Project Manager Josh Dickson writes:

On behalf of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and the Scottish
Traditional Music Graded Exams project, I’d like to thank everyone in the
traditional music and education community who participated in our public
consultations and major pilot scheme in 2006. 

Calling all teachers of Scottish music - have your say!

We are now pleased to announce a potential new partnership with ABRSM Publishing
in the development of publications for the Scottish Traditional Music Graded
Exams.  ABRSM Publishing are world-renowned for their sheet music and other
materials in support of the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music’s graded
exam syllabuses.  They are now looking into the possibility of publishing
similar materials on behalf of RSAMD’s traditional Scottish music exams, such as
graded tune books with CD recordings, technical exercises and examples of
musicianship tests, including airs, waltzes, marches, jigs, strathspeys and
reels.

As part of their research, ABRSM Publishing have put together a short
questionnaire for teachers of Scottish music in order to help determine the type
of books and recordings teachers would ideally like to see accompanying the
Scottish Traditional Music Graded Exams.  I would be very grateful if all
teachers could please click on the link below and take five minutes to answer
their short and simple questionnaire:

http://www.questionpro.com/akira/TakeSurvey?id=623891

Thank you in advance for taking part in the survey - it would be an immense help
to the Scottish Traditional Music Graded Exams project and to the development of
its supporting materials. 

Looking back to 2006, looking ahead to 2007 

What a year 2006 has been!  A great deal of time and energy, by a great number
of dedicated people, has gone into completing syllabuses of the highest quality
for fiddle, accordion and the Scottish harp - true to the values of Scottish
tradition while reflecting the artistic integrity of each individual instrument. 
Public presentations took place from Ayr to Auchtermuchty, from Lochaber to
Aberdeen, and a tremendous amount of positive advice was gratefully received. 
And we organised a full-centre and videoconference pilot scheme involving 75
candidates in four cities and three island communities.  The atmosphere in the
Aberdeen centre was encouraging and typically Scottish:

There was a really relaxed atmosphere in the waiting room while the accordion
exams were taking place.  Everyone, both candidates and parents, were very
supportive of each other, applauding once candidates had finished practising.  A
few of the candidates even had a wee jamming session between practising! * It
was an enjoyable day for all involved.

This pilot scheme was followed by more videoconference trials in Benbecula,
Lewis, Orkney and Shetland to further refine this ground-breaking medium for
music examinations to remote communities.

Thanks to progress made in 2006 and the fantastic support of the traditional
music community in Scotland and abroad, we are nearing the point where we feel
able to launch the first three syllabuses and set a timetable for the first
exams session.  This will largely be dictated by our fundraising efforts in the
next few months and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama’s internal
validation process.  Thanks for your patience, everyone; rest assured that we
will keep you informed every step of the way.  

Josh Dickson, February 2007



Regards ,

Madeleine Stafford

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Madeleine Stafford
Research and Projects Administrator
National Centre for Research in the Performing Arts
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
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