The Royal Conservatory of Music: A Certificate Program

New Announcement:

One Encore Student Awarded National Gold Medal in Music; Six Encore Students Perform at Carnegie Hall!

Encore Music Academy and Recording Studios, in Franklin, MA, is pleased to provide a significant announcement regarding student achievements!

This year, on November 16, six talented and dedicated Encore students made the trip to New York City to perform on the stage at the illustrious Carnegie Hall in the Northeast Region Celebration of Excellence. One of these students, Daiwik Pal, has been announced as the winner of the Royal Conservatory of Music National Gold Medal of Excellence for Level 1 Percussion!

The following six students were invited to perform based upon their exemplary success in their respective levels of voice, percussion and flute in the 2018-2019 RCM academic year. Many congratulations to the following Encore performers and their instructors:

2019 Awards:

  • Timothy Reda, age 13 of Millis, Level 4 voice and student of Lisa Ostrow
  • Lola Richardson, age 16 of Franklin, Level 4 flute and student of Leandra Botta
  • Mia Quinn, age 13 of Franklin, Level 2 voice and student of Lisa Ostrow
  • Daiwik Pal, age 15 of Franklin, Level 1 percussion and student of Dr. Jonathan Ustin *National Gold Medal Winner
  • Sunehri Verma, age 12 of Franklin, Level 4 voice and student of Lisa Ostrow
  • Emma Lynch, age 16 of Attleboro, Level 3 voice and student of Lisa Ostrow

With these students invited to perform, this marks Encore’s fourth trip to the prestigious performance venue of Carnegie Hall, with 20 of Encore’s students performing at Carnegie over the past three years.

2018 Awards:

The results are in from the 2018 Royal Conservatory Assessments, and we are so proud to announce that Encore has not just one, but TWO gold medal recipients!!!!

Claire Bauer, voice student of Director, Lisa Ostrow, and Maura Johnston, voice student of Instructor, Becki Waters Abalutzk, have both received the highest marks for their level in the ENTIRE country! Congrats girls, you deserve it!

And the great news just keeps on coming! We are thrilled to additionally announce that the following students have won State Certificates of Excellence with the Royal Conservatory of Music for 2018! Each received the highest score in the STATE on their respective levels of voice: Prem Pendkar, Level 7 voice; Deeya Yadapadithaya, Level 5 voice; Julia Orff, Level 4 voice; Anne Wu, Level 3 voice; and, Mia Quinn, Level 1 voice. Congrats kiddos!

Encore Music Academy and Recording Studios is proud to be a Founding School and Test Center for the Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program.

The Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program provides a recognized national standard of success in music study from beginner to advanced levels.  It inspires excellence through individual student assessments that are central to the Program, while also supporting teachers with high-quality and innovative resources. RCM allows students to measure and celebrate accomplishment and track their progress withing the United States, but also throughout the world..  All students and teachers, globally, are invited to participate, and Encore Music Academy is proud to offer these opportunities here, and through outreach to the surrounding communities.

Why Study the Program?

See what the Conservatory says regarding why this program is so important!

The Royal Conservatory Certificate Program is a comprehensive system of music study and assessment from Elementary through to Advanced levels. In many countries, it is considered the gold standard for developing high-caliber musical literacy.

At each level of the RCM Certificate Program, students are supported with accompanying publications to help them develop into well-rounded musicians. With a focus on nurturing creativity and developing self-confidence, our program allows students to work at their own pace.

Our integrated curriculum encompasses repertoire from classical to contemporary, as well as etudes, ear tests, sight reading, technique, and theory for over 20 instruments, voice, and speech arts and drama. Individual student examinations, delivered by one of our 300+ accredited examiners, enable students to track their progress and celebrate their accomplishments.

 

Our Role

Encore is an official and accredited Testing Center for the RCM Certificate Program. This means that students studying the program, from as far as Maine and Vermont, travel to our location to take their assessments.

RCM Assessments

Examinations are used to periodically measure a student’s progress as they navigate the program and it’s levels. Exams have multiple benefits including promoting student engagement, and offering an incentive for student practice and achievement. Participants are graded on proficiency in the following areas: performance; technical requirements; aural skills; rhythm; and, sight-reading ability. Examinations are available for both Practical (performance) and Theory (written).

Check out RCM’s website information regarding the official examinations:

Practical examinations evaluate the performance of repertoire, etudes or vocalises, aural skills, sight reading or singing, and orchestral excerpts for string, brass, and wind instruments.

