic.
23
20/10/2014 15:37:30
Federico colli
So which teacher do you think was
crucial in your development?
I started with a very strong Italian lady. She
was very powerful to very little children. I
studied with her until eight years of age. It
was a method with coloured notes, and I
printed them into the scores, there were a lot
of games. After the age of eight, something
changed in my life when I started to study
with Sergio Marengoni. Hes very important
in Italy and was a formal professor in Milan
Conservatory. I studied with him privately
until 16, when I did my diploma in Milan. I am
very grateful to Sergio Marengoni because
with him I understood what the base of
playing the piano is.
Did you practice studies? How did you

develop it?
We studied a lot of Bach and the Classical
repertoire, Mozart, and Beethoven. In
those years I started to think that Mozart
could be one of my favourite composers.
And also I covered a little of the Romantic
period, focusing on Schuman and Chopin
we studied a lot of Chopin. Pieces that are
necessary for a young pianist to study.
And we did a lot of technique together
a lot of Hanon, with Czerny and Cranmer
studies. It was crucial. I spent a lot of time in
front of the keyboard studying to improve my
fingers. This is bad job, but its necessary. And
after 16, I had lessons with Konstantin Bogino
and [several other] Russian teachers Boris
Petrushansky, and after the Leeds [which Colli
won in 2012], Pavel Gililov. I always say that my
Sarah Ferrara
So how did you develop your technique?

A lot of the personality and the technique I
have on the piano was given to me by Sergio
Marangoni. This was crucial. Also Konstantin
Bogino, who I met after my diploma, helped
me to develop my technique; he taught me
the very important role of the relaxation of
the body and of the hands, and with him I
realised, practically, that our body is the most
important means in order to produce the
beautiful sound.
character is half Italian, half Russian. And with

Bogino, hes the pianist of the Tchaikovsky Trio
while teaching a lot. Hes a really wonderful
teacher and his father was a legend in Russia,
writing a lot of books about how to play piano.
With Bogino, I really understood the job of
a concert pianist that it is necessary to spend
your life in front of the piano. The best time to
play in the day is from 2am until midnight all
the time is good for playing. And the music
we play should not be outside of us, but part
of our life, part of our destiny. I began taking
part in competitions to improve myself and
see what the crazy world of the competition
was like. Studying with Bogino at 16 was a
life-changing experience, and so too was when
I met Boris Petrushansky at the age of 20. And

fortunately Bogino and Petrushansky have a
very good relationship they studied together
in Moscow. You could almost say that its
impossible for Petrushansky to teach you how
to play the piano because you have to be able
to play in order to meet him! Hes a teacher
of life and imagination; with him I had the
privilege to reflect about the ideas that must
support the music. MT
The full video interviews, and nearly 40
more with top pianists, can be found in
Melanie Spanswicks Classical Conversations
series. The full series is available to view at
www.melaniespanswick.com
With Bogino, i really understood the joB of a concert pianist

that it is necessary to spend your life in front of the piano.
the Best time to play in the day is from 2am until midnight
24
20/10/2014 15:38:05
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MT_1114 Ads.indd 25
03/09/2014 11:35
17/10/2014 11:09:32
Lang Lang performs at

the launch
LEARNING WITH
LANG LANG
Can the global star of the concert platform
really inject something new into your
teaching studio? Believe it, says Fiona Lau
THE LAUNCH
Lang Lang, in partnership with Faber Music,
has released a series of technique books. He
launched them at the 1901 Arts Club on 2
September and promoted them on radio and
TV. So what is this series and why should we
pay it any attention? What will be, if any, the
Lang Lang effect?
The series consists of ve books, referred
to as levels, progressing from Grade 1 to
Grade 6. The boundaries are just a little
outside their grade equivalents: Level 1 has
some pieces nearer to Grade 2 and Level
5 has some pieces that have appeared on
Grade 6 syllabuses, for example Mussorgskys
ATear. Each book is divided into eight units
addressing different aspects of a sound
technique. As Lang Lang said at the launch,
there is nothing new here the pieces

include those from the core piano repertoire
alongside arrangements of music from
around the world. I have no doubt that if a
pupil completes each one they will have the
foundation of a very secure technique and
will probably have enjoyed the process. The
factors that make this series different from
the Czerny or Hanon editions are the personal
tips and messages from Lang Lang, illustrated
by photos of him playing. Personalisation is a
powerful tool and this generation of learners
loves a personality.
BOOK BY BOOK
Level 1s unit topics include: Exploring
the Keyboard, Developing Dexterity, and
Independent Fingers. The pieces include
LANG LANG TELLS US THAT HIS TEACHER WOULD EXPLAIN

TECHNIQUE USING IMAGERY, AND THAT LEGATO COULD
BE LIKENED TO THE SUCKERS ON A GECKOS FEET
26
MT_1114_26_Lang Lang.indd 26
an Etude by Kohler and an arrangement

of Saint-Sans The Elephant. These are set
alongside more contemporary pieces such
as Wedgwoods Mission Impossible, Bullards
Jogging Study and arrangements of Chinese
and African folk tunes (the Lantern Song and
Embrukoi respectively). There is plenty to
attract pupils and delight teachers, and of
course there are the Lang Lang tips for every
piece. I was sceptical about these; I give out
tips to my pupils and after quite a few years
of teaching I like to think that they are quite
good. However I tried some out on my pupils:
Lang Lang tells us that his teacher would
explain technique using imagery, and that
legato could be likened to the suckers on a
geckos feet. I tried this out on a pupil and
instantly his legato improved. It could be that
this simile just worked for him or it could be
that I prefaced it with Lang Lang says I also
showed my pupils the iPlayer clip of Lang Lang
playing a Chopin tude with an orange in his
right hand to demonstrate the perfect hand
shape, and sent them home with an orange
Ihate to say it but they were more impressed
than if I had just said it.
20/10/2014 15:53:26
Fiona Lau with LangLang at the launch
Mt readers discount
Get 10% off the price of all the books
in the Lang Lang Piano Academy
Mastering the Piano series. Simply
use the code MTMAG14 at the
checkout when purchasing from
www.langlangpianoacademy.com.
The offer runs from 1 to 30 November
2014 inclusive. It can be used for any
number of copies, but cannot be used in
conjunction with any other promotional
code or offer.
hoW lucky are We as piano teachers to have a role

Model Who is young, enthusiastic, Works hard at
his job and tells pupils that it is Worth it?
Level 2 is full of some of my favourite
pieces, including Schumanns Soldiers March,
and Burgmullers Arabesque. There is also
an arrangement of a Japanese lullaby and
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Level 3 has units
introducing the pedal and playing in new
keys, and includes Tchaikovskys Old French
Song, Handels Sarabande and an attractive
contrapuntal arrangement of El Condor Pasa.
Skipping on to Level 5, as mentioned there are
pieces from about Grade 46 standard and
units include: Refining the Touch, Phrasing
and Rubato and Performing all vital
topics for advanced level pianists. There are
also studies that any anthology worth its salt
contains, including Hellers Study in A flat and
Mozarts Fantasia in D minor. There is no doubt
that this is a good, well-thought through
series of technique books.
Why learn With lang lang?

When I told friends and colleagues that I was
going to the launch of Lang Langs Mastering
the Piano series and that I would meet the
man himself, there was a variety of responses,
ranging from those excited at the prospect
MT_1114_26_Lang Lang.indd 27
(Ihave probably never impressed my Chinese

family so much), to the rather derisory
reactions of self-appointed piano experts.
Well I met him, and a more charming,
self-effacing man it would be hard to find.
However, delightful as he was, that is not the
point. In these days of fewer children taking
up an instrument, the squeeze on music
in schools, parents not having the money
or desire to pay for lessons, and children
themselves giving up when instant mastery
and stardom do not materialise, we need
musicians like Lang Lang. He makes the piano
fun, he is young, he enjoys his playing and
he bothers with piano education. He does
not confine himself to giving master classes
to the upper echelons of the worlds piano
students, but sets up academies, involves
children in mass duet playing and writes
books for beginner pianists. He performs at
the Roundhouse, plays the flashiest version
of Mozarts Alla Turca I have heard in a while,
does the odd encore on an iPad and goes on
The One Show. And why not?
Sometimes we get far too precious and
uppity about classical music and forget that
music is supposed to be, among other things,
enjoyable. Nigel Scaife, director of syllabus
at ABRSM, opined that there is room for

everyone; the Alfred Brendels and the Lang
Langs of the piano world. In sport we have
Mo Farah and David Rudisha, each bringing
different things to athletics, and this is what
we are fortunate enough to have in the piano
world. How lucky are we as piano teachers to
have a role model who is young, enthusiastic,
works hard at his job and tells pupils that it is
worth it? Get over the snootiness and thank
your lucky stars that there is such a positive
role model around, one who comes off the
concert circuit and says yes, you can do it too,
its hard work but look what fun we can have,
and heres how to do it.
So, I like the books. Whats not to like? Life
is all the better for a bit of stardust. MT
Mastering the Piano, Levels 15 from the Lang
Lang Piano Academy are published by Faber Music,
and cost between 8.99 and 9.99
www.langlangpianoacademy.com
www.langlang.com)
27
20/10/2014 15:54:35
SyllabuS uSer GuideS:
TriniTy ColleGe london
We asked ex-MT editor and Trinity College Londons Head of Qualifications

(Music) Chris Walters to describe the rationale behind the boards new
piano syllabus
Trinity College London (TCL) has just released
a brand new piano syllabus for 2015-2017.
This article will take you through the various
features and innovations of this new syllabus,
as well as providing an insight into TCLs
approach to syllabus development. We will
take each section of the exam one by one,
beginning with pieces.
a
o
a
f
a
PIECES
In common with other boards, candidates
are required to perform three pieces, but the
way these are grouped in the piano syllabus
is unique to Trinity. At Initial, Grade 1, Grade
2 and Grade 3 there are no groups at all,
meaning that candidates can choose freely
from the whole list. At Grades 48 there are
two groups A and B and candidates must
choose at least one piece from each list to
make a total of three pieces.
Within this flexible structure, candidates
are encouraged to offer balanced
programmes. This can be achieved in a
number of ways a tried-and-tested approach
is to select pieces from different musical
periods, but it may also be possible to think in
terms of contrast of mood/character, tempo,
key and also technical demands. Even at the
higher grades, where candidates are required
to select from two groups, the flexibility
offered by these groups allows a candidate to
present a programme of, for example, entirely
Baroque and Classical pieces if they feel they
have particular strengths in these fields.
Of course, we are keen to encourage all
Nancy Litten (left) and Clare Clements

perform at the syllabus launch
students to study and experience a whole

range of musical styles and idioms. However,
our aim as an exam board is not to prescribe
a teaching curriculum but to give ample
opportunity for all candidates to have a
sufficiently wide-rangingchoice of repertoire
when it comes to presenting their strongest
facets in the exam.
In the 20152017 piano syllabus,
cornerstones of the repertoire are combined
with works by less-well-known composers,
with the less familiar works always falling
within the bounds of recognisable, accessible
styles. The earliest works are taken from the
collection The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book,
and at the other end of the timescale we
have included pieces that have been written
especially for this syllabus and, as such, are

