Leading Nottingham music school,
MLC Academy, is now a public examination centre for
Trinity College's new and exciting syllabus,
Rock & Pop.
Trinity College London launched this new set of groundbreaking Rock & Pop music qualifications back in October 2011.
Trinity Rock is an innovative new Rock & Pop syllabus will be available from Trinity College London from early 2012 and will include graded exams for guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals (Initial to Grade 8). Developed in partnership with two of the world’s leading music publishers, Faber Music and Peters Edition London, the new syllabus will feature an impressive roster of rock and pop styles and artists, ranging from the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, ABBA, David Bowie and Joni Mitchell, to Radiohead, the Kings of Leon, Green Day, Muse and Rihanna.
Each exam will be supported by a song book including a CD with demo and backing tracks, performance notes and guidance on technical skills and supporting tests. Additionally, an array of online resources will be available including sheet music and backing track downloads, blogs, forums and teaching and learning tips.
Performance is very much at the core of this new syllabus – reflecting the way many rock & pop musicians learn their craft. Candidates will perform three songs and complete one supporting test. Those with song-writing ambitions can opt to perform one of their own original songs in the exam or may select their own chosen repertoire to perform cover versions. Singers have the option of performing self accompanied, and instrumentalists can also sing the vocal lines where appropriate, if they choose to do so.
Songs have been carefully selected to demonstrate specific musical skills, such as mandolin tremolo in ‘Knights Of Cydonia’ by Muse, funk drum grooves in Cee Lo Green’s ‘Forget You’, double-stopped harmonics in the bass line from Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Born Of A Broken Man’, as well as perfecting Rihanna’s R&B vocal technique in the smash hit ‘Umbrella’.
Trinity CEO Sarah Kemp says: “I have no doubt that this radical and inclusive new Rock & Pop syllabus will breathe new life into music education, breaking down many of the barriers currently in place. Trinity College London is passionate in its commitment to reach out to as many young musicians as possible, and to building the relevant musical communities around them. We’ve responded quickly and creatively to a clear sea change in our key markets around the globe – rock and pop music is now the staple diet of many young musicians, and this new syllabus will encourage them to perform and study, using a suite of carefully selected, graded material from some of the greatest rock and pop artists”.
About Trinity College:
Trinity College London is a leading external examinations board offering qualifications across a range of disciplines in music and the performing arts, arts education and English language learning and teaching. With a reputation for providing highly respected qualifications, Trinity College delivers 500,000 assessments in over 60 countries worldwide.
About MLC Academy:
Located in the centre of
Nottingham and in
West Bridgford,
MLC Academy is a music school that emphasises the needs of the individual music student – be they a hobbyist or aspiring professional. As a result we have a number of unique syllabi that are thorough and stimulating yet flexible and fun. So whether you want to learn to play bass, guitar, drum kit, piano or keyboard or perhaps want to further your knowledge - we can help.
