A new chapter: Rockschool

In 1991, Rockschool Ltd (RSL) was launched with the ambitious goal of transforming music education and giving recognition to musicians whose talents outside classical music were going unnoticed. With a focus on the traditional elements of a rock and roll band, these first exams were available to drummers, electric guitarists and bass guitarists.

Today, the company employs over 40 people in its head office, which is still located in west London, along with over 150 people working as examiners, assessors and moderators around the world. Its exam offering has also expanded, with acoustic guitar, vocals, piano and keyboard, ukulele and contemporary music theory now available. The most recent addition to the RSL family was another ground-breaker in the form of the world's first syllabus for music production.

This September, the material for the guitar, bass and drums exams is being updated to offer students a more diverse song selection that reflects both the current musical landscape and the legacy that informs today's musicians.

Chris Moody, communications manager at RSL tells me that the update has been driven by the changing demands of the music industry, particularly what he calls ‘the power-shift in revenue sources from physical to digital’. Decreased revenues from streaming are forcing musicians to innovate more as they attempt to entice fans into paying for live performances – evidenced by the ever-increasing number of new festivals and world tours.

‘This development has also coincided with a recent evolution that has seen artists from predominantly producer-led genres – such as electronic pop, R&B and hip-hop – utilising session players in their studio recordings and live shows,’ says Moody. ‘Traditionally these acts would rely exclusively on sampling, digital production and backing tracks, but some are now integrating session players in an attempt to make their music more adaptable to live performance in a wide range of venues. Recent collaborations between Thundercat and Kendrick Lamar, and Nico Segal and Chance the Rapper, are recent examples of hybrid instrumental and electronically-produced hip-hop that has not only been successful, but critically acclaimed by commentators and industry peers.’

In the face of such a trend, attempting to equip young musicians with the skills they now need to succeed in the industry makes perfect sense.

One song only

What of the songs themselves? The syllabus manager at RSL, Jono Harrison, says: ‘The repertoire for guitar, bass and drums 2018 has been selected from a diverse pool of cutting-edge contemporary artists and iconic or heritage acts, embracing a wide range of genres and broadening the scope for engagement at all levels.’

The new books draw from a range of genres and artists spanning the last 70 years. These include Erykah Badu, AC/DC, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Adele and Green Day, with a number of songs coming from producer-led genres such as grime and dub-step.

A wide range of genres can be found in the new syllabuses

What I found interesting was the methodology that goes into the song selection – it's difficult to imagine how one chooses just a single track from industry titans such as Queen or Prince. Moody explains the process at RSL: ‘Our publishing team examine research and stats from the music industry alongside the data and feedback we receive from our partners and stakeholders. It would be impossible to include every single track we'd like to publish, but we try our best to satisfy a customer base whose tastes are extremely varied and always evolving. Our aim is to provide a mix of heritage and new acts, with each entry representing a meaningful chapter in a musical journey – whether that's the story of rock, soul, R&B or chart-topping pop music.’

It seems that no expense has been spared in the production of the new exam books, with over 170 songs commissioned, arranged and recorded to ensure that students have a solid reference point for their work.

‘The recordings are the best quality we've ever produced, being recorded in a world-class studio with some of the finest session musicians and artists in the world,’ says Tim Bennett-Hart, RSL's head of academic. These recording sessions took place at Peter Gabriel's Real World Recording Studios, that has been used by a number of high-profile artists such as Beyoncé, who recorded her hit ‘Love on Top’ there.

This update cycle began in August 2017, with the research team developing a longlist of songs which they would like to include. After this, the licensing agreements took place and a final track list was ready by April, when the recording process began. With the recordings done, including mixing and scoring, the books were compiled by the publishing team, who also oversee the laborious task of proofreading. Once all this was finished, the books were ready for launch – around 12 months from start to finish.

Before the stage, the page

Beyond the music, the books also offer students a huge range of knowledge and support, including: fact files about the track and the artist; recommended playlists that provide context; in-depth walkthroughs to guide students through a song; and essential music theory and technique to help with exam preparation.

Each book will contain six brand new arrangements, drawing on the rich history of rock and pop to challenge and inspire students. As well as this, students will also find six original compositions from the 2012 syllabus, here re-branded as ‘Rockschool Originals’.

The focus of this update has been to embrace the expansion of what rock and pop means, with a goal of encouraging students to pursue study in genres which interest them. As such, the exams remain the same as for the last syllabus. Moody says that this is because RSL's research from teachers, schools and colleges concluded that the exams ‘still challenge and incrementally improve students in those disciplines as well as they ever have.’

Details of the exam

• Three performance pieces: Debut to Grade 8
• Technical exercises: Debut to Grade 8
• Sight-reading: Debut to Grade 5 OR
• Improvisation and interpretation: Grades 1 to 5
• Quick study piece: Grades 6 to 8
• Ear tests: Debut to Grade 8
• General musicianship questions: Debut to Grade 8

It is also possible to obtain a performance certificate at any level; the examination for this consists of five performance pieces played in any order.

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