previously unpublished. At the lower grades
there are arrangements of non-piano pieces
in both classical and popular styles, selected
not only for their attractiveness and musical
accessibility but also for their pianistic and
pedagogical appropriateness.
The choice to perform a duet has been a
notable feature of Trinitys Initial piano exam
for some time. This feature has now been
extendedto Grade 1, and the 20152017
syllabus has two duets listed at this level as
well as three at Initial. To perform these duets
in the exam, candidates may bring a teacher,
family member or friendinto the exam with
them, and at Initial it is also permissible to
perform the primo part unaccompanied
OuR AIm AS AN ExAm bOARd IS NOT TO PRESCRIbE A TEACHINg CuRRICuLum buT TO gIvE
AmPLE OPPORTuNITy fOR ALL CANdIdATES TO HAvE A SuffICIENTLy WIdERANgINg CHOICE
Of REPERTOIRE WHEN IT COmES TO PRESENTINg THEIR STRONgEST fACETS
28
MT_1114_28_TCL Piano User Guide.indd 28
c
t
t
h
t
t
s
i
p
i
T
i
o
e
b
i
t
a
A
p
o
s
20/10/2014 17:25:22
as a solo item. Apart from the fun element

of preparing and performing a duet, such
an activity can provide an excellent vehicle
for developing listening skills and ensemble
awareness.
Another feature unique to Trinity is that
candidates can choose to perform one of
their own compositions in place of any of the
three pieces specied at any grade. The focus
here is on assessing the performance rather
than the quality of the piece, but the hope is
that candidates will feel encouraged to bring
something of their own musical personality
into the exam and gain recognition for
performing it. The syllabus contains more
information on this option.
TECHNICAL WORK
The Trinity approach to technical work for piano
is to ask candidates to prepare a limited number
of scales and arpeggios and three technical
exercises. This way, a range of technical skills can
be tested while also offering variety and some
interesting materials for teaching and learning.
At Initial, for example, scales and broken
triads (a smaller reach than a full arpeggio)
are asked in the keys of C major and A minor.
Alongside this, candidates are offered three
pairs of exercises and are asked to prepare
one from each pair. Each pair tests something
specic from the following options:
tone, balance and voicing
co-ordination
MT_1114_28_TCL Piano User Guide.indd 29
TRINITYS AURAL TESTS ARE DESIGNED TO TEST

CANDIDATES MUSICAL PERCEPTION, NO SINGING
IS REQUIRED, EXCEPT AT INITIAL
nger and wrist strength and exibility.
In the exam, candidates choose which of their
prepared exercises to perform rst, with the
examiner selecting the second.
This format applies all the way up to Grade
8, where a range of scales are asked alongside
the three exercises. Throughout the grades,
the exercises are given engaging titles and
written in a range of attractive styles. They are
relatively short and manageable to prepare,
ranging from a few bars at Initial to two or
three lines at Grade 8.
SUPPORTING TESTS
TCL offers considerable choice in its range of
supporting tests. Four tests are offered: aural,
sight reading, musical knowledge (Initial to
Grade 5 only) and improvising. At Initial to
Grade 5 candidates can choose any two; at
Grades 6-8 candidates must choose sight
reading and can choose between aural and
improvising for their second test.
Trinitys aural tests are designed to test
candidates musical perception based on a
single extract performed by the examiner at the
piano. No singing is required, except at Initial,
where candidates are asked to sing onenote.

Improvising is an option well suited to
candidates who enjoy demonstrating their
creativity. A choice of three different stimuli
is offered: chordal, rhythmic and melodic.
Candidates choose their preferred stimulus
and respond with an improvisation that
should aim to be uent, coherent and
creative. Stimuli vary from a few notes at
Initial to something more complex as the
grades go up.
Musical knowledge is a test of candidates
understanding of the repertoire they have
chosen to perform in the exam, as well as
their knowledge of their own instrument.
Candidates can choose which piece they
would like to be asked questions about rst,
with the examiner choosing a second piece.
More information on this option, and on
all supporting test options, can be found in
thesyllabus.
To summarise, Trinitys piano syllabus aims
to offer high level of exibility and the freedom
of choice to enable candidates to play to their
strengths. Were always pleased to hear from
teachers with feedback or suggestions for
future syllabuses get in touch by emailing
music@trinitycollege.com. MT
29
21/10/2014 12:45:26
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15/01/2014 16:15:35
17/10/2014 11:14:58
SyllabuS uSer GuideS:
abrSM
MTs piano correspondent Fiona Lau takes us through ABRSMs

201516 syllabus
AppeArAnces
So here it is, and for those of you who do not
yet have one of the new books in your hands,
its a rather contemporary shade of green
this year and features a boy on the front. Also
the photocopier dragon has been replaced
with a simpler hand stop sign icon. I am not
sure about the decision to put all the titles
in their original language at the top with the
English buried at the bottom as a footnote...
On the upside; recordings have been done by
junior students at the RCM, ABRSM scholars,
leading concert performers and examiners,
rather than just concert pianists much more
realistic and ecumenical.
pace, with the birdcatcher song from The

Magic Flute at Grade 2, some folk-songs, and
a delicious arrangement by Dave Stapleton of
Over the Rainbow (Grade 6).
FAvouriTes
There are also many pieces that our pupils
will love to play, that examiners will have to
listen to day in, day out, and that we should
put on our favourites list to be pulled out
when a pupil needs motivating, needs fun
or wants a cracker of a piece for a concert
or a competition. Im thinking of Calypso
Joe (Grade1), March of the Geese, (Grade 2),
StormyCoast, and Moody Prawn Blues (Grade
3), Indian Pony Race, (Grade 4), and Carousel,
(Grade 7).
The pAnorAmic view

During the launch, at Yamaha Music London,
Tim Barratt (co-author of the piano syllabus)
said that this ABRSM syllabus was possibly
the best we have ever done and that ABRSM
is seeking to reflect that they examine all over
the world in this truly international syllabus,
with pieces from composers in Norway,
Brazil, China, Lithuania, Catalonia and the
Czech Republic. There do seem to be more
contemporary pieces included, by composers
very much alive and kicking, but there are
also some tunes that we know, re-appearing
like old friends, including Clementis Allegro
(Grade 3), Handels Harmonious Blacksmith,
(Grade 8) and Burgmullers LOrage (Grade
5). The arrangements trend is still gathering
iF you liked ThAT you will like This

These are pieces by a composer or in a similar
style, to ones your pupils might have already
played at the previous grade from the current
syllabus. Grade 1: if they have played and
enjoyed Boating Lake for their Prep Test, it
will be a small step up to tackle The Song of
the Birds, as it flows from hand to hand and
has a beautiful melody. Grade 2: Grade 1
pupils who liked the Minuet in G have another
minuet, in C this time, or if they went for the
Lullaby in the current list, they might enjoy
another one by the Lithuanian composer
Neugasimov. Grade 3: Those who loved
Watts Strange Things Happen at Grade 2,
There Are so mAny riches AT GrAde 8,

GeT The cd And enjoy lisTeninG
To Them All
MT_1114_31_ABRSM User Guide.indd 31
might want to improve their swing with Moody

Prawn Blues, or teach your Grade 3 pupil to
play the Grade 1 Clementi Arietta, as well as
his Grade 3 Allegro. Grade 4: In the Shed will
appeal to those who have played Blue Sky Blues
(current Grade 3). Grade 5: The imaginative
The Sun is Setting, could be followed by LOrage.
Grade6: Pupils who enjoyed the physicality
of the current grade 5 Beethoven Minuet in D
can learn his Minuet and Trio. Grade 7: If you
have a pupil whos tackling the List A Scarlatti
sonata, you can teach them about Scarlattis
style via the grade 3 Minuet (A3). Likewise,
there are Bach, Schumann and Mozart pieces
available all through the syllabus. In doing
this, pupils will appreciate and learn about
style, improve their sight-reading and prepare
for their aural tests.
A quick Tour
Grade 1
The easiest List A piece is the Clementi Arietta;
it is practically in one hand position all the
way through. The Haydn Minuet will suit
those who want a bit more sophistication
and older teachers will enjoy The Lincolnshire
Poacher as we all sang it in school! B2 and
3 are both lovely and well within Grade 1
parameters, while The Rocking Horse is a bit
more challenging but enormous fun. Calypso
Joe is very appealing but do check out The
Giants Coming as it is not as difficult as it looks
on the page.
Grade 2
Cantabile (A3) is spread over two pages but
is probably the easier piece in this list. B1
and B3 are wonderfully imaginative while B2
introduces a very simple Alberti bass under a
gentle melody lovely and very evocative. In
the C list Im an Old Cowhand and March of the
Geese are both characterful and Hammonds
On the Ball is fun too.
31
20/10/2014 17:26:32
Grade 3
We will probably all enjoy teaching the
Clementi Allegro and use it as a basis for
other opus 36 pieces, and you might enjoy
the inclusion of The Bonny Grey Eyd Morn
just make sure you sort out the Scotch snaps
and ornaments! A Stormy Coast is a glorious
example of a piece that sounds harder than
it is a great one to impress non-pianist
friends with. Ditto B5, Witches Dance. List C is
chockfull of delights: Moody Prawn, Cotton Reel,
Melancholy and Foxtrot II.
Grade 4
Bachs Invention No. 1 is always a piece I
would teach, but not all pupils will be able
to manage it at Grade 4 so do look at the
Hummel and Kirnberger. Schumann for B3
is probably the most well-known piece, but it
isnt an easy option consider the charming
Lullaby for a Doll (B1). Indian Pony Race and In
32
MT_1114_31_ABRSM User Guide.indd 32
the Shed will probably appeal to your pupils

the most so learn them now! However the
Prokoev and the Chapple are also very
enjoyable.
delicious pieces in it and it will be hard to

choose. In list C Long Deng Diao looks the most
fun with downward arpeggiando effects, but
Over the Rainbow is sumptuous.
Grade 5
I intend to try very hard to convince all my
grade 5 pupils to play the Bach or the Dussek
in list A, and in List B LOrage will suit pupils
with a sense of the dramatic, or the Glier for
those who prefer a calmer performance. An
Evening in the Village is great to teach as it has
sections (makes life easier) and it is also an
example of Bartk at his most melodic. 60s
Swing and Sweet Mister Jelly Roll are the fun
choices from list C.
Grade 7
I love the Handel and the Mozart but the
Handel might be better for those with
smaller hands. The book list B pieces are
great but consider the alternative Liszt and
Mendelssohn works core piano repertoire.
Carousel (better for smaller hands) and Canope
are bound to be popular choices.
Grade 6
Mozarts Allegro will be the one we all know,
but the Beethoven is great (remember to
turn the page to the Trio!). List B has some
Grade 8
So many riches here Bach, Beethoven,
Chopin and Grieg and the most delicious
Tchaikovsky Nocturne. Get the CD and enjoy
listening to them all and then consider your
pupil and their strengths as choices are
made. MT
21/10/2014 12:42:03
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17/10/2014 11:09:38
The Wales International

