LIBRETTO

Developing the jazz syllabus

UCAS points for higher grades

Chief Examiner’s review

Music therapy: the art of healing

Trumpet summit

Issue 2002:3

ContentsLibretto 2002:3

1/3 ExamsUCAS points for higher gradesFRSM wins OU creditsOnline entry latestNew exam timingsMusic Medals progressDeveloping the jazz syllabusNew for piano and stringsChief Examiner’s review

4 Professional development newsCertificate of Teaching ceremonyJazz in AustraliaCT ABRSM Hong KongCT ABRSM UK

5/8 Publishing news

9/10 NewsScholars’ concertFrom South East AsiaFirst exams in ChileDiploma award ceremoniesSounds of Sri LankaHong Kong PDPUK closing datesSeminar updateGoing for Grade 8Scholarship successPractice pays off

12/13 FeatureMusic therapy: the art of healingHelen Tyler

14/15 Point of viewTrumpet summitRon McCurdy, Randy Brecker and Wynton Marsalis

16 ForumHelping the slow starters

Libretto is published three times a year by the Marketing Department.

Editor Michelle JamesAssistant Editor Lucy NorthInsert & advertising sales Dominic Sewell

t 020 8861 0848Design Tamasin ColeCover illustration Sarah BallPrint FS Moore Ltd, London

The views expressed in Libretto are not necessarily those of the Associated Board neither are the products or services appearing in advertisements and inserts endorsed by the Associated Board.

Outlook

August is the quietest month. Although this is true atPortland Place, it is far from the case in a number of ourinternational centres where, as I write, over 90 AssociatedBoard examiners are hard at work.

In many countries the work of the Board is almostsynonymous with the maintenance of the western classicalmusic tradition there. The arrival of the examiner signifiesnot just a series of assessments, but the culmination of ayear’s work, and provides performance opportunities forcandidates as well as professional development forteachers. This significance was brought home to me mostrecently on my visit to Sri Lanka, where many of thecountry’s finest musicians, all of them connected with theAssociated Board as scholars, teachers or students,performed in a superb concert organised by ourrepresentative, Mano Chanmugan. This was clearly one of the major musical events of the year in that country,attended by ministers and ambassadors and hungrilylistened to by every member of the audience.

But there is a yet wider context. There is a consensusamongst brain scientists (as recently expressed at a publicforum at the Royal Institution in London) that ‘music isnot only part of our culture; it is part of our nature’ andthat ‘music experiences and skills are universal in allhuman societies’. It is the mission of the Associated Boardand its examiners to encourage the development of thatinherent musicianship throughout all 85 countries wherewe currently work; and anywhere else in the world wherethere is sufficient demand for us to go.

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

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

e abrsm@abrsm.ac.ukpublishing@abrsm.ac.uk

www.abrsm.ac.ukwww.abrsmpublishing.co.uk

Registered Charity No. 292182© 2002 by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of MusicAll rights reserved. Unauthorised reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without permission.

Setting the Standards

Richard MorrisChief Executive

1

EXAMS

Students with Associated Board passes at Grades6, 7 and 8 will soon benefit from officialrecognition for their qualifications from UCAS -the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service.

Following government accreditation ofgraded music exams last year, we asked UCAS toconsider including our higher grades in the tarifffor university and college entrance - allocatingpoints as already happens for AS and A levels andother qualifications. UCAS has agreed, andstudents applying for university and collegeentrance for courses starting in the academic year2004-2005 and beyond will benefit from thefollowing points recommendations:

Practical Theory

Grade 8 Distinction 75 30

Merit 70 25

Pass 55 20

Grade 7 Distinction 60 20

Merit 55 15

Pass 40 10

Grade 6 Distinction 45 15

Merit 40 10

Pass 25 5

Points awarded for AS levels are in the range20–60 and for A levels in the range 40–120.

Associated Board exams will attract pointsunder the UCAS system. As with all awards underthis system, admission tutors may accept, or not,the recommended points for the courses forwhich students apply. Recommended points arebased on the highest grade taken; for example, acandidate with practical passes at Grades 6 and 7and a distinction at Grade 6 theory would claimfor the theory and for the Grade 7 practical – atotal of 55 points. This is in addition to pointsawarded for AS or A level Music.

This is excellent news. The inclusion ofAssociated Board qualifications in the UCAS Tariffprovides further recognition of the considerablededication and commitment required in order tobe successful at these grades and confirms theeducational worth of graded music exams.

For more information about UCAS seewww.ucas.ac.uk

UCAS points forhigher grades

FRSM wins OU credits

The UK online entry form is undergoing a redesign.It will now be browser based (Internet Explorer,Netscape etc) and therefore available on a widerange of computers, including Apple Macs.Applicants will be able to pay for exams online using a credit card and they will also be able to viewtheir past results. The new system will be availablefor C Period in the UK with plans to expand thisservice internationally in the future.

For online entry go towww.abrsm.ac.uk/examentry.html

Online entry latest

We are making a small adjustment to the timeallowed for Grade 1 Piano and all string and windinstruments at Grades 1-5. The new timings, takingeffect from January 2003, are a result of feedbackfrom teachers, parents and examiners and willreflect more accurately the actual time taken forthese exams.

● We are slightly reducing the additional tuningtime for strings and wind as candidates rarelyuse all of this extra time. We are also exploringthe use of tuning meters in waiting rooms with apilot scheme taking place at selected centres.

● We are adding two minutes to what has beenour shortest exam – Grade 1 Piano – in responseto feedback that these exams sometimes felt alittle rushed for very young candidates.

The revised timings are given in the ExaminationRegulations & Information for 2003.

New exam timings

Music Medals progress

The Music Medals project – the brand new concept of individualexams for students taught ingroups – gathers momentumfollowing a hugely positive responseto the pilot scheme from MusicServices around the UK. Thank youto all those taking part. Look outfor more Music Medals news inthe next issue.

Holders of the Associated Board’s FRSM diplomawill be able to claim credits towards a newlylaunched MA in Music from the Open University(OU). The programme will be taught in threemodules leading to the Postgraduate Certificatein Music, Postgraduate Diploma in Music and, onsuccessful completion of the third module, theMA. These are the first postgraduate musiccourses to be taught in an online environment,combining traditional OU teaching methods withthe latest in technology.

The FRSM can be used towards the MAdegree as a substitution for either the second orthird module (worth 60 points at postgraduatelevel). OU recognition of the FRSM follows aprecedent set with other Associated Boardqualifications which already carry credits towardsOU qualifications at BA level:

DipABRSM 30 or 35 points at OU Level 1depending on previous study

LRSM 60 or 65 points at OU Level 2depending on previous study

CT ABRSM 35 points at OU Level 2

The OU MA in Music course begins inFebruary 2003 and enrolment is opennow. For more information:www.open.ac.uk/arts/music/ma.htm

t 01908 654851

2

EXAMS

Beginnings

In December 1999, I invited a group of jazzspecialists to spend a day at our offices discussingwhat Grades 1-5 for jazz saxophone, clarinet,trumpet and trombone might consist of. It was astimulating day! We talked widely about the skillsjazz musicians need, how to assess those skills,the range of repertoire needed and how to collectit. Our aim was to develop a syllabus for thesejazz horns that would be musically inclusive to allsections of the jazz community and attractive tothose outside it, that would have improvisation atits core, and that would include music from all themain strands of jazz. We were fired up about theprospect of developing exams that would extendthe work of the existing jazz syllabus – furtherraising the status of jazz in music education andproviding a much-needed set of resources forwind and brass teachers and learners.

