On the beat
Making the grade
How much difference do graded music exams make to students’ performance in schools? A study in Italy has been attempting to find out
By Peter Somerford
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Violin students at Trinity College London in Italy, with its director Emiliano Valtulini, Francesca Christmas and Annalisa Spadolini, president of the National Music Committee
GIULIA NASCIUTI
A four-year research project in Italy has been exploring what impact the introduction of graded music exams can have on the teaching and learning of music in schools. In October 2019 Trinity College London and the Ministry of Education in Italy signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a pilot project in primary and secondary schools.
By April 2023, 123 schools in 18 different Italian regions had joined the project, accessing Trinity’s music exams and resources and teacher training.