All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers
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sleepy:
Dreamaurora:
Hopefully in the next few years MOE will reduce the focus on academics and maybe also increase the relevance of music certs, so more students can see the benefits of going further.
There is music elective programme for those who are interested.
How does the music elective programme \"reduce focus on academics ...and help see benefits of going further\"? Even that, need to have inspiring teachers that promote not just what is in the MEP syllabus. BTW, MEP is rather academic. -
phankao:
sleepy:
[quote=\"Dreamaurora\"]Hopefully in the next few years MOE will reduce the focus on academics and maybe also increase the relevance of music certs, so more students can see the benefits of going further.
There is music elective programme for those who are interested.
How does the music elective programme \"reduce focus on academics ...and help see benefits of going further\"? Even that, need to have inspiring teachers that promote not just what is in the MEP syllabus. BTW, MEP is rather academic.[/quote]
Forgot to highlight the part I'm referring to
Yup not everyone is interested in taking MEP. Extra examinable subject wah
That's why I mentioned for those who are interested -
Dreamaurora:
Thanks for the advice... will continue to motivate my kids when the going gets tough...Oh My Gosh:
Dear Piano teachers out there, Based on experience, which grades have the highest attrition rate?
Based on my own experience and working with music schools, it seems like majority of learners cease learning after grade 2 or 3. If you ever see the candidate list for a day of ABRSM exam session, usually you will see the majority of candidates concentrated at grade 1-3. Grade 5 will usually have around 4-5, and then Grade 8 around 1-2.
The push to grade 5 generally turns off a lot of learners because the longer and more difficult pieces require more practice time over a longer period of time just to play properly. And to a lot of local students who may be swarmed with a lot of homework, sitting down in front of piano over many weeks just to learn that one piece is not an attractive prospect. The more instant gratifications provided by shorter and easier lower grade pieces give way now to more delayed gratifications. In addition, if the students do not have good beginning teachers, they would also be probably deficient in sight-reading and technique, which further slow down the progress dramatically. So they start to lose interest in playing the instruments and then ask their parents to stop lessons.
Students will generally get more reluctant to practice when the difficulties kick in. When this happens, I encourage parents not to give up. There may be some months where the motivation level is low while the students are trying to reconcile with the amount of effort needed to progress. Unless the students genuinely dislike the music, most of the time they just find it a slog to practice. -
phankao:
sleepy:
[quote=\"Dreamaurora\"]Hopefully in the next few years MOE will reduce the focus on academics and maybe also increase the relevance of music certs, so more students can see the benefits of going further.
There is music elective programme for those who are interested.
How does the music elective programme \"reduce focus on academics ...and help see benefits of going further\"? Even that, need to have inspiring teachers that promote not just what is in the MEP syllabus. BTW, MEP is rather academic.[/quote]Yes, one of my friend DS went to MEP as she is very good in piano - getting distinctions for all her grades till Grade 8. But the kid regretted going to MEP cos she likes music but hates the dry academic music area. She went through the programme but really hates it. -
SIL is finding a music school (piano) for my niece. Both my kids learn 1-to-1 piano with a piano teacher who came to my place. She is asking me the differences (i.e. pros and cons, if both lessons are 1-to-1)? Anyone with experience with both can assist? My first thoughts are most music schools will have more students and resources to organise the yearly concerts and recitals? Fees wise, I find them music schools typically charging more (largely because good piano teacher do not really go to the students’ home to teach, thus the quality of teachers teaching home-based tend to be lower? Correct me if I am wrong). Anymore detailed analysis from parents with both experience?
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We registered our child with Aureus Academy last Dec trusting that we could find a good teacher. We had told the teacher at the start that we wanted to register our child for Grade 1 in 2016. The teacher said then that she will register for our child for the June exam. However, after the registration has closed, she told us that our child is not ready so its better to go for the one in September. We recently changed to another teacher in the same school as we wanted a Saturday slot. And upon checking with the new teacher about the exam for September, she told us that the registration has already closed and the previous teacher had not registered for our child as she felt that our child is not ready.
1. If the teacher knows our intentions of letting our child take the examination, shouldn’t the teacher start to practice the orals, and sight readings instead of just practicing the exam pieces every lesson? DS could already play 3 pieces from practice book in early March.
2. The school should inform parents what are the registration dates and exam dates so that parents are aware and can make informed decisions. We had trusted the teacher to register and this is what happened.
3. The school had failed to register our child twice for the year and gave excuse saying that our child is not ready.
4. We were told to buy a sight reading book and theory book. But after a few lessons, the teacher said that there is no time for theory and asked me to do it with my child at home. The sight reading book was only used once.
We were utterly disappointed in the way the school runs! -
blingbling:
We registered our child with Aureus Academy last Dec trusting that we could find a good teacher. We had told the teacher at the start that we wanted to register our child for Grade 1 in 2016....\"
Most average lower primary school kids take 6-9 months to complete their 'beginner' syllabus and another 6-9 months to prepare for the exam. The teachers should had expressed their concerns in the beginning.blingbling:
Your kido only started lesson 5 months ago. Unless his lesson is at least an hour long and you are helping him to practice intensively, there isn't really much time to cover anything adequately. It's a common practise for many teachers to focus on the pieces and scales first because they carry the most marks (max 90 marks for pieces, max 21 marks for the scales. you need 100/150 to pass). The theory exam is registered separately from the practical exam. Thus when time is short, it gets push aside.1. If the teacher knows our intentions of letting our child take the examination, shouldn't the teacher start to practice the orals, and sight readings instead of just practicing the exam pieces every lesson? DS could already play 3 pieces from practice book in early March.
Are the 3 pieces from the Grade 1 exam book? -
Our child was with another music school for 2 years plus prior to Aureus. He is a fast learner and can master a song within a short time frame. Every lesson the teacher will give New pieces to play for fun. From Dec till April, he had learned 10 new songs on top of the 3 exam pieces.
What we are upset is the school didn’t bother to inform us anything until the registration has closed.
Yes, the 3 pieces are from grade 1 exam piece and we practiced with him intensively for an hour Everyday. -
You can register for exam with abrsm directly.
Even though music teacher is from a music school, we register on our own.
Not sure about trinity exam though. No experience. -
blingbling:
No big deal since your child is a fast learner then ! Register him for grade 3 at least. Don't waste time with grade 1 lah ... So in the end no time wasted at all. Since he is so fast , ascertain what grade he can handle, & register for that.Our child was with another music school for 2 years plus prior to Aureus. He is a fast learner and can master a song within a short time frame. Every lesson the teacher will give New pieces to play for fun. From Dec till April, he had learned 10 new songs on top of the 3 exam pieces.
What we are upset is the school didn't bother to inform us anything until the registration has closed.
Yes, the 3 pieces are from grade 1 exam piece and we practiced with him intensively for an hour Everyday.
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