Initially we decided to follow the jazz pianomodel in having 15 tunes per grade perinstrument – for four instruments that’s 300tunes! But it soon became clear that considerablymore than 300 were needed to start with if wewere to end up with a balanced and idiomatic setof tunes which not only represented a cross-section of jazz styles but also contained examplesof tunes associated with key players of eachinstrument. Motown-like, we created teams of‘tune finders’, commissioning jazz performers andeducators in the UK and internationally to submitlead sheets.

We worked with instrumental specialists todefine the ranges and scale requirements foreach grade, as these would need to be directlyrelated to the tunes and particularly theimprovised solo sections. Consensus amongconsultants was not always easy to establish;vigorous debate surrounded decisions aboutwhether to include the blues scale, whether torequire candidates to play scales in swing, andwhether scales with unconventional shapesshould be included to introduce essentialelements of vocabulary at lower grades.

Having collected hundreds of tunes, we beganthe lengthy process of moderation. Charlie Beale,our Lead Consultant for Jazz, worked closely withspecialists to define technical and musical

parameters for each grade. Detailed moderationforms were designed for consultants to completebefore bringing their work back to the AssociatedBoard for sessions in which each tune wasanalysed in detail. Ideas about how the tunecould be arranged to fit the time constraints ofan exam, what speed, groove and feel wouldwork best, what the solo section might consist of,and details of classic performances, were thenadded to the form. Eventually, this form wouldbecome part of the arranger’s brief.

The pilot

By the autumn of 2000 we were ready to field-test the initial materials. Around 400 teachersacross the country received a Teacher’s Pack, a setof Pupil Books and accompanying CDs with music-minus-one tracks. Their feedback was picked overendlessly and as a result many of the issues wehad been debating were given a clear direction.For example, 93% of respondents felt thatplaying jazz scales both swing and straight wasbeneficial and 72% felt that the blues scaleshould be included. We were delighted with theenthusiastic response. Comments such as, ‘someof my jaded teenage pupils were completelyremotivated by the experience’ were common.There were also calls for a jazz flute syllabus –now in the pipeline.

Bringing it all together

Once the pilot was completed we begancommissioning new tunes for the contemporarylist and worked to finalise the selections. Criteriasuch as range of keys, styles and tempi within thelists needed careful consideration. Nikki Iles andCharlie Beale spent many weeks working on thefine detail, ensuring that there was consistencyand the highest quality in every aspect of thematerial, while Beth Morton, my assistant, kepttrack of the enormous quantity of material beinggenerated. Teams of arrangers worked on theselected tunes and many were asked tocontribute short grooves for the Quick Study andAural Tests (some 200 were needed for eachinstrument). Before the final selection, we invitedtop jazz performers to our offices in London toplay through the tunes to check that they

Developing the jazz syllabus

The jazz piano syllabus was launched in 1999. At the time we mentioned plans to expand the jazz syllabus to include other instruments, and work has been goingon since then to make this happen. Here Nigel Scaife,Syllabus Principal, gives an insight into the evolution of the new syllabus.

3

EXAMS

Graded exams went from strength to strength in allcountries visited by the Associated Board last year.Candidate numbers have increased again, and theaverage mark stands at a healthy 117.

Children often come into the exam room with anencouraging level of confidence with one small boyable to say to a trainee examiner, who was workingwith me, ‘You’re doing quite well really. I expect you’llget through’. Adults, however, often struggle withnerves. ‘I’m so sorry, I can do it at home’ is a frequentcomment, but most do pass and examiners are alwaysaware of how much it means to these brave souls.

Increasingly, pianists are tending to play theirpieces first, followed by scales. Perhaps they feelmore confident going straight into well-rehearsedrepertoire, or perhaps they feel scales are not theirstrongest point. Whichever order the elements of theexam are presented, the marks will be the same butit’s obviously important to make a confident start.

Many candidates seem reluctant to try out thesight-reading in the 30 seconds preparation time.‘Do you mean I can actually play it?’ is a fairlyfrequent question. It’s a good idea to try out partsof the test before the proper attempt. Candidateswho are then able to keep going, preserving theoutline of the music, will gain more marks.

Aural Tests are going well, but the chords in Test Aof Grade 8 sometimes cause confusion. Mostcandidates, however, identify the cadence correctly,and it’s important to remember that this is only a smallpart of the Aural Tests, which are assessed as a whole.

The new diplomas have got off to a flying start,and the diploma examining team has been busymeeting worldwide demand. The largest entry hasbeen for the Performance subject-line, particularlyat DipABRSM level. Fewer Teaching candidates haveentered, but a significant number have completedthe extensive preparation and arrived at the examwith a sample of their favourite teaching materials.In fact, one lady came with three large suitcases onwheels, full of her music.

For many DipABRSM candidates the Quick Studyis a less confident area and it pays to practise aselection of Grade 6 List C pieces to become familiarwith what is required. Confidence can also be aproblem in the Viva Voce especially for candidateswhose first language is not English. Candidatesshould be reassured that their vocabulary is notbeing examined, but rather their backgroundknowledge. Of course, a certain level of fluency isnecessary and if this could be a problem it’s best toinvestigate the use of an interpreter. Finally, areminder that Performing candidates will benefitfrom the valuable information found in WritingProgramme Notes – A guide for diploma candidatesby Dr Nigel Scaife our Syllabus Principal.

Overall, it’s been a tremendously successful year.Congratulations to all those who have succeeded intheir exams and good luck for the next grade.

worked. It was fantastic to hear the authenticityand creativity of the finished arrangements forthe first time.

The copy-editing and proof-reading processwas begun last year and from March to June thisyear several weeks were spent recording thetunes with a wide range of jazz musicians. Neverbefore has the Associated Board published somany books and CDs simultaneously, althoughthe significance of this project is not just its scale.The launch of these new additions to the jazzsyllabus next year will represent an importantlandmark in the Associated Board’s history. Moreimportant, however, is the positive impact it willhave on jazz education itself.

The new jazz syllabus for saxophone,clarinet, trumpet and trombone will belaunched on 24 February 2003 at thePurcell Room in London.

Syllabus support materials from ABRSM(Publishing) Ltd will also be available.These include repertoire, quick studies,scales, aural materials, recordings and areal book.

The London launch will be followed byregional events around the country andlater in the year a series of workshopsfor teachers.

Chief Examiner’s review

Once again Clara Taylorreflects on the year’sexamining.

Writing ProgrammeNotes is available onlineat www.abrsm.ac.uk oryou can request a freecopy by phone or email: t +44 (0)20 7467 8254 e marketing@abrsm.ac.uk

The syllabus for Piano & BowedStrings, 2003 & 2004 is nowavailable featuring revisedrepertoire lists for piano, violaand double bass.

The syllabus is availablefree of charge from:■ music retailers■ Representatives■ our London office

New for piano and strings

4

Certificate of Teaching ceremonyNEWSPROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENT

John Baker, Chair of the Associated Board,presented the certificates to over 150 studentsfrom the UK course and to a group of studentsfrom the most recent Hong Kong course. It was apleasure to welcome these colleagues from HongKong who had flown over to attend the awardceremony and a refresher course at BenslowMusic Trust in Hitchin.

We were delighted to welcome Lord Puttnamof Queensgate as our guest speaker. LordPuttnam’s career as a film producer brought usfilms including The Mission, The Killing Fields andChariots of Fire. However, since retiring from film-making in 1998 he has focused his work oneducation and has recently been involved, aschairman, in the work of the General TeachingCouncil for England, the National TeachingAwards and the National Endowment for Science,Technology and the Arts.

