Industrialized Music Education in China: A Discussion on the "Standard Grade Examinations in Music" (SGEM) Organized by the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing

Following the UK-based model of The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), in 1993 the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) in Beijing initiated a similar system called the Standard Grade Examinations in Music (SGEM). Since then, throughout China, all conservatories as well as the Chinese Musicians Association, the Chinese National Orchestration Society and some local music organizations have launched similar examinations, establishing a significant trend in music education. A Grade Exams Center (GEC), which houses the SGEM, is not confined to exams, but also runs related courses in music instrument performance, and organizes relevant publications. This article focuses on the commercial aspects of the SGEM. It classifies four business categories that form a music-industrial chain, and discusses the chain’s benefits and issues for CCOM and Chinese society.