RCM History 9: Overview Worksheet (Updated Edition)

Studying for RCM History 9 can feel overwhelming, but this structured fill-in-the-blanks worksheet will help you build a strong foundation before diving into the finer details. This is an updated version of my popular overview tool, designed to help you organize and retain key information with ease.

Instead of trying to absorb everything at once, this worksheet breaks the process into four simple, manageable steps that will make memorization more effective and less stressful.

What’s Inside?

✅ Step 1: Memorize the Four Musical Eras Start by learning the four historical periods covered in the course—Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern—along with their corresponding dates. I’ve included a simple trick to make this easier: rather than memorizing multiple dates, focus on just one key date and event as your anchor.

✅ Step 2: Learn the Key Composers of Each Era Each era features a specific set of composers:

• Baroque & Classical → 3 composers each

• Romantic → 4 composers

• Modern → 5 composers

By associating each composer with their era, you’ll start forming mental connections that make recall much smoother.

✅ Step 3: Understand Composer Birth & Death Dates Rather than memorizing isolated numbers, compare composers' lifespans to each other. For example, it’s often easier to remember that Handel died 9 years after Bach rather than recalling their exact death years. These patterns make memorization feel more intuitive.

✅ Step 4: Identify Required Listening Pieces For each composer, list their required listening work, its genre, and one or two defining features. At this stage, there’s no need to define everything—just creating a reference list will help you map out the core material before diving into deeper analysis.

Why This Worksheet Works

✔ Reduces Overwhelm – Instead of studying everything at once, this method lets you focus on essential details first.

✔ Creates a Roadmap – Once you master these basics, adding deeper knowledge becomes much easier.

✔ Encourages Active Learning – The fill-in-the-blanks format engages you in the process, reinforcing memory retention.

This worksheet follows the 2016 RCM History 9 syllabus, but be sure to check for any updates based on the most current requirements.

Start with the basics, build a strong foundation, and make your RCM History 9 prep more effective and less stressful! 🎶📚