Lord Puttnam spoke about the value ofcreativity and the arts, and the role of education inlaying the foundations for ‘artistic and creativeexcellence.’ He emphasised the importance ofeducation, access and participation and how‘personal fulfillment, public confidence and aricher understanding of the social and culturalcontext which they inhabit are all things whichflow from studying and participating in thecreative arts.’ Finally, he commented on how thedevelopment of creative skills is ‘essential to thecompetitiveness of any nation in the modernglobalised economy.’ Throughout his address LordPuttnam referred to creativity in terms of music –which he describes as one of his ‘greatest passions.’

Successful students and their guests cameaway with much that was thought-provoking andinspiring and the afternoon concluded fittinglywith a celebratory reception.

In January next year we areholding three four-day courses for teachers in Australia focussingon jazz education. DistinguishedUK jazz musicians and educators,Pete Churchill and Nikki Iles, will be co-presenting thesecourses, which are part of ourongoing Centenary Travel Grantwork bringing professionaldevelopment to teachers aroundthe world. Readers in Australiacan find full details in theenclosed leaflet.

CT ABRSM Hong Kong

The 2002-2003 Certificate ofTeaching course began in Julywith 27 students setting out on a voyage of professionaldevelopment and discovery. This year the course is based at HKU SPACE – the School ofProfessional and ContinuingEducation at Hong KongUniversity – with Course LeaderWalter Blair and mentors PeterNoke and John Railton. Ourthanks to former Hong Kong CT ABRSM students, Petina Lawand Dorcas Wong, who havemasterminded the administrationand recruitment to the currentHong Kong course.

CT ABRSM UK

Jazz inAustralia

It’s not too late to apply for thelatest Certificate of Teachingcourse, the Associated Board’sunique professional developmentcourse for instrumental andsinging teachers. Over 1,400teachers have now successfullycompleted this widely acclaimedcourse of study which is now in itseighth successive year in the UK.

The next course begins at theend of September in Scotland andat the end of October in Englandand Wales. If you are over 21 (25 for singers), have beenteaching regularly for a minimumof one year and have at least five regular pupils why not get in touch?

For more information,contact the CourseAdministrator, Judith Jerome:

t 020 7467 8257e profdev@abrsm.ac.uk

Successful students from the CT ABRSM course gathered atLondon’s Royal College ofMusic in July to be awarded the Certificate of Teaching.

Jazz workshops

Kuala Lumpur, Penang, SingaporeJazz musicians andeducators RichardMichael and CharlieBeale will be presentingjazz workshops forteachers in October 2002and January 2003respectively.

For more information contact:

MalaysiaChambers MusicLot T052-T0533rd Flr, Sg Wang PlazaJalan Sultan Ismail55100 Kuala Lumpurt (603) 241 3724

SingaporeMusic PlazaNo 11 Ubi Road 1#06-02 Meiban IndustrialBuildingSingapore 408723t (65) 6747 4388

J S Bach The Art of Fugue

Richard Jones

Edited by Richard Jones

ISBN 1 85472 870 9

A stunning new edition of J S Bach’s The Art of Fugue waslaunched at the Royal Over-Seas League on 17 June 2002.Presented by Dr Richard Jones, leading Bach scholar andeditor of the edition, guests were given the uniqueopportunity of hearing sections of the work performed byinternational performing artists Davitt Moroney on theharpsichord and Yonty Solomon on the piano.

This new edition features a two-stave keyboard layout,making the work accessible to modern players and students,and extensive editorial and performance notes.

Exclusive to this volume is a sample graphic analysis ofContrapunctus 8 which demonstrates the fugue’s structurethrough a commentaryin parallel with anannotated score.

The new publicationincludes a specially-recorded double CD ofthis edition, performedon the harpsichord byDavitt Moroney.

NEWSPUBLISHING

5

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

Competition!

Win a copy of The Art of Fugue – see page 8.

Extraordinary value formoney... Davitt Moroney’s excellentplaying

Early Music News

’’

Richard Jones, Davitt Moroney,

Yonty Solomon andLeslie East

(Director of Publishing)

Yonty Solomon (piano), Davitt Moroney (harpsichord) and Richard Jones All photos by Malcolm Crowthers

’’

WITH

CD

NEWSPUBLISHING

6

MeetthePianistsRecordings ofthe completepianoexaminationsyllabus2003–2004,Grades 1 to 8

Who or what have been yourstrongest formative musicalinfluences?

Have you always had yourheart set on becoming amusician?

Are there any other musiciansin your family?

Sophie Yates My recorder teacherat school, Patricia Elcombe, was thefirst person to talk to me aboutstylistic issues in playing earliermusic; recordings made in the 1970s by the Consort of Musick;masterclasses with VladoPerlemuter and Trevor Pinnock; andmost recently, conversations withMurray Perahia, comparingdifferent approaches to playingbaroque repertoire on the pianoand harpsichord.

My family was completelyunmusical.

Mary Mei-Loc Wu My mother’spiano teaching, my father’spassion for the violin and mymentor’s unshakable musicalconviction.

Yes, my sisters Enloc and Melodyare both professional pianists inEurope.

Yes, but not without momentarydoubts that I should try some-thing else such as becoming aprofessional table-tennis playeror a gymnast.

Piers Lane First and foremost myparents, who met at the RoyalCollege of Music beforeemigrating to Australia when Iwas just 5 months old; then myteacher Nancy Weir, now 87 yearsold, who had been a pupil ofSchnabel.

Both my parents are musicians –my father has now retired asDirector of Studies at QueenslandConservatorium of Music, GriffithUniversity, and is still chiefexaminer for the Australian MusicExaminations Board inQueensland; my mother teachespiano and violin.

Yes – rightfrom childhoodI knew Iwanted to be apianist.

I have always wanted to be amusician, as long as I canremember.

Dennis Lee I don’t think therehas been one influence. Growingup in Malaya, I had Westerncultural influences around me.Then obviously my music teachershave left their mark: AngusMorrison (Royal College ofMusic); in Vienna, Josef Dichler;and in Milan, Madame IlonkaDeckers.

Many of my family in Malaysiacould play the piano or violin, orsang in church/school choirs. But Iam the only one who took upperforming professionally.

For a long time, I was not surethat music would be my career.There were thoughts of medicine,architecture and reading Englishat university. What clinched itwas being awarded an overseasscholarship by the AssociatedBoard when I was 14.

Paul Lewis The most directinfluence has been AlfredBrendel, whom I first met in1993.

None.I don’t ever remember thinkingabout doing anything else.

For the recordings of the completepiano syllabus 2003–2004, we havechosen a range of pianists whohave a special knowledge ofparticular repertoire to record thepieces.

The pianists featured are Rolf Hind, Piers Lane, Dennis Lee,Paul Lewis, Noriko Ogawa, Mary Mei-Loc Wu and Sophie Yates.In these fine recordings theyprovide valuable insights into theway professional performers applytheir personal interpretations tobring the music to life.

We asked them to tell us abouttheir musical backgrounds andwhat they thought of exemplarrecordings.

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

We hope you enjoy these recordings as much as we all enjoyedproducing them. Listen to them not just to help you decide whichpieces to play and how to play them but also as a voyage of musicaldiscovery. Test your own views on interpretation against those of ourexperts but, rather than slavishly copy what you hear, trust your ownjudgement in the end. That is what your listeners (whether it be asingle examiner, a crowd of family and friends, or a paying audience)will expect.

