All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers
-
Thanks ipiano1980 for your detailed clarification. All you have said makes perfect sense. I too believe in getting a good teacher right from the start. However, parents with limited musical knowledge will still find it difficult to select a teacher just from watching the videos. Any advice for such parents?
-
ipiano1980:
I think musicians like most artists tend to be very opinionated and often have strong feelings in regards to their beliefs and philosophies. To be honest, it is indeed very hard to be objective and neutral in this field. Some of the things I had heard uttered by some established local teachers regarding their competitions astonished me. I myself had regretted some of the things I have said before, but I have since learnt to give more thoughts to my words and to try to maintain cordial relationships with as many musicians as possible. I think it's important to keep an open mind as exchanging ideas with other teachers without prejudice or bias is important part of our journey to improve our teaching.Hello Dreamaurora
It is good to have a teacher who has a neutral view on an objective subject. I really respect that.
Okay - Firstly I decided those videos could have been showcasing
1- what he can produce,
2- documentation of his students progress in a non serious setting or
3-to show classical music can also be seen as a fun non serious subject.
Actually there are so many and no one correct reply on an objective subject. What you wrote is absolutely correct too and i agree because this subject had been discussed many times.
I gave a biased view and I happen to give only one particular view within that time frame.
Another way to look at how learning can be serious and fun is this: you learn one piece thoroughly and another of the student's choice. Request if the student would like to learn the piece thoroughly too or just play good enough for fun. We teachers can be flexible. Students dont really have the advantage of time these days due to school workload.
The word serious is subjective. Do we mean serious as in it is boring and can be seen as foreboding (here picture beethoven's grumpy face) or do we mean serious as in you have to be drilled into getting everything just right? Even an easier and fun piece will still take some level of drilling.
Classical isnt actually very boring and so seriously bland and boring if you drill a certain positive philosophy into your students/child. I have my own which takes stages depending on their age, and sometimes if they achieve that mastery they clap and cheer with joy. It sounds ridiculous but it happens. They eventually appreciate the intricities within classical music and those who still couldn't there are other ways to encourage.
The word fun is also subjective but I dont want to go off topic again.
I agree completely on getting a good violin foundation for violin students.
Okay about evaluation of teacher's playing. That I agree with you and understand where you are getting at. I also struggle with keeping up my practices to maintain the level I am at. Without practices you tend to lose touch bit by bit.
Your website for example. Some teachers do post their own playing some dont. Im not necessarily saying to play like flamboyant pieces also. You happen to play quite a bit of lower to intermediate pieces. This already people can judge from the quality that you played as a teacher. If teacher cant play those lower- intermediate pieces well then that's a different story.
If I written something incorrect my apologies I write till here for now. -
joyofmusic:
Thanks ipiano1980 for your detailed clarification. All you have said makes perfect sense. I too believe in getting a good teacher right from the start. However, parents with limited musical knowledge will still find it difficult to select a teacher just from watching the videos. Any advice for such parents?
Just chiming in this discussion.
Videos and concerts I agree may not tell the whole story of how a teacher conducts his/her teaching practice. Though they are useful indicators of what kind of standards or progress the teacher can achieve in the students.
Even with concrete teaching qualifications (such as a Teaching Diploma by one of the exam boards) certifying the teacher's technical ability to teach, parents still have to ensure the teacher is a good fit for the child. It is important I think to communicate and clarify points related to the learning at point of enquiry or trial lesson. For example, let's say the parents plan for the child to take the exam, the parents will need to check if the teacher is familiar with the syllabi and could formulate a concrete progression plan leading towards the exam. Another example, let's say the child likes contemporary and pop music; the parents would want to check that the teacher is open minded towards such music and would not mind teaching them. -
Hi joyofmusic and thanks for the question.
Yes actually you both make really good points and that is correct. I agree.
Its hard to tell really. I cant give a good answer to that but Dreamaurora is pretty spot on those points when u start out.
