All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers
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metz:
The one in June was organised by a local music school, but open to the public. It says here that the next festival would be organised for 2015.
Can share more on these music festivals? How can we find out more about these festivals?phankao:
If you don't want to go competitive, then join a music festival. This year alone, there's already at least 2 such festivals (maybe more) in Singapore. In June, there was the Piano & Violin Festival which accorded Gold/Silver/Bronze Medals based on the participants' performances, and in November, there's the Ars Nova Fest <http://mwem.asia/News--and--Event.php> which will also accord Gold/Silver Bronze with some additional trophies perhaps, I think - not quite sure exactly how many - but I know this one is for ANY instrument except for Drums & Voice.
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http://www.mandevilleconservatory.com/news/download/July%202013.pdf
The Ars Nova Fest that I mention above is in November. Today is the last day for submission - if you still interested - not sure if you email or call them, can still submit (say you pay tomorrow?). I know they reply emails fairly quickly. This one only requires a performance of any item on any instrument for not more than 5mins. Details as I posted above:
<http://mwem.asia/News--and--Event.php>
Email for Enquiry: <[email protected]>
(that's the email I see used in replying me).
Last year, they also held a similar Ars Nova Festival but it included not just hte non-competitive categories but also a competitive category.
And...almost every year (except for this year), SMTA has been organising the Singapore Performer's Festival. Not sure why this year there isn't. These are details from Last years' SP Fest
Review of SP Fest
http://www.smtasingapore.com/why-i-believe-in-the-performers-festival
Info:
http://www.smtasingapore.com/media/files/performers-festival-2012/4th%20PF%202012%20Information%20%26%20Regulations.pdf
Kids usually love receiving recognition of their performance and hard work. I know mine does!
Hope that helps!
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phankao:
Definitely agree on this. Everyone has a fair chance to win.The criteria on pieces and which category and stages of competition was all stated on the application form and the yamaha website - still viewable now. The junior category is for grades 1 to 3. So just join the category for your child's standard and would be fine lor. No need to be NAFA student!
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NAFA students work extremely hard, and the level of dedication from the principal and teachers are fantastic. Anyone willing to work as hard or more, together with a good choice of pieces has as good a chance to win. -
There will be a performance by NAFA kids at the Esplanade Concourse on 6 October 2013 1-2.30pm. Admission is free.
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jce:
Really depends on the kid. If you trust the teacher to teach then you should trust her judgement. Give it a go, see how your child copes. At most go back to 45 mins if need to
Ok thanks, jce. -
jedamum:
Ask your kid about current time duration. You can trial one hour and try get feedback from him again. I let my son try out 45min one session when he was in k2 and he told me it felt like the lesson was never going to end. I didn't even tell him about the extended 15min and yet he could feel the difference as he was not ready then.
He is ok with 45min and I would think that he would be able to last an hour too. However, I thought it's too fast (to extend from 30 min to 45min to 1 hr).
I shall see how it goes in October when the lesson stretches to 1hr. -
Daddy
yes daddy d, I am paying more for each 15min block extension. However, the charge per min gets lower as we move from 30min per lesson to 45min per lesson to 1hr per lesson. It is definitely more economical to do an 1 hr lesson than to do 30min.
U pay more $ for 1 hour? :siam:
You can also sit in during the lesson to have a better understanding.
My kid's teacher always let us sit in... Basically for us to follow up with our kid better after classes.
Not sure if it's a common practice.
I am sitting in during the lessons and I am happy with what I see/hear. The happiness radiating from my kid is unmistakable. While no doubt, I had paid a higher than market rate for a beginner grade, I have since made peace with that. I tell myself that I get to learn too, so just take it as paying for two students
It may sound silly but both my son and I are always very happy to attend the piano lessons. For the time being.... -
Dreamaurora:
it is also becos of the fact that I need to pay more that I wonder if it is purely (my kid's) progress driven that the lessons get extended. But 1 hr is the max I think I would agree to.for the time being.
Of course must pay more $ for 1 hour, but of course will progress faster also because the teacher can go through more stuff.
Most private teachers will allow parents to sit in, though obviously on the condition that the parents do not interfere with the lessons. Most music schools do not allow because they don't want the parents to liaise directly with the teachers i.e. don't want teachers to steal the students.
30min is too short. 45min is ok. 1 hr would be enough. -
phankao:
Thanks for the wonderful info, phankao! Will definitely try to enrol at least one of my children.
The one in June was organised by a local music school, but open to the public. It says here that the next festival would be organised for 2015.
http://www.mandevilleconservatory.com/news/download/July%202013.pdf
The Ars Nova Fest that I mention above is in November. Today is the last day for submission - if you still interested - not sure if you email or call them, can still submit (say you pay tomorrow?). I know they reply emails fairly quickly. This one only requires a performance of any item on any instrument for not more than 5mins. Details as I posted above:
<http://mwem.asia/News--and--Event.php>
Email for Enquiry: <[email protected]>
(that's the email I see used in replying me).
Last year, they also held a similar Ars Nova Festival but it included not just hte non-competitive categories but also a competitive category.
