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Piano Diploma?

kmd053

I did grade VIII piano RIAM roughly 20 years ago and have recently started teaching my own kids how to play. I have been wondering if I should do a teaching diploma, because I would like to teach my kids as far as they wish to go on piano. I did a year of the RIAM piano diploma after grade VIII and had to quit because I couldn't committ the time to it. Now that I have some time, I think I would like to get more qualified, but the syllabus for the RIAM diploma looks scary, namely the theoretical papers.
Has anyone out there done the teaching diploma recently, what was it like preparing for it? Are there other examination bodies out there that anyone has done a dip with? And lastly, the senior certificate on piano looks less taxing, anyone done this recently??
Thanks

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phoebem

I would definitely recommend doing the Senior Cert first. I run Churchtown School of Music in Dundrum. If you're anywhere near we can arrange lessons for your Sen Cert continuing on to your Diploma.

www.churchtownschoolofmusic.com

funky penguin

Have you been consistently playing since the Grade 8?

Could you honestly evaluate your level? Are you still a Grade 8 standard, or higher?

kmd053

I have been playing over the years and can still play the Beethoven sonata and a few other pieces (Bach and Debussy) that i learned during the diploma year, however, I never play scales, arpegios etc. I would probably need to get back to those over the summer months before starting anything. I think I would need to knuckle down to some drills and scales to get the speed back. Anyway, I am taking the suggestion of the Senior certificate on board, it sounds like a reasonable place to start back at formally working towards something?
Thanks for the replies.

funky penguin

Yeah, if you feel comfortable go for it!

I'm going to make ONE suggestion though......:P

Instead of doing RIAM Senior Cert.........maybe consider doing the ABRSM Grade 8.

WHAT?! I hear you say? Couple of reasons:

1: Senior Cert is a money grabbing racket (there is no equivalent in the ABRSM of a Senior Cert: It's diploma straight after Grade 8).

2: The ABRSM is more widely recognised as a quilification.

3: Their standard is higher (though in fairness, the RIAM is gaining quite a bit of ground).

HOWEVER!

It's your piano career and you should do whatever you want!

Read up on both here:

http://riam.ie/

http://www.abrsm.org/exams/diplomas/index.html

And best of luck!

kmd053

That's very interesting!!!
I guess I hadn't considered the ABRSM. But I am interested in hearing why you think the RIAM's senior cert is a money grabbing racket? From the website it seems like an extension of their Grade VIII, so I'm guessing it involves finding a tutor, selecting the pieces and getting on with the job of learning and going to lessons?
Would doing ABRSM grade VIII be similar?
The diploma looks like a combo of practical and theoretical, and sounds like too much to handle at this stage.
Another thing though, I'm not trying to become a concert pianist, I just want to be able to guide my kids through their own piano career and have the technical ability to take them as far as they want to go...so given that I have been out of the loop exam-wise for a while, what's my best option?
I really appreciate the replies, like I said, I have been out of the loop for a long time and would love to hear more about both exam boards, not just for myself but also, which one should I start my kids on?
thanks again.

funky penguin

Well, I personally think the senior cert is just an unnecessary extra step. The standard isn't that far above Grade 8 RIAM.

The way Grades work is this:

You can have a teacher if you want, s/he will help you with the pieces, then you contact the examining board and set up a date (usually November or May/June every year).

You don't actually need a teacher to do grades, but I highly recommend finding one, as it's good to have that 'whip' behind you!

Both Grade systems work like this.

The ABRSM grade 8 is regarded as being harder (around the Academy Senior Cert), but it's also noted that they are becoming more level in recent years.

I always get my students to do ABRSM purely because it's more recognised. You said you don't want to be a concert pianist (I don't blame you! :pac:), so it's up to you! Any kind of diploma is great to have.

HOWEVER!!

Looking at the two in question (grade 8 ABRSM and RIAM Senior cert) I think a key factor you should think about is the dates of examination.

RIAM already have the syllabus for 2012-2014 up:

http://www.riam.ie/keyboard-examinations.html

ABRSM's current syllabus finishes in 2012, which means their new one isn't up yet.

Effectively, this means you have until 2014 to do the Senior Cert, and the pieces you can pick are already up! :eek:

Looking at them, I'm getting quite excited, some AMAZING pieces to choose from!

I think I'm recommending the Senior Cert! Once you get it though.....I'd consider the ABRSM Diploma.

