In November 2015 AMEB, Australia’s leading provider of examinations for music, speech and drama, will launch an entirely new Musical Theatre syllabus along with a series of supporting music publications.
Examinations from beginner Preliminary level through to pre-professional diploma level will be offered. The new publications include Grade books from Preliminary through to Grade 4, Technical Work and Sight reading books covering Preliminary through to Grade 8, and a set of Recorded Accompaniments for Preliminary to Grade 3.
The project is being undertaken in response to public demand from students and teachers whose particular passion is musical theatre. We envisage that AMEB Musical theatre will serve a range of Australian students and teachers, including those wishing to perform in amateur and school musicals, compete in eisteddfods, attend youth music academies and those preparing to be professional performers.
AMEB engaged a committee of musical theatre experts from around the country to help guide the syllabus writing process, including teachers at primary, secondary and tertiary levels; performers; and academics.
Hailed by The Sydney Morning Herald as ‘one of Australia’s leading musical lights,’ George Torbay completed studies at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts USA, the University of Sydney and the Queensland Conservatorium of Music.
A distinguished conductor, music educator, singing teacher, adjudicator, performer and director, he has served as Chief Conductor Choral Music for the NSW Department of Education, Lecturer in Singing at Federation University, advisor to Hal Leonard Australia and as the Director of Music for the television series Battle of the Choirs.
Who do you love I hope from Annie get your gun
Candle on the water from Pete’s dragon
Look for the silver lining from Sally
Soon it’s gonna rain from The fantasticks
Butterflies are free from Butterflies are free
The girl I mean to be from The secret garden
I’d do anything from Oliver!
All I do is dream of you from Singin’ in the rain
Button up your overcoat from Follow thru
Happiness from You’re a good man, Charlie Brown
Chim chim cher-ee from Mary Poppins
Comedy tonight from A funny thing happened on the way to the forum
The candy man from Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory
Baby mine from Dumbo
I don’t want to live on the moon from Sesame street
You’ve got a friend in me from Toy story
Home again from Captain Louie
Let’s go fly a kite from Mary Poppins
The best thing for you from Call me madam
Singin’ in the rain from Singin’ in the rain
Zing! Went the strings of my heart from Listen, darling
When you wish upon a star from Pinocchio
Bein’ green from Sesame street
Round-shouldered man from The secret garden
I want it now from Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory
Join the circus from Barnum
Leaning on a lamp-post from Me and my girl
Razzle dazzle from Chicago
A cockeyed optimist from South Pacific
Stepsister’s lament from Cinderella
I’m hooked
Cruella de Vil from 101 dalmations
Les poissons from The little mermaid
Little people from Les misérables
I don’t need anything but you from Annie
No one knows who I am from Jekyll & Hyde
They say it’s wonderful from Annie get your gun
They can’t take that away from me from Crazy for you
I don’t remember you from The happy time
I’ve never been in love before from Guys and dolls
Anyone can whistle from Anyone can whistle
I always knew from Annie Warbucks
Real live girl from Little me
All for you from Seussical the musical
Six hours as a princess from Children’s letters to God
In the big blue world from Finding Nemo: The musical
I’m in love with a wonderful guy from South Pacific
Everybody ought to have a maid from A funny thing happened on the way to the forum
Sailing away
It’s possible from Seussical the musical
Electricity from Billy Elliott
Gaston from Beauty and the beast: The broadway musical
Naughty from Matilda: The musical
Whispering from Spring awakening
I got lost in his arms from Annie get your gun
Follow your heart from Urinetown
I like him from Drat! The cat!
It never was you from Knickerbocker holiday
I’m not at all in love from The pajama game
Gorgeous from The apple tree
Listen to your heart from Young Frankenstein
The girl next door from Metro street
Sing your own song from Dear Edwina
Puddles from The hatpin from
When I grow up from Matilda: The musical
Almost there from The princess and the frog
Love who you love from A man of no importance
It only takes a moment from Hello, Dolly!
More I cannot wish you from Guys and dolls
Your eyes are blue from A funny thing happened on the way to the forum
When I get my name in lights from The boy from Oz
That face from The producers
When I was a kid from Prodigal
How lucky you are from Seussical the musical
Alone in the universe from Seussical the musical
If you knew me from Waves
All that’s known from Spring awakening
When words fail from Shrek: The musical
Far from the home I love from Fiddler on the roof
Once you lose your heart from Me and my girl
So in love from Kiss me, Kate
It would have been wonderful from Annie Warbucks
Always true to you in my fashion from Kiss me, Kate
Pulled from The Addams family
Happy to keep his dinner warm from How to succeed in business without really trying
Ireland from Legally blonde
As far as the eye can see from Once we lived here
Who will love me as I am? from Side show
More to the story from Shrek: The musical
Now that’s what you call a dream from Bonnie and Clyde
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I promise you a happy ending from Mack and Mabel
Sometimes a day goes by from Woman of the year
You’ve got to be carefully taught from South Pacific
Take me to the world from Evening primrose
I’d rather be sailing from A new brain
Last one picked from Whoop dee doo!
