HAA Blog: Music and Art for All

HAA Becomes 2nd Largest Trinity Guildhall Centre in U.S.

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Twice a year, Hunterdon Academy of the Arts hosts Trinity Guildhall music examinations.  Whereas fall-semester exams focus exclusively on music theory, students spend the spring semester gearing up for the Graded Exams in music performance, offered in May.  The Graded Exams are administered by a professional examiner from London, who visits all Trinity Guildhall Centres in the U.S. to test students on their command of the Trinity Guildhall curriculum.  Subject areas include the performance of prepared music, sight-reading skills, as well as technical skills on the instrument.

This year's visiting examiner was Mr. John Humphreys, a kind man, and aficionado,

 collector, and well-known authority of the French Horn.  Mr. Humphreys stayed with us from May 24 through May 26 to hear more than 70 applicants from various parts of New Jersey as well as from out of state.  We were absolutely thrilled to learn from him that after doubling the number of student participants this past year, Hunterdon Academy of the Arts is now among the top Trinity Guildhall Centres in the U.S., second only to the Baltimore, MD Centre!  

This year's examinees were mainly pianists, guitarists, and singers.  With very few exceptions, all students passed their tests and and are now anxiously awaiting their Trinity Guildhall Certificates, including Mr. Humphrey's helpful comments on their performance.

With its nine graded exams ("Initial" through Grade 8) designed to become progressively more challenging, the Trinity Guildhall curriculum provides a wonderful motivational tool for lesson students of all ages.  Offering Trinity Guildhall training as an option, Hunterdon Academy of the Arts has been very successful in helping students become better musicians and improving the overall quality of its music lesson programs.

At the end of his demanding three-day marathon at HAA, we took Mr. Humphreys to the Tuscany Grill in Glen Gardner, where he concluded his stay with a delicious dinner and a big smile (see picture above).

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