Rockschool keyboard/piano, Any advice welcome Options

[chraze1]

Hi Guys,
Does anyone use the rockschool exams with Trinity?
I have an adult lady piano pupil who has been working really hard and although we're not nearly ready for Grade 1, she has been asking about exams. I have explained the exam process with AB whom I have used for years, but she's said there is no way she is doing the singing part of the aural. She definately won't budge on this, she doesn't want to do any sort of singing with me during the lessons!. I have advised that there are practise CD's which she could maybe do at home but she's having none of it!

Also I have a teenage keyboard student who I think would maybe welcome the sound of Rockschool, but again I have no idea what's involved and I'm trying to get as much information so I can advise them both of the various options when they return to their lessons after the Easter break.
I have never used TG at all and I'm unsure how to go about getting their syllabus/exam material/exam dates/venues etc.

All advice is greatly appreciated!
Thanks

[LizzieT]

There are three different piano/keyboard syllabus(es?) as far as Trinity are concerned (or three that I know of anyway):

Trinity Guildhall piano - a more classically-based one;
Trinity Rockschool - not surprisingly more rock/pop orientated
Trinity Rock & Pop - this is a brand new one and quite orientated towards rock/pop session skills, although it does have notated songs in the early grades. It can be taken using piano or keyboard. The website is www.trinityrock.com. I went to an introductory workshop on it and was pretty impressed.

I'm not quite sure where the new R&P syllabus leaves Rockschool as I imagine they double up to some extent. I've only entered pupils for the TG piano exams. There is no singing required for the TG supporting tests but I don't know about the other two.

All this may confuse the issue still further but at least knowing all your options is a start!

[Brynfan]

Have you considered London College of Music's Leisure Play exams. 4 Pieces to be played taken from the equivalent grade pieces list or the additional leisure play list and also, if you wanted to, the 4th piece can be own choice. And there are no supporting tests.

I've had several adults enter the leisure play exams and all have found them to be a very positive experience.

[ExpressYourself]

The pieces in the Rockschool syllabus are great. Really attractive and enjoyable to play. They are no longer affiliated with Trinity but still have the same accreditation.

And no singing in the G1 tests! But the scales get a bit odd from G2, all modal.

Check before you enter what type of keyboard will be at the centre cos we got a nasty shock this term!! (see a previous thread!!)

[muzikalbadger]

Trinity Rockschool - not surprisingly more rock/pop orientated
Trinity Rock & Pop - this is a brand new one and quite orientated towards rock/pop session skills, although it does have notated songs in the early grades. It can be taken using piano or keyboard. The website is www.trinityrock.com. I went to an introductory workshop on it and was pretty impressed.

I'm not quite sure where the new R&P syllabus leaves Rockschool as I imagine they double up to some extent.

Rockschool is now independent of Trinity. So yes the syllabuses have some overlap - Trinity made Rock and Pop exams when they knew they would no longer be involved with Rockschool (at least in the UK... I think they may still have some involvement helping with the overseas stuff...)

[LizzieT]

Trinity Rockschool - not surprisingly more rock/pop orientated
Trinity Rock & Pop - this is a brand new one and quite orientated towards rock/pop session skills, although it does have notated songs in the early grades. It can be taken using piano or keyboard. The website is www.trinityrock.com. I went to an introductory workshop on it and was pretty impressed.

I'm not quite sure where the new R&P syllabus leaves Rockschool as I imagine they double up to some extent.

Rockschool is now independent of Trinity. So yes the syllabuses have some overlap - Trinity made Rock and Pop exams when they knew they would no longer be involved with Rockschool (at least in the UK... I think they may still have some involvement helping with the overseas stuff...)

Thanks for clarifying this - I hadn't realised.

[agricola]

I use Rock school quite a lot, hadn't realised they had ended their association with Trinity though. You can take the exams on keyboard or piano and can arrange to take your own keyboard to the exam if you want. There is no singing in the aural at any grade. Teenagers tend to like the examiners better than the AB ones ! You can get information and download a syllabus from their website www.rockschool.co.uk The only disadvantage is the lack of back-up material so I have made my own aural CDs, SR sets etc. I rarely have any difficulty persauding pupils to practise the pieces for these exams and they can take one own choice piece.

[Alicia Ocean]

Have you considered London College of Music's Leisure Play exams. 4 Pieces to be played taken from the equivalent grade pieces list or the additional leisure play list and also, if you wanted to, the 4th piece can be own choice. And there are no supporting tests.

I've had several adults enter the leisure play exams and all have found them to be a very positive experience.

LCM also do Recital Grades. With these you either play 4 pieces plus sightreading, or you can chose to just play 5 pieces. No aural tests, or Viva.

Or there's the ABRSM Performance Assessment.

[Pixie*Porsche]

This could be useful for a couple of my adult pupils (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[BadStrad]

Might have a look at these myself.

[chraze1]

Brilliant!, thanks for all your responses, I'm really interested in finding out more about all these different options as some of them sound perfect for some of my pupils! I love to attend a workshop of theirs but I'm unsure if they have any in Scotland?, I'll investigate further tomorrow!
best regards people and thanks again! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[lorraineliyanage]

I had no idea about Trinity not being associated with Rockschool anymore so thanks for the info!

On another note, Trinity Rock and Pop seems quite different to Rockschool in that it comes across as being more focussed towards playing in a band or a group. One of the tracks my student is learning comes from a group where the pieces are played with a CD track, so the student is playing the backing keyboard part, not the main melody. It is a great way to instil rhythm and pulse from an early level as this student is working on Initial (Pre-Grade 1).

[Ayshah]

My daughter started with Rockschool and absolutely loved it. When she moved schools the piano teacher there started her on ABRSM, she loathed it and I have to say the transition killed her interest in the piano. We eventualy found a teacher who taught her more jazz based piano but she wont play any classical music on the piano. (she is a g8 viola player!)

[agricola]

My daughter started with Rockschool and absolutely loved it. When she moved schools the piano teacher there started her on ABRSM, she loathed it and I have to say the transition killed her interest in the piano. We eventualy found a teacher who taught her more jazz based piano but she wont play any classical music on the piano. (she is a g8 viola player!)

--and vice versa -- I have moved people who don't relate to classical music from ABRSM to Rockschool with fairly spectacular results in terms of their interest and practice levels picking up. Sometimes it seems like a different pupil playing!

[morceau]

Just had a look at the Trinity Rock and Pop and am slightly disappointed to discover how few exam centres they have for it - only six in the whole country. I wonder why they can't do them at the usual venues.