And...almost every year (except for this year), SMTA has been organising the Singapore Performer's Festival. Not sure why this year there isn't. These are details from Last years' SP Fest
Review of SP Fest
http://www.smtasingapore.com/why-i-believe-in-the-performers-festival
Info:
http://www.smtasingapore.com/media/files/performers-festival-2012/4th%20PF%202012%20Information%20%26%20Regulations.pdf
Kids usually love receiving recognition of their performance and hard work. I know mine does!
Hope that helps!
.![](\"http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7sjc2WbE61qgmm1b.gif\")
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7sjc2WbE61qgmm1b.gif\">Yes, I totally agree with you on kids loving to receive recognition of their performance and hard work.
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Imami:
You will need to find out then if the extra time is put into good use. If the teacher can give a more well-rounded lesson with that extra 15 minutes, then I think it is money well-spent. If the teacher just basically goes through the same amount of stuff, then perhaps he/she is just dragging out the lesson.
it is also becos of the fact that I need to pay more that I wonder if it is purely (my kid's) progress driven that the lessons get extended. But 1 hr is the max I think I would agree to.for the time being.Dreamaurora:
Of course must pay more $ for 1 hour, but of course will progress faster also because the teacher can go through more stuff.
Most private teachers will allow parents to sit in, though obviously on the condition that the parents do not interfere with the lessons. Most music schools do not allow because they don't want the parents to liaise directly with the teachers i.e. don't want teachers to steal the students.
30min is too short. 45min is ok. 1 hr would be enough. -
I've just posted the following article below in my blog page in KSP portal. Hope you parents find it useful. Please click the link for the full article.
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/content/5-questions-you-should-ask-yourself-entering-your-child-music-exam
5 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Entering Your Child For A Music Exam
With the commencement of registration for the first round of ABRSM’s music exams next year in Singapore, no doubt some parents are deliberating whether or not to sign up their children for the various grades of exams available. Doing well for a music exam can be a great milestone providing a great sense of accomplishment. Conversely, entering for an exam prematurely may cause a less than ideal exam preparation and stresses up the child unnecessarily. I have compiled a list of questions below that I hope parents will find useful in their deliberation process.
1. Is your child motivated to prepare the exam?
Each child may have his/her own reason to prepare for a music exam e.g. personal challenge, getting required credits for university entrance, etc. Whatever the reason is, it has to be personal so your child will be personally motivated to prepare for the exam.
A child may be entered for exam against his/her wish at parents’ or the teacher’ behest. This may result in a reluctant student who will find the exam preparation a chore. At best, this will produce less than ideal exam result. In the worst case scenario, your child may lose interest in the instrument. Conversely, a self-motivated child will need little if any coercion and may even put in additional practice because his/her desire to achieve.
2. Is your child’s teacher qualified to teach the exam syllabus?
Preparing a student for an exam is a complex process that requires careful thoughts and planning. Not all teachers will be able to prepare music exams effectively even if they may have stellar paper qualifications. Any teacher who plans to enter his/her students for exams first and foremost must believe in the validity of the exam process and the benefits it will bring to students. The teacher should know the requirements of the syllabus thoroughly even if he/she may not have taken the same exam before. He/she should also be able to set a realistic timeline and come up with a list of tasks/goals to be completed during the course of the exam preparation. The teacher should also be able to perform/demonstrate the exam repertoire to required standard. If the teacher is unable to prepare an exam component properly, he/she will need to be honest with you regarding his/her limitations and find alternative solutions e.g. engaging other teacher for aural training.
3. Are you or your child aware of what is being tested in the exam?
It is a good idea to be familiar with requirements of an exam before considering to register for the exam. Your child’s teacher should be able to explain fully the requirement of a particular exam grade; the exam board’s syllabus booklet is a good source of info as well. Your knowledge of the exam syllabus should go beyond the rudimentary; you should also be familiar with the specific requirement of each component of the exam e.g. the minimum tempo required for the scales component.
Knowing the requirements of the exam thoroughly will help you make the decision whether your child can realistically prepare the workloads required or if the exam is appropriate for your child. You will also be able to assist your child in practice more effectively should the need arises.
4. Do you or your child has a realistic expectation of what is achievable?
It is tempting to think your child as a wunderkind who could ace anything as long he/she works hard. In reality, this may not be always the case. Ideally, a student would be thoroughly well versed in all aspects of music learning and therefore acing all the components of the exam. Unfortunately, most students often have one or more deficiencies e.g. weak finger technique, sight-reading etc. These deficiencies may be caused either by uneven teaching or simply lack of practice.
If your child has deficiencies that may cause him/her to do less than ideal for an exam component, he/she may not be able the get the desired result. If this is the case, deferring the exam may be a good idea so your child can fix the deficiencies first. If your child insists to go through with the exam, he/she will need to adjust his expectations accordingly.
5. Will your child have sufficient time to complete outstanding tasks?
Usually it takes approximately 4-6 months from the time a student is registered to the actual execution of the exam. During this time frame, a typical student may still need to juggle his/her exam preparation with academic study and miscellaneous activities e.g. family holiday. So, in reality, your child may not be able to maintain the ideal practice schedule.
Before registering for the exam, it is a good idea to calculate the approximate amount of practice time your child will have until the first possible exam date taking into account all possible disruptions to the practice schedule. You should then evaluate together with the teacher if your child’s approximate remaining practice time is sufficient to cover the remainder of the exam preparation.
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