ABRSM facts for kids
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| Charity | |
| Industry | Music education |
| Founded | 1 October 1889 |
| Founder | Sir George Grove Sir Alexander Mackenzie Sir Arthur Sullivan Sir Charles Stanford Sir Walter Parratt Sir Hubert Parry Sir John Stainer |
| Headquarters |
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United Kingdom
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Area served
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93 countries worldwide |
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Key people
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Chris Cobb (Chief Executive) Colette Bowe (Chairman) Mervyn Cousins (Chief Examiner) |
| Products | Music exams Sheet music publications Digital music applications Music education courses and events |
| £45.5 million (2023) | |
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Number of employees
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182 (2023) |
The ABRSM (which stands for Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) is a well-known organization from the United Kingdom. It's a charity that helps people learn and test their musical skills. ABRSM is one of the main groups that offers graded music exams and diplomas in the UK.
Every year, over 600,000 students in more than 93 countries take ABRSM exams. ABRSM also publishes music books, exam papers, and offers courses for music teachers.
Contents
History of ABRSM
The ABRSM was started in 1889. Two important music school leaders, Alexander Mackenzie and George Grove, decided to create a combined group to run music exams. They wanted to make sure music students had a good way to show what they had learned.
The first exams were offered in 1890 for instruments like Piano, Organ, Violin, Cello, and Harp. More instruments were added the next year. At first, ABRSM only had two grades, which were like today's Grades 6 and 7. But many beginners wanted to take exams too. So, in 1933, the system changed to the eight grades we know today (Grades 1–8).
Later, in 1947, other famous music schools joined ABRSM. These include the Royal Manchester College of Music and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music. Today, the "Royal Schools" in ABRSM's name refer to the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and the Royal Northern College of Music.
After World War II, more and more students from outside the UK started taking ABRSM exams. The types of instruments you could learn and be tested on also grew. This included Guitar, Harpsichord, Voice (singing), percussion, Recorder, and all brass instruments.
In the 1990s, jazz music was added to the exams. ABRSM also introduced different levels of diplomas for advanced musicians and teachers.
Music Medals
Music Medals are special music assessments for younger students who learn music in groups. They are different from the regular graded exams. With Music Medals, the teacher does the first assessment, not an outside examiner.
Training for Music Teachers
Since 1995, ABRSM has offered special training for music teachers. These courses help teachers improve their skills and learn new ways to teach music. There are also many short courses and workshops available for teachers. These cover topics like how to teach different instruments or how to help students prepare for exams.
ABRSM Music Books
ABRSM started publishing its own music books in 1918. Their publishing team was set up to create music books suitable for exams. They also made performance editions of popular songs and new teaching materials. A famous editor named Sir Donald Tovey wrote helpful notes about the music. These notes are still highly valued today.
ABRSM Digital Tools
Since 2009, ABRSM has created several helpful apps and digital tools for students and teachers. These tools make practicing and learning music easier:
- Melody Writer: This tool helps you create melodies and understand music theory better.
- Aural Trainer: An iPhone app that helps students practice their listening skills for exams.
- Speedshifter: A practice tool that lets you change the speed of audio without changing the pitch. This is great for slowing down tricky parts of a song.
- Piano Practice Partner: An app for phones and tablets that helps piano students practice their exam pieces. The app plays one hand of the music, so you can play the other hand as you learn.
Diversity in Music Exams
ABRSM is working to include music by composers from many different backgrounds in their exams. In recent years, people have pointed out that the exam lists did not have enough music by composers from diverse ethnic groups. ABRSM has listened to this feedback. They are now actively trying to add more music by black composers and other composers from around the world to their syllabuses. They want their exams to represent a wider range of musical styles and cultures.
See also
In Spanish: Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music para niños
