ABRSM responds to 'frustration' caused by inflammatory tweet

The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) has found itself at the centre of a music education social media ‘storm’ after posting a statement about ‘musical achievement’ that appeared to represent the exam board’s values.

Over 300 Twitter users responded to the post to express their disagreement with the sentiment, labelling it ‘misguided’ and ‘clumsy’, among other things.

Music allows us to tap into our deepest emotions & help an audience do the same. It allows young people to gain heightened emotional maturity & excel outside of academic structures. It’s deeply personal & helps to make us better people. It’s not about getting a distinction. https://t.co/ctBMYuBENL

— Anna Lapwood (@annalapwood) September 27, 2021

Posted by the exam board’s official Twitter account on Friday, the tweet read: ‘Musical achievement is about how well you do, how good you can get. That sense of attainment is tested by assessment which gives us intrinsic motivation to make us want to get better. That’s the virtuous cycle of motivation.’

Three days later, the exam board added an additional tweet to the thread, stating that the original words posted were part of a talk by ABRSM chief examiner John Holmes at the Music & Drama Education Expo, and thanked respondents for the ‘passionate debate’. 

In response to a comment request from MT, an ABRSM spokesperson said that the tweet was part of a thread that ‘didn’t publish as planned’, which meant that the point was ‘unintentionally presented in isolation’. 

Thanks for your comments; it’s great to see such passionate debate! This was part of a presentation from #MDEE21 about how assessment (not just summative exams, but also formative assessment in teaching) can play a role in motivation and progression.

— ABRSM (@ABRSM) September 27, 2021

The spokesperson added that ABRSM did not want to take the original tweet down in case it seemed that the board was ‘aiming to shut down responses’. 

In an official statement, ABRSM's chief executive Chris Cobb said: ‘We understand the frustration that many felt in response to a tweet we published last week. We recognise that in isolation these few words, taken from a wide-ranging presentation, were misleading. 

‘We exist to inspire learners of music to experience the benefits and joys of developing as musicians and this value is at the heart of our work. While we’ve taken steps to clarify our beliefs, we recognise the depth of the reaction online and are reflecting on how we can continue to work with our community to express the love of music we all share.’ 

The exam board also shared a video clip from Holmes’ presentation at the Expo, in which he said that ‘exams are not the be all and the end all’.