Leslie East, Director of Publishing

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Noriko Ogawa My mother is apiano teacher. So is her sister.Piano was always being played byeither my mother or her pupilsfrom when I was a little baby. Asfor performers, my strongestinfluences were my Japanesepiano teacher and Richter, whomI heard when I was six in Tokyo.

Yes, my mother. I have a youngersister who played the violin in herArts University Orchestra but herfirst study was oil painting. Myfather has almost no idea ofmusic.

Yes, I thought I was going to dosomething with music all my lifewhen I was a child. My strongdecision to become a professionalmusician came after the cloudyyears of being a teenager.

Rolf Hind Olivier Messiaen,India, myself.

No.No.

7What music do you enjoylistening to?

Did you go through theAssociated Board examsystem?

Do you think exemplarrecordings like these are agood idea?

Do you have any interestingor unusual non-musicalhobbies?

I enjoy listening to all sorts ofmusic, I love French repertoire ofall periods.

I am divided as to whetherexemplar recordings such asthese are a good idea, as Ibelieve budding musicians needto be encouraged to think forthemselves. However, as astarting point for discussion Ithink they can be very valuable.

I did.

Yes, I did gothrough someof it.

I think I like normal hobbies suchas aerobics, tending plants,hiking and watching football.

Yes, because they provide thelearner with an idea of the musicand help develop individualinterpretation.

Classical orchestral music, jazzand earlier soft pops.

No – I went through theAustralian Music ExaminationsBoard system.

I’m really into yoga at themoment, although I have not yet made the headstand!

Yes, as long as listeners realizethat what they are hearing isonly one concept given on thatday, at that time; they should beinspired by the performances butshould not religiously copy whatthey hear.

Anything classical – I lovelistening to Radio 3. Also somepop – I am a fan of Björk - andjazz.

Apart from classical music, I enjoyVictorian music hall, musicalsfrom the 20s and the 60s. Giveme a good old tune from TheDesert Song or Showboat!

They can be useful in providing ageneral idea, but never must thestudent think it is the only wayto play the piece, and never mustthere be slavish imitation.

Reading, chess,swimming, civil aviation,wildlifeconservation,keeping intouch withpeople all overthe world.

Yes, I went through practicallythe whole system: Grades 1–8piano, Grades 5–8 violin, thenLRSM piano, plus ARCM in pianoand violin. Now I am on theother side of the fence, havingbeen an Associated Boardexaminer since 1977.

Almost anything as long as itexpresses something – I try tokeep my musical tastes as wide as possible.

Yes, so long as the students thatlisten to them feel they can stillcome to their own conclusionsabout how a piece should sound.

Flying is a fairly unusual hobbyof mine, but I know some otherpianists who also do this, soperhaps it’s not so unusualamongst musicians!

I did Grade 8 piano, but moreexams on the cello – Grades 1–3!

Not anyunusualhobbies, I’mafraid!

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

Teachers will be interested in these recordings in order to comparetheir own views of style and interpretation, and parents will be ableto understand what their children are trying to achieve. For allconcerned, these excellent recordings will be an invaluable teachingand learning guide.

Clara Taylor, Chief Examiner Noriko Ogawa’s interview provided by Hazard Chase.

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No, I did not. I wasbrought up in Japan so Inever came across thiswonderful exam system. [NB Associated Boardexams are now availablein Japan]

I like cooking everydaymeals. I am also a keenwriter in Japanese. Mymost recent article wasabout Alfred Schnittke.

Of course! It is a fantastic idea! I had LPs likethis when I was a child in Japan. Such a greatway to be introduced to the real music world.Our recordings are ‘suggesting ways ofplaying’. Those who are taking exams canlisten to us and see how the pieces sound,how we interpret them. If you have particularopinions yourself, you are free to put yourthoughts into your performance.

Classical (I like early20th century music) andjazz. I used to live inNew York when Istudied at the JuilliardSchool and went tomany, many jazzconcerts.

Yes. Cooking, languages (Hindispeaker), writing, readingphilosophy, gym, exotic travel.

Yes.Szymanowski, Ligeti, Bartók, folkmusic, Nina Hagen.

CompetitionWe are giving away five copies of The Art ofFugue signed by the editor Richard Jones. Justwrite the answers to these two questions on apostcard and send to:

ABRSM (Publishing) Ltd24 Portland PlaceLondon W1B 1LUUnited Kingdom

to arrive no later than Friday 8 November 2002.

1. Which Bach specialist and leadingharpsichordist has recorded The Art of Fuguespecially for inclusion in the AssociatedBoard’s new edition?

2. Which famous composer’s name is spelt outin German notation in one of the subjects ofthe final fugue in The Art of Fugue?

Time Pieces for ViolaMusic through the Ages in Two Volumes

NEWSPUBLISHING

8

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

Time Pieces for Viola Vol 1 ISBN 1 86096 254 8Time Pieces for Viola Vol 2 ISBN 1 86096 255 6

Time Pieces is an exciting series of repertoirewhich explores the wealth of music writtenfrom the fifteenth century to the present day.In July we published Time Pieces for Viola,Volumes 1 and 2. The pieces are presentedchronologically within each volume and allinclude the year in which they were written too,so you can map your journey through time!

These two volumes contain pieces requiredfor the new viola exam syllabus for 2003–2004.

Music in Words website update

On our website you will find a special web pagedevoted to Music in Words, a guide toresearching and writing about music, by TrevorHerbert, published last year. This page hasrecently been updated to include further linksto many music, bibliographical, generalreference and online internet tutorial sites.

Visit www.abrsmpublishing.co.uk/musicinwordsto access these sites.

Competition winnersLibretto, May 2002

In the May 2002 competition we asked youwhich contributor to A Performer’s Guide toMusic of the Baroque Period founded theperiod instrument orchestra The Academy ofAncient Music, which singer created the role ofBarbarina in the 1786 première of Mozart’sopera The Marriage of Figaro, and whichfamous composer of romantic piano music isfeatured on the front cover of A Performer’sGuide to Music of the Romantic Period. Theanswers are: ‘Christopher Hogwood’, ‘AnnaGottlieb’ and ‘Chopin’, respectively.

Congratulations to Maureen Moe from Trinidad& Tobago who receives a complete set of thethree new Performer’s Guides. Four runners-upeach receive a copy of A Performer’s Guide toMusic of the Romantic Period. They are:Debbie Rawnsley, Wellington, New ZealandAlex Woodrow, Yorkshire, UKM J Constantine, Hampshire, UKPenny Mansley, Hampshire, UK

Series EditorAnthony Burton

Romantic Periodof

PERFORMER’SGUIDE TO MUSIC

THE

A

The Associated Board ofthe Royal Schools of Music

includes

includes

CD

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

24 Portland PlaceLondon W1B 1LUUnited Kingdom

t +44 20 7636 5400f +44 20 7637 0234e publishing@abrsm.ac.uk

www.abrsmpublishing.co.uk

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

A Guide to Researching andWriting about Music

9

NEWSBill Thomson, ourRegional Consultant,reports.

From South East Asia

New Representative

KoreaYoung Mee HahnYongsan Gu Ichon DongBando Apt #2-402Seoul 140-031t 82 11 331 2047f 82 26 381 2047e youngmeehahn

@hanmail.net

Scholars’ concert

On 31 May, Associated Board staff andguests were treated to a lunchtime concertgiven by current and recent AssociatedBoard Scholars at our London office. Ninemusicians took part providing a varied andstimulating programme of music by JS Bach, Bloch, Kreisler, Walton,Beethoven, Schumann and Rachmaninoff.The musicians were (above from left toright): Naomi Williams, cello; KatieStillman, violin; Andrew Skidmore, cello,Danny Driver, piano; Jane Chee Yean Ng,violin; Xuefei Yang, guitar; Yoon Chung,piano; and Ong Yin Yin Miranda, piano.

