Introduction

7. FRSM Unit 1

What should I prepare?

This unit allows you to demonstrate your wide knowledge of music education to create a significant original piece of work. This should draw upon a combination of your deep experience in the music education field, extensive personal research, profound skills of self-reflection and self-evaluation, wide knowledge of current trends and significant developments in the sector, multifaceted knowledge of your specialist subject, and astute evaluative insight into the field of music education. 

Some examples of the types of original work that would be suitable for submission for this unit are: 

• A significant piece of academic research in the field of music education 
• A substantial set of musical resources, designed to meet specific unmet needs in a given context 
• A substantial programme of training for music teachers, with supporting resources 
• An original curriculum document or scheme of work covering an entire school phase designed to meet the specific needs of the context, with supporting resources 
• An assessment regime designed to meet specific unmet needs in a given context 
• A detailed evaluation of a musical institution, programme of study or community/outreach programme or a comparative study of more than one

For this unit, you are asked to create a piece of work equivalent to approximately 10,000 words (± 10%). 

First, you will need to submit a detailed description of the work you intend to undertake, for ABRSM to provide feedback on. This initial submission will contain the following information: 

• Context for the work and rationale for undertaking it 
• A short summary of your experience and why you have chosen to focus on this topic 
• For academic research: 
  • the research question you are posing 
  • how you intend to structure your work 
• For resources, training, and curriculum or assessment design: 
  • the types of learners you are seeking to support 
  • the unmet needs you are seeking to address 
  • the working method you intend to adopt 
• For detailed evaluation: 
  • the subject/s you intend to study 
  • the methodology you intend to use 

For submissions which are in a format other than the written word – such as visual art, music, film - how you intend meeting the 10,000 word equivalent (e.g. extent of resources, number of web pages etc.) You should not embark on the work until you have had feedback on this initial submission from ABRSM.