Academy of Voices
director Dennis ONeill
MAKING STARS
The Wales International Academy of Voice is back on
the up a self-sustaining elite institution with links all
over the world. Simon Rees interviewed its director,
Dennis ONeill
The Wales International Academy of Voice (WIAV)
occupies a pleasant Victorian villa on a leafy Cardiff
side street. This former manse is the latest home
of the Academy, which spent several years working
from the premises of the Cardiff Masonic Lodge.
The new address is a reminder the Academy has
operated under the aegis of two universities, rst
of all Cardiff University, and now the University of
Wales Trinity St David, Carmarthen.
34
MT_1114_34_Wales Int Academy.indd 34
Dennis ONeill, why did the Academy

leave Cardiff University?
I cant really talk about the cessation of our
relationship with Cardiff University. Lets
just say that the arrangement didnt go as
well as Id hoped. However, on the day of the
announcement that wed left Cardiff University,
I got a call from the University of Wales and they
were very persuasive in inviting me to link up
with Trinity St David. Although they are based
in Carmarthen, it was the obvious choice to

continue to house the Academy in Cardiff, and
we were lucky enough to be able to nd new
premises after our stay at the Masonic Lodge.
Why was it important that the Academy
remained in Wales?
Im Welsh, and this is the Academys natural
home. The way Trinity St David has supported
us in every sense has been extraordinary.
Weve seen the fruits of our alumnis success
already, with several former students already
taking up roles in major opera houses.
Another opportunity we have here in Cardiff
is for students to attend dress rehearsals at
Welsh National Opera. As a member of the
WNO board, I approached the company
and asked for this access, which of course is
available to other music students in Cardiff
as well. WNO is an important company, and
one which I have sung with throughout my
whole career. The Wales Millennium Centre is
a wonderful theatre, and its an excellent place
for singers to get the chance to watch the
rehearsal process.
20/10/2014 16:00:16
H
c
a
f
W
f
h
o
i
i
T
w
a
a
p
u
m
h
find it. The Academy breaks even, Im glad to

say, and that is in a great part thanks to our
major sponsors. These include our honorary
president Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, who has
been very generous in supporting students
financially, particularly those from New
Zealand. We also have a very active friends
society, which helps to raise funds both for
the Academy and for our students.
Gareth Everett/ Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd, Cardiff
someone in london once advised me that you have to

be realistic in seeking funding for your projects: no
one is going to die for lack of a singing bursary!
How is the Academy coping with the

current funding situation, and what
advice would you give to institutions
facing funding withdrawal?
We are always on the lookout for scholarships
for students, and I have to say that funders
have been very generous. Someone in London
once advised me that you have to be realistic
in seeking funding for your projects: no one
is going to die for lack of a singing bursary!
There are so many demands on the people
who are in a position to help, that when funds
are limited you find yourself in a queue with
all the other requests for money. Another
piece of advice I was given was that youre
unlikely to persuade anybody to give you
money from scratch: the potential willingness
has to be there, and you have to go out and
And does WIAV have a structured giving

strategy?
Like many arts charities and educational
institutions, we organise our sponsors into
levels according to the sponsorship they
are able to give: benefactors at 500 per
year, patrons at 1,000 per year, and other
opportunities for corporate sponsorship and
bequests.
What proportion of the students come
from the UK, and where are the others
drawn from?
The UK students make up about a quarter of
the student body, and in one year we might
have between 12 and 24 students doing
the one-year MA course in Advanced Vocal
Studies. Australasia is very important to us:
it is somewhere I have frequently sung, and
our connection through Dame Kiri is a strong
one. Singers from Australia and New Zealand
often feel that in order to have a long-term
singing career they will have to leave home and
find work in the UK, elsewhere in Europe, or
in the USA. But they are not the only students
who come from overseas: we regularly take
students from China and Japan, and this year
we have students coming from Ukraine and
Spain. Another thing that has put Cardiff on
the map internationally is the biannual BBC
Cardiff Singer of the World Competition,
which has launched so many singers from all
What makes a star is this: you think of tWenty

pails, each containing a different skill, and you
have to have a drop from every single pail
MT_1114_34_Wales Int Academy.indd 35
over the world, and which continues to draw

attention.
What are the aims of the WIAV one-year
MA course?
What Im looking for when Im selecting
students, and sometimes its a gut feeling, is a
singer who has everything. The whole package
includes vocal skills, acting ability, stage
presence, musicianship and rapport with the
public. The conductor Henry Lewis, who was
married at one time to the great American
mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne, once said that
what makes a star is this: you think of twenty
pails, each containing a different skill, and you
have to have a drop from every single pail. I
look for singers with potential, without any
obvious important weaknesses. Sometimes I
find that they come on this course at a slightly
earlier stage than youd want, but at whatever
stage they enter it, when they finish this course
they can see for themselves that they have
progressed.
And what potential is there for the
Wales International Academy of Voice to
expand further?
We are trapped in a way because we cant
expand in numbers. It is important that
the students see the principal teachers here
once a week, working with them individually.
This is a different system from that of the
conservatoires, with whom we dont compete.
Its hand-made, one-to-one. However, I would
on the other hand like to exchange students
with other academies and become better
known in Europe. That would be exciting.
Our main goal is to keep standards high, and
improve them as much as we possibly can.
What drew you to teaching, after such a
long and successful career as an operatic
tenor?
Teaching is something of a calling. It should
never be something to fill the gaps. It is such
a responsibility scarily so, at times. You are
asking someone to follow your instructions, and
youve got to make sure that the instructions are
right for the singer you are teaching. MT
35
20/10/2014 16:00:53
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09/10/2014 10:42
17/10/2014 11:09:40
Are we teAching
theory wrong?
Grade 5 Theory is not a barrier, but a door to musical
understanding, and nothing less than distinctions all
round is acceptable, argues Pamela Rose
The mark of our success as music teachers
is the creation of independent musicians, an
independence born of understanding that
enables a deep and lifelong enjoyment ofmusic.
How can we best foster this
understanding?
Many students, especially those with
good aural and kinaesthetic skills, play by
MT_1114_37_Theory.indd 37
copying without understanding. I see it often

in students who come to me for aural and
theory lessons. Although these are often our
most musical students, they are often hardpushed to function happily in orchestras or
ensembles where comprehending the score
is imperative. They can have great difficulty
in learning new music by themselves and
their sight reading is poor. The consequences

are lamentable at every level. I realise it
is a complex issue, but can it be without
significance that the proportion of UK players
in the European Union Youth Orchestra has
fallen from 50% in 1976 to 10% in 2014?
As with most music theory exams, the
essential and laudable purpose of ABRSMs
Grade 5 Theory is to ensure that students
acquire understanding. The higher ABRSM
practical exams require a pass at Grade 5
Theory (or a pass in a recognised equivalent
qualification), but sadly, ABRSM statistics
reveal that not enough students are passing
Grade 5 Theory.
37
20/10/2014 16:02:19
Are your students teaching

themselves theory from books?
Why not let them see it, hear it
and play it?
Aiming high
Each year in the UK, approximately 21,000
candidates sit the ABRSM Grade 5 Theory
exam, of which approximately 3,000
candidates fail. In 2013, 15.5% of ABRSM
Grade 5 Theory candidates failed and
only 10.4% passed with distinction. This is
woeful. These statistics dont explore the
number of Grade 5 practical candidates
who do not sit Grade 5 Theory, which is
approximately one third.
It is widely believed that a spread of grades
is the mark of a good exam. The point I wish
to make is that a wide spread here is neither
desirable nor necessary. Lets firstly look at
teaching. This is a theory examinationfor
which past papers are available, with answers.
The questions asked are always a similar
format. It should be averagely expectable for
any music teacher to predict how a student
will fare and ensure they are performing to a
distinction standard before sitting the exam. I
say this because I believe that only distinction
standard illustrates the level of understanding
necessary for the student to develop as an
independent musician.
Secondly, while a wide spread of grades
may be the mark of a good exam when it is a
gateway to limited places, for example, when
it comes to university entrance, I think that
everyone should pass Grade 5 Theory with

the highest achievable score. This should also
ensure that they are maximising their capacity
for understanding.
WhAts going Wrong?

My experience is that students fail Grade 5
Theory because of the attitude towards it and
teaching of it. As Grade 5 Theory is not part
of the curriculum, schools are less inclined to
fund it and their Grade 5 theory results are
often not revealed. Is this lack of transparency
intended to disguise inadequate teaching?
In one situation I know of, an independent
school has a 50% failure rate and the
headmaster does not know.
In another independent school students
are told they need only scrape a pass at 66%
in order to progress to the higher grades. Of
the students who passed, they all achieved
between 66% and 70%, apart from one who
had come to me for lessons and achieved 97%.
Such attitudes are common towards
Grade 5 Theory and, I believe, miss the whole
point of its intention to develop a deeper
understanding of music.
Many private teachers simply prefer to
leave theory teaching to someone else, and
some will only teach up to Grade 4 in order to
avoid it.
grAde 5 theory is more thAn A certificAted door to

the higher prActicAl grAdes its An opportunity
to help music students evolve into fully
independent And comprehending musiciAns
38
MT_1114_37_Theory.indd 38
WhAt cAn We do?

Grade 5 theory is more than a certificated
door to the higher practical grades its an
opportunity to help music students evolve
into fully independent and comprehending
musicians and if we do not approach it in
a musical way we are denying them this
opportunity.
Studies show that we learn most effectively
from a real teacher with a passion for the
subject. Despite this, music theory is most
often taught from text, whether out of a book
or online. This is demonstrably the most
ineffective way to teach musicians.
It is not uncommon to find students
reading theory books countless times without
musical understanding. Far better to hear it,
see it and play it while having it explained by a
real teacher with a love of the subject.
Musicians learn most effectively in
three main ways aurally, kinaesthetically
and visually. When music theory is taught
simultaneously in these three ways, students
will connect their understanding to their
own music. This connection fosters musical
independence.
The ABRSM is under pressure to remove
the Grade 5 Theory requirement for the
higher grades by teachers who say that
more students would continue with their
instrumental studies if they didnt have to pass
the exam.
I believe it would be better to take on
the challenge of teaching Grade 5 Theory
in the spirit of its conception to give our
students a life-long understanding of music
and transform them into independent
musicians. MT
20/10/2014 17:28:53
137 years of internationally

respected music exams
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New syllabuses for piano, woodwind, jazz woodwind, electronic keyboard, brass
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Our heritage and recognition weve been assessing in music since 1877 and our exams are
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Our teacher support we hold events all over the world and offer free teaching resources,
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Our examiners our exams are assessed by a panel of friendly examiners who are rigorously
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To find out more visit
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17/10/2014 11:36:54
CARDIFF SERVICE
RISES TO THE
CHALLENGE
Anita Holford reports on

the state of play for music
services in Wales, and how
one music service has faced
local authority cuts head on
Being a music teacher isnt easy at the
moment, but if youre working in Wales, the
situation is grim. In many areas, work for
peripatetic teachers and others working in
schools has reduced or dried up altogether.
As a result, primary teachers are receiving
little or no support with music, and secondary
teachers are facing a sharp decline in the
number of young people whove had the
opportunity to learn an instrument during
primary school.
The local authority cuts of the last few
years have simply sped up a process thats
MT_1114_41_Welsh Bleak.indd 41
been ongoing since the Welsh Government

stopped funding music services directly ten
years ago, passing the allocation on to local
authorities and removing ring-fencing.
With massive decits in most local
authorities, music services have either closed
(Powys), or had to lay off staff, vastly reduce
support or increase charges to schools and
parents (for example Gwent, Pembrokeshire
and Flintshire). In Conwy, core funding of
257,000 in 2010/11 is likely to be reduced
to 59,850 by 2017/18; in Gwent, two of
the four local authorities that supported the
service withdrew their funding (all except a

