Greetings Everyone;

I have questions about Jazz.

Question #1:
What year was jazz inducted into the ABRSM Curriculum and Examinations?


Question #2:
Is Jazz actually taught in the Royal Schools of Music in England?
If so, when did it start to be taught?


Question #3:
Could someone outline the way the curriculum works and how students are taught jazz piano in this program? I'm actually a student of jazz in university in new york, and I'm interested in knowing the approach to teaching jazz as taught by ABRSM.


Sincerely Yours,
Stephen

I'm a pupil currently working for the jazz piano grade 5. I started the jazz grade pretty much as soon as they came out and i think that was about 4-5 years ago. The horns grades have been brought out quite recently.
The exam involves playing 3 pieces. For each piece you have to play the Head once as written, a solo (for GV this is 32 bars) and then the Head again but embellished and changed. Scales have to be played both straight and swung. These are mainly made up from modes, pentatonic and blues scales. The ear test involve imporovising on a section the examiner plays.
The idea of the Jazz exams is that there is no right of wrong way to play it and the student should put in as many of their own ideas as possible.