It is not contentious that lots of students hate exams; and why – that the entirety of their studies is hinged upon on a single moment – is not contentious either. Unfortunately, this ‘flaw’ is in fact the only reason the method is remotely useful in the first place. Students who dislike this are told that it is part of the system, and that they will simply have to face it. But what if it wasn't?
The initial question of what to play comes to mind: what a student likes to listen to, classical or otherwise, is perhaps an obvious starting point. To mark progress along their journey towards virtuosity shall be nothing other than the complexity of the pieces they are playing, and the fluency with which they are being played. Already with those slight changes, the stranglehold of ABRSM lifts away from their neck, and music becomes an exploratory stroll rather than an assault course. One might even put aside the Hanon and allow a student to develop the right dexterity while enjoying themselves playing, instead of suffering through another dose of prescribed scales.
Overall, the lack of ordainment from all-knowing, all-powerful exam boards does much in the way of psychology to put a student at ease. To assure all of you in terms of examples, just about every candidate for the ‘greatest instrumentalist of all history’ managed to just about survive in the Trinity-parched wilderness. It all sounds very utopian, but there are flaws.
As it is, exams are so entrenched that they are almost the purpose of music lessons – either to gain UCAS points, benchmark your progress, or just to have a certificate to feel proud about.
As long as benchmarks rely primarily on examination snapshots to reward budding musicality, budding musicians will grow towards them like a plant towards the sun. It seems that the burden to bring about change lies primarily with the exam boards, many of whom seem to be taking the odd Covid-induced step in the right direction.
Self-portrait by Noah
