Garfield2882\" post_id=\"2124893\" time=\"1702786078\" user_id=\"188233:

Thank you so much for your opinion.

Your son has chance, already doing Gr4 in Pri 1, if he is keen to pursue that option.

Touch_me_not\" post_id=\"2124160\" time=\"1701437092\" user_id=\"187786:

Your son has a flair for music and will be a real pity to stop music lesson. I am in rather similar situation as you. My son is going to P1 next year and will be taking his Grade 4 piano exam. Since the first day I sent him to lesson, I know for sure we are not going to do this for DSA or even joining any competition, much less be musician. If it wasn't for his teacher's persuasion, he probably wouldn't have gone for any graded exam. He enjoys experimenting on the piano and it's a real joy for us.

However, I make it clear that there is no option to quit. He had a choice of doing music, art or dance and he chose music. Even within music, I gave him the freedom to choose any instrument, because I feel the arts and sports provide a well balance education and every kid should be encouraged to pursue. Not for DSA or to be serious musicians, artists etc, but avenues for them express themselves and be well rounded students. Hence the no quitting option. If the kids were so talented that they became the next Lady Gaga, Lang Lang, YoyoMa etc, then bless them! Otherwise, they'll just be regular, albeit interesting individuals, which is also not bad 😁

In my humble opinion, I would go for Option 3, which is continue with piano and focus on academic.

Garfield2882\" post_id=\"2123778\" time=\"1701067704\" user_id=\"188233:

I am writing as a parent.

My boy showed interest learning piano at age 5 plus. Mummy thought music is good training for brain and memory and motors skill.

My boy has won a few awards in last 2 years. He likes to talk about them.

We don't know how a musician life will be in Singapore, maybe I am wrong, we dont seem to see alot of people in the performing art area. And it is probably too late to be a musician, given P3 next yr doing Gr 4. Oh yes, he has chosen band as his CCA.

As he is doing well academically, we may put focus on his academic.

Suppose my boy continues to be interested and completes Gr 8 or diploma, the certification is of no use if not considering career related to music.

As almost every kid now learns either piano or violin or some form of music, we are not even sure if playing piano (rv outright states on their website no violin, piano, guzheng) well can supplement as a DSA noting most will tie to CCA such as band, choir. My boy's sch band is not competitive, that will mean it is quite impossible.

What will you do if you are in our situation?
1. Request boy to quit music if nt really interested?
2. Take another musical instrument and join philharmonic performances outside sch cca, if considering route through DSA.
3. Continue piano and focus on academic?

Garfield2882\" post_id=\"2123870\" time=\"1701134171\" user_id=\"188233:

Don't get me wrong. My boy has lots of free time. He is only practicing 1 hr per day, spends the rest of his time on origami, watching YouTube (many useless, sometimes we need to tell him watch some useful ones as well), do some reading. We bring him to cycle, jog, swim and mummy play games with him and student care students almost 3x a week.

He wanted abacus last year and we signed him up, but he decided to quit after 1 year. I guess too boring. The numbers just get bigger and more, nth else...

He wants to draw, we sign him up too.

We are just in a dilemma, not sure what value music and art will bring him. We can only see a career as teacher in these fields.

40 yrs since I left sch, the hours schs allocate for music and art per week is still so little, making us conclude that there is not much emphasis on performing arts in SG.

Occasionally we read articles on struggling artists. To be an artist, one needs more than talent in music and art. He needs to be an entrepreneur, has a business mind, finds patrons, builds correct network, crafts out his own style, performance opportunities in right events... Imo, we are unsure if schools are teaching all these for those who opt to do music n art at tertiary level.

As a parent, that is the last thing we want to see our child is to struggle in life, esp because of wrong choices.

His origami
https://postimg.cc/Hrj7W93X

Garfield2882\" post_id=\"2123778\" time=\"1701067704\" user_id=\"188233:

I am writing as a parent.

My boy showed interest learning piano at age 5 plus. Mummy thought music is good training for brain and memory and motors skill.

My boy has won a few awards in last 2 years. He likes to talk about them.

We don't know how a musician life will be in Singapore, maybe I am wrong, we dont seem to see alot of people in the performing art area. And it is probably too late to be a musician, given P3 next yr doing Gr 4. Oh yes, he has chosen band as his CCA.

