- a tool designed to help improve melody writing and music theory knowledge and understanding Aural Trainer - an iPhone app that helps students practice their aural skills Speedshifter - a practice tool that allows students to vary the speed of audio without altering the pitch Piano Practice Partner - an app for iOS and Android devices that helps students practice exam pieces for piano at Grades 1 to 3. Piano Practice Partner plays one hand so that students can play the other as they learn. History The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music was founded in 1889 when Alexander Mackenzie, then the Principal of the Royal Academy of Music, and George Grove, founding Director of the Royal College of Music, decided that the two institutions should combine to form an associated examining board to run joint local exams. The first syllabi were published in 1890 for Piano, Organ, Violin, Cello and Harp, with Viola, Double Bass and woodwind instruments added the following year. Originally, the ABRSM had only two grades and were the equivalent of the current grades 6 and 7. Due to the demand for beginner grades, the present structure (grades 1–8) was introduced in 1933. In 1947, the Royal Manchester College of Music (merged to form the present Royal Northern College of Music) and Royal Scottish Academy of Music (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) joined ABRSM. Since the post-World War II years, the ABRSM saw an increase in overseas exam applications. The curriculum also expanded, with the addition of Guitar, Harpsichord, Voice, (with the option of specific exams for "musical theatre" singing at grades 1–3), percussion, Recorder and all brass instruments. The 1990s saw percussion and jazz added to the syllabus. For Diplomas, LRSM was the one that was always available. The DipABRSM and FRSM were introduced much later in the year 2000 as well as similar exams for instructors and teachers. The ARSM was introduced in the year 2016-2017 to serve as a bridge between the Grade 8 and DipABRSM exams. Ethnic diversity in syllabus In response to the Black Lives Matter movement, on 15 July, 2020, the ABRSM syllabus came under public scrutiny for the lack of BAME representation in the 2019/20 syllabus. Over 4,000 people signed a petition which found "255 pieces in the new piano syllabus" to not include any black composers. Chi-chi Nwanoku "described the 'woeful lack' of ethnic