Huntingdonshire Music School Association - Huntingdonshire

In addition to the practical examinations (Grade 1 to Grade 8 .. and beyond for diplomas) the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music also provides graded music theory examinations. In order to progress to Grade 6 and beyond on an instrument you need to have first passed at least Grade 5 theory. At the Huntingdonshire Music School we run theory classes at all grades and past theory papers are useful in getting students ready to take the examination (at the end of the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms). Up to now we’ve relied on teachers marking papers to provide an indication of progress and providing help. It looks as though some additional help is to be provided from the ABRSM by providing specimen (model) answers to papers.

From the ABRSM:

NEW Theory Model Answers

Each January, ABRSM Publishing produces volumes of the theory papers used in the previous year’s Associated Board theory of music exams at grades 1 to 8.

In January 2007, theory of music exam papers from 2006 will be published, four papers per grade at grades 1 to 8, offering excellent practice material for exam candidates.

Due to customer demand, Answer Books will be available for the first time. The answer books will be published in January 2007 and correspond to the 2006 exam papers at grades 1 to 5.

The model answers given in these books provide a list of answers where appropriate, and for questions where the answer can be expressed in a variety of ways, a selection of likely options is given; for questions where a composition-style answer is required, a single exemplar is given.

Theory Papers and Model Answers offer a helpful and practical resource for students and teachers preparing for Associated Board theory of music exams.

Further information from:

Debbie Butler
ABRSM Publishing
24 Portland Place
London W1B 1LU
tel: +44 (0)20 7467 8272
email: dbutler@abrsm.ac.uk
www.abrsmpublishing.com

Taster Day, Saturday 23rd May

The music school are holding a taster day on Saturday 23rd May between 09:00 to 13:00 at the Huntingdonshire Regional College in Huntingdon.

Come and find out what happens. Have a try on various instruments and see if we can [pair you up with one. Ever fancied trying and instrument but never quite summoned up the courage? Don’t be put off - don’t let age or anything else stop you - just come and have a chat.

There will be lots of students of all ages and teachers to talk to you. You can listen to a band rehearsing (we’ll be practising for our Norfolk tour this summer). You can find out about the different ways of begging, borrowing, leasing or buying an instrument (and we should have some local suppliers on hand to provide expert advice). Come and see what we get up to when we’re not in the college - either by way of performing outside (e.g. 14th June at the Riverside Park in Huntingdon between 14:30 and 16:30) or travelling elsewhere.

It’s good fun, it’s very sociable and you’re never too old or too young to have a go.

Don’t put it off. This isn’t a dress rehearsal and it’s no good wondering ‘what if’ later on!

Encouragement

• BBC Play It Again - where famous celebrities, not exactly in their first flush of youth, learned to play an instrument and performed in the public eye
• Fun education site - good guide to instruments and learning music

Waitrose (part of the John Lewis Partnership) have a fund-raising scheme to support local organisations in the area around their store locations - it’s called ‘Community Matters’.

Every month each store has £1,000 to donate to a total of 3 needy and respected organisations. The way it works is that every time you shop in the store you collect a green token and place it in one of the 3 boxes - 1 for each of the month’s 3 organisations. At the end of the month the contents of each is weighed and each organisations gets their weight as a percentage of the total as a proportion of the £1,000.

Well, this month in the Waitrose store at St. Benedict’s Court in Huntingdon the Huntingdonshire Music School is one of the 3 organisations to benefit from the generosity of Waitrose.

Please shop in Waitrose and drop your green counter into our box!!