2002 marks the Silver Jubilee of Associated Board examsin Indonesia. It is a great tribute to the work of ourRepresentative, Denis Umar, that Associated Board examshave become increasingly popular during this period. Until1977 candidates from Indonesia had to travel to Singapore totake their exams but following a request from Denis Umar, itwas arranged for one of the Singapore examiners, RuthGerald, to visit Surabaya, conducting exams in Indonesia, forthe first time. Now, 25 years later, the Associated Board holdsexams in 18 centres across Java and Sumatra and this yearsees the first exams on the beautiful island of Bali.

Indonesia now has a well-established pattern of HighScorers’ Concerts which take place in Medan, Bandung,Jakarta and Surabaya. As part of the jubilee celebrationsperformers from this year’s concerts have been selected toperform at a National High Achievers’ Concert to be held inJakarta in December. This event will be the high point of theSilver Jubilee year for Indonesia and Associated Board ChiefExecutive, Richard Morris, will be attending the celebrationsand presenting diplomas at the diploma awards ceremony.

Professional development continues to play an importantrole in the lives of teachers across Malaysia, Singapore, Bruneiand Indonesia. The Professional Development Programme(PDP) for 2002 began in April when Clara Taylor, ChiefExaminer, visited Malaysia and Singapore to share her insightsinto exams and examining and in August and September Paul Harris and Richard Ingham explored improvisation andcreativity in lessons. To end the year, in November we arerunning a Professional Development Conference in Penang.This residential conference will provide a wonderfulopportunity for teachers to gather and share ideas and to network with colleagues. Richard Morris will be presentto open the conference with Richard Crozier, Director ofProfessional Development also attending.

Plans for our next PDP in 2003 are now taking shape.Look out for further details in the next issue.

First exams in Chile

Diploma award ceremonies

Earlier this year successful diploma candidates received theirawards at official ceremonies in Malaysia, Singapore andHong Kong. Nearly 300 musicians in full academic dressattended these events to be presented with their awards inMalaysia and Singapore by Clara Taylor, Chief Examiner, andin Hong Kong by Philip Mundey, Director of Examinations.Each ceremony also included a short recital given by selecteddiploma holders showcasing the talent and dedicationneeded to succeed in these highly respected qualifications.

Our Regional Consultant for South East Asia, BillThomson, was present at the ceremonies in Malaysia andSingapore and told us how ‘heartening it was to witness theoverwhelming response to the diplomas from so manycandidates; the atmosphere at these events was charged withboth excitement and pride’. From Hong Kong Philip Mundeyreported how pleased he was to ‘congratulate the largecohort of successful diploma candidates at a splendid andcolourful ceremony.’

Sounds of Sri Lanka

In April, Richard Morris, Chief Executive,visited Sri Lanka to meet with teachers, pupilsand our Representative, Mano Chanmugam.A highlight of the visit was a concert given bylocal musicians, pictured here.

Our first exams in Chile provided one of the most exciting internationaldevelopments of 2001 and in April of this year the successful candidates werepresented with their certificates at aspecial launch event at the British Council’sMillennium Hall in Santiago. Our contact in Chile, Danisa Balmaceda, and theDirector of the British Council in Chile,John Knagg, both spoke at the launch and two of the candidates, Paula Ordoñezand Andrés Gómez, performed works from our current syllabus.

Danisa Balmaceda, left, and John Knagg withcandidate, Claudia Ortega

Extra session for Belgium

From 2003 we will berunning an extra examsession at the BritishSchool in Brussels. Thenew session in Marchwill provide addedflexibility for teachersand pupils in Belgium.

Madrid jubilee concert

A free concert celebrating20 years of AssociatedBoard exams in Spain isbeing held in Madrid on5 October. The concert,at the Auditorio delCentro Cultural del CondeDuque will featureperformers from all over Spain.

For moreinformation:Timothy Jonest 91 320 6017m629 268346

Hong Kong PDP

In April Director of Examinations, Philip Mundey, presentedthe first Professional Development Programme (PDP) to beheld in Hong Kong, under the title Developing Performance.The Academic Hall of Hong Kong Baptist University providedan imposing venue and with support from the Hong KongExaminations and Assessment Authority and our consultants,David and Shirley Gwilt, this first Hong Kong PDP was a great success.

Birthday honours

Dr Janet Ritterman,Chairman of ABRSM(Publishing) Ltd, memberof the Associated Board’sGoverning Body andDirector of the RoyalCollege of Music, wasmade a Dame in theQueen’s birthdayhonours.

10

NEWS

New UK HLRs

BanburyJune Headlandt 01295 270188

EdinburghWilliam Walest 0131 225 1171

EpsomSheila Colchestert 01737 644779m07956 284 172

Hemel HempsteadElizabeth Hollidayt 01923 267483e liz.holliday@

btinternet.com

LeedsNicola Bagnallt 0113 258 1814e hlr@nickibagnall.

freeserve.co.uk

ReadingMonica Robertst 01628 62991e richardandmonica@

waitrose.com

St AlbansVera Tufnellt 01727 857877

St AustellAnn Fleett 01726 75318e annfleet@hotmail.com

YeovilJanice Suggt 01935 429322

High Scorers’ Concerts

8 SeptemberDublin

22 SeptemberIsle of Man

26 SeptemberBolton

29 SeptemberDoncaster

2 NovemberBangor

9 NovemberSouthampton

UK closing datesDates for 2003Many teachers plan ahead for their pupils’ examsand find it helpful to know how exam dates fitwith school terms and other commitments. Youmay wish to make a note of the closing dates forpostal entries for each session in 2003 - the onlineclosing date is always the following Friday.

A Period Friday 17 January 2003B Period Friday 2 May 2003C Period Friday 19 September 2003

Late Easter and summer entriesEaster next year falls at the end of April andmany schools do not return for the summer termuntil 28 April, only a few days before the postalclosing date. This will leave little time to makedecisions about exam entries if you wait until thebeginning of term before sending in your entryform. Hopefully this advance warning will assistyour planning. You may also find the followingideas helpful:● The A Period closing date is later than usual.

Do you have candidates who could be put infor the spring rather than the summer exams– avoiding some of those school exam clashes?

● Submit your entry at the end of the springterm if you can – it will be a longer term thanit was this year, giving more time to makeentry decisions.

● For an isolated candidate whose entry cannotbe submitted early, you can send that singleentry separately after Easter. If you would likethe candidate to be heard at the same time asother candidates just attach a note to thiseffect and we will match up your entries.

● Try online entry – the closing date is Friday 9 May, a whole week later than for postalentries – www.abrsm.ac.uk/examentry.html

Seminar update

TheoryExplore the Theory of Music Syllabus at the RoyalNorthern College of Music, Manchester on Saturday16 November and Regent Hall, London on Saturday30 November. UK readers will find a booking formenclosed with this issue of Libretto.

New piano repertoirePlaces are still available at the following seminarswhere Anthony Williams, Julian Hellaby and PeterNoke will be introducing teachers to repertoire fromthe new piano syllabus.

21 September Glasgow5 October Manchester

26 October Birmingham2 November Inverness

17 November Newcastle upon Tyne1 December Bristol

For further information contact theMarketing Department:

t 020 7467 8254e marketing@abrsm.ac.uk

Scholarship success

Congratulations to the latest students to beawarded Associated Board scholarships fundingstudy at the Royal Academy of Music, the RoyalCollege of Music, the Royal Northern College ofMusic and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music andDrama. This year there are also four newscholarships for younger musicians in the UK whoare beginning their studies at the JuniorDepartments of these conservatoires. We lookforward to supporting all our new scholars over thecoming year.

