All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers

[phankao]

JY2011:

She is keen/curious in things but not ready for formal lessons. DD is an active child but need times to refine her learning behaviours. If not, difficult for teachers to teach also and progress may not be good too. Anyway, I really appreciate all the advices and comments given here.

My youngest spent much of his early lessons in his preschool years running around his teacher's studios. That's for his violin. For piano, he was amazingly seated and focussed for at least 20 of his 30min lessons. But even though he spent much time playing games in his violin lessons (games bc he couldn't stand still for instructions! Play games v happy!).... he could play and he could progress, so do not discount that an active child CAN learn and can play instruments. He started at just around 3yrs old.

[waiyean]

phankao:

JY2011:

She is keen/curious in things but not ready for formal lessons. DD is an active child but need times to refine her learning behaviours. If not, difficult for teachers to teach also and progress may not be good too. Anyway, I really appreciate all the advices and comments given here.

My youngest spent much of his early lessons in his preschool years running around his teacher's studios. That's for his violin. For piano, he was amazingly seated and focussed for at least 20 of his 30min lessons. But even though he spent much time playing games in his violin lessons (games bc he couldn't stand still for instructions! Play games v happy!).... he could play and he could progress, so do not discount that an active child CAN learn and can play instruments. He started at just around 3yrs old.

After my daughter attended violin lessons, she could appreciate piano lessons much more. For piano at least she gets to sit down..... for violin, need to stand up for 1 hour.... legs tired....

By the way, is it common for violin students to stand up throughout the lessons?

[phankao]

waiyean:

phankao:

[quote=\"JY2011\"]

She is keen/curious in things but not ready for formal lessons. DD is an active child but need times to refine her learning behaviours. If not, difficult for teachers to teach also and progress may not be good too. Anyway, I really appreciate all the advices and comments given here.

My youngest spent much of his early lessons in his preschool years running around his teacher's studios. That's for his violin. For piano, he was amazingly seated and focussed for at least 20 of his 30min lessons. But even though he spent much time playing games in his violin lessons (games bc he couldn't stand still for instructions! Play games v happy!).... he could play and he could progress, so do not discount that an active child CAN learn and can play instruments. He started at just around 3yrs old.

After my daughter attended violin lessons, she could appreciate piano lessons much more. For piano at least she gets to sit down..... for violin, need to stand up for 1 hour.... legs tired....

By the way