Abstract
Assessment consists of a powerful methodological tool for every teacher at all stages of music teaching-learning, focusing on the creative, aesthetic, and social dimensions of music as a perspective of the relationship between teacher and student. However, conservatoire education has established a traditional model of music teaching that has remained unchanged for almost seventy years. The focus is on music reading and musical performance. In this learning environment, the teacher holds a prominent position and exams are graded using a strict scale, which can have an impact on musical education. This article investigates the assessment forms in conservatoire settings emphasized in musical instrument exams. More specifically, the records from the piano exam proceedings of a conservatory in Greece during the last eleven years are analyzed. The results demonstrate the weaknesses and limitations in the overall assessment and learning process while at the same time emerging an imperative need for educational reform in conservatoire settings.
