A really good way of progressing on your instrument is to do a music exam. Traditionally, these are done by the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB), however we will do our own system ‘in house’. This will save money for you, and be generally more flexible.
Usually exams are performed in front of an examiner, on a specific day. You prepare all of the pieces and play them one after the other. This system will not be like that.
It is called the “Brass Taskbook.” Students will have a series of tasks – songs – that you have to play for me. Work on them one at a time, then perform them for me (at the moment, that can be done over the internet). I will either ask you to work on them more, or if they are at a satisfactory standard, I will tick them off and tell you to move on to the next task. When you complete all the tasks for your level, you pass! You will get a certificate saying you’ve passed that level.
This system will allow each student to work at their own pace on material that is challenging for them, but within reach (with practice and guidance). In educational terms this is the “Zone of Proximal Development” – the balance of being easy enough to attempt, but difficult enough to require practice and effort, ultimately resulting in improvement.
Each level will consist of:
- 3 Studies (short pieces working on your technique)
- 1 Slow melody (a tune focusing on beautiful sound)
- 1 Historic piece (more than 100 years old)
- 1 Modern piece (written recently)
For percussionists, each level will consist of:
- 3 Studies (short pieces working on your technique)
- 1 Snare solo
- 1 Timpani solo
- 1 Multi Instrument solo (a piece which combines several different sounds)
See the following video (please note that in these videos I had not yet decided on the term “Brass taskbook”)
All of the material from each level can be found by clicking the following links:
RWPS Brass Band 