Royal Academy of MusicChristopher Cooper, Amy Hargrave, Elise Gauthier-Villars, Rowena Crouch, Linda Lan Yin

Royal College of MusicRobin Ashwell, Sophie Bevan, Christopher Gough,Claire Telford, Zheng Yi Yang, Katrina Waters

Royal Northern College of MusicThomas Bell, Cathal Breslin, Thomas Cameron,Philippa Jeffery, Birgit Seifart, Wei Min Zhang

Royal Scottish Aademy of Music and DramaRositsa Dusheva, Lindsey Ellis, Julia Somerville,Jennifer Brown, Yoon Kyung Kim

Congratulations toOliver Brett! Oliver, a pupil at TonbridgeSchool in Kent, has now achieved Grade 8passes in six differentsubjects – piano, practicalmusicianship, violin,organ, viola and singing– and in five of these hewas awarded a distinction.To mark his tremendousachievement, Oliver was

recently presented with a Special Certificate by ourChief Executive, Richard Morris.

Going for Grade 8

Practice pays off

At the beginning of theyear thousands of youngmusicians took part in

the first ever Practice-a-thon! raising money forSargent Cancer Care for Children. Jane Ferguson of Sargent Cancer Care writes:

‘When Practice-a-thon! first hit the headlines in September 2001 we hoped for a musical andfundraising success and the support of the AssociatedBoard provided a head start. However, nothing couldhave prepared us for the massive and very positiveresponse we received. Not only did thousands of UK-based teachers sign up their pupils to take part, butthrough the wide readership of Libretto, enquiriescame from all parts of the globe. Sargent has alreadyraised in excess of £180,000 with sponsorship forms stillarriving on a daily basis. This huge success is thanks to agreat many people: music teachers, young musicians,and the friends and families who supported them.’

Preparations for the 2003 Practice-a-thon!are now underway. To receive your copy ofthe Practice-a-thon! newsletter and detailsof how to get involved, register at:

Practice-a-thon!Sargent Cancer Care for ChildrenGriffin House161 Hammersmith RoadLondon W6 8SG

e practiceathon!@sargent.org

Oliver with Hilary Daven-Wetton, Director of Music at Tonbridge School,left, and Richard Morris

11

FEATURE Music therapy: the art of healing

Helen Tyler

Helen Tyler is Assistant Director of theNordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centrein north London.

The link between music and healing has beenknown and recorded across cultures and throughthe centuries, but it is only over the last fiftyyears that music therapy has developed as aprofession. In 1999 music therapy, along with artand drama therapy, received official recognitionfrom the state regulatory body, the HealthProfessions Council, putting the arts therapies onan equal footing with other professions allied tomedicine, such as physiotherapy. All musictherapists who have successfully completed atraining on one of the seven recognised coursesare now entitled to be state registered.

Why music?

In all societies and cultures, music is an integralpart of public and private life, and is also thebasis of ritual, whether social, spiritual orceremonial. Music adds another dimension tooccasions of national importance or personalsignificance, and supports or transcends thespoken word in worship, celebration andmourning. Few people would deny the importantpart music has played in their lives from infancyto old age, and that it is a powerful medium forcommunication. It is important, however, not toview music simply as a vehicle for the emotions,but also as a complex creation of the intellect.

Stravinsky wrote: ‘I know that twelve notes ineach octave and the varieties of rhythm offer meopportunities that all of human genius will neverexhaust.’ Here, Stravinsky acknowledges thepotent force contained within pitch and rhythm,the basic ingredients of music, which, combinedwith the composer’s ingenuity and inspiration,can create musical patterns and structures ofinfinite variety. The music therapist has theopportunity to use not only the social, spiritualand emotional aspects of music, but also itsinherent form, structure and logic, thus linkingthe artistic and the scientific, the intuitive and theintellectual. Powerful tools indeed!

The music therapist is working on the premisethat inborn in every human being is the capacity

to respond to the elements of music, and that thisinnate responsiveness remains intact andaccessible despite damage or trauma to otherorgans. Researchers have shown that in thewomb before birth, the foetus reacts to rhythmand pitch, while a new-born baby can alreadydistinguish the tone of its mother’s voice, as wellas being calmed or aroused by different rhythmicsounds or movements. Psychologists haveobserved that the baby’s earliest attempts to‘talk’ to the mother are in many ways closer to amusical dialogue than to speech. The innate needor drive within us to communicate, even at thisearly pre-verbal level, is used and developed bymusic therapists as part of their clinicaltechniques.

What is therapy?

Having accepted that music provides a universallanguage, or means of communication, thequestion may be raised as to how music therapydiffers from other forms of musical activity. Theuplifting experience of singing in a choir, thesatisfaction of performing with fellow musicians,the enjoyment of listening to music, live orrecorded, or the inspiration given by a giftedteacher, are all therapeutic, since they promotefeelings of well-being and enhance the quality oflife. However, music therapy practised as aprofession has certain features which separate itfrom more general musical experiences. Centralto this is the relationship which is built upbetween therapist and client or patient (eitherword is used, depending on the work-place). Thisrelationship is based on mutual trust andacceptance, and is explored within a settingoffering regularity, consistency of the time andplace of sessions and confidentiality. Thetherapist will also be prepared to work withdifficult or negative emotions which may bebrought up through the therapy.

Although pre-composed and recorded musicmay be used, the principle medium of thetherapeutic relationship is clinical improvisation.This allows the therapist to be the listener, thereflector, the enabler and the supporter of theclient, with the flexibility to move to new musicalareas as the therapy demands. Therapist andclient may speak, either about the music orfeelings evoked during the session, but the musicwill retain its position at the heart of the therapy.

Few people would deny the important part music

has played in their lives

12

FEATURE

Where and how does music therapy take place?

Sessions, which may be one to one or in smallgroups, take place in medical and psychiatrichospitals, in special schools, nurseries andmainstream schools, in prisons and in residentialhomes, including hospices and those for olderadults with Alzheimer’s disease or other mentalhealth problems. They can also be found in clinicsand units for drug users and young offenders, forpeople with cancer, HIV or AIDS, and for childrenor young people with anorexia or who have beenabused.

The therapist will use his or her owninstrument, and there will be a range of tunedand untuned percussion and ethnic instrumentsfor both the client and therapist to play.

How do people benefit from music therapy?

Clients do not have to be musical or musicallyskilful to benefit from music therapy and foreveryone the experience of therapy will bedifferent. Unlike music teaching, there will not beclearly defined goals, targets or a skills-basedcurriculum. The aims of the treatment will not bespecifically musical, but will be in areas such asdeveloping communication, confidence,concentration, self-expression or creativity, as wecan see in the following examples.

Mark: A withdrawn and remote autistic boyreaches out to play the piano with the musictherapist, and so takes the first step out of his silent, isolated world. As the sessions progress week by week, shared pleasure in the musical experience leads into other forms of communication, improved eye contact, singing and the beginnings of speech.

Stacey: A suicidal teenager expresses her rageand despair through chaotic outbursts ofdrumming, and is supported by the therapist atthe piano with strongly dissonant music. As trustdevelops, Stacey is able to allow other feelings toemerge, of fear and insecurity, and these, too,can be expressed in the music.