Okay, usually about any child would make it through at least grades 1-3 … maybe grade 4 or grade 5 with ANY type of teacher. It is only when they hit a wall when they reach the early/ late intermediate stage. Which is even as early as grade 4. When the child start struggling through the pieces and cant seem to overcome the difficulty anymore. That is when the red alert should start flashing. Now immediately we should probably consider:
1- is my child sufficiently practicing on a regular regimen
(Not 5-10 mins daily regimen but more. Even alternate days are good)
2-is my child correcting the mistakes or randomly practicing
3- am I encouraging my child enough with piano playing
4- is my child behaving well in class and understanding what the teacher is teaching?
So if those are mostly no then, work on that first.
If mostly yes, then time to have a discussion with the teacher on how they or yourself can help more but hopefully no finger pointing and such. Be open to the teacher’s suggestion…and if all fails for sometime, then the parent might want to find a 2nd opinion with another teacher and see how that works out.
I think a teacher should -at least - be able to demonstrate even short short phrases to a student. Some short passages are tough to execute and if the teacher cant execute them, they cant overcome the difficulty for their own student.
At the initial stage, a parent can also request to sit in and see how both teacher and student relate and communicate to each other.
This is all I can think of for now. Thanks. -
ipiano1980:
It is true what you said that most students would be able to clear the lower grades even with less than ideal instructions. It is unfortunate that a lot of parents prioritize convenience when sourcing for the first music teachers for their children . They commonly request for travelling teachers or will go for the nearest music schools convenient to them. Now, there are definitely decent travelling teachers out there or experienced music teachers who work at or own music schools, but there is definitely a much higher chance of starting out with a teacher who is less than ideal. Some parents may also be wary that their children may not be interested so they just settle for any teacher first to see if their children like the instrument.Hi joyofmusic and thanks for the question.
Yes actually you both make really good points and that is correct. I agree.
Its hard to tell really. I cant give a good answer to that but Dreamaurora is pretty spot on those points when u start out.
Okay, usually about any child would make it through at least grades 1-3 ... maybe grade 4 or grade 5 with ANY type of teacher. It is only when they hit a wall when they reach the early/ late intermediate stage. Which is even as early as grade 4. When the child start struggling through the pieces and cant seem to overcome the difficulty anymore. That is when the red alert should start flashing. Now immediately we should probably consider:
1- is my child sufficiently practicing on a regular regimen
(Not 5-10 mins daily regimen but more. Even alternate days are good)
2-is my child correcting the mistakes or randomly practicing
3- am I encouraging my child enough with piano playing
4- is my child behaving well in class and understanding what the teacher is teaching?
So if those are mostly no then, work on that first.
If mostly yes, then time to have a discussion with the teacher on how they or yourself can help more but hopefully no finger pointing and such. Be open to the teacher's suggestion..and if all fails for sometime, then the parent might want to find a 2nd opinion with another teacher and see how that works out.
I think a teacher should -at least - be able to demonstrate even short short phrases to a student. Some short passages are tough to execute and if the teacher cant execute them, they cant overcome the difficulty for their own student.
At the initial stage, a parent can also request to sit in and see how both teacher and student relate and communicate to each other.
This is all I can think of for now. Thanks.
I fully understand why parents often settle for these teachers, but I do urge parents to consider the implications. Equipping students with proper technical foundations and practice technique is a big factor in maintaining motivation level for students. And ideally this should be emphasized even at the early stage. The good thing is most parents do realize when their children could benefit from better instructions after a few years of lessons, and this is the point when they start to carefully vet potential teachers that are more capable and suitable for their children. But it is still better to start properly rather than making corrections later on. In my 20+ student population, less than a quarter started as complete beginners with me, most transferred halfway at various points. As expected, I had to undo all the acquired bad habits and this can really take some time depending on how ingrained the bad habits are; Some of my students only managed to kick the bad habits after 1 or 2 years of lessons with me.
I fully agree with you that a teacher should able to demonstrate the repertoire of the levels they are teaching. It is a basic technical skill for any music teacher and if a teacher cannot sufficiently demonstrate and teach a level well then he/she should not make it clear to prospective students his/her limitations. -
Thanks Dreamaurora for your input too! Thanks for educating all parents out here the importance of starting out right - with a good teacher. I believe it will save a child the pain of having to unlearn and relearn should they move on. Also, all too many who are actually musical quit when they reach a road block due to poor teaching, when all they need is a proper instruction.