hardship bursary fund and a small amount for
music centres). Most are anticipating further
cuts, and some are facing closure. The latest
casualty is Rhondda Cynon Taf, with the local
authority announcing last month it is to close
the service by the end of the academic year.
Despite a high-prole campaign in
2006 from music educators and musicians
including Bryn Terfel and Super Furry
Animals, and a music education review by the
Welsh Government in 2010, theres been little
or no progress.
In some areas, new organisations are
forming to plug gaps and nd different
sources of funding. One of these, The Glam,
was launched recently with a fundraising
concert by ex-members of the former
Glamorgan and Mid-Glamorgan Youth
Orchestras and Choirs, aged between 30 and
74. It is now continuing to raise money for
youth music projects.
In Cardiff, one half of the music service
Music Development Cardiff (MDC) looked
set to become another casualty. Last March,
the council announced it was to delegate 100
per cent of the music services funding to 67
primary schools in the most economically
disadvantaged areas in the city. There was to
be no ring fencing, so schools could choose
to spend the money how they wished. As this
was the sole source of funding for MDC, it
was a potentially terminal blow.
Until that time, the service had been one
of the more fortunate in Wales. The Council
had continued to honour the level of funding
(172,800) that the Welsh Government had
previously provided to each music service.
This funded all of MDCs work largely whole
class activity in schools, targeting young
people with the least opportunity.
The rest of the music service mainly oneto-one or small group instrumental teaching
in schools, and orchestras/ensembles out of
school was funded largely through fees from
parents topped up with a small amount of the
central funding. When the cuts hit, this part of
the service was forced to become completely
self-funding which has resulted in the
familiar story of services being accessible only
to those whose parents can afford them.
In the meantime, Emma Coulthard, head
of MDC, and her team were faced with losing
their jobs and their services to schools, or
rising to the challenge. She says: We had to
just get out there and really understand what
41
20/10/2014 16:07:47
our customers needed. And then we had to

work faster and smarter than ever before.
SucceSS in SchoolS: dont turn up

with a menu
Emma contacted all 67 schools to arrange
meetings not an easy task, as many were
dealing with multiple deprivation factors and
struggling with lack of resources.
Sometimes we managed to get a meeting
at other times it was just a phone call, she
remembers. Our opening questions were
usually, How do you feel about music in
your school? What would you like it to look
like? How can we help? It was a matter of
spending the time finding out from them what
was going to work for their school. Then Id
give an outline of our provision, but always
keep an open mind they often came up
with new ideas. So its never about going to
the head with a menu of services and asking:
which one do you want?.
An important part of the approach has
been to focus discussions on whats on the
headteachers mind and as Emma says That
probably isnt music. So we research what
theyre dealing with by keeping up to date
with policy, and being in tune with education.
Sallie Maclennan works

with MDC students
teachers to feel more confident about music,

modelling behaviour and skills that teachers
can build on, and inspiring both teachers and
pupils.
This part of the work has included
performing rock assemblies in schools
(in one case, resulting in a hard-pressed
headteacher booking weekly sessions for
all Key Stage 2 pupils), running African
drumming sessions for staff, and running
school choirs and orchestras.
what did SchoolS want?

Emma found that schools wanted a diverse
range of services and outcomes. Some
were struggling with delivering the music
curriculum with teachers who werent music
specialists so the teams job was to provide
the music curriculum in the short term, upskill
staff and build their confidence.
With others, the starting point was
finding out what resources the
school already had including
teachers who had musical skills
and instruments available in the
school. In all cases, the team
tried to base their work around
the instruments a school already
had, suggesting low cost top up
instruments where necessary, like
ukuleles and djembe drums.
One of our long term aims is
to empower schools and build
capacity within them, says
Emma. And thats about helping
42
MT_1114_41_Welsh Bleak.indd 42
a crowd-funded Service and

increaSed activity
In March 2014, 18 months after MDCs
budget was delegated to schools, the 67th
school signed up. The team has secured more
than 270,000 worth of tuition (105,000 in
addition to the original devolved budget), has
increased revenue by 38%, protected jobs and

created six new teaching posts.
In one of the most successful examples,
a school that receives 5,000 of devolved
funding has added an extra 8,700 from its
own funds to create an annual music budget
of 13,700.
In a typical week, MDC now has 23 tutors
delivering to thousands of children. There
are 27 schools learning ukulele, resulting in
1,500 pupils having an instrumental lesson
for the first time, and other provision includes
recorder, guitar clubs, folk ensemble, class
orchestra, iPad composition, GCSE and BTEC
support, djembe, samba, steel pans and
school singing.
It was recently confirmed that MDC will
be moved to the core of schools work within
the Council, the Schools Improvement Team.
Emma concludes: With the knowledge weve
gained from deep listening to schools, and by
focusing on our core values, weve
ended up with a stronger, more
robust service. MT
The Cardiff Summer

Harp Festival
Anita Holford is a writer and

communications practitioner
specialising in working with music
education and community arts
organisations.
The ISM has recently announced
that it will be spearheading a
campaign to protect music education
in Wales visit the ISM website or
search #protectmusicwales on Twitter.
20/10/2014 16:08:32
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This all singing, all dancing website provides lots of digital resources,
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curriculum of music-making during a term or the year. ibooks will be
launched in January supporting Grade 1 preparation for ABRSM, TCL
or London College of Music. These include aural, sight reading and
piece preparation activities.
Unrestricted access to all the pieces and aural materials in the
website for one year, plus thecontinuing professional development
material, is available for just 49.99. One years subscription to taking
your piano teaching diploma is 24.99 (including access to all the
Grade 6 pieces on the website). Theres also one years subscription
where you pay as you go for just the pieces and materials you want.For
any piano teacher this portfolio of resources can enhance teaching for
themselves and their students. Its superb!
MT_1114_45_Ideas Bank.indd 45
Yohondo teaching tips. Search for Yohondo on YouTube for

some ideas in teaching the ABRSM piano syllabus. Other, paidfor resources from Yohondo can be found at http://yohondo.com
Paul Harris examination materials. You can now download
Paul Harriss ATeachers Guide to Sight Reading from the
Faber website for free. The guide works in conjunction with
Harris series Improve your Sight Reading. Available for most
instruments, the books cost from 5.50 each.
Backing tracks on Pinterest. Google Pinterest, backing tracks
for scales and enjoy!
ABRSM teacher support materials. Visit http://gb.abrsm.org/en/
exam-support/useful-links-for-teachers for videos relating to exams,
lesson plans, a whole range of useful articles about music
teaching and back issues of Libretto magazine. In addition there
is Perform, Record, Share! a platform for students to record
performances of ABRSM exam pieces and publish video or
audio tracks to ABRSMs website.
ABRSMs sound junction. www.soundjunction.org/default.aspa
provides videos, sound clips and written information on
general music topics. You can also create your own music in the
composing and remix section.
TCLs teacher support materials. Visit http://support.trinitycollege.
co.uk for videos, recordings of exam pieces, backing tracks,
training on the improvisation and musical knowledge
supporting test and details about the new Music Track exams.
You can also register for free to get access to TCLs Moodle site,
which contains additional articles and support materials from
key music educators.
45
20/10/2014 16:09:20
music exams: a studentfocussed aPProach
Words: Karen Marshall
Across the UK thousands of music exams are

taken each year. How can we use them most
effectively for our students music education?
Here are some things to consider before
embarking on the exam:
Does the student want to do the exam?
Do they have time to commit to it?
What is the benefit? What will be achieved
by the examination above what could
be achieved though alternatives such
as festivals, concerts, a well-planned
curriculum or even your own teacher
exam designed just for that student.
Does the student cope in a pressurised
environment?
Pick the right examination for the

student
Using a variety of examination boards and
their broadest offering can be very positive for
different students. We should also be aware
of gifted students who may need to do an
examination with high demands. Likewise,
students with learning disabilities may need
examinations that avoid areas of assessment
that they struggle with. Do contact the exam
board to see what adaptions (reasonable
access) can be made for special needs students.
Wider exam oPtions

Music Medals (ABRSM). The teacher
films, assess and administers the
examination, which can be taken within
an eight-week period. Exam nerves are
minimised and theres easier content here:
46
s
P
one solo piece, one ensemble piece and

one supporting test (choosing from sight
reading or various improvisation and
listening activities). Music Medal books
include attractive, fun repertoire. Also do
look at the Performance Assessment a
good alternative to the graded music exam
for adult learners.
London College of Music Recital
Examinations. Play any four pieces of the
syllabus for that particular grade and do
one supporting test (viva or sight-reading)
or a fifth piece. This gives the flexibility to do
a whole program of jazzy pieces, or in some
grades, film music. Perfect for students who
will only play music that they like!
TCL grades. There are fewer scales here
than with ABRSM and more flexibility in
supporting tests and piece selection. Its
possible to avoid sight reading up to Grade
6 and choose improvisation instead of aural
tests for all grades. In early grades (Initial to
Grade 3) students can pick any combination
of pieces on the list, and later grades also
provide a very wide choice of styles. Trinity
Performance Certificate examinations (at
three levels) are also worth considering
along with Music Tracks (for group lessons).
Duet and Ensemble examinations. All
boards provide these and students love
doing them. They can be highly motivational.
Do also check out Rock Schools group
examinations for popular instruments.
teaching the examination material

musically
If you are teaching a grade over a large period
of time, there will be many opportunities to

weave in a musical approach.
Let them try a wide range of pieces in the
syllabus. Many on the list appear in core
repertoire books that you or your students
may already have, so you dont have to use
the exam book in the beginning stages.
Include other repertoire (not on the
examination syllabus) that complements
the examination pieces. An easier piece
by the same composer (to experience the
style) or a different composer might allow
the student to practice the same skills
needed for the exam piece. In addition, try
to include one very easy fun piece per week
to improve sight-reading.
Set the scales linked to the pieces you
are teaching that also appear in the
syllabus. Provide a copy of the cycle of
fifths and play scales that relate to each
other. Children can enjoy marking scales
they know off a cycle of fifths chart. Set
improvisation activities using the scales
being studied. Record a chord sequence on
the students mobile phone that they can
improvise over using the scales they are
learning.
Set a range of aural activities using the
pieces they are learning. Most examination
pieces have recordings on YouTube. Ask
students to listen to exam pieces they
will be studying and try some of these
activities: marking the pulse and identifying
the time signature; describing the tempo,
dynamics and phrasing of a piece; stopping
a video after a few bars and singing
back the melody thats just been heard;
Identifying the style and period of the piece
they are listening to.
T
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i
20/10/2014 16:09:51
a
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song-writing at
primary scHool
Words: Tom Veck
The idea of writing a song with a class of

children can be daunting for even the most
confident of songwriters, let alone someone
with limited musical experience. However,
there are many benefits to helping a class of
children write their own song and all you need
is a simple structure to work with.
Writing songs with your class has many
advantages: it builds self-esteem; its great
for team building; it allows you to tackle any
subject in a new and engaging way, from
bullying to biology; it improves literacy; and
it improves enthusiasm and motivation for
singing and music.
Below is a fun and effective songwriting
technique that works with all ages and
abilities. It has been adapted from a method
created by play therapist and director of the
Therapeutic Media Co, Matthew Hemson,
who originally used it with children with
learning and behavioural difficulties.
How to do it
Step 1: Thoughts and Feelings, or Things
Divide your flipchart into these two sections
and ask the children for as many ideas as
possible related to the topic of your song. This

sheet will become your inspiration.
Step 2: Literacy Targets
Once you have lots of ideas, you might
want to bring in a target you are working
on in literacy. Adding adverbs or swapping
vocabulary can give sophisticated alternatives.
Step 3: The First Two Lines
Using your inspiration sheet, ask the children
to try and come up with the first line of the
song. Listen to them all and choose one. Clap
out and count the syllables, point out the
rhyming word, and get the children to think of
the second line.
Step 4: Making the Melody (The Brave Singer)
Tell the children that you need someone really
brave to try and sing the first two lines of
the song with a melody of their own making.
Listen and praise them all, then choose one
that will work. You might need to adapt it
a little, but its always possible to keep the
melody close to what the child has created.
At this point, if you play the guitar or the
keyboard, you can accompany the song with
some chords.
Step 5: Complete the Verse

Repeat step three until you have an entire
verse. A Key Stage 2 class can then be sent
off in pairs with whiteboards, and within ten
minutes you will have ten options for new lines
or verses for the song. Every time you add
something to the song, sing it back through as
a class to make sure it works.
Step 6: Chorus
When asked, the children will often come up
with a chorus straight away, but they may
need some guidance. Try to keep the chorus
simple and catchy.
Step 7: Finishing up
Once you have enough verses and a catchy
chorus, you can play some vocal warm up
games to give a change of activity, and get
everyone standing up for the final unveiling of
your masterpiece. For younger children, one
verse and a chorus can be enough.
tips:
Not a musician? No problem. Simply use a
familiar tune or a karaoke backing track.

