A New Eight-Grade Piano Curriculum for Students with an Arab Background: A Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the ABRSM Piano Syllabi

Like their peers in other Arab countries, a considerable number of Jordanian piano students experience difficulties when engaging with Western Classical music repertoire due to lack of exposure to it, particularly its polyphonic construction. Given that Western music is the dominant repertoire used in piano learning, Arab piano students often find the learning process challenging, which leads to decreased motivation to learn the instrument. This, in turn, stifles and prolongs their musical development. The theories that underlie this research draw from the work of prominent scholars in the fields of education and health care to better understand how students learn. Their studies support the assertion that motivation is a crucial component of the learning process. Using an analytical approach, piano techniques were extracted from the body of ABRSM practical exam syllabi from 2011–2012 to 2017–2018 and combined with Arabic melodies (in collaboration with a professional composer) to produce twenty-nine new cross-cultural pieces from Grade 1 to 8. Additionally, an evaluative study was carried out to explore the impact of this curriculum on piano students in Jordan, and the results generally showed an increase in motivation and a level of technical challenge that is consistent with ABRSM curricula. The aim of this project is to overcome the cultural barriers that impede the development of potential for Arabic piano students by proposing a cross-cultural adaptation of the ABRSM piano curriculum that integrates Arabic music (both traditional and contemporary). This new eight-grade curriculum is comprehensive with respect to performance technique and has the same structured gradual levels of challenge that are derived from the ABRSM system. This new curriculum will help Arabic students to develop the proper pianistic technique through familiar, meaningful, and interesting repertoire. Furthermore, a full reference of techniques is included in a table which may serve as a database for composers, educators, and music teachers worldwide in creating more works of this kind in order to increase motivation and enjoyment in instrumental learning and thus encourage learners to continue their musical studies