You're going to have so much fun!

Re: your kids. What ages are they?

kmd053

Wow! That's a lot to think about.
If I'm reading you correctly, the senior cert is there to bring RIAM grade VIII people 'up' a notch to continue on towards a diploma?
So, hypothetically speaking, if I do a senior cert, is it still going to take 2 years min to do a diploma afterward.

In purely academic terms a 'certificate' usually qualifies someone up to a point, at which they can decide to continue on to diploma and then degree etc. Sooo, does the RIAM senior cert have any link to their diploma, can you move from one onto the other?

And on the subject of the diploma. I have had a look at both RIAM and ABRSM syllabii and I'm wondering how does one prepare for the theory papers? Reading, lectures?

Anyway, the kids are 8 and 6. The 8 yr old is almost ready to start doing something exam-wise on the piano but I'm not rushing it, because I don't want to suck the enjoyment out of learning just yet!! I have mixed feelings about jumping onto the exam ladder at early stages.
Again, many thanks for your replies and advice, always interesting.

funky penguin

No problem at all!

Technically, you can start a diploma whenever you want, but certain institutes have requirements, such as Grade 8 or equivalent (such as a music degree).

I'd ring the Academy/drop them an email/drop in to them and ask them the requirements. But yes, basically the senior cert is a stepping stone to the Diploma. However, the repertoire on both will be different. Best to think of the Senior Cert as a fancy Grade 9.

Now, regards this theory stuff......I'm honestly not sure about this! I'm preparing for an ABRSM Performance Diploma and all that's required is the music, a small interview and sight reading. Is the theory part of the Teaching Diplomas? Could you post a link to the Diplomas you want to do please so I can give you a better answer?

With your kids, look into the Elementary/Preliminary and Primary Grades. These are preparatory ones before Grade 1. However, every kid is different. Some will cop on REALLY quick, others may need a little more help. You'll have to use a little trial and error, start from the easiest lessons you can think of, then work up accordingly.

colours of a cowboy cliche

Hi kmd053,

I'm currently in the middle of piano diploma mania (have my exam shortly) and I thought I'd give you an insight into my experience.

I've done the written/theory/aural part of the RIAM diploma (Associate Teacher) already.

Regarding the theory. Obviously, it depends on each person and how they feel about theory. I know some people dread it however, I genuinely didn't find it that difficult. I got the past papers from the RIAM general office and worked through them. I used some theory books (can't remember the names, sorry but there's plenty to choose from) and Aural Matters for the aural component. For the music history, I used Norton's A History of Western Music. Its a fantastic book. I pretty much did the old Leaving Cert trick of preparing a few essays (based on past papers) and learning them off. It worked fine and my best result was for this section. I'd recommend doing a lot of practice on the counterpoint/harmony questions - I think I used past ABRSM theory papers for this.

To give you an idea of my past experience, I had done LC music and ABRSM grade 5 theory but that was a number of years before I started the diploma. This section takes quite a bit of work, but it is achievable IMO.

With regard to the performance/viva voce, I'm currently preparing for this and its very, very time consuming. As far as I'm aware they can ask very specific teaching questions, e.g., suggest a repertoire containing Baroque, Classical, and Romantic pieces for a 12 year old at grade 3 level. You can then be asked what are the challenges/benefits of the pieces you suggested. IMO, the performance section is the most challenging and you need to commit a lot of time. My teacher suggests four hours per day of practice, which if you're working is quite unrealistic.

I'd agree with funky penguin regarding the ABRSM grade 8 exam. I've done RIAM Grade 8 and Senior Cert and I achieved high honours/distinction but the gap between this level and diploma is massive. If I had known, I certainly would've done ABRSM Grade 8 and I would definitely recommend that you consider it. You'll find that ABRSM Grade 8 is far more reflective of what's required for the diploma; some of the grade 8 pieces are also on the ABRSM diploma list so it would also be good way to get feedback before going for the diploma. You can then choose what diploma to do, be it RIAM, ABRSM, LCM etc.

A few other things:

John O' Conor used to do diploma workshops and he used to recommend at least a year and a half to prepare for the diploma.

Make sure the teacher you get has entered students into the diploma before and knows what they're doing. My last teacher didn't and I wasted a lot of time, energy and needless to say, money, and eventually I had to find a new teacher. Thankfully, she's a great teacher.

