Ten questions with our Chief Examiners – Mark Armstrong

What do you play and what do you love about it?

I’m a jazz and commercial trumpet player, also a piano player and composer/arranger. I love playing with others and creating an experience for an audience with great musicians who balance technical skill with the ability to communicate, improvise and celebrate live performance. It’s a great feeling to be in the flow state when it happens!

How did you get started with music?

I started on the piano because my dad had the piano that was at my grandma’s house in the north-east of England brought down to our house in Amersham. I remember picking out tunes and trying them on different starting notes which helped me to understand keys a bit. After that I started on brass at my school aged about 10, tenor horn and then the trumpet.

Can you tell us about a memorable teacher?

My secondary school teacher, Ian Hooker (also an ABRSM examiner), was a massive influence on me. He had the ability to communicate on all levels about the importance of music – emotional, technical, theoretical and historical – and he was a fantastic inspiration as a conductor and pianist.

Can you tell us about a favourite piece of music?

There are so many! One is the Bach Magnificat – I remember singing it at school and was blown away by the sound of the orchestra, especially the trumpet playing! Another is a piece called the Sweet Time Suite by Kenny Wheeler. It’s an amazing big band piece that really inspired me as a player and composer.

What musical activities or projects are you involved with?

I play in the Ronnie Scott Jazz Orchestra and the Simon Spillett Big Band, both of which perform pretty straight-ahead jazz. It’s a great privilege to be on the stage at Ronnies when we play there. I’ve been doing a smaller ensemble tour with Zoe Rahman who is a great pianist and composer – we played at the Münster jazz festival just after Christmas and have a few more gigs lined, including in Finland in autumn. I’m also out on the road with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra with a gig at Ronnies to conduct in February and then we’re going to Berlin in the summer, after which I’m playing on a jazz cruise on the Rhône.

What motivates your musically?

I like the challenge of live performance, from small group solos to big band playing. I find teaching and examining inspiring and often moving – the commitment and achievement of young musicians is a great privilege to be part of.

What do you like most about being an examiner?

The commitment to the music that candidates show and more broadly the feeling of sustaining the vital musical ecology of our country through this system. It’s also great when they leave the exam room with a smile on their face! It’s a job that uses lots of musical and intellectual skills and it’s very satisfying when you feel you’ve got it right and candidates have had a good experience.

Can you tell us something about what you’re focusing on in your Chief Examiner role?

I focus on new genres that we’re introducing – advising, advocating and contributing where I can. I’m really excited that we’re now offering Jazz Performance Grades! I also liaise with our Royal Schools partners to look at ways we can work together, and with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, helping to deliver projects such as the jazz strand of our Composer Mentor Scheme.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not busy with music?

I love to cook and make sourdough bread. I cured a ham over Christmas which was really satisfying to do and get right! When I have the time (and my knees are up to it) I like running, cycling and keep persevering with yoga. I’m an avid science fiction nerd and consume vast quantities of quality sci-fi if I’m not careful…

Aside from the trumpet and piano, what instrument would you most like to play and why?

I wish I played the organ – both kinds: Hammond for jazz and the more traditional. I joke/pretend to my wife, Eli, that I wish I’d been a singer in a heavy metal band too…I’m only slightly joking!

Photograph © Andrew Cleyndert