We’ve all had students who rarely or never practice and then all of a sudden do the work for an exam, only to revert to not practicing once the exam is over. But it’s actually a superficial form of learning, based on “if/then” rewards (“ if you do this, then you’ll get that“), which simply reinforces extrinsic motivation and is only effective in the short-term. Marks and certificates (“rewards”) are awarded to successful candidates, and this reward system makes the prospect of progressing to the next grade and the next smart certificate very appealing to students, and their parents and teachers. The graded music exam system is primarily built upon extrinsic motivation. Unfortunately, outward displays of achievements or material gain are all too common in our Insta-driven world – signals which say “ look at me, look at my achievements, envy me” (just think for a moment about how Instagram really makes you feel…). The trouble with extrinsic motivation is the more we are driven by extrinsic values, the more we starve our intrinsic motivation, which can lead to lack of motivation, feelings of failure, anxiety and even depression. If your parents and/or teacher are pressuring you to play the piano and pass grade exams, or you have to make a living from your playing, that’s extrinsic motivation. If you play the piano for no other reason than because it gives you pleasure and a sense of personal fulfilment, that is an intrinsic motivation. We all have intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in our lives – we are all a mixture of both. With regard to learning music, in addition to taking a music exam, extrinsic motivators include participating in a festival or competition, receiving a favourable written report, receiving praise from others for a performance (teachers, friends, parents), receiving a certificate, trophy or reward. Exams, testing and assessment of the kind ABRSM promotes are “extrinsic” or external motivators. “Intrinsic motivation” comes from within. The first and most glaring problem with this, amidst a host of other issues, is that the word “intrinsic” is used incorrectly here. That’s the virtuous circle of motivation.” (via Twitter, 24 September 2021) That sense of attainment is tested by assessment which gives us intrinsic motivation to make us want to get better. The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) has received a barrage of criticism in response to a recent ill-judged tweet in which it stated that “ Musical achievement is about how well you can do, how good you can get.
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