Online music academy partners with Trinity College London to take music exams online

The online music education provider RockAcad has joined forces with one of the UK’s major examinations boards, Trinity College London.

With face-to-face music examinations unable to proceed during the Covid-19 pandemic, Trinity launched its first digital examinations in November 2020 and has since expanded its services. The board’s online offer now includes the new collaboration with RockAcad, enabling people of all ages and levels of ability to study for Trinity’s Digital Grades or Diplomas. RockAcad is one of the exam board’s first online-only private exam centres.

RockAcad students will be able to record their performance in a familiar environment on mobile phones and submit their video digitally so it can be assessed virtually by Trinity’s expert examiners.

RockAcad founder David Green built a successful career as a professional drummer and session musician, playing for the likes of Andy Taylor of Duran Duran, the UK X-Factor, Ricky Warwick of Thin Lizzy and Alice Cooper’s guitarist and collaborator, Tommy Henriksen.

Having studied Trinity’s music syllabus as a young musician in the North East of England, Green has a personal connection with the exam board.

‘This collaboration means so much as I studied up to Trinity Grade 8 on drums as a child, so I know how paramount they are as a structured learning course’, he said. ‘Those grades helped me in developing my musical skills, which in turn helped my career as a musician and teacher.’

RockAcad tutors have performed and recorded with international artists including The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, Rod Stewart, Sam Fender, Boy George, James Arthur and Selena Gomez.

The company was recently awarded the ‘Points of Light’ Award by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and is now expanding its student base internationally and introducing new teachers to its team. The latest addition is Pete Friesen, a renowned teacher and guitarist best known for playing with Alice Cooper, Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson and hard rock band The Almighty.

David Green said, ‘It’s super exciting and an honour to be working with Trinity. We are very excited about Trinity’s recent move to digital with their Rock & Pop syllabus. It ties in perfectly with what RockAcad is doing as we move with the times and look ahead to the future of music education.’

National Advisor for Rock & Pop at Trinity College London, Toby Davies, said, ‘RockAcad’s online-only teaching model is a perfect fit for Trinity and we are confident in the success of the partnership.

‘RockAcad’s teaching approach will work brilliantly with the content of our syllabuses that help to develop real-world musical skills. The digital exam experience will also provide candidates with a seamless extension of their online lessons.

‘As both organisations explore this digital world, they will work together to share ideas and celebrate students’ achievements.’