RGT in the USA
Ron Gletherow, one of RGT's recently appointed Regional Representatives within the U.S.A., describes the first guitar exam sessions to be held there...
During May and June 2008 RGT held its first examining tour of the U.S.A. I act as the RGT representative for the New England and surrounding areas and so coordinated the exams in this region. These were held in two main areas: Connecticut and New York. Having been appointed to my post in 2007 I'd been planning this prestigious event for several months and was both anxious and excited to make sure that everything would run smoothly. I was helped considerably by Marc Wolf, a long-established guitar tutor and accomplished musician from New York, based at Goldensbridge Studios. Marc's tireless help and cooperation was invaluable.
EXAMINING
Senior RGT examiner Max Milligan flew over from London to Boston to preside over the exams. Max is a vastly experienced guitar teacher and performer and was the perfect ambassador for the occasion. The 
New York exams were followed by a seminar given by Max on the merits and advantages of the RGT structured system, which was very well received.
The exams went very smoothly and all the candidates reported back that they very much enjoyed the experience. Taking the exams has certainly helped to build their confidence in performing to someone other than their teacher, and they all seem very keen to get onto the next grade - so the exams have obviously also helped in providing students with a target to aim for, which helps motivate them to practice. This is great from the teachers' point of view and also provides a structured framework for teachers to base their lessons on. Furthermore, parents are pleased that their children are now being offered the opportunity by their teachers to take an internationally recognized music examination and gain a qualification as a result of their guitar playing studies.
TOP RESULTS
There was a mix of electric, acoustic, bass and classical guitar entrants. I'm pleased to report that everyone passed their exams, with many gaining high enough marks to be awarded Distinction certificates. Both the teachers and students felt that the examiner's marks and insightful report comments were an accurate and fair reflection of the playing standard of the candidates. It's rewarding for teachers, parents and students to know that the results of their lessons have been independently assessed and proven to be on the right track.
CALIFORNIA DREAMING
A large number of RGT guitar exams were also held in California, with the examiner this time being Stuart Corbett. The students in that area were clearly well-prepared and the marks awarded were a credit to their teachers. The RGT exams are currently the only pre-college worldwide-recognised qualifications available for electric guitar students within the United States. With word spreading and further interest regularly coming in from numerous areas of the United States, RGT examiners are going to be kept pretty busy over here during the coming years.
