grade 1 piano

My daughter did Grade 1 piano about a week ago. I cast my mind back to dim memories when I was doing the same exam and tried to compare the experiences. For one thing, the Associated Board has livened up the covers of its exam books a bit from the dreary monochrome grey and brown ones I remember. Within, the pieces are not as easy as I’d expected and you now do one in a jazzier style (at least my daughter did). I think this is a good thing as I didn’t really get to grips with jazz rhythms at that stage and still find them a challenge at times (for example in the Birthday Madrigals by Rutter a couple of years ago). They are definitely a part of being musically literate.