Mister Cellophane from Chicago
I believe in you from How to succeed in business without really trying
Where I want to be from Chess
The kid inside from Is there a life after high school?
Just say from Sing on through tomorrow
Beautiful city from Godspell
Collection of graded vocalises and exercises that make up the technical work requirements for AMEB Musical Theatre examinations from Preliminary to Grade 8. The custom-composed vocalises and exercises focus on developing a range of appropriate vocal techniques while building general musical, performance and presentation skills.
A structured course in the development of sight-reading specifically for Musical Theatre containing examples of the kind of sight-reading material candidates may encounter in examinations from Preliminary to Grade 8.
Musical Theatre Preliminary Recorded Accompaniments (Series 1)
Musical Theatre Grade 1 Recorded Accompaniments (Series 1)
Musical Theatre Grade 2 Recorded Accompaniments (Series 1)
Musical Theatre Grade 3 Ladies’ Edition Recorded Accompaniments (Series 1)
Musical Theatre Grade 3 Gentlemen’s Edition Recorded Accompaniments (Series 1)
Syllabus & Grade books
The graded publications from Preliminary to Grade 4 showcase the best musical theatre repertoire internationally and features Australian compositions at every grade level. Grade books are a cost-effective collection of graded repertoire for study and examination in the one volume. Beyond Grade 4, students can select repertoire from the manual lists in the Musical Theatre syllabus. A syllabus is a guide for teachers and students that outlines all the information and requirements for taking an AMEB exam.
Technical work & Sight reading
Students will be asked to perform Technical Work and Sight reading in most grade examinations. The Technical Work is made up of custom-composed vocalises in typical musical theatre styles that allow students to demonstrate a variety of technical skills in a musically satisfying and efficient way, while short dedicated exercises further encourage the accrual of a variety of vocal techniques, with an emphasis on vocal safety and an appropriate rate of development. Sight reading exercises improve students’ musical literacy and help them to learn new repertoire at a faster pace.
Recorded Accompaniments
AMEB has recorded piano accompaniments of all accompanied repertoire in the Series 1 Musical Theatre grade book publications from Preliminary to Grade 3. These recordings provide a helpful practice tool and may also be used in AMEB examinations. The Recorded Accompaniments can be purchased as CDs or as individual downloads from digital music outlets like iTunes. Recordings can be used in conjunction with AMEB’s practice app, MyTempo that lets you speed up, slow down and loop your accompaniment track on your device.
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Musical Theatre Workshops
Musical Theatre workshops with Zachary Dunbar will take place around the country in 2017.
Musical Theatre Workshop with Zachary Dunbar
Date: TBD
Venue: TBD
Contact: AMEB New South Wales for more information.
Musical Theatre Workshop with Zachary Dunbar
Date: TBD
Venue: TBD
Contact AMEB Queensland for more information.
Musical Theatre Workshop with Zachary Dunbar
Date: 18th February 2017
Venue: Hartley Concert Hall, University of Adelaide
Contact AMEB South Australia for more information.
Musical Theatre Workshop with Zachary Dunbar
Date: 9th April 2017
Venue: Recital Hall, Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music.
Contact AMEB Tasmania for more information.
Musical Theatre Workshop with Zachary Dunbar
Date: 26th February 2017
Venue: TBD
Contact AMEB Victoria for more information.
Musical Theatre Workshop with Zachary Dunbar
Date: 11th February 2017
Venue: TBD
Contact AMEB Western Australia for more information.
The AMEB offers high quality syllabuses, educative services to our teachers, examiners and candidates, and quality publications to the highest editorial standard.
The AMEB standards and accreditations are recognised professionally not only within Australia but also overseas, where it is one of the most respected bodies in this field.
AMEB examinations are based on syllabuses designed by leading scholars and performers, regularly updated to ensure that they reflect an appropriate range of performance skills and the latest musicological research. The content of these syllabuses is, wherever practical, published in affordable editions, ensuring that the cost to students of acquiring a full range of the set pieces is as simple and inexpensive as possible.