This obviously depends on time and money, but my teacher has recommended that I apply for a performer's diploma from another board (probably LCM) as a plan B as there's no theory or viva voce and you can pretty much play the same pieces. If all goes well, I'll have two diplomas (you can't go wrong with that!!) and it takes the pressure off if the RIAM doesn't go well. She also suggested the Victoria exam. This apparently isn't very well regarded and its very easy, but its good experience and hey, its a diploma at the end of the day!

Finally, this is down the road but don't make the mistake of entering for the written and aural at the same time. I did and it was the longest day. By the time it came to the aural exam in the evening (after two written papers), I was so tired that I found it very difficult to focus my attention and ultimately, I didn't do as well as I should have.

Sorry, for the long essay of a post! I hope it helps.

Best of luck!

kmd053

Thank you 'Colours of a cowboy cliche' for a very informative reply.

I have had a look at the teaching diploma syllabus for both RIAM (by sending them 10 Euro for a copy!) and the ABRSM (by downloading/requesting a copy for FREE off their website, I can't find the link but it's on their site somewhere).

The RIAM teaching dip, as 'colours of a cowboy cliche' describes, is based around 2 theory papers and a practical.
The ABRSM looks very different in approach though. They have 2 levels of teaching dip, the DipABRSM (principles of teaching) and the LRSM, and both involve written submission, teaching skills viva and sight-reading tests. These look more like an educational qualification? The reading list for the ABRSM makes it appear to be less about improving one's own ability as a player and more about understanding teaching skills. Maybe I'm misinterpreting their syllabus, but it looks more interesting than the RIAM, and that's speaking purely as a mam who is teaching her own kids. Having said that, I appreciate the desire for self-improvement too.

Anyway, the prerequisites for both DipABRSM and LRSM is their Grade VIII (ABRSM), so, either way, I would need to do ABRSM Grade VIII before being considered for either of them. And if I decided to go for the RIAM teaching diploma, I would need considerable brushing up beforehand, either with their senior cert or ABRSM Grade VIII, given that it's been a while since I did an exam.

So, now I'm thinking back to Funky Penguin's original point, i.e. instead of senior cert why not do ABRSM Grade VIII, especially if the gap between senior cert and RIAM diploma is so massive, as cowboy says.
One question for colours of a cowboy cliche, did the RIAM senior cert prepare you in any way for their dip, or do you think it was a waste of time?

Any more thoughts...anyone?
Thanks again.

colours of a cowboy cliche

No problem, kmd!

One question for colours of a cowboy cliche, did the RIAM senior cert prepare you in any way for their dip, or do you think it was a waste of time?

In my experience, I didn't feel it prepared me for the diploma. Now, apparently the RIAM has upped the difficulty of their grades in recent years so maybe there isn't such a huge gap anymore, but I felt you could do well in the senior cert with relatively 'easy' pieces. (I'm pretty sure I got a distinction in my senior cert but I can definitely say that I wasn't good enough for a diploma back then). I wouldn't say it was a waste of time because it was experience at the end of the day but if it were me now, I would certainly go for ABRSM Grade 8 instead of a senior cert.

The RIAM also do a licentiate (LRIAM) diploma which is recognised by the Teaching Council of Ireland as an educational qualification. This is where is gets murky though, apparently this description is a bit misleading in that it doesn't mean you can teach as a full time 'in house' music teacher in a school, but rather you can teach music classes in a school. I could be wrong here so if anyone knows any more about this, please weigh in. I'm also under the impression, that generally you go for the licentiate after doing an associate (ARIAM) as the standard is higher. If you want to teach privately, I think the Associate is enough. The standard required is high for this too and the pass mark is 75% so there'll definitely be self-improvement!

Also, consider other boards as well, for example, LCM or TCL. Each board is different, and you might just find that a certain board fits with your own personal goals. I know I also mentioned the Victoria dip previously as being not highly regarded, but they require teaching diploma candidates to submit a video of them teaching two different students - I think this is a great idea, personally.

funky penguin

Hold on a second folks, I've just been looking into the Senior cert a little bit.

It asks for any one of Bach's Prelude and Fugues, which is on the ABRSM Diploma.

Movement One of Ravel's Sonatine as well. The whole thing is on the Diploma.

