Trinity College London graded music exams Presenter name, date
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How to use – delete this slide This presentation has four sections: –About Trinity College London –About our graded music exams (general) –Information about specific syllabuses (piano, brass, woodwind and jazz woodwind and singing) –Recap – Why Trinity?
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About Trinity College London
Our music exams: Recognise that a flexible approach is best, prioritising candidates’ individual needs Offer freedom of choice within assessments, enabling candidates to demonstrate their musicianship in the way that suits them best Assess real-life skills that translate naturally from real music-making to the assessment
About Trinity College London Assess skills that are specific to each discipline – the opposite of a one-size-fits-all assessment Allow candidates to express their whole musical personalities through options to demonstrate creativity in different ways Use diagnostic mark schemes where appropriate, offering precise and specific feedback to inform continued learning
About Trinity College London Provide flexible progression routes to Trinity’s other music assessments to support long-term development Draw on Trinity’s many relationships around the world to feature exciting and relevant syllabus content
Key principles Performance Authenticity The whole musician Every musician as an individual Every discipline as an individual Summative assessment for formative purposes Assessment not curriculum Heritage – music exams since 1877
Performance Performance is at the heart of Trinity’s music assessments –Assessments are strongly performance based Grade exams assess practical performance across repertoire, technical work and supporting tests Certificates concentrate on the performance of repertoire, including marks for stagecraft –No theory prerequisites are required for any of Trinity’s performance-based assessments
Authenticity Our graded music exams reflect the way music and music teaching exist in real life and assess real musicianship –Technical work focuses on specific skills needed by musicians –Supporting tests assess real musical skills –Repertoire features both established and new works that would be encountered by musicians in real performing situations
The whole musician Our graded music exams assess the whole musician –Assessment criteria and mark schemes work holistically, giving overall marks for the whole musician while also breaking down into separate marks and feedback for particular musical components
Every musician as an individual Our graded music exams assess every musician as an individual recognising that musicianship is personal and demonstrated in many different ways –Trinity music assessments offer a range of pathways, enabling candidates to take different kinds of assessments at different levels depending on how they develop
Every discipline as an individual Our graded music exams are bespoke to every discipline, designed to recognise the unique features of each instrument or voice –Each grade syllabus is tailored to a particular instrument or family of instruments, or the voice Technical work is specific Duets are allowed in some exams
Summative assessment for formative purposes Our diagnostic mark scheme is designed to offer detailed and specific feedback and a personalised report to inform continued learning and development –All assessments include a personalised report to inform future learning
Assessment not curriculum Our graded music assessments are designed to support good practice in teaching and learning and are relevant to a range of learners and contexts across different styles and traditions –Our exams promote the learning of real-life music skills, rather than skills that will be used for the assessment only and enable teachers to personalise their teaching
Heritage We’ve been assessing in music since 1877 and our exams are internationally recognised and accredited by education authorities around the world –Our exams are internationally recognised and accredited by education authorities around the world
Our music exams We offer a range of different exams designed to suit different musicians –Graded music exams –Certificate music exams –Diploma music exams
Our music exams Graded music exams: –Candidates perform three pieces (one may be an original composition) –Candidates choose two supporting tests from four options –Candidates choose from two technical work options (usually scales and arpeggios or exercises)
Our music exams Certificate exams: –Candidates perform a mini-recital made up of pieces chosen from a wide list of repertoire lists –They may include their own compositions in the programme –Marks are awarded for performance and programme planning
Our music exams Diploma exams: –Our most advanced exams, diplomas follow on from grade and certificate exams and take musicians up to a professional standard –Available in: Performance Teaching Theory and Composition Pro-music
Our graded music exams
Our graded music exams offer the choice and flexibility to allow candidates to play to their strengths, enabling them to gain recognition for their own unique skills as performers
How are our exams structured? Pieces –Candidates play three pieces and may substitute one piece for their own composition Technical work –Candidates can choose to perform either scales and arpeggios or exercises in the exam
Supporting tests –At grades 1-5, candidates choose two supporting tests from four options: sight- reading, aural, improvisation and musical knowledge –At grades 6-8, sight-reading is compulsory, and candidates choose from improvisation or aural for their second test How are our exams structured?