-
Dreamaurora:
It is true what you said that most students would be able to clear the lower grades even with less than ideal instructions. It is unfortunate that a lot of parents prioritize convenience when sourcing for the first music teachers for their children . They commonly request for travelling teachers or will go for the nearest music schools convenient to them. Now, there are definitely decent travelling teachers out there or experienced music teachers who work at or own music schools, but there is definitely a much higher chance of starting out with a teacher who is less than ideal. Some parents may also be wary that their children may not be interested so they just settle for any teacher first to see if their children like the instrument.ipiano1980:
Hi joyofmusic and thanks for the question.
Yes actually you both make really good points and that is correct. I agree.
Its hard to tell really. I cant give a good answer to that but Dreamaurora is pretty spot on those points when u start out.
Okay, usually about any child would make it through at least grades 1-3 ... maybe grade 4 or grade 5 with ANY type of teacher. It is only when they hit a wall when they reach the early/ late intermediate stage. Which is even as early as grade 4. When the child start struggling through the pieces and cant seem to overcome the difficulty anymore. That is when the red alert should start flashing. Now immediately we should probably consider:
1- is my child sufficiently practicing on a regular regimen
(Not 5-10 mins daily regimen but more. Even alternate days are good)
2-is my child correcting the mistakes or randomly practicing
3- am I encouraging my child enough with piano playing
4- is my child behaving well in class and understanding what the teacher is teaching?
So if those are mostly no then, work on that first.
If mostly yes, then time to have a discussion with the teacher on how they or yourself can help more but hopefully no finger pointing and such. Be open to the teacher's suggestion..and if all fails for sometime, then the parent might want to find a 2nd opinion with another teacher and see how that works out.
I think a teacher should -at least - be able to demonstrate even short short phrases to a student. Some short passages are tough to execute and if the teacher cant execute them, they cant overcome the difficulty for their own student.
At the initial stage, a parent can also request to sit in and see how both teacher and student relate and communicate to each other.
This is all I can think of for now. Thanks.
I fully understand why parents often settle for these teachers, but I do urge parents to consider the implications. Equipping students with proper technical foundations and practice technique is a big factor in maintaining motivation level for students. And ideally this should be emphasized even at the early stage. The good thing is most parents do realize when their children could benefit from better instructions after a few years of lessons, and this is the point when they start to carefully vet potential teachers that are more capable and suitable for their children. But it is still better to start properly rather than making corrections later on. In my 20+ student population, less than a quarter started as complete beginners with me, most transferred halfway at various points. As expected, I had to undo all the acquired bad habits and this can really take some time depending on how ingrained the bad habits are; Some of my students only managed to kick the bad habits after 1 or 2 years of lessons with me.
I fully agree with you that a teacher should able to demonstrate the repertoire of the levels they are teaching. It is a basic technical skill for any music teacher and if a teacher cannot sufficiently demonstrate and teach a level well then he/she should not make it clear to prospective students his/her limitations.
Hi Dreamaurora,
May I know what are the bad habits to look out for beginners say a 4 year old. TIA -
rainrain:
It is true what you said that most students would be able to clear the lower grades even with less than ideal instructions. It is unfortunate that a lot of parents prioritize convenience when sourcing for the first music teachers for their children . They commonly request for travelling teachers or will go for the nearest music schools convenient to them. Now, there are definitely decent travelling teachers out there or experienced music teachers who work at or own music schools, but there is definitely a much higher chance of starting out with a teacher who is less than ideal. Some parents may also be wary that their children may not be interested so they just settle for any teacher first to see if their children like the instrument.Dreamaurora:
[quote=\"ipiano1980\"]Hi joyofmusic and thanks for the question.
Yes actually you both make really good points and that is correct. I agree.
Its hard to tell really. I cant give a good answer to that but Dreamaurora is pretty spot on those points when u start out.