Theory examinations evaluate the understanding of theory basics such as musical notation. Advanced levels include harmony, counterpoint, analysis, and history.

The Benefits of Exams

  • Build self-confidence
  • Encourage goal setting
  • Provide a national standard for students to track their progress
  • Promote well-rounded musical training

What to Expect at an Examination

  • An objective assessment of the student’s skill for that level
  • A friendly yet professional atmosphere
  • Personalized feedback and marks available online within a few weeks

For more information, see RCM’s Examination Resources for Students if you are signed up for an Exam or thinking about signing up, and would like some more information!

Student Achievement

Why take an assessment? Recognition of accomplishment!

There are multiple opportunities to win medals, honors and certificates. Levels of achievement are determined by the following scale:

  • First Class Honors with Distinction: An assessment score of 90 to 100.
  • First Class Honors: An assessment score of 80 to 89.
  • Honors: An assessment score of 70 to 79.
  • Pass: An assessment score of 60 to 69.

Encore Music Academy’s Latest Honors:

First Class Honors with Distinction

November 2017:

  • Claire Bauer – Voice Level 6, age 14, Franklin
  • Maura Johnston – Voice Level 2, age 15, Norfolk
  • Alyssa McGuirl – Voice Level 1, age 9, Millis
  • Mia Quinn – Voice level 1, age 11, Franklin

May 2018:

  • Sneha Mukkavilli – Piano Level 1, age 10,  Walpole
  • Max Olson – Piano Level 4 AND Theory Level 5, age 16, Medway
  • Julia Orff – Theory Level 5, age 16, Mendon
  • Sunehri Verma – Theory Level 5, age 10, Franklin

First Class Honors

November 2017:

  • Arnav Deshpande – Piano Level 2, age 11, Franklin
  • Reilly Guilmartin – Piano Level 1, age 10, Medway
  • Bableen Gill – Piano Level 1, age 11, Franklin
  • Julia Orff – Voice Level 4, age 15, Mendon
  • Logan Tetreault – Piano Preparatory B, age 9, Northbridge
  • Timothy Reda – Voice Level 3, age 11, Millis
  • Sunehri Verma – Theory Level 5, age 9, Franklin
  • Anne Wu – Voice level 3, age 11, Shrewsbury
  • Deeya Yadapadithaya – Voice Level 5, age 13, Medfield
  • Iain Yarbrough – Piano Level 2, age 15, Wrentham

May 2018:

  • Emma Birdsong – Voice Level 1, age 10, Medfield
  • Corbin Devenney – Piano Prep B, age 8, Bellingham
  • Abigail George – Voice Level 6, age 17, Franklin
  • Bableen Gill – Piano Level 2, age 12, Franklin
  • Emma Gudz – Voice Level 2, age 12, Millville
  • Chai Harsha – Piano Level 4, age 14, Franklin
  • Shanna Henderson – Voice Level 2, age 12, Franklin
  • Kaylee Lukasek – Piano Level 5, age 15, Mendon
  • Alyssa McGuirl – Voice Level 2, age 9, Millis
  • Brianna Michael – Voice Level 4, age 16, Shrewsbury
  • Prem Pendkar – Voice Level 7, age 13, Franklin
  • Danny Pylee – Piano Level 1, age 10, Medway
  • Aarush Rao – Piano Prep B, age 8, Franklin
  • Sid Rao – Piano Level 1, age 11, Franklin
  • Jared Sangil – Piano Level 2, age 13, Holliston
  • Kerry Tracey – Voice Level 1, age 14, Medway
  • AJ Trull – Voice Level 1, age 8, Franklin
  • Sunehri Verma – Voice Level 3, age 10, Franklin

Honors

November 2017:

  • Andrea Cabochan – Piano Level 2, age 12, Medfield
  • Samyuktha Chaganti – Piano Level 3, age 12, Franklin
  • Ella Griffin – Piano Level 3, age 11, Franklin
  • Hannah Laurence – Piano Level 4, age 11, Franklin
  • Meghan Laurence – Voice Level 6, age 13, Mendon
  • Justin McElhiney – Piano Level 4, age 18, Medway

May 2018:

  • Shreya Choudhury – Voice Level 6, age 14, Franklin
  • Lauren Macalpine – Piano Prep B, age 9, Milford
  • Arianna Michael – Piano Level 4. age 13, Shrewsbury
  • Julia Sangil – Piano Level 1, age 11. Holliston
  • Maria Silva – Piano Prep B, age 10, Franklin