Criteria for pieces: Pieces are assessed by three distinct components: Marks Notational Accuracy & Fluency: the observation and realisation of the notes and any other details in the musical score 7 Technical Facility: the ability to control the instrument effectively with things such as tone, breath control and articulation 7 Communication & Interpretation: the interpretation of the music and the way it conveys a sense of contextual understanding and audience engagement 8 Total:22 Our assessment criteria
Piano (Initial–Grade 8)
Our piano exams Our Piano syllabus offers the choice and flexibility to allow candidates to play to their strengths, enabling them to gain recognition for their own unique skills as performers Brand new repertoire lists featuring a wide range of styles and genres, as well as new technical work
Our piano exams Flexible exam structure offering unparalleled choice Uniquely diagnostic mark scheme providing detailed musical feedback
Our piano publications
New graded repertoire books featuring all new pieces and exercises, including previously unpublished works submitted in response to a worldwide call for repertoire New scales and arpeggios books and a new book of teaching notes High quality recordings of repertoire and exercises available on CD
Brass (Initial–Grade 8)
Our brass exams Our Brass syllabus offers the choice and flexibility to allow candidates to play to their strengths, enabling them to gain recognition for their own unique skills as performers Brand new repertoire lists featuring a wide range of styles New technical work with a new set of exercises by respected trombonist and composer Mark Nightingale
Our brass publications
Technical work published in new scales, arpeggios and exercises books — great for teaching as well as exam preparation Newly commissioned lip flexibility exercises to promote healthy warming up New orchestral extracts, including brass band extracts Example sight reading pieces available in a range of Sound at Sight books
Woodwind and Jazz Woodwind (Initial–Grade 8)
Our woodwind exams Our Woodwind syllabuses offer the choice and flexibility to allow candidates to play to their strengths, enabling them to gain recognition for their own unique skills as performers Fully refreshed repertoire lists for Jazz Woodwind with more opportunities for improvisation Varied Woodwind repertoire lists including pieces from our Musical Moments books
Our woodwind exams New exercises for clarinet, flute and saxophone covering tone and phrasing, articulation and finger technique Flexible exam structure offering unparalleled choice Uniquely diagnostic mark scheme providing detailed musical feedback
Our jazz woodwind exams Refreshed repertoire lists for Jazz Woodwind offer more opportunities for improvisation, enabling teachers and candidates to explore different ways into this important jazz technique Our jazz woodwind exams are available from Initial to Grade 8
Our woodwind publications
New scales, arpeggios and exercises books, including the new exercises New orchestral extracts at grades 6-8 for bassoon, clarinet, flute and oboe Example sight reading pieces available in a range of Sound At Sight books Solo pieces available in our Mosaics books Musical Moments repertoire books
Singing (Initial–Grade 8)
Our singing exams Our Singing syllabus offers the choice and flexibility to allow candidates to play to their strengths, enabling them to gain recognition for their own unique skills as performers Extensive and wide-ranging repertoire lists are provided, with few limitations placed on repertoire selection
Our singing exams Technical work includes the option to perform an unaccompanied folk song as an alternative to vocal exercises Accompanied sight singing has been introduced at Grades 6-8 in response to requests from teachers and candidates
Our singing exams Flexible exam structure, offering unparalleled choice Uniquely diagnostic mark scheme, providing detailed musical feedback
Why Trinity?
Our music exams offer the choice and flexibility to allow candidates to play to their strengths, enabling them to gain recognition for their own unique skills as performers
Why Trinity? Our approach to assessment — through our exams we: –examine real musical skills specific to each instrument or voice –include options for candidates to improvise and perform original compositions to express their individuality –offer precise and specific feedback through a diagnostic mark scheme
Why Trinity? Choice and quality of repertoire — we work with a wide range of specialist composers, teachers and musicians to develop varied and diverse repertoire Our heritage and recognition — we’ve been assessing in music since 1877 and our exams are internationally recognised and accredited by education authorities around the world
Why Trinity? Our teacher support — we hold events all over the world and offer free teaching resources, articles, forums and more through our online learning platform Our examiners — our exams are assessed by a panel of friendly examiners who are rigorously trained and standardised
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