This process should take no longer than an
hour, or 40 minutes for reception classes.
Hearing the whole class sing their exact
words can be amazing for a childs selfesteem. Dont leave the privilege only
for the children who come up with the
bestlines.
When writing the chorus, adding a new
chord and changing the order is a great
way to inspire a new melody.
Follow it up: record it, film it, perform it,
design a CD cover and so on.
Tom Veck is a primary school teacher and

singer-songwriter based in Bristol. He is available
for school workshops and staff training. Visit:
www.tvmusicworkshops.com for more details.
47
20/10/2014 16:10:21
MT PREVIEW
ONLINE TEACHING MATERIALS

Every month, MT publishes online teaching materials for Key Stages 3, 4 and 5, giving you
complete units of work, GCSE and A Level set-work info and activities, and practical teaching
ideas across all levels. Written by experienced teachers and examiners, these resources provide
indispensable content for your classroom teaching.
Heres a taster of this months content
KS3
SETTING MEANINGFUL HOMEWORK

by Jane Werry
KS4
GCSE COMPOSITION PART 2: EXPLOITING TEXTURE,

INSTRUMENTATION, TIMBRE AND DYNAMICS
by Alan Charlton
IntroductIon
IntroduCtIon
Why set homework for KS3 music? It is impossible to set practical music-making tasks that follow on directly
The first part of this resource (in August 2014) looked at melodies, phrase structure, simple chord progressions
from what has been done in class unless you are certain that students have instruments at home, or you are
and harmonic rhythm. With the aid of this, students should be able to compose a 16- or 32-bar melody with a
using web-based software for composing. You may well have a school policy on homework that stipulates that
simple chordal accompaniment. This second part explores some of the many ways in which an idea like this
every subject will set homework regularly. The question is how to fulfil the requirements of the policy without
can be enhanced by the use of texture, instrumentation, timbre and dynamics.
resorting to half-hearted colouring-in or fact-finding tasks.

Homework can be organised so that it builds upon what is done in class, and can even have the double benefit
of saving time in lessons so that more class time can be spent making music. It can extend students musical
InStrumEntatIon
horizons and develop their research skills. From the point of view of keeping your senior managers happy,
it can also be a source of written work that can be marked for spelling, punctuation and grammar, fulfilling
What is instrumentation?
literacy policies without having to do lengthy written tasks in lessons.

Instrumentation can mean two things:
In this resource I describe the homework projects that have been developed in my department to run
alongside the projects we do in lessons. Content, success criteria, administration and marking are covered in
detail. Teachers and students alike have found these homeworks worthwhile and enjoyable, but all schools are
different, and you may need to adapt these ideas to suit your students.
1) The selection of the actual combination of instruments and/or voices that will make up the ensemble for
which you are writing (sometimes called the forces).
2) The treatment of instruments and instrumental combinations within the piece of music itself (also called
orchestration).
Examples of solo instruments and ensembles include
a single unaccompanied voice or monophonic instrument, such as a flute
the homework projectS: practIcalItIeS
a single unaccompanied polyphonic instrument, such as a piano or guitar
Our homework projects run alongside the practical work done in class, and often cover a wider area. Here are
a small group of musicians, for instance a saxophone quartet, barbershop group or rock band
a melody instrument/singer and accompanying instrument such as a piano
some examples:
a medium-sized ensemble, such as a jazz band or string orchestra

a large ensemble, such as a symphony orchestra or wind band
In-class project
Homework project
Bhangra
Indian music
reggae
caribbean music
minimalism
music and art
club dance
music and dance
12-bar blues
american music of the 20th century
Within each homework project, there are initial tasks that involve doing some directed research and answering
a selection of synthesised timbres, selected and combined using music software

Usually when you set about composing a piece of music, you would decide which instrument(s) and/or
voices(s) you are using beforehand.
Questions to consider when choosing an ensemble are:
Is the ensemble sufficiently balanced for your needs?
Try to choose a good balance of
questions related to YouTube videos and other specific websites. Later in the project, students complete an
high instruments and low instruments
extended piece of work where they have choice over both the content and the format of the finished product.
quiet and loud instruments (eg a recorder may be drowned out by a trumpet)
Students are given three to four weeks to finish each project. At first we gave students longer (our practical
Sometimes you may have to end up writing for an ensemble with an unbalanced combination of instruments,
topics take roughly a term), but found this led to students forgetting what they were supposed to be doing, and
as can often happen in a class music set. However, you can turn this to your advantage by finding a creative
leaving it until the last minute anyway. It would be possible to set week-by-week targets to complete specific
way to exploit the inconsistencies in the ensemble. For instance, you could make a feature of alternating
sections if you feel this would be of benefit to your students. Personally I like the over to you aspect of making
passages for loud instruments with passages for quiet instruments, for dramatic effect.
students responsible for organising themselves, and make it clear that leaving it until the night before the
deadline is a really bad idea.
The projects are designed to be paperless, with the main project document being downloaded by students,
rather than printed and distributed, and then finished work being emailed to the teacher. There are several
48
MT_1114_48_Online lessons preview.indd 48
20/10/2014 16:11:39
THE NEW WAY TO ACCESS YOUR

There is now a new way to access your Online Teaching Materials, which we
hope will be much simpler for you.
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er May 2014
Music Teach
* Your Web ID is a unique 8 digit alphanumeric code that can be found on the address label that comes with
your magazine or on any written communication with us. If you cant nd your Web ID just give us a call on
0844 249 0226 from the UK or +44 (0) 1795 592 803 from overseas and well let you know what it is.
Please note that you will only be able to access the online teaching materials if you have a subscription to
Music Teacher+ (printed magazine plus online teaching materials).
Pre-U
PRE-U MUSIC: TOPIC C1 LATIN CHURCH MUSIC: VICTORIAS MASS AND MOTET
O QUAM GLORIOSUM
by Hugh Benham
InTrOdUCTIOn
The Cambridge Pre-U syllabuss Topic C1 is Latin church music in continental Europe during the late
Renaissance (c1530c1630). The motet O quam gloriosum and the related mass by Victoria are the prescribed
works for 2016 to 2018. They form the principal focus of this article: material on the topic generally is easier to
come by than detailed information on the prescribed works.
Some comments on the prescribed works will of course assist general study of the topic, for example those on
parody mass technique. The article ends with some outline information on different types of mass, and remarks
on the four schools of composition listed in the syllabus.
VICTOrIa, The PresCrIbed wOrks and

The edITIOn
In terms of background reading:
MT_1114_48_Online lessons preview.indd 49
49
20/10/2014 16:12:15
MT REVIEWS
AMONG THIS MONTHS

REVIEWERS
Helena Ruinard is a
busy freelance violinist
and currently teaches
privately and for Tri
Borough Music Hub
Al Summers is a
member of the Registry
of Guitar Tutors
Acoustic Guitar Advisory
Panel for London College
of Music exams, and is
author of several books
on music education and
guitar teaching
Fiona Lau teaches

piano pupils of all ages,
privately and for music
services, and is a mentor
for Essex Music Services
and ABRSM
Tom Deveson was a

primary teacher for 20
years and then an LEA
music advisory teacher
for eight years. He is now
a freelance education
consultant and writer
NEW PRODUCTS
ROCKSCHOOL KR PLAYER APP
Rockschool has launched an iPad app with practice app veterans Knowledge
Rocks. It contains performances of each grade piece, which can be slowed down,
looped or transposed easily. The board is even encouraging students to perform
from the iPad in exams! Currently available for guitar, bass and drums, with
vocals coming soon.
www.rockschool.co.uk/apps
1.49 per track
THEREMINI
REASON 8
KOMPLETE 10
KONTROL S SERIES
The Moog Theremini is a new

take on the classic instrument.
It contains a range of sounds
that the traditional instrument
doesnt, but maintains the
traditional interface of playing
the air near the instrument. Great
potential for SEND look out for
a full review soon.
www.moog.com
239 retail
The latest generation of

Propellerheads studio software,
Reason 8, is now available. Many
schools use this, so speak to your
dealer about upgrade prices.
Previous upgrades featured
myriad new instruments, version
8 takes a good look at the
interface.
www.propellerheads.se
229 (education), upgrades
available
It is worth buying one copy of

Native Instruments latest update
of this software suite for your
school studio for the 39 pieces of
included software and thousands
of sounds available. These are
also developed to work well with
the associated hardware from the
company (see right).
www.native-instruments.com
429 (retail), education and
upgrade pricings available
These are the associated

hardware controllers for Native
Instruments software. They
contain many interesting features,
including LED-lit notes to help
train players and integration
with NI Komplete 10. They are
expensive, but might be worth
considering.
www.native-instruments.com
429599 retail
50
MT_1114_50_New products.indd 50
20/10/2014 16:44:06
iPadAd_MusicTeacher_276x210 16/10/2014 16:46 Page 1
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Visit www.rockschool.co.uk/apps for more info
Watch
the trailer
MT_1114 Ads.indd 51
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MUSICEDUCATIONTECHNOLOGY
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17/10/2014 11:09:52
Technology bringing tradition to life
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Westminster Under School, London
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For information on these and many other instruments visit our website
www.viscountorgans.net or call us on 01869 247333
MT_1114 Ads.indd 53
17/10/2014 11:09:57
#40986 - CLP Ad Warranty - Music Teacher_Layout 1 18/08/2014 15:31 Page 1
Two of the worlds finest grands
...in one piano

The true grand piano experience has never been more accessible than with our new Clavinova CLP 500-Series.
Complex sample sets, painstakingly borrowed from Yamahas flagship CFX concert grand, plus a magnificent
Bsendorfer Imperial, offer a unique choice of sound.
And with Virtual Resonance Modeling, as well as string and damper resonance, the subtle nuances of a grand performance are at
your fingertips. Meanwhile, realistic touch, synthetic ivory keytops and an escapement mechanism, make a CLP Clavinova feel just
like its acoustic counterpart.
Six new CLP models are available in a variety of finishes, so visit uk.yamaha.com to discover your new Clavinova**.
* Terms and conditions apply. Ask your dealer for details.