This was only a small glance, so maybe the gap is closing? :eek:

kmd053

Funky Penguin, did you mean RIAM diploma and not ABRSM in your last post?
Because if you did you are absolutley right.
Some of the pieces listed for the senior cert for 2012-2014 are also listed on the RIAM diploma syllabus such as the ones you mentioned. So, I guess there is some benefit to the senior cert, in that, you could follow on to their diploma having covered at least some of the repetoire?

I've had a look at the ABRSM grade 8 syllabus and it looks kind of similar to the senior cert. So I just need to decide which one I should go for, keeping in mind that I might do a diploma afterward.

Anyhow, I have another quick question for you guys doing/having done diplomas. Is there a practical side to the ABRSM teaching diploma (apart from the sight-reading test), where you play 3 pieces selected from a list, similar to the RIAM diploma structure. I can't seem to find any reference to it in their syllabus?

Thanks again for all the help so far, I'm looking forward to learning again.

funky penguin

No idea about the teaching Dip, sorry!

But no, I meant the ABRSM Performance Diploma! :eek:

thunderdog

Another syllabus to look at would be the London College of Music (LCM). I have had students (clarinet/saxophone) do the LCM, ABRSM, and RIAM teaching diplomas and the LCM is the only one that all my students have passed. There is a lot involved in the other two (ABRSM, RIAM) whereas the LCM is based mostly around how you approach teaching and not really the standard of your playing.

For the LCM syllabus the main thing to have is some teaching experience and to be quite familiar with their syllabus. Obviosuly I only know about the clarinet/sax ones but Im sure the piano teaching diploma isn't too much different.

Its definitely worth checking out

evolving_doors

Would agree with Thunderdog's last post, did the LCM after doing a music degree..
ARIAM and ABRSM diploma were a bit of a long term commitment as I just wanted to start teaching ASAP with music school asking for a diploma..

I did find the ALCM interesting though, as the focus was on your teaching approaches and opinions rather than your performance standard..

BUT... as the nub of your question seems to revolve around teaching your kids then maybe you would need to know more about learning to teach any piece rather than learning to play high standard pieces. If you do start of teaching the majority of your students will be beginners anyway.

Get yourself a teacher to bounce ideas off, I've had 6 teachers and I've learned loads off all of them... first 2 teachers taught little about technique and posture so that ruined my back and came fairly close to repetitive strain injuries without realising it.
also RIAM and ABRSM have workshops when the new grades are out so you can hear about what to listen out for when teaching.

The pianostreet forum has pretty in-depth conversations about technique and teaching..

epta.ie often hold workshops on teaching (mainly dublin based though), their website aint great as regards course info,, it'd be better join and get info through the post.

Hope that puts another slant on things..

workflow

I just completed by grade 8 RIAM exam and I'm wondering what to do next. Very interesting comments on this thread. I am confused on the following point: can one do the RIAM Teaching Diploma without doing the Senior Certificate?

Marty.22

I just completed my Senior Cert and I'm really considering doing the diploma, I've briefly discussed it with my teacher but I don't really know where to start. I'm currently doing the hdip for secondary teaching so would it be an awful lot to take on together? Open to any suggestions??

evolving_doors

workflow wrote: »

I just completed by grade 8 RIAM exam and I'm wondering what to do next. Very interesting comments on this thread. I am confused on the following point: can one do the RIAM Teaching Diploma without doing the Senior Certificate?

I think in general examining boards will always be happy to take your money, so yes, any joe off the street can sit any exam... as long as you're over 18!!!..I have to say though for the Licentiate or Associate I have known a few people who were asked what and when the last grade they had done was.... Also someone i know skipped the Associate and went for the Licentiate (he was pretty good) but they failed him and said his performing was not up to scratch (Hmmm!!!) and recommended that he sit the Associate first....
They mightnt be as picky about the Associate though...

check out rules and regs here HERE

evolving_doors

Marty.22 wrote: »

I just completed my Senior Cert and I'm really considering doing the diploma, I've briefly discussed it with my teacher but I don't really know where to start. I'm currently doing the hdip for secondary teaching so would it be an awful lot to take on together? Open to any suggestions??

For the A.Riam you can sit the two parts of the exam within 4 years... Also if you have a music degree you can apply for an exemption for part of the written exam...

In saying that I never actually completed the A.RIAM, if it's just a piece of paper with "piano teaching diploma" written on it, then go for the London College of Music.. they're not too hung up on the performing element (just one piece) but do question you on repertoire and technique suggestions for particular students and you have to submit an essay beforehand..