As he is doing well academically, we may put focus on his academic.

Suppose my boy continues to be interested and completes Gr 8 or diploma, the certification is of no use if not considering career related to music.

As almost every kid now learns either piano or violin or some form of music, we are not even sure if playing piano (rv outright states on their website no violin, piano, guzheng) well can supplement as a DSA noting most will tie to CCA such as band, choir. My boy's sch band is not competitive, that will mean it is quite impossible.

What will you do if you are in our situation?
1. Request boy to quit music if nt really interested?
2. Take another musical instrument and join philharmonic performances outside sch cca, if considering route through DSA.
3. Continue piano and focus on academic?

00skyblue00\" post_id=\"2123783\" time=\"1701071033\" user_id=\"143605:

Is he so busy that he has no time for anything other than studies(+tuition)? Is there another hobby he likes and want to spend more time in it? I strongly feel that children should not only have studies and nothing else. Their hobbies allows them to express their feelings and be themselves. like you have also pointed out, music trains the mind and motor skills. It also instills discipline and teach abt putting in effort in things we do. One cannot just learn a new piece of music in a day. It takes hours to practise. It train their ears too. My kid has good listening skills.

Many parents wished their kids would continue and not stop learning music, but many have no interest or ability to go higher grades. So it will be a waste if your boy has the ability and interest but he is asked to stop. Stop if kid asked to, not the other way round. my own opinion.

Whether to take up another instrument, you can let him try in P3, usually, kids can pick up second instrument quicker since music theory is the same. only difference is to learn bowing or plucking/strumming skills. But it will be stressful if the only objective is for DSA.

There will be still music lessons in lower sec, so it will be more fun as kids get to do music projects. If he is still keen, he can take up MEP. One will just be an empty shell without soul if the only thing he knows are just facts and figures and nothing else. Hence, why we have Art and Music or Sports.

Just sharing, my kid actually spend more time playing the piano during exam periods, I recall, instead of studying for PSLE, she spends more time just jamming with music. Is her way to express herself, I think she is bored as there are no lessons and school was only doing repeated stuff. From then, we know, we cannot take it away from her. She has distinction for grade 8 piano and grade 5 theory by sec 1. but she is still continuing lessons, in fact she asked for lessons to continue after a long break.

Garfield2882\" post_id=\"2123778\" time=\"1701067704\" user_id=\"188233:

I am writing as a parent.

My boy showed interest learning piano at age 5 plus. Mummy thought music is good training for brain and memory and motors skill.

My boy has won a few awards in last 2 years. He likes to talk about them.

We don't know how a musician life will be in Singapore, maybe I am wrong, we dont seem to see alot of people in the performing art area. And it is probably too late to be a musician, given P3 next yr doing Gr 4. Oh yes, he has chosen band as his CCA.

As he is doing well academically, we may put focus on his academic.

Suppose my boy continues to be interested and completes Gr 8 or diploma, the certification is of no use if not considering career related to music.

As almost every kid now learns either piano or violin or some form of music, we are not even sure if playing piano (rv outright states on their website no violin, piano, guzheng) well can supplement as a DSA noting most will tie to CCA such as band, choir. My boy's sch band is not competitive, that will mean it is quite impossible.

What will you do if you are in our situation?
1. Request boy to quit music if nt really interested?
2. Take another musical instrument and join philharmonic performances outside sch cca, if considering route through DSA.
3. Continue piano and focus on academic?

Garfield2882\" post_id=\"2123778\" time=\"1701067704\" user_id=\"188233:

I am writing as a parent.

My boy showed interest learning piano at age 5 plus. Mummy thought music is good training for brain and memory and motors skill.

My boy has won a few awards in last 2 years. He likes to talk about them.

We don't know how a musician life will be in Singapore, maybe I am wrong, we dont seem to see alot of people in the performing art area. And it is probably too late to be a musician, given P3 next yr doing Gr 4. Oh yes, he has chosen band as his CCA.

As he is doing well academically, we may put focus on his academic.

Suppose my boy continues to be interested and completes Gr 8 or diploma, the certification is of no use if not considering career related to music.