** Model shown is the CLP-585PE. Specifications vary across the range. Not all features mentioned are found on all models.
MT_1114 Ads.indd 54
17/10/2014 11:10:02
MT REVIEWS
Clavinova ClP 500 range

Yamaha has produced a new range of
Clavinovas. There are six new models,
including, for the first time in the range, an
entry-level instrument (the CLP 525) which is
available from 1,115. At the top of the range,
the CLP 585 is available from 3,173.
Whats neW?
The headline news is that all of the
instruments except the 525 boast two new
sample sets the default setting when you
turn the thing on is now Yamahas flagship
CFX concert grand, while the trophy second
option is a Bsendorfer Imperial Grand.
These are in addition to a number of uprights,
organs, harpsichords, jazz pianos and other
voices, of course. The 525 has ten voices,
while the 585 has 48.
Some of the main upgrades in terms of
Yamahas ongoing quest to model an acoustic
piano in a digital instrument concern the top
two models the 575 and 585. These employ
Yamahas much-vaunted Virtual Resonance
Modelling (VRM), which reproduces the
sympathetic resonance of all the strings in
an acoustic instrument, in addition to the
Linear Graded Hammer action of some
previous models. Another big first is the use of
counterweights in the action of the 585, which
sits rather apart from the rest of the series
as Yamahas flagship digital performance
instrument.
The other headline development with this
new range is the fact that all models except
the 525 feature an escapement mechanism.
Except for the 525, all of the 500s feature

16-track recording, with the capability to
record an audio file of a performance on a
memory stick or external device. The 525 has
a USB connection for MIDI, and from the 535
upwards, in addition to USB in (for computer/
iPad connectivity) and USB out (for exporting
audio recordings), all models have traditional
5-pin MIDI in, out and thru.
There are two headphone sockets in
each model, each featuring a stereophonic
optimiser to make the experience of using
them nicer.
The digital extras that you would expect
from a Clavinova include an array of rhythms,
metronome beats, lesson songs, studies,
and of course the recording functionality.
From the 535 upwards, you get lessons
too, to accompany the stored demo songs.
The sheet music is stored in the instrument,
and if you hook the Clavinova up with the
NoteStart iPad app, you can download the
music for free. Resources available include
classic exercises by Hanon, Czerny, Bergmuller
andBayer.
are they any gooD?

Its a big yes from me. They play very nicely
indeed and hold their own among some stiff
competition. Other companies, particularly
Kawai, are a big threat in terms of the action
of their digital pianos, but I dont hesitate to
recommend the CLP 500s as a full package.
The two main sound sets are wonderful
the Yamaha CFX is bright and agile, while
CLP 525, from 1,033

54
MT_1114_54_Clavinova review.indd 54
the Bsendorfer is sufficiently different for it

to have been a worthwhile exercise, and has
a fabulous richness in the lower half of the
instrument.
The details of the sample mapping are
incredibly complicated, but I can tell you that
the effect in performance is very good. Fast
repetitions, quiets, louds, staccato, accents,
and legato are all as convincingly conjured as
Ive ever seen in an electronic instrument, right
across the keyboard.
If you genuinely want to recreate the feel
of a piano, you have to go for the 585, or the
575 at a push, expensive as they are. However,
I would be perfectly willing to play anything
from the 535 upwards as an accompanist,
for practicing, for taking rehearsals,
composing, or any of the other nefarious
activities a jobbing muso gets up to. The new
escapement mechanism in the 535 upwards
pushes all my buttons, and is particularly
pleasing in the upper register.
As you go up the range, youre also paying
for the increased power and clarity of the
speakers built into the unit, and in this way
each successive model is able to get more
from the instrument samples. From the 545
upwards you have a two-way speaker system
(in addition to wooden white keys), and
theres a significant leap up when it comes
to the 585, which has a powerful three-way
speaker.
These instruments are advertised as
recreating the experience of playing a concert
grand, but the 565GP, the only one in the
range to be encased in a baby grand cabinet,
is an adapted version of the 545, with, weirdly,
o
y
b
p
S
K
o
m
o
p
h
s
e
d
c
G
T
t
w
b
i
a
I
L
CLP 535, from 1,311

20/10/2014 16:52:10
MT REVIEWS
CLP 545, from 1,709
slightly less power in its speakers.

How much youre willing to part with
of your money will depend on exactly what
you want from your electric piano, so Ive
broken it down into some potentially different
perspectives:
Student:
Keeping in mind the limitations in the action
of the lower models in the range, bear in
mind that these instruments represent some
of the best playability on the market at each
price, and theres the obvious huge advantage
here of being able to practice the instrument
silently, using headphones. The metronome is
extremely useful, and the sheer joy of sitting
down and investigating the functionalities
counts for a lot, too.
Gigging Musician:
The MIDI capability of the Clavinovas means
that you can, of course, use them to perform
with any MIDI voice you like. Also, you can
bypass the in-built speakers and plug the
instrument into an external sound system.
I take the risks here, so you dont have to,
and got some serious raised eyebrows when
I asked the staff at the piano hall at Yamaha
London whether it was practical to remove
these keyboards from their casings and stick

them in the back of a car. Apparently, it isnt.
You can disentangle the keyboard from the
frame, although its not supposed to be done,
and put your Line Out through an external
sound system no problem, but you wont be
able to use the pedals, and youll invalidate
your warranty in the process. Im assured
that no existing external sustain pedals will
work, even with the 585s AUX IN socket. So,
it comes as a unit. What you want, if you have
to cart your keyboard around, is the Yamaha
CP4, which is designed to be transported.
Again, you really need the 585 or 575 if
youre giving a recital, but if youre happy
enough to negotiate the action of the
intermediate models, the range of piano
sounds available means that youll always find
a good option for the acoustic and style youre
working in.
Composer/Producer:
If youre a keyboard player, one of these
instruments would grace any studio, although
you probably want to start at the 535 in your
considerations, due to the low connectivity
of the 525. Heres a thing Yamaha owns
Bsendorfer, and presumably when creating
its second grand piano sound set made
CLP 575, from 2,106

MT_1114_54_Clavinova review.indd 55
CLP 565GP, from 3,084
the shrewd move of appropriating the

existing Imperial grand samples that have
been available for several years as a plug-in
instrument for Digital Audio Workstations.
Many composers and producers will have
the Vienna Imperial Virtual Grand from the
Vienna Symphonic Library already. What
these Clavinovas offer is an opportunity to
bypass the hours of work done tweaking the
envelopes, velocity and so on of piano tracks
created with the VST instrument, and simply
perform on the instrument for great results
either recording the audio file through the USB
Out, or exporting your performance as MIDI.
Educators:
The only thing to add to the above is an
interesting opportunity to help out your
students. If they bring you a MIDI file of a
composition, you can get any of the models,
from the 535 upwards, to play it back with
one of the in-built voices, be it a Bsendorfer
Imperial grand or the Strings voice, while
exporting an audio file to a memory stick or
external device.
The full specifications can be found at
http://uk.yamaha.com/en
Reviewed by Thomas Lydon
CLP 585, from 2,941

55
20/10/2014 16:52:38
I love this cello.

Yo-Yo Ma,
Photography Kevin Sprague
Luis and Clark owner
617-698-3034
luisandclark.com
Sight-Reading for Fun

To make the series eye-catching, the publishers have used shiny, coloured-coded
covers, quality paper, good clear design, and a reasonable price so you will want
to investigate the content. And you will find it first rate, intelligent, productive,
serving its purpose admirably. Masses of practice, hundreds of tips, interesting,
stylish pieces all original material. This is a massive production, beautifully
realised.
John York
Classical Piano
Peter Lawsons Sight Reading for Fun seems to be exactly what it says: a
carefully graded course of instruction that places the emphasis on enjoyment and
humour as essential ingredients to the learning process.
Robin De Smet
Music Business
Musically, these are interesting, fun, and above all, short. All are excellent
preparation for examination requirements and hopefully will break the usual
barriers of the dreaded test. Each book has an abundance of music to play and is
excellent value for money.
EPTA Journal
Preliminary Book and books covering each grade from 1 to 8.

Refs H334 to H342
Stainer & Bell Ltd

MT_1114 Ads.indd 56
Victoria House, 23 Gruneisen Road, London N3 1DZ

T. 020 8343 3303
www.stainer.co.uk
email: post@stainer.co.uk
17/10/2014 11:10:05
MT REVIEWS
SHEET MUSIC & BOOKS
CONCERTO IN F FOR OBOE AND PIANO

(ORCHESTRAL REDUCTION)
IMPROVE YOUR SIGHT-READING: VIOLA

GRADES 1 TO 5
BACH
EUROPEAN MUSIC ARCHIVE/SPARTAN PRESS, EMA 112,
6.95
PAUL HARRIS
FABER MUSIC, 7.50
If JS Bach did write any solo concertos for

oboe, they havent made it down to us
through the hands of posterity. Rather,
it has been left to scholars to reconstruct
some suitable works from the surviving Bach
canon. One of the most plausible of these
reconstructions is the F major concerto
after BWV1053 based on the harpsichord
concerto in E, which Bach himself reworked
into various cantata movements. Musically
and technically it is a more taxing work than
much of the baroque concerto repertoire
though, typically for Bach, it requires
less additional ornamentation from the
performer than, say, an Albinoni concerto,
to give a convincing performance. Stamina
is a particular challenge: there are lengthy
da capos in both outer movements and the
central Siciliana a favourite of mine makes
considerable demands on phrasing and
breath control.
The present edition appears to be identical
to RP Blocks erstwhile Nova Music edition
(NM160), though the editor is not named
here. It is good to have this affordable edition
of the work still available: the performance
suggestions are consistently stylish and
clearly marked as editorial (those which are
not presumably derive from the harpsichord
version); bars are numbered at the beginning
of each system; and the piano reduction is
more straightforward than in the Sikorski
publication. This edition is specied in the
repertoire list for the FRSM examination.
Reviewed by Geoff Coates
From the extensive Improve your sight-reading

series, here is the latest edition of the book for
viola, Grades 1 to 5. It represents great value
for money as it covers ve grades in one book,
as opposed to the one per book for violin or
piano. Of course, this neatly accommodates
those students who have started off on the
violin and will therefore move through the rst
stages quickly.
The book follows the same format as those
for the other instruments in this tried-andtested series, dividing the material into stages
or chapters that each focus on two or three
new elements such as rhythms or key. There
are three stages per grade in this volume, each
beginning with rhythmic exercises and then
melodic exercises. Once the student has been
given the chance to master the new elements,
Harris always includes two prepared
pieces, which have a few questions and
activities attached to them. These are simply
imaginative extensions of the checklist we all
give our students to go through before they
begin. The difference is, if a student has to play
the relevant scale in the character of the piece,
or is asked to improvise on one particular bar,
there is a higher chance they will internalise the
information we have taught them.
To get the most out of this book you need
a student who will go away and work through
most of the exercises on their own after being
the taught the essentials for each stage, giving
you the time to use the techniques included to
help them explore and fully understand any
music they play. An indispensable aid which
should help to eliminate those blank looks!
Helena Ruinard
MT_1114_57_Sheet Music & Books.indd 57
BEGIN THE JOURNEY GUITAR:

