face to face

Performance Certificate exam info Pack

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 face to face
Performance Certificate exam info Pack

Welcome to your Rockschool face to face

Performance Certificate exam info Pack!
This download has everything you need to help you prepare for your Rockschool graded music exam in the best way
possible. Use this resource alongside your normal practice sessions and lessons with your teacher to help you take
control of your nerves and maximise your potential.

Head to our examiners’ tips section to hear their words of wisdom, and then use our practice guide to keep track
of your playing and work out what you need to improve on!

We’ve also included some fun facts about some of the artists from the Rockschool repertoire to help you dream big
and see the importance of hard work and perseverance.

Good luck with your practising and be sure to keep us posted on how you’re doing on our social media below:

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 To p 6 t i ps
to master your nerves in a face to face exam

Nerves are a natural part of any exam but it’s important to use them to your
advantage. We spoke to life coach and psychotherapist, James Banfield about
his top tips on controlling your nerves so you can perform at your full potential!

7:11 Breathing rehearsal

Inhale through your nose for 7 and exhale through
your mouth for 11. The counting part of this exercise
will engage your brains logical pathway whilst the
deep breathing will increase your brain’s/body’s
oxygen intake, having a calming effect.
It should be a given that before you sit your exam
that you feel totally prepared. If you cover the content
of your exam in advance you will feel more prepared
on the day. This feeling of self-certainty will give you
a much-needed confidence boost.

posture smile

If you sit or stand in a strong, confident position,
you will feel more empowered. Positive body language
boosts your own confidence and communicates to the
examiner that you’re ready to rock!
When you smile, your brain releases oxytocin
which naturally makes you feel better. You’ve been
practising for this moment for so long – don’t forget
to enjoy every moment of the performance even if
there are a couple of slips along the way!

reframe visualise

Tell yourself you’re excited not scared. You’re in control
of your own feelings; use them to your advantage and
let your nerves become your best friend in an exam.
Have a clear idea of what you’re going to perform
and when. A practice exam with your teacher in a
lesson beforehand can really help you to get in the
correct mindset and be clear on what order you’ll
play your pieces in.

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Ex a m in e r s ’ t o p t ips
Our Rockschool examiners have seen it all before, and are there to help put
you at ease as well as they can. We asked our Senior Examiners for their top
tips on how to handle nerves in a exam. Here’s what they came up with!

“try and enjoy

yo
the examiner w ur experience -
ants y
as well as you ou to do
can!”
Stuart Slate
r

ch video
Click here to wat

g e r o n m i stakes
lin ,
“Try not to ard to the next piece
rw
and look fo next exercise.”
the ndt
Eva Bra

Click here to watch video

“It’s exactly th
you play with a e same as when
someone that y teacher, it’s just
ou haven’t met
Dr. Bruce D
yet.”
arlington

watch video
Click here to

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 print th
is
times an page out 5
per perf d use 1 page
ormance
piece

performance pieces
Use this table to chart your progress as you practise your performance pieces.
Fill in the name of the piece you’re practising and tick off each level on the
right hand side once you’ve reached it. Be honest with yourself and only tick
the next level once you’re sure you’ve done enough practice! This is a great
way to see what you need to work on ahead of your graded music exam.

performance piece: HAVE I

DONE THIS?
I sightread the piece once.
Lots of mistakes but I know how the overall structure and feel.

I muddled through the piece but made some improvements.

I can see now which areas I need to work on. I’m going to get some serious
practice in!

I’ve isolated the hard parts and set aside some time to get these tricky
bits perfected.

Now the hard bits are improving, I’ll get the easier bits sounding confident!

I’ve put all the individual parts together and can play the whole piece but
I know there are some areas that need improvement.

I can play the piece confidently but there are a few small sections that still
trip me up. I’ll get these up to scratch!

Now I can play the whole piece confidently with very few, if any, minor slips.

This sounds great! I played the whole piece accurately and with expression
and feel.

I’m exam ready - let’s do this!

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 f u n fa c t s !
Sometimes it seems like successful musicians achieve huge success overnight.
While not every artist’s journey is the same, they’ve all had to start from the
same place: square one!

Here are some interesting facts about how some of your favourite musicians started out to help inspire you to aim for
the stars on your own musical journey.

ED Sheeran
Ed Sheeran is no
w one of the mos
the wor ld, having t successful reco
sold over 150 m rding ar tists in
that star ted his pe illion records, bu
rforming career as t did you know
six year s of reco a busker? It also
rding music befo took him
in 2010. Plenty of re he released hi
his songs are feat s fir st EP back
we’re proud to ca ured across our
ll him an RSL Aw syllabuses, and
our Creative Prac ards alumnus afte
titioners Vocationa r he star ted
l Qualification ba
ck in the day!

y the book
Click here to bu

Taylor Swift
riter, a
sc ho ol H Q . Sh e’s a great songw
fans at Rock e’s wor ked im-
We’re big Tay-Tay go t a gr eat wor k ethic. Sh
brilliant singer, an
d sh e’s and that’s why
m e a household name
mensely hard to
ge t to be co obal superstar
r bo ok s! Taylor’s rise to gl
ured in ou e submitted
her songs are feat gh . Sh e w as only 11 when sh
ernight th ou er ywhere
didn’t happen ov be ls, ge tti ng rejected from ev
record la tist she
her fir st covers to sp ur re d he r on to become the ar
t that only f as a
she applied to, bu G ra m m ys an d established hersel
ce won 10 along the way!
is today. She’s sin ki ng nu merous records
m e, br ea
household na
Click here to bu
y the book

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 f u n fa c t s !
Here are some more interesting facts about how some of your favourite musicians started out to help inspire you to aim
for the stars on your own musical journey.

Rihanna
RiRi has become
one of the bigges
of the centur y du t names in pop sin
e to hits like ‘Stay’ ce the turn
be found on our and ‘Unfaithful’, w
syllabus. However hich can both
she was bullied at , she hasn’t alway
school because of s had it easy:
enced trouble in her appearance
her home life an and experi-
singles later, Riha d personal life. 14
nna’s proved all he nu mber one
r doubters wrong
!

y the book
Click here to bu

Kurt Cobain
roken when
ns ac ro ss the globe hear tb
million s of fa e than most
Kurt Cobain left 27 ye ar s he achieved mor
but in hi s br ie f one through in
he died in 1994, ta bl ish m ent sentiments sh
uld. His an ti- es d his impact
musicians ever co ly su cc es sfu l band, Nirvana, an
ith his hu ge fraught with
his songwriting w y. A tu rb ulent childhood
tes to th is da nt that Kurt
on music resona ho m op hobic bullying mea
e combi ne d w ith n into his craft,
problems at hom he ch an nelled this emotio
withdraw n, bu t of a generation.
grew increasingly lp ed sh ap ed th e consciousness
at has he
creating music th

Click here to bu
y the book

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 10 stage
rockschool graded music exam timeline

exam
Get practising! e, and loca
tion
Keep practising!
t e r fo r your line. You’ll re ce ive a time, dat than 2 weeks
t no late r
En on exam slo exam date.
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before
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Wait no r
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weeks fo nger than 3 hoo e
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and get Travel to yo
ur
r your re Rocksc ready for your ex e.
sults. am. exam centr

e b r at e !
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sed res
ult cel
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 REVOLUTIONISE
YOUR MUSIC PRACTISE

The interactive sheet music tool that works on any device.

Available for Rockschool Guitar, Drums, Acoustic, Piano, Keys & Ukulele.

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www.rslawards.com/replay
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