Michael: Michael is terminally ill with cancer anduses his music therapy sessions to get in touchwith the importance of music, both in his life andas his death approaches. At this point, words areno longer enough, and the music takes over.

Bindesh: Bindesh, who speaks very little English,is taken into a psychiatric hospital for assessment,after being found confused and disorientated,wandering in the street. A music therapy groupon his ward gives him the opportunity tocommunicate in a language that everyone seemsto understand.

Doris: An elderly woman, Doris, becamedepressed following the deaths of both hermother and her husband within a short space oftime. She was admitted to hospital when itseemed she had lost the will to live. Her music

therapy sessions became a place where she couldreminisce about her past life through singingsongs with the therapist and this brought hersome solace and hope.

Music therapy training

There are currently seven postgraduate trainingcourses in the UK. Normally, candidates are onlyaccepted if they have a musical trainingequivalent to a degree or diploma from auniversity or music college. A high standard ofmusical performance is essential, and auditionsfor the training will include the playing ofrepertoire and improvisation, as well as anintensive interview. Because of the demandingnature of the work, candidates need to havepersonal insight and self-awareness and somature applicants are encouraged. Successfulcompletion of the training after one or two yearsleads either to a postgraduate diploma in musictherapy or to a Master’s degree. Following initialqualification, there is a period of mandatorywork under supervision before being acceptedfor full membership of the professionalassociation.

Music therapy is still a young profession, andthere is a long way to go before it is available toall who could benefit from it. Of vital importanceis research to demonstrate the effectiveness ofmusic as a means of healing, so that it can take itsplace alongside other medical and psychologicalforms of treatment.

Useful contacts

British Society for Music Therapy25 Rosslyn AvenueEast BarnetHerts EN4 8DH

t/f +44 (0)20 8368 8879 e denize@bsmt.demon.co.uk

www.bsmt.org

Association of Professional MusicTherapists (APMT)26 Hamlyn RoadGlastonburySomerset BA6 8HT

t +44 (0)1458 834919e APMToffice@aol.com

Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centre2 Lissenden GardensLondon NW5 1PP

t +44 (0)20 7267 4496

AcknowledgmentThis is an edited versionof an article previouslypublished in TheMusician’s Handbook,ed. Trevor Ford,Rhinegold PublishingLimited.

Inborn in every human being is the capacity to respond to the elements of music

13

POINT OF VIEW

Ron McCurdy is Professor of Music at the ThorntonSchool of Music, University of Southern Californiaand a past President of IAJE.

My high school didn’t have a formal jazzprogramme. I didn’t attempt to play jazz until Iarrived at college. My focus through high schoolwas to become an orchestral trumpet player. By thetime I arrived in college I had developed anappreciation for jazz but not a desire to play it. It wasn’t until I began playing jazz –the school band needed another trumpet player –that I really began to enjoy it. I was able to drawfrom having heard the music for the first eighteenyears of my life: I knew just enough to bedangerous; I didn’t know my jazz theory; I didn’tknow many jazz tunes. Around that time I metJamey Aebersold and David Baker. They changed mylife. I began to have a complete overhaul in my

thinking regarding career options. Iwanted to teach. I wanted to play. DavidBaker became my mentor and he remainsso today.

The difference in tone between a jazztrumpeter and an orchestral trumpeter ismore of a conceptual issue between twoseparate cultures, two different ways toapproach music. The mechanics of playingthe horn are very similar, but an orchestraltrumpet sound in a jazz setting would notfit. The same is true with a jazz sound in anorchestral setting. One is not better orworse, they are simply different.

Transcribing solos is a must for all jazzstudents. This is how you learn andinternalise the vocabulary, gain a betterunderstanding of harmony, and begin tounderstand how a particular artist createsand develops ideas. The least importantstep is notating a solo. Transcribing doesnot necessarily mean writing it down. Itmeans being able to imitate what the artist has done.

Randy Brecker has worked with Horace Silver, ArtBlakey’s Jazz Messengers, Charles Mingus, ClarkTerry and Joe Henderson. He has performed as astudio player with James Taylor, Bruce Springsteenand Frank Zappa. He has made a major contributionto jazz-rock fusion and with brother Mike, he frontsthe celebrated Brecker Brothers band.

I started to play the trumpet when I was eight.Shortly after I studied with Sigmund Herring, whoplayed trumpet in the Philadelphia Orchestra. At thesame time I took lessons unofficially from my father.After I finished practising my classical studies hewould take me down to the piano and teach mesongs. So I learned songs like Lullaby of Birdlandand Our Love Is Here to Stay. He would lecture me,unofficially, on the art of improvisation – how Ishould keep the melody in the back of my head andplay around with it.

Harmony came later, after years of playing byear – I developed quite an extraordinary ear. Iplayed along with records before there were play-along records. This is one kind of music where youmust listen. It has to be internalised so that itbecomes second nature. To this day I spend hourslistening. If I don’t, somehow the whole thing seemsto go away. I play with records a lot. I play witheverything. I’ll play with radio, TV commercials,soundtracks. I even put on an avant-garde hip-hopstation, or play with classical music. Just see wheremy ear takes me.

I went to the Stan Kenton Band Camp in 1962.John LaPorta took me aside and said, ‘Young man,what scales are those you are playing? Explain it tome.’ I said, ‘I don’t know. It’s just stuff I hear.’ Bythen I knew my major and minor scales, but I didn’tknow how they applied to jazz harmony. I knewnothing about modes or altered scales. Now, when Iplay, it’s a combination. If I have the music in frontof me, I’ll consciously figure out what scales go withwhat chords, and figure out maybe a second choiceof a scale. At the same time I use my ear – so I mightvary from the scale. It also depends upon whom I’minteracting with, in the rhythm section. That’s whenthe magic happens, when you find musicians youare empathetic with. Then you can all playsomething that’s completely off the page.

Trumpet summit

John Robert Brown listens to threeeminent trumpet players.

Successful trumpet players are busy people. I first spoke toRon McCurdy during this year’s International Association ofJazz Educators (IAJE) conference in Long Beach, California. AsRon was serving as President of the IAJE, and a conference of7,000 jazz delegates was in full, er… swing, there was littletime to chat. Much of Ron McCurdy’s contribution to thispiece was completed by email and telephone. Randy BreckerI met in London, after we had gone patiently through a sagaof cancellation and rescheduling that could fill this page.Even more challenging, the business of catching up withWynton Marsalis furnished a tale sufficient to fill thismagazine. Our chat eventually took place during themoments available between completing a late-afternoonrecording session and departing for a world tour, hours later.

All three musicians displayed patience, kindness andwillingness to help. Their graciousness in sharing professionalinsights was deeply impressive.

John Robert Brown plays the clarinet andsaxophone. He writesregular columns for themagazines Crescendoand CASS (the journal of the Clarinet andSaxophone Society) and is a contributor to Classical Music.

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Selected recordings

Ron McCurdyOnce Again for the First TimeINNOVA recordswww.ronmccurdy.com

Randy BreckerReturn of the BreckerBrothersVerve GRD 9684

Wynton MarsalisClassic Wynton SK/ST 60804Marsalis Plays MonkStandard Time Vol. 4CK-67503 Columbia/Sony Classical 1999

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14

POINT OF VIEW

When I learn a new tune, I see how much I canget under my fingers and figure out withoutlooking at the music. Then I look at the music andsee where my ear was weak. It’s invariably weak incertain tonalities. For instance, with Ab minor and Db

minor, for some reason, I have difficulty. I avidly usethe Jamey Aebersold Play-A-Long method. Thereare three or four books that are invaluable.

