Edinburgh Napier University

  Formal assessments in instrumental music education are much more than a snapshot-like summary of an achievement, although rarely considered within the entirety of their professional, social, economic and institutional context. Given the size of the market and the well-rooted tradition of instrumental exams in the British music culture, music education bodies and exam providers play an important role in shaping musicians and influencing the music profession.
Recent evidence from the ABRSM Making Music Report 2021 shows that there is a decline in the use of formal qualifications to mark music progression. It is also found that learners are, especially post-pandemic, increasingly doing more for themselves (peer-peer and online), with the music education sector trying to work around a new model in a changing world. Within this context and while inevitably combining educational and commercial aspects, graded music exams balance between musical achievement and meeting needs and expectations of their users.
This research explores UK piano teachers’ perspectives on the role of graded exams in their professional practice and the development of their identity. The paper reports on a small-scale qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews that delves into the views of piano teachers regarding the effects of well-established assessment practices on their own career choices and prospects, and their students’ learning journeys. The study has an interdisciplinary focus, drawing on the interrelated fields of music education, social research, psychology of music and music performance, while also extending towards institutional history and professional norms.
Findings pertain to five key areas: (a) the educational benefits and risks from guiding students through graded exams (b) the credibility of such exams, (c) their impact on teaching practice, (d) their role in the development of teachers’ professional identity and (e) the role and format of music exams in the future.
This paper contributes to the ongoing discussion on the role of music exams and exam providers in the UK music education landscape and supports the voices of piano teachers being heard, as drivers for change towards assessments that not only motivate learners positively and effectively, but also contribute to the teachers’ professional satisfaction and development.