EASY TRADITIONAL TUNES FROM
AROUND THE WORLD
PHILIP JOHN BERTHOUD (ED.)
SPARTAN PRESS MUSIC PUBLISHERS LIMITED, 14.99
The Spartan Press catalogue is a treasure

trove for teachers, with a vast amount of
music, attractively priced, catering for a huge
range of instruments. This 38-page book
contains 34 traditional tunes and one original
by the author/arranger, who modestly refers
to himself as a collector and editor.
It is well presented in clear treble clef
and tablature notations, some tunes having
chord symbols offered above the melody.
Some years ago I criticised Spartan Press for
tablature printing sometimes lacking clarity
and accurate proof-reading. Apart from a
few tied note discrepancies in tablature (very
slightly marring pages 6 and 21), there are no
such issues here. There is even enough space
for a teacher or pupil to write rhythm sticks
above or below the tablature, something
many students nd helpful.
Variety is excellent and, although it all
looks very approachable and easy (almost
all in rst position), there is a good deal to
challenge a beginner: syncopated rhythms;
exotic accidentals; changes of time signature;
some decorative slurs and three pieces in 7/8
time. Philip Berthoud has cast his net wide,
nding excellent material. There is nothing
hackneyed here, so even the most jaded tutor
will enjoy teaching (and perhaps being creative
with) these melodies.
The CD clearly demonstrates each piece,
with a small band (guitar, bass, mandolin
and light percussion) making the invitation to
join in and play along very appealing. Highly
recommended.
Reviewed by Al Summers
57
20/10/2014 16:54:21
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17/10/2014 13:49:42
A winning solution will be drawn at random on 12 November, and will receive an MT tailor-made goody bag.
Email your solutions to thomas.lydon@rhinegold.co.uk
Lunch break
crossword set by Fustis

across
1
5
9
10
12
13
14
16
19
21
24
25
27
28
29
30
Port drinking song (8)

Handels over the top singularity (6)
Difference in pitch noted by cricketers
at tea time? (8)
First Hall of Proms (6)
Green coat changed to show
ornament (5,4)
Gerontius and Martin Luther King both
had one (5)
Conductor at ten (4)
Type of opera title employed by
Mozart and Martinu (7)
Really useful? (7)
Tunes sound on the side of caution (4)
Sounds like precipitation over us (5)
Wittgensteins musical namesake (9)
25s ninth (6)
Richard Wagners daughter-in-law (8)
Stereotype (6)
Monk lies in fabric used in microphone
(8)
down
Transition for Frank (6)
2
3
4
6
7
8
11
15
17
18
20
21
22
23
26
Faint rays of light reveal letter box

(2,4)
Lament when 1 down is broken
(bowled out) (5)
Whales eye view of Jonah (7)
Times mentioned in first half of 17 (9)
A treetop version of a musical work
(8)
Outfit (8)
Dub (4)
A 7 Down composer (9)
Diaphragm activated by singer (8)
Ban oil in composer (8)
Brainy parts loss of gravity in
Shakespeare theatre (4)
Michael Nyman set his Sonetti
Lussuriosi to music (7)
Were his piano works for a nonqwerty keyboard? God Willing or state
composer (6)
TV shipping line backed by
Khachaturian (6)
Lyric writer for Schubert and
Schumann (5)
QUIZ
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
OCTOBeR SOLUTION
The pictured horn (right) is neither valve nor

natural, but?
Which musical institution does the pictured logo
(far right) belong to?
Which double reed instrument invented in 1904 is
named after its maker?
Harlem, Henschel, Hagen whats the connection?
Alice Tully, Duke of Connaught, Amaryllis Fleming
whats the musical connection?
What musical invention is credited to Bartolomeo Cristofori?
Arden, Lydia, Richmond, Dix what are they?
Which halls acoustics on completion led to it being described as the only place where a British composer could be sure of
hearing his work twice?
Bonns Beethoven Concert Hall, Abu Dhabis Performing Arts Centre and the unbuilt Cardiff Bay Opera House what
connects them?
answers: 1 Omnitronic. 2 Curtis Institute, Philhadelphia. 3 The heckelphone (Wilhelm Heckel). 4 String quartets. 5 They have
conservatoire concert halls named after them (Juilliard, Royal Academy, Royal College). 6 The fortepiano. 7 Hymn tunes. 8 The
Royal Albert Hall. 9 Architect Zaha Hadid
MT_1114_59_Puzzle page.indd 59
59
20/10/2014 16:55:15
MT REVIEWS
practical classroom tEch

Tim Hallas asks why, when it comes to technology, we throw all
our best teaching techniques out of the window
Last month I spent a long time writing about
different ways in which technology can be
an end as well as a means. And both articles
so far have been about teaching music with
technology rather than teaching music
technology itself. This month, however, I
want to discuss some of the initial plans for
teaching music technology.
In many ways the beginnings of music
technology teaching are exactly the same
as teaching music the students need to be
given a language in which they are expected to
become familiar, and indeed, proficient. The
language, however, differs quite considerably.
We need to develop lessons and schemes
of work that allow students to encounter all
of these different skills and allow them to
develop the language for learning quickly.
Encouraging ExpErimEntation
When beginning with an introductory lesson
to music technology, it is going to be difficult
to stop the students from getting straight
onto the computers and experimenting, so
let them. Set the class a simple task such as
completing a 30-second piece of music using
loops, a part played in by hand and a piece
of audio (if possible). Independent learning
has many benefits and allows each student
to progress at their own rate. Those that are
already competent should be able to achieve
this without much support, allowing more
time for a teacher to support those students
who are less confident with the software. This
additional time for scaffolding means that the
digital natives in the class arent frustrated by
lack of progress.
I used to teach every introduction to music
technology lesson in a very formulaic fashion,
with all students following every step of the
process simultaneously, and I was constantly
using the phrase Dont rush ahead wait
for everyone else. As I have got older and
more experienced I have changed this tactic,
as this is not a great way to teach, due to the
60
MT_1114_60_Practical Classroom Tech column.indd 60
potentially negative impact it can have on all

students. Those who are able feel constrained
and held back, and those who are less able
feel left behind and that they are problem to
the lesson. By just letting the students loose
on the software and spending the equivalent
amount of time supporting only those that
need it and then providing extension work
if necessary for the more advanced, each
student can achieve more.
usE what works and bE prEparEd

Ok, sorry for teaching everyone something
they already know this model is used all of
the time in normal music lessons. How often
have you stood in front of a class and got
every student to learn each note of a keyboard
melody at the same time? Never? Thought so.
However, this model is surprisingly
familiar in a music technology lesson and

it shouldnt be. Why is it necessary to spend
15 minutes talking through every element
of a task and every area of the software
when students could spend that time
making music and learning the software
through experimentation as I, and countless
othersdid?
To help support the less able music
technology student, in the lesson plan prepare
a list of common problems that students
are likely to come across and overcome
them yourself. Although the problems that
students are likely to encounter are varied
and could be both musical or technical,
preparation for all eventualities is likely to help
an independent lesson flow more smoothly.
If you are less confident with the technology
yourself, practice beforehand and make a
note of the problems that you encounter so
that when students come across them, they
are more easily solved. With students working
independently problems will occur!
Therefore, can I humbly suggest trying this
next time you begin a technology module with
your classes. Begin the lesson by setting out
the learning objectives and the success criteria,
a quick refresher on the rules of using the
equipment and then let the students go for
it. I suspect youll get some amazing results!
why talk through EvEry ElEmEnt whEn studEnts

could spEnd that timE making music and
lEarning through ExpErimEntation?
20/10/2014 16:56:13
15273 Steinway Music Teached F/P_Layout 1 19/08/2014 13:23 Page 1
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liTTlEBiTs: synTH KiT
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I have been referring to this product for a

few months now in the New Products page.
Finally, over the summer, I managed to get my
hands on a complete set.
For those who have missed out, littleBits
are kits designed to educate students about
electronics through small modules that can be
linked together with magnets to create circuits.
About a year ago, littleBits and Korg announced
a collaboration to create a kit that would allow
music students greater understanding of how
the different modules in a synth work and
interact with one another.
Having spent about a month playing with
my kit, I can assure you that it is brilliant!
The modules work very well and sound is not
dissimilar to some of the other Korg synths
I own. The kit includes a range of modules
including 2 oscillators, a noise generator, a
filter, an envelope shaper, a mini-sequencer,
a mini-keyboard and a really tiny speaker.

The magnets are strong enough to hold the
modules together, but the battery cable does
try to tip the whole thing over if not enough
modules are connected to weigh it down.
The modules are mostly well constructed
and only the splitter and mixer caused me
any concern for using the kit with students.
Saying that, there hasnt been a problem as I
have been using it with sixth-form students.
The students have responded to the kit well
and find the construction-toy design element

very appealing. The main benefit seems to
be a greater understanding from my A Level
students of how synths work. They have tried
putting modules in the wrong order and got
silence, tried to connect the devices the wrong
way round (the magnet polarity wont let
them!) and constructed a range of synths. The
kit includes an instruction book that provides
the design for a range of musical projects and
also gives some background information on
the modules and synths in general.
To conclude, this kit is a brilliant tool for
teaching students about synths and synthesis.
However, it isnt available in the UK I had to
import my own, and although the initial cost
is relatively low ($159), when shipping and
customs duty are added, it is very expensive.
It might be possible to persuade Korg to start
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for it so lets get a campaign started!
Reviewed by Tim Hallas
symBol smasH
SyMbolSMaSh.coM
1.49, TEachERS pack fREE
This app named Symbol Smash (the violence

of the title is belied by the gentleness of the
presentation) introduces small children to
classical music and to the ways it can be
played, organised and written down. The app
uses Offenbachs operetta Voyage to the Moon
as a starting point for a variety of musical
adventures.
A teacher with little or no musical expertise
can easily teach the series of 12 lessons in
Symbol Smash. Children join in with what
they see and hear on the screen and relate it to
the symbols used to convey the information.
Links are provided to other classroom
topics (maths with counting beats; science
with instrument materials) but performing,
composing, listening and appraising are the
central aims.
Various anthropomorphised characters
accompany the children as they learn. Cedric
Cello is introduced in Lesson 4 in a rather
MT_1114_63_Tech reviews.indd 63
unpolished poem: Im Cedric Cello, big and

bold, you must be sitting down to hold,
but then things improve. We learn from
video footage how to bow him, we hear him
play, and pick out his solo from the sound
of higher strings. Some of the follow-up
activities, like joining the dots to draw him, are
more to do with passing the time than with
understanding music, but as an activity for
wet playtimes it could work well. As with all
the lessons, sections on preparation, lesson
structure, assessment and resources are set

out clearly and helpfully.
Other characters join in throughout the
series of lessons. Frederick Forte in Lesson 8
is a boisterous character that hangs out with
Crescendo Croc and introduces dynamics.
Children can hold up f signs when the
music requires it or produce their own noisy
animalsounds.
Commodore Conductor gives students
the chance to beat 1-2-3, as demonstrated in
a video clip, and then sing it to accompany
a choric melody or change its speed to
choreograph a classroom dance. The
publishers plans include expanding the
range of composers to include Schubert,
Strauss and Sousa. Alliteration aside,
their names suggest a roomy range of
orchestral opportunity. Symbol Smash isnt
a uniqueapp, but it fulfils its function and is
great fun.
Reviewed by Tom Deveson
63
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The piano issue
SUPPLEMENTS
TRAINING THE GREATS
Stars of the concert platform

discuss their education
LEARN WITH LANG LANG

KS35
KS
SYLLABUS USER GUIDES

Inside ABRSM and TCLs
new piano exams
Harriet Power is
a freelance editor
and writer with
particular interests
in music education
and world music.
She previously
worked as an
editor for Rhinegold
Education.
KS5
KS
5
Marketing music
by Harriet Power
IntroductIon
Marketing and self-promotion are vital to the success of any musician, no matter what genre theyre performing
in. In fact, its often said that when youre starting out, marketing is more important than content creation. Some
even say that you should spend 80% of your time marketing and just 20% creating.
Given its importance, its arguably something that should be considered more often in the classroom, and its a
Simon Rushby
is director of
music at Reigate
Grammar School
in Surrey, and
author of numerous
books, articles and
resources on music
education. He is
an ABRSM and A
Level examiner,
and a successful
songwriter and
composer.
By Simon Rushby
Edexcel has, as ever, set seven instrumental set works for Section C of the A2 examination in the summer of
2015, and these include examples from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and 20th-century periods of music.
We have examples of chamber music, solo piano music and music for string orchestra, as well as an iconic
moment in the history of jazz. We also have to get to grips with the avant-garde work of John Cage and the
prepared piano.
In this first part of our look at these set works, I will cover the first three works, all of which are examples of
chamber music, or music for small ensembles. We start with the fourth, final movement of Corellis Trio Sonata
in D, Op. 3 No. 2, which is written for two violins and continuo, and represents the bright sound of the 18thcentury Baroque Italian instrumental style. The other two works in this article are from the Classical period,
beginning with the last movement of Haydns String Quartet in E flat, known as the Joke, and ending with the
great way to learn about the music industry as a whole. Working out how to market a product requires critical
MONTHLY MAG AZINE
Edexcel A2 Continuity and Change set works

