It is not contentious that lots of students hate exams; and why – that the entirety of their studies is hinged upon on a single moment – is not contentious either. Unfortunately, this ‘flaw’ is in fact the only reason the method is remotely useful in the first place. Students who dislike this are told that it is part of the system, and that they will simply have to face it. But what if it wasn't?
The initial question of what to play comes to mind: what a student likes to listen to, classical or otherwise, is perhaps an obvious starting point. To mark progress along their journey towards virtuosity shall be nothing other than the complexity of the pieces they are playing, and the fluency with which they are being played. Already with those slight changes, the stranglehold of ABRSM lifts away from their neck, and music becomes an exploratory stroll rather than an assault course. One might even put aside the Hanon and allow a student to develop the right dexterity while enjoying themselves playing, instead of suffering through another dose of prescribed scales.
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