Right now at Do Re Mi, we are in the process of signing up for our RCM exams. Quite often, I find myself trying to explain the reason why we expect our students to go through this process. “I just want my child to play for fun” is a very common response.
We all know, however, that something is usually only fun if we feel like we are good at it. With technology at our fingertips, our kids have direct access to what it looks like to be “good” as a musician, and that level is very hard for most of us to achieve, requiring years of hard work and dedication. So as teachers, then, one of our most important roles is to make the learning process fun so that our students want to put in the effort to achieve the level of proficiency that allows them to simply have fun as a musician.
What role do exams play in that process, then, because taking an exam is never fun! Just like a belt in martial arts, or a badge in swimming, passing a music exam gives a student a very important sense of accomplishment. It defines a specific achievement … I have completed this level, and now I will be learning new things. It gives them a deadline allowing them to focus their efforts and organize their time. And perhaps most importantly, it allows them to track their own progress and achievements. How do I know if I’m am getting better if I do not have a form of assessment? How do I know what I have improved on if I have had no specific goals in my practices? How do I know where to focus my efforts if I have no concrete guidelines?
Although preparing for, and taking, exams can be stressful (for students, teachers and parents alike), it also provides an opportunity to help a student learn to strive for their own personal best. In a world where everything has to be instant, it provides an opportunity to learn how to take the time to focus on details, to go beyond just completing the basic requirements, and to put something of ourselves into what we are doing or creating. And, just like having belts or badges, having certificates in music can open doors to many other wonderful opportunities.
We are proud of our students’ accomplishments and wish them the best of luck in their upcoming exams!