2015: part 1 Corelli, Haydn and Beethoven
and creative thinking. In addition, being able to market and promote yourself is a valuable life skill for anyone,
first movement of Beethovens monumental Septet in E flat, which has also been an instrumental set work in
not just budding musicians.
2014.
This resource starts by looking at why marketing is so important including a brief overview of changes in the
Rhinegolds Edexcel A2 Music Study Guide provides a lot of detail on these works, content which I will not
repeat in this article. The angle of analysis here will be from each different element of music, specifically
music industry and presents a run-down of ideas for how to market yourself as a musician. This is followed
by four project ideas that, with a bit of adapting, could be slotted into almost any scheme of work (although the
melody, rhythm, harmony and tonality, texture, instrumentation and structure. Edexcel also produces
last two are more specific to classical and world music respectively).
analyses of the set works, available from their website.

Section C of the Unit 6 paper gives candidates a choice of two questions. They have to write one essay, worth
36 marks (out of 90 for the unit), and about 4550 minutes should be spent on this question. In all of the papers
Why Is MarketIng IMportant?

(a brIef hIstory)
Wales International
Academy of Voice
Are we teaching
theory wrong?
to date, each question has asked students to compare and contrast three of the seven set works, from the
point of view of two or three elements.
TE ACHING
RESOURCES
The focus of study is continuity and change of musical style over time, from the point of view of the elements
The obvious answer to the question Why is marketing important? is that if no-one knows about your product,
theyre not going to buy or experience it, even if its the best product in the world. But self-promotion is
listed above how musical style has changed from one work to another, and common features the works might
something that has become increasingly important for musicians over the past couple of decades. Why?
share. It follows that most of the questions will be asking students to compare and contrast the works.
In the recent past (around the 1950s to the 1980s), record labels used to do most of the work. The process
Edexcel publishes the mark scheme for this paper each year, and indicates that more than 18 good points
essentially looked something like this:
need to be made, along with detailed references to support each point, in order to get top marks. Students
have access to an unmarked copy of the New Anthology of Music in the exam.
1. Make a demo
2. Get signed to a record label
Quality of written communication (QWC) is assessed in both this section and section B of the paper (which is
3. Make a record
4. The record label promotes your music (primarily through trying to get radio airplay for it)
on Applied Music). It only makes a small difference to the mark arrived at, but it is still significant, as examiners
5. This sells records
will consider it when arriving at their final mark, maybe moving the mark to the top or bottom of the relevant
band according to how well the candidate has expressed their answer. While grammar, punctuation and
spelling are part of this, a significant factor is the clarity and structure of the essay.
Record labels would act as an intermediary between artists and their fans, doing most of the musicians
marketing for them. But with developments as recorded music moves from being a physical to a digital
Key words allied to the elements of music will be highlighted in bold text.
product, and the advent of the internet (which means you no longer need the middleman, as its much easier
to communicate directly with your fans), record labels are struggling. Theyre now much more cautious about
signing unknown musicians, which means that you already need to have built up a fanbase before a label is
likely to take you on.
PLUS IDEAS BANK CLASSROOM TECH REVIEWS
If you want to learn

more about the
history of marketing
music, the book
Music 3.0: A
Survival Guide for
Making Music in
the Internet Age by
Bobby Owsinski is
an excellent place
to start.
Arcangelo Corelli (16531713): Trio Sonata in D, Op. 3 No. 2 (fourth movement)
But even once theyre signed, artists today are still expected to market themselves, partly because selling music
When this movement was an AS set work in 2012, I made a short revision video which can be found
here. I have deliberately used the structure of that video in this analysis so that, if students wish, they
can use the resources in conjunction.
has become that much harder, and partly because fans appreciate and expect the direct communication. So
now the process looks something like this:
1. Gain a following
2. Get signed to a record label
3. Continue to self-promote your music
BARoque InSTRuMenTAl MuSIC
4. Make most of your income through touring and added-value items (see below) rather than sales of the
The Baroque period encompassed a huge variety of styles, and was the first period of music where vocal
with Music Teacher + only
New technique books

from the global star
and instrumental music shared equal standing, as did sacred and secular music. The church continued to be
music itself
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MT_1114_69_Next issue.indd 69
A Day in the Snow: composing a seasonal piece

KS4 Getting the most out of Christmas carols
KS3/KS4/KS5 An unusual Christmas collection
KS3
20/10/2014 16:58:52
MT PROFILE
WOuLd yOu LIkE TO FEaTuRE In WORkIng WEEk?

Email a 700-word account, arranged into days, with a high-resolution photo to
music.teacher@rhinegold.co.uk. Published articles will win 100
WORKING
WEEK
Monday
The first day of the week is always busy at
school, printing off reams of planning and
organising resources for the new week. I load
my car with flutes, recorders and piles of
music. After teaching all day I venture from
my Foundation Stage classroom to Key Stage
2, where I run a flute and clarinet choir. I teach
the flutes for 20 minutes while a colleague
focuses on the clarinets, then we come
together as an ensemble. There is a mixture
of students; some have only been playing
for a few months and others slightly longer.
Today were practising a short waltz; our more
advanced players perform the tune and the
others play a simple harmony underneath.
For only our fifth rehearsal, they sound
surprisingly good.
After school I rush to Nottingham Trent
University (NTU), where I lead another flute
choir, this time for adults. I also rehearse
with the NTU orchestra. Although Mondays
are a long working day, I love the sense of
progression you get, from individual teaching,
to ensembles and finally a whole orchestra.
Clemencie Gatenby is a
primary school teacher, private
music teacher and flute choir
conductor
candidates and guest artists are all organised

and Im excited to receive an email confirming
that both the Lord Mayor and Sheriff of
Nottingham will be attending. The date is
growing nearer, so I email to check on the
programmes and call the photographer.
Wednesday
At lunchtime I polish my trumpet and join
other teachers for a rehearsal of the staff
band. My school is lucky to be part of the
Nottingham In Harmony Project, where all
the children in Key Stage 2 get to learn an
instrument for free. The teachers from In
Harmony are great and it reminds me how
it feels to be the student, as I struggle to
remember which valves to press.
After school I rehearse with the NTU
Choir. We are practising hard for our annual
concert at the Nottingham Royal Concert
Hall. This year we are singing a musical
selection with the London Philharmonic
Orchestra and West End star Kerry Ellis.
After school and meetings are finished, I get

home around 6pm. This gives me time to
practice my own flute playing. Im working
on Gnins Carnaval de Venise at the moment.
Its fun to play once you have got your head
around the pages of demi-semi-quavers.
After dinner I also check to see where I am
with organising the ABRSM Nottingham
High Scorers Concert 2014. The distinction
70
MT_1114_70_Working week.indd 70
Friday
My turn to be the student again, as I go to
my own flute lesson after teaching. I enjoy
continuing my own musical development.
My teacher, Viola Calthrop-Owen, is an
encyclopaedia of musical knowledge. Im
happy with my performance of Debussys
Syrinx but my tiredness is beginning to show in
the exhausting double tonging exercises.
Saturday
Thursday
Tuesday
students working towards their practical and

theory exams, so the evening is a whirl of
scales, transposition, swing and aural tests.
At lunchtime I run recorder club for some of

the Key Stage 1 children. Were having fun
learning Joe, Joe, stubbed his toe! The children
love having their own instrument and are keen
to practise. Were working towards our first
performance in front of the children in the
Foundation Stage. They are a tough crowd to
please, so we focus on making sure our fingers
are properly covering each hole.
After school I drive across Nottingham to
teach individual flute lessons. I have several
Almost there! I get up early and have a quick

practise of some vibrato and double tonging
exercises before my student arrives. We both
have an enjoyable lesson, listening to the new
Grade 3 flute pieces and choosing which ones
to begin learning. My pupil likes the cantabile
style of Tre giorni son che Nina so we spend
time learning the repeating triplet phrase. We
are both happy with how it is beginning to
sound by the end of the lesson. My working
week finishes at lunchtime, so I put down my
instrument and planning folders and go for a
walk in the woods.
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NOVEMBER 2014

The piano issue

Stars of the concert platform

LEARN WITH LANG LANG

SYLLABUS USER GUIDES

Look out for

Singing is a powerful medium to improve childrens health and

Become a Member today

FREE with Membership

Music Teacher Subscriptions

Tim Hallas urges us to encourage

22 TEACHING THE STARS

Put aside your preconceptions,

50 PRODUCTS AND REVIEWS

Dennis ONeill discusses staying

Grade 5 Theory should be a door,

Emma Coulthard turns a crisis

Music Teacher is interested in articles on

CHORAL LEADERS MASTERCLASS

SATURDAY 28TH FEBRUARY 2015

David Hill is a conductor

I learnt a great deal from

Developing the singing abilities of children

Costs to receiving organisation:

Enhance childrens listening skills

120 + VAT per participant

Select appropriate repertoire

To download an application form visit:

Use conducting skills effectively

Thomas Lydon editor

AMONG THIS MONTHS CONTRIBUTORS

Fiona Lau teaches piano pupils of all

Christopher Walters is the head

NOVEMBER 2014 | MUSIC TEACHER

HAVE YOUR SAY

I was interested to read the

MUSIC TEACHER | NOVEMBER 2014

co-ordinate effectively in most

A WIDE GAP IN PERCEPTIONS HAS

worry leaves their faces. Its like

The ISMs Protect Music

Colour-Coded Operation. Perfect For Schools.

Its easy to select from numerous

Use registration memory

Select piano, organ, brass,

CONTACT YOUR EDUCATION DEALER, CALL 020 8208 7829

last-Minute Venue change for Music MarK

Music for Youth supports

Over 100 up-and-coming singer-songwriters, indie and electronic artists, all

Mt readers deal for the schools proM

MUSIC TEACHER | NOVEMBER 2014

sing up launches new

youth music champions grEatEr Equity in

Matt Griffiths, Youth Musics executive

Kings Ely launchEs sixth

NOVEMBER 2014 | MUSIC TEACHER

A career and an education

obituary: anice Paterson 19402014

others brought to the task in hand. Her ability

Coll to thank for that moniker.

words Thomas Lydon

MUSIC TEACHER | NOVEMBER 2014