I’m not an amazingly proficient piano player, but I can get through a tune harmonically. DizzyGillespie was the first one I read who recommendedany musician to play the piano, because you canclose your eyes and visualise the keyboard. Thatsometimes helps.

The younger players use more of a classicalapproach when they play jazz. That was not true inthe 40s or even the 50s, when jazz trumpet playersused individualistic approaches to tone andtechnique. That was part of the reason why so manyof the great older jazz players had such a distinctsound. There are pluses and minuses. It’s been quitea phenomenon with jazz trumpet, the way classicalmusic has worked its way into the technique of ajazz trumpet player. Many of the younger playerscan play lead, they can play jazz and they can playclassical. They are really excellent trumpet players inthe classical sense of the word, besides being greatjazz players.

One has somehow to find a voice. That can bedone by practice, utilising and expanding your ownvocabulary, itemising what in your sound orvocabulary makes you different. Work on originallicks – or whatever you want to call them – to add toyour vocabulary. That should be an important part.But it is true that sonically it’s harder todifferentiate between younger players. That’s the part of the equation I don’t have ananswer to yet.

Wynton Marsalis is one of the most acclaimed jazzmusicians of his generation, and a distinguishedclassical performer. Born in 1961, he began studyingthe trumpet seriously when he was twelve. In thesummer of 1980 he joined Art Blakey’s JazzMessengers and in the same year signed withColumbia Records. Wynton Marsalis has recordedmore than 30 jazz and classical albums and he isArtistic Director of the internationally recognisedJazz at Lincoln Center programme, which he co-founded in 1987. It includes the Essentially Ellingtoncompetition which last year involved over onethousand high school jazz bands.

First, the attack of jazz is different. Jazzhas to have more weight and variety. Theway the note is struck, the mechanisms ofbreathing and all that, are the same. Thevariety of tones and the heaviness of theattack are different. Most of the jazz workis in co-ordination. Being able to hear andto execute something at the same moment.It’s the connection between ear andfingers, to do with reflexes. To find theright shadings and the different things thatare appropriate to the moments that areunfolding.

I would have a young player learnrudimentary form in jazz, the blues andvarious simple songs. I would have him singthe songs, sing the bass line and beginlearning some vocabulary off of recordings– of different eras, not one particular era.He will find somebody whose playing helikes. Then I’d encourage the student toinvestigate that musician and learn someof the songs. I encourage always learningby ear. After you know the solos, if youwant to write them down – to study themfrom a technical standpoint – then it’s okay.But I believe that the first arbiter of tasteshould be the ear. Exactly like you learn alanguage – you learn how to speak longbefore you learn how to write.

Your tone is your identity. Developing apersonal tone requires another type ofconcentration – on the characteristics inyour sound, in making your sound exactlyhow you want it to be. Many students ofjazz work on licks and phrases andharmonic extensions. They try to findthings to play. They believe that if they findsome unique things to play, that will make themsound unique. Or they think that a unique approachwill bring out the fact that they have their ownconception. This may be true. But the new thing isalways inside of your sound. To work on your soundrequires a lot of concentration and dedication. Ittakes a long, long time.

Part of artistry is the development of taste. The entire art form is your playing field. If you don’t know the majority of the art because it wasn’t done yesterday, you’re cheating yourself out of a lot of listening and enjoyment, and a lot of education.

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15

FORUM

write now ■ ■ ■ write now ■ ■ ■ write now ■ ■ ■ write now ■ ■ ■ write now ■ ■ ■ write now ■ ■ ■ write now

Due to the tremendous responseto the last Forum topic we aregiving maximum space to yourthought provoking and inspiringletters. The next aspect of exams to be considered will beaccompaniment. Are you one of the many hundreds of kindpianists who accompanycandidates for their exams, anddo you have thoughts on thesubject, anecdotes, or advice?Please write, or email, knowingthat all correspondence willreceive a personal reply.

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

Write to Clara Taylor, marking your envelope Forum, or email chiefexaminer@abrsm.ac.uk

Helping the slow starters

Next topic: accompaniment

Clara Taylor

GCSE joy

One boy started with me overtwo years ago because accordingto his mother ‘he liked listeningto music’. He is desperately shyand not very articulate. We haveplodded away, making small butsignificant steps through a lot ofhard work and patience. Imaginemy joy when this self-consciousteenager told me that he will bestudying for GCSE music.

Catherine JohnsonBy email

Backgroundknowledge

The teacher needs to know a lotabout a child’s background inorder to determine realisticexpectations of their capabilities.I have also found having a parentsit in for a few lessons a greatbenefit, providing parents with afull picture of what is going on.

Angela SharmaGwynedd

This is fun

One new pupil on initialassessment had lower thanaverage reading skills, a limitedsense of pitch, was unable tosustain a regular pulse and hadpoor motor control with hisfingers. He has taught me somebig lessons about teaching, notso much about achievement butabout the enjoyment gained enroute. I lowered myexpectations so every successwas a major milestone and thebest measurement of whether itis worthwhile was his commenton his third lesson: ‘this is fun.’

Ruth ParryBy email

Achieving targets

The reward to be gained fromteaching a pupil who makes slowprogress depends on yourpersonal teaching philosophy. Is it your ambition for your pupilsto gain distinctions at their examsor for them to fulfil their ownambitions? The challenge lies inenabling them to achieve theirtargets; this may be to pass anexam, but equally might be tolearn to play a favourite tune, or simply to enjoy making music.

My son has severe learningdifficulties. Two years ago hebegan to have piano lessons.After much patient work he hasacquired the skills to play a simpletune at our local music festival.The pleasure and self-confidencewhich he has gained from hisperformance have given histeachers and family a feeling ofimmense achievement.

Gavin StoddartBurnham on Sea

Accessing music

I have a particular interest inmaking piano playing accessiblefor children with Down’sSyndrome. Many of the strategiesI have tried will be applicable tothe slow starter or the pupil withlearning difficulties. The specialexpertise required by the teacheris patience, a vivid imaginationand a sense of humour.

One major obstacle for theslower learner is reading notationbut this should not be allowed tostand in the way of anyone’sdesire to play the piano. Thereare other ways of accessing music.I encourage improvisation rightfrom the beginning - childrenwith learning difficulties areoften very good at illustratingpictures and stories on thekeyboard.

As teachers we must beprepared to accept that there willbe failures and lessons when weseem to get nowhere. This is fine.One thing must remainparamount: slow learners andthose with learning difficultieshave as much right to play thepiano as the rest of us.

Rosemary CrossBirmingham

Alternative syllabus

Some of my most fun-to-teachpupils fall into the ‘slow to learn’category. Their problems arediverse. Some work very slowlythrough the exam syllabus; othersdon’t want to or would be unableto cope. The one thing they havein common is that they enjoytheir lessons – and I enjoy themtoo.

The format of each lessondepends entirely on the needs ofeach person, although the basicaims are the same – enjoyment,appreciation of rhythm and pitch,expressive interpretation,composition and the added bonusof learning to read music (thoughnot always in the usual way).

Lessons often involveimprovisation. Sometimes we tellstories and illustrate them withmusical sounds provided by voice,piano or keyboard. I also writeshort pieces called ‘no practicepieces’. These are built aroundsimple patterns, are easy to learnand can be performed at pupil’sconcerts. Duets are great fun tooand can be arranged for any levelof ability. Then there are all themusical games.

There are days when I think‘why on earth am I doing this?’but the other days more thanmake up for it. I have learnedmuch from my slow learners -actually I never call them that,they are just doing the alternativesyllabus!

Sue HesseMaidstone