39 music students assessed by UK examiner. |10 July 2014

39 music students from Grade 1 to Grade 5 have been assessed by Andrew Clarke, an international ABRSM examiner from London.

“Every year a different examiner comes from the UK to assess our students in theory and practical. The theory assessment was done in March and now we are hosting Mr Clarke for the practical assessment,” said Pierre Joseph, director of the School of Music at the National Conservatoire of Performing Arts.
The students who were assessed play the guitar, violin, piano, clarinet, percussion and saxophone.

During the whole year, the fourteen music teachers at the school prepare their students for these assessments. This year, the highest grade is Grade 5.
“Usually these exams are from 12 to 15 minutes and it goes to Grade 8. Nobody from the School of Music is allowed to mingle with the examiner before and during the exams,” stressed Mr Joseph.  

After everything is over, the examiner has a debriefing session with the director and the teachers to evaluate the areas that need more attention.
Mr Clarke studied piano with Cyril Smith, violin with Jack Steadman and theory and composition with Adrian Cruft and he received the ARCM diploma and graduated from the Royal College of Music.

He then moved on to further studies.
Mr Clarke’s teaching career began in the south east of the UK where he founded the Thor Oak Schools Orchestra. He later became the Music Master at The Abbey School and founded the school’s robed Chapel Choir. In 2011, Mr Clarke left the Abbey School in order to pursue a freelance career as a performer, composer, arranger and teacher.

The School of Music of National Conservatoire of Performing Arts has currently 425 registered students. Registration is open all year round but formal classes start only at the end of January.

V.G.