If i had any advice to give anyone is get it all done as soon as possible, as it's hard to get back into the swing of exams after a few years go by..

After you get the HDip you will have two possible scenarios
1. Working in a secondary school- you may just have enough time for a cup of tea when you get home in your first year, not to mention study/practice.
2. Not working and considering the possibility of teaching piano to fill the gap... a teaching diploma may be very handy if you're approaching music schools, consider giving grinds in LC music also..

colours of a cowboy cliche

Marty.22 wrote: »

I just completed my Senior Cert and I'm really considering doing the diploma, I've briefly discussed it with my teacher but I don't really know where to start. I'm currently doing the hdip for secondary teaching so would it be an awful lot to take on together? Open to any suggestions??

Hi Marty,

It's a tough question because there are pros and cons for both going for the diploma now and going for it later.

I'm assuming you're talking about doing a teacher's diploma. If not a lotof my post will be redundant

The biggest pro for starting to work towards it now in my opinion is that you've just completed your senior cert and therefore, you're more or less in a practice routine already and your scales must be in good shape which means some of the grunt work towards the diploma is already done.

An important consideration is the repertoire that you used for the Senior Cert. Would you be able to carry any of that over to the diploma? If you can, then that would be another pro towards going for the diploma.

The danger of putting it off is that you invariably fall out of a practice routine and when you eventually do start practicing again, your scales will more than likely have deteriorated. Your pieces may also become stale and sometimes it's harder to revive such pieces than to learn new ones.

Bear in mind though that even if you do decide to go for a diploma now, it does take a long time to prepare. Even if you're playing some of the same pieces you played for the Senior Cert, a higher level is expected and also, the pass mark is 75% (with the RIAM). As well as that you have the Viva Voce questions to prepare. I think I already mentioned in an earlier thread that John O'Conor used to suggest 18 months minimum to prepare for the diploma.

The pro for delaying it is that you obviously don't want to take on too much of a workload while you're doing your hDip. The Diploma is a lot of work and a big commitment and you certainly don't want to jeopardise your hDip. Also, I certainly wouldn't recommend that you try to go for the written components and the practical at the same time especially while you're studying.

How long does your hDip run for by the way and when are your finals/disseration? That obviously has to be considered also because you don't want to be facing a situation where you have final deadlines at college and a few hours of practice to do every night on top of that.

One alternative suggestion would be to try to pick up a couple of new students now (assuming you don't teach already) and/or ask if you can shadow your own teacher, gain some experience and go for the diploma later when you've finished your hDip. This would definitely help you build up knowledge for the Viva Voce section. Also, you don't have to necessarily have to do such a performance-based diploma. The teaching diplomas offered by boards such as the ABRSM are much more pedagogical based and might fit better with your current studies. As far as I'm aware for the ABRSM dip, you're expected to be able to play pieces on the syllabus for up to grade 6 and be able to teach them.

Sorry for such a long post. I hope it helps!

Marty.22

Armelodie and Colours of a Cowboy Cliche, thanks for all that info! Have just done a bit of looking into the RIAM and ABRSM diplomas, and not that they in anyway at all seem "easy", I think it'd be easier to keep going while I'm still in practice if that makes sense?? I finished school at my grade 7 piano exam and after 3 years in college I took a year out before starting the dip so did the grade 8 and senior cert since. So for me getting those 2 exams finished in the space of a year and a few months was a toughie, being out of practice for so long. Which is why I'm really taking all yere advice into consideration. I'm fortunate enough that I'm doing the hDip part time, so technically not finished that until June 2013 so I'm still questioning the work load, between the hDip and the diploma that is, and given I'll have 3, 5 week blocks of teaching practice throughout....

The one part of the exams I struggled with to an extent were the ear tests, would this have a significant impact on getting on well in the diploma?

And also in relation to the diploma with the London College of Music, is it still the same equivalent to the RIAM or ABRSM diplomas? Sorry about all the questions!

colours of a cowboy cliche

You're welcome Marty.

It does make sense to not break the routine that you're in and to keep going for the diploma especially if your course is part-time. I think the most practical advice would be just to think wisely about your planning and timing. Don't try to rush the diploma but equally look at your college schedule and don't find yourself having a piano diploma exam during your finals.