Okay, usually about any child would make it through at least grades 1-3 ... maybe grade 4 or grade 5 with ANY type of teacher. It is only when they hit a wall when they reach the early/ late intermediate stage. Which is even as early as grade 4. When the child start struggling through the pieces and cant seem to overcome the difficulty anymore. That is when the red alert should start flashing. Now immediately we should probably consider:
1- is my child sufficiently practicing on a regular regimen
(Not 5-10 mins daily regimen but more. Even alternate days are good)
2-is my child correcting the mistakes or randomly practicing
3- am I encouraging my child enough with piano playing
4- is my child behaving well in class and understanding what the teacher is teaching?
So if those are mostly no then, work on that first.
If mostly yes, then time to have a discussion with the teacher on how they or yourself can help more but hopefully no finger pointing and such. Be open to the teacher's suggestion..and if all fails for sometime, then the parent might want to find a 2nd opinion with another teacher and see how that works out.
I think a teacher should -at least - be able to demonstrate even short short phrases to a student. Some short passages are tough to execute and if the teacher cant execute them, they cant overcome the difficulty for their own student.
At the initial stage, a parent can also request to sit in and see how both teacher and student relate and communicate to each other.
This is all I can think of for now. Thanks.
I fully understand why parents often settle for these teachers, but I do urge parents to consider the implications. Equipping students with proper technical foundations and practice technique is a big factor in maintaining motivation level for students. And ideally this should be emphasized even at the early stage. The good thing is most parents do realize when their children could benefit from better instructions after a few years of lessons, and this is the point when they start to carefully vet potential teachers that are more capable and suitable for their children. But it is still better to start properly rather than making corrections later on. In my 20+ student population, less than a quarter started as complete beginners with me, most transferred halfway at various points. As expected, I had to undo all the acquired bad habits and this can really take some time depending on how ingrained the bad habits are; Some of my students only managed to kick the bad habits after 1 or 2 years of lessons with me.
I fully agree with you that a teacher should able to demonstrate the repertoire of the levels they are teaching. It is a basic technical skill for any music teacher and if a teacher cannot sufficiently demonstrate and teach a level well then he/she should not make it clear to prospective students his/her limitations.
Hi Dreamaurora,
May I know what are the bad habits to look out for beginners say a 4 year old. TIA[/quote]Rather than listing the bad habits, I think it will be more helpful to list some good habits a beginner should acquire. Here are some:
- good posture;straight sitting position, correct arm and elbow positioning, relaxed curved fingers, these are some of the things to look out for
- practicing in phrases and sections. Students should acquire basic understanding on how to identify phrases and to further divide the piece into sections for practicing purposes. Even with simple beginner pieces this should be emphasized already.
- playing in time with a specified beats. Students should be able to play following a pulse specified by teacher or metronome.
Hope this helps. Do note 4 year is still a very young age and it may be difficult to teach all these goods habits if not mentally mature or have short attention span. -
Thanks Dreamaurora,
My girl can play at her fingertips with curved fingers when she play CDEFG with both hands, but when it comes to pieces, i dont think she can. Its just too tough for her, any tips to improve this? Teacher dont really emphasise on this portion though , but did go thru with DD on this portion in every lesson. -
rainrain:
Not easy to make children this age to play with proper posture. If nag too much in lesson the kids may get annoyed. Some useful ways to get young kids to play with good posture is to use props and imagination. For example, can ask the kid to imagine that the fingers are spider legs or ballerina tip-toeing. Those plastic fruits you can buy at ToysRus are also useful to get them to curve fingers. Setting challenges with rewards are often useful instead of continually reminding and nagging them, so you can try things like setting a challenge where your girl must play the entire song once with the fingers like spider legs. If she can do this, then can get candy or something.Thanks Dreamaurora,
My girl can play at her fingertips with curved fingers when she play CDEFG with both hands, but when it comes to pieces, i dont think she can. Its just too tough for her, any tips to improve this? Teacher dont really emphasise on this portion though , but did go thru with DD on this portion in every lesson.
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login