As almost every kid now learns either piano or violin or some form of music, we are not even sure if playing piano (rv outright states on their website no violin, piano, guzheng) well can supplement as a DSA noting most will tie to CCA such as band, choir. My boy's sch band is not competitive, that will mean it is quite impossible.

What will you do if you are in our situation?
1. Request boy to quit music if nt really interested?
2. Take another musical instrument and join philharmonic performances outside sch cca, if considering route through DSA.
3. Continue piano and focus on academic?

Liew Nga Wing\" post_id=\"2065270\" time=\"1650798673\" user_id=\"195250:[quote=\"Liew Nga Wing\" post_id=2065270 time=1650798673 user_id=195250]

At present, I am planning to go for 2 concerts in May 22. One is on 28 May at VivoCity by SCO which costs $4.00 per ticket
https://sco.com.sg/en/component/jmevents/event/446.html?Itemid=101
The other one is on 01 Jun at the Arts House under Candlelight concert for collections from Joe Hisaishi which costs at least $46 per ticket.
Bring you kid there if she is interested.
https://feverup.com/m/102768?utm_source=google&utm_medium=pfm&utm_campaign=candlelight_sin&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6pOTBhCTARIsAHF23fKGYkTjHYL33-47EoGlZyTPs8wzbaj62PHAlvqEOOoFOZ1n1D8n20UaAtOREALw_wcB[/quote]

Dreamaurora\" post_id=\"2072115\" time=\"1656397117\" user_id=\"38907:

In my experience, yes. I think that's because I guess if a student was very likely to attempt multiple takes in a controlled environment before submitting, the examiner might not consider that lapses or flaws were just part of performance jitters.

I think quality of recording is important. I had one student who I was very positive played at good merit level before submitting ended up only getting a high pass because the recording was done at home using a Samsung. And there was a student who did not play the best, but because she recorded at my studio and ended up getting better marks than expected.

For recording, a digital piano or VST setup is easier to setup and would sound better than an upright. The reason is because cheaper microphones tend to cut frequencies above a certain level. Of course a grand piano setup with good mic would sound good as well, but not many will have access to it or it would be costly to rent.

No need to do sight-reading, aural and scales.

00skyblue00\" post_id=\"2071005\" time=\"1655706145\" user_id=\"143605:

Hi experienced parents or teachers
Are digital exam (higher grades) harder to score distinction in general? If students skills are consistent, would the quality of recording affect one's chance to get distinction?
What equipment is recommended to be used for recording?
ABRSM digital exams (higher grades) do not need sight-reading, aural and scales/arpeggios?

Dreamaurora\" post_id=\"2065597\" time=\"1651112566\" user_id=\"38907:

It is hard to find a private teacher with a clear layered curriculum that begins a kid with mainly exploration and experimentation first before transitioning to a more formal repertoire based learning. A lot of private teachers just follow the rigid exam-based learning that is actually counterproductive to developing interest, but hey, it worked for them when they were learning piano so it never crossed their mind to see if it could be done better. And unfortunately also, I encountered parents who also think piano learning needs to be centered by taking and passing exams.

This is why I usually advise parents to just send their young kids for group class by the likes of Yamaha, Little Mozart, Kindermusik, etc if they can't really find a trained and competent teacher for young kids.

00skyblue00\" post_id=\"2065263\" time=\"1650788359\" user_id=\"143605:

In my view, for individual lessons, no difference between music school and private teacher. All dependent on the teacher teaching the kid in the school.

However, for younger kids, before P1, I like \"Y\"'s curriculum and pedagogy.
To first learn to listen, train their ears, then sing and play, finally read and write. The kids get to learn to play in ensemble, train them to count and play in sync.

\"Y\" also has an internal assessment before kid going to external exam. A form of check to maintain their standard of quality. Fees are reasonable.

However, it's normal for teachers to leave the school and get reassigned to a new teacher. Happened to mine.

We decided then to find a permanent private teacher.

00skyblue00\" post_id=\"2065375\" time=\"1650927659\" user_id=\"143605:

May I ask if the child is alr w music sch and why looking for new tr? If no compelling reason, better to stay w current teacher.

Often, a permanent solution is abt travel distance too. Lesson cannot be too far for kid to travel too. Long term wise, kids may need to travel on thir own to take higher grades lessons. I still accompany mine but there are times I had to let her go alone and pick her up.