All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers

[mintcc]

[quote]Is your boy still in Seimpi? By the way, which center & who's the teacher?


Thanks for feedback

* Sender does not accept replies[/quote]Hi Sleepy,

sorry, could not reply to you previously as your pm setting does not accept replies.

I have taken my boy out of Sempi for a few months now. Ours is the Funan Centre Sempi and I can't remember the teachers name but she is a Caucasian senior teacher.

[quixation]

No one tried Mandaville?


all thanks to my baby’s gym-mate mummies, we manage to get into the 2 yr old baby music class in June 2009 (yes very long queue). 9 mths of baby music then we move on to baby graduates before they will accept us into the individual classes. Its not that expensive actually as compared to other 1 to 1 piano classes.

Just one question, anyone’s kid has been throught suzuki method? Can share views?

[sleepy]

mincy:

I have taken my boy out of Sempi for a few months now. Ours is the Funan Centre Sempi and I can't remember the teachers name but she is a Caucasian senior teacher.

oh, why did you withdraw him?
teacher no good? or programme not useful?

[mintcc]

well, I the suppose the program is a good introduction to music. We were in the MIM Playtime program. Initially I join the class initially in part because I was attracted by their claims that they introduce music through speed reading and photographic memory among other things.


During the 3 months there, my experience is that the class is about 60% music appreciation(music and movement, listening to different instruments, sounds, games that introduces kids to the concept of sound - loud, soft, fast, slow, high, low) 30% notes recognition and 10% instrument.
Personally, I don’t see any activities that are associated with speed reading or photographic memory durint the time.

Classes consist about more or less similar activities with more or less the same materials. I also enroll my son to Shichida where we get mostly fresh materials weekly and which my boy seems to enjoy more…so my expectation is kind of high.

My boy is quite restless during music class especially for the symbol recognition activities. So after 2 months, I felt that I had learn enough to apply the same methods to teach him at home.

Overall, I still feel that it is a beneficial program, at least for me on how to teach kids music. I probably would have continue if we were not already in Shichida and I do not have music training before.

[sleepy]

I see. Thanks for your feedback

[jedamum]

Anyone has comments on http://www.the8thnote.com/music%20school/mspage1.htm?

[Fairy]

pianojazzy:

That's why i start with note reading and rhythm counting on the very first lesson. JMC courses start with listening first as the students are used to it hence refuse to read notes later even when they are taught to do so in the later stage of the course. However, it is too late by then

That's exactly what happened to my daughter! She started her JMC with Yamaha at 5 & half years old and after 2 years, I signed her up for individual piano lessons. She achieved distinction for grade 1 practical and I was a happy mother. She is good at 'listening' (probably acquired through her training at Yamaha) and has perfect pitch. She can play (2 hands) some of the pop songs she likes quite well just by listening. Her problem starts when she progress to higher grades. She has been reluctant to read the music notes, prefering to play by the ear when practising for her exam pieces. Not surprisingly, she usually almost fail/failed her sight readings. Her current piano teacher has been complaining that her note reading is poor. She has cleared her grade 5 and is contemplating dropping piano for good! As a parent, I am in a dilemma; I do not wish to force her to carry on if she does not wish to but am afraid she will regret it later when it will be more difficult to pick up again. I enjoy listening to the pop songs she plays. Even her paino teacher commented that she has the ex-factor. For all her theory exams, she has never get less than a distinction.

[mummyloves]

sleepy:

Hi


Any feedback on Seimpi at Parkway center?
Any recommendation for teachers?

Thanks!!

I sent my kid to Seimpi and pulled out even b4 the term ended. Their admin and teacher was bad!!! :x

[corneyAmber]

Dear Fairy, actually what you can do now is to let her learn for leisure. Actually is an excuse to strengthen her foundation which is sight reading in her case. Try to work out with her teacher and ask her for any approach which she will use.


Some advises,
1. start from basic sight reading first - ie. grade 1. So that she won’t feel that it is difficult and wish to drop piano again. Incoperate sight reading every lesson (take note of note reading, counting , dynamics and articulation)
2. Learn a new piece (Gr2-3 standard - better to be popular classics so that she find it familier but not too familiar as to play by ear)
3. Lastly learn a pop piece which she can do by ear.

If possible try to do this every lesson.

Hope this helps

Cheers

[baobei]

Just sharing my experience. First time to this thread.


I sent my child to Seimpi and Yamaha. Seimpi pace is faster as compared to that of Yamaha. However, both compliments each other.

Through Yamaha training, my child now 5+ attempts to play music he hears from the radio himself, sometimes getting the right notes.

But with Seimpi then his interest in Yamaha arouse cos he gets to understand the terms and find them interesting. Also, maybe because he gets more pieces to play as compared to the one in Yamaha where you have to be of same pace as the rest.

Now thinking of getting him a private teacher. pianojazzy, could u recommend your friend in the west to me? Or the one that teaches like NAFA? Would like them to access if he is suitable to try the NAFA course? He has very short attention span.