In terms of ear tests, there is an aural exam as part of the RIAM diploma that you have to sit on the same day as the practical (the written exams can be done within a four year period of entering). The standard is fairly high. I don't know if you ever did any theory/aural exams, but it would be similar to the ABRSM exams for higher grades. Don't worry about it though because aural work is one area that you can definitely improve if you work on it. What I would suggest would be to pick up some aural work books for the lower grades and work your way up the grades. Start easy, even at grade 1, 2 or 3, and although it might seem silly you'll definitely see results. You just have to be dedicated and consistent with your practice - do it every day if you can even if it's for 5 - 10 minutes a day. Although I have a good ear, I hadn't done aural work in years but I found that my aural skills improved by doing regular training. The books I used and which I found very useful were Aural Matters and the ABRSM exam papers.

The London College of Music offers a DipLCM which from what I gather is a kind of pre-diploma and isn't at the same level as the ARIAM or DipABRSM. They also offer the ALCM which is the same equivalency but I've heard it's easier to pass than the ARIAM or DipABRSM (I don't know how true this is). If you're asking if it's the same difficulty as the others, I don't know the answer to that. However, if you look through the various syllabi you might find one exam board fits your style/taste etc. better than the others. There's also variation within the syllabi, for instance for list A on the RIAM you were able to choose any two contrasting Scarlatti sonatas which for me would be an easier choice than a Bach Prelude and Fugue for instance.

By the way, the syllabi for Trinity Guildhall, ABSM and LCM are all available free online. I'd have a look through them as they'll help you to gauge. In my opinion, their syllabi are much more informative than the RIAM one and you get a proper sense of what's required. You have to order the RIAM through their office.

Marty.22

Thank you!

that's really helped so much, or at least put things into perspective a bit! Will be chatting to my piano teacher Monday night anyways so hopefully we'll come to some conclusion!

Thanks again!

evolving_doors

colours of a cowboy cliche wrote: »

They also offer the ALCM which is the same equivalency but I've heard it's easier to pass than the ARIAM or DipABRSM (I don't know how true this is). If you're asking if it's the same difficulty as the others, I don't know the answer to that.

You're totally right there COACC ...ALCM way easier.. think I only did one mvt from a beethoven piece if I remember correctly.. For the "interview" (just after you play your piece and do the aural test) you would want to be teaching a few different levels though and be familiar with some books for repertoire for beginners/ intermediate/advanced.... For technique and repertoire discussions pianostreet has an excellent forum.. Your own teacher might be glad to throw you a few classes of his,, some teachers like to get other people to listen to their students before exam time!! DEfo try and get teaching though..

evolving_doors

Marty.22 wrote: »

And also in relation to the diploma with the London College of Music, is it still the same equivalent to the RIAM or ABRSM diplomas? Sorry about all the questions!

Depends on where you are applying for a job, small local music school (or private lessons) then a diploma is a diploma,, some of the more 'established' schools then probably the ABRSM or ARIAM (or even the Licentiate!!!)

rheobath

After grade 5 theory abrms exam is there a higher exam? Most m schools seem to do up to grade 5 and no higher

thunderdog

Yeah like all the practical exams the theory exam goes all the way up to Grade 8. Some places however only offer up to Grade 5 as this is the only prerequisite for doing Grade 6 (and above) practical exams

Nawny

Responding to the original question on this discussion, you sound a bit like me!. I did the very same 20 years ago and then took it up again to teach my kids. I did the Senior Certificate last year to get back into playing scales etc. Now I am preparing to do the LCM Teaching Dip as this seems to be the easier one around. Many teachers prepare for this one before the RIAM as the latter is apparently very tough. So this is the approach I'm taking. In actual fact, I'm happy with one Diploma so if I get the LCM, then I'll probably just stop there and improve my own teaching methods. I currently have 23 kids coming to me for lessons so that's keeping me busy enough! Good luck!

anamaria

Armelodie wrote: »

For the A.Riam you can sit the two parts of the exam within 4 years... Also if you have a music degree you can apply for an exemption for part of the written exam...

..

I know this is an old thread, and apologies, but I just spotted this comment and I was wondering if anyone knows if this is still the case? I have a music degree and a H.Dip in Music Education and am wondering if I qualify for any exemption.

Might try and give the academy a ring about it as I am doing the Piano teaching dip at the moment.