Thursday 10 November 2016

ABRSM Exams at Mead Primary

On Friday 21st October there was an assembly to present the certificates to the successful candidates entered for the ABRSM practical music examinations. This is the fourth year we have held the exams at Mead school. Most primary schools put one or two candidates per year in for the exams, but Mead is unusual in that we have enough candidates to qualify for a ‘special visit’. This is where the ABRSM send an examiner to the school and it becomes a test centre. The school has to be able to offer at least three hours of examinations.

These are practical exams and the pupil has to prepare three pieces of music from the board’s syllabus. The better they can play these pieces, the higher the marks they will get. Singers have to prepare four songs – three accompanied and one unaccompanied.
They also have to sight play or sing. This is where they are given a piece of music they have never seen before and the have 30 seconds to look through it before trying to play it.
The next element of the exam is the aural (ear) test. This involves them having to clap back the beat of a piece of music played by the examiner. They then have to say if it was 2/4, ¾ or 2/4 time. They have to sing back short sections of melody and final listen whilst the examiner plays a piece of music through twice, the second time there is a change to music. They have to spot the change.
As you can see, the exams are quite demanding and are widely recognized around the world. They can even help you with college entry and job applications as they so dedication and application.


Here is a list of this years successful candidates.
Candidate
Subject
Grade
Cat
Giovanna Alves Rodrigues
Singing
1
Pass
Sophie Andreetti-Brown
Singing
1
Pass
Rianne Bowers
Singing
1
Pass
Amelia Christie
Singing
1
Pass
Amba Cordell
Singing
1
Pass
Cody Cordell
Singing
2
Pass
Ella Craze
Singing
1
Pass
Isabelle Cutts
Singing
1
Pass
Madison Cutts
Singing
1
Pass
Abbie Harding
Piano
2
Merit
Aimee Ince
Singing
1
Pass
Caitlin Kilroy
Singing
3
Pass
Grace McNess
Singing
1
Pass
Kian Muwenda Simbwa
Singing
1
Pass
Daniel Otokpa
Singing
3
Pass
Aleena Seleka
Singing
1
Pass
Caleb Shorter
Recorder
2
Pass
Lia Summer
Singing
2
Pass

Some of these pupils have moved on to their secondary schools and it good to seem them all return to Mead for the assembly. They are all looking to continue their musical interests at their respective secondary schools.


About The ABRSM
The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) is an examinations board and registered charity based in London, United Kingdom, which provides examinations in music at centres around over the world. The ABRSM is one of three examination boards accredited by Ofqual to award graded exams and diploma qualifications in music within the UK's National Qualifications Framework (along with the London College of Music and Trinity College London).
The Royal Schools referred to in the board's title are:
·         The Royal Academy of Music
·         The Royal College of Music
·         The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
·         The Royal Northern College of Music

More than 650,000 candidates take the ABRSM examinations each year in over 93 countries. The board also provides a publishing house for music that produces syllabuses, sheet music and exam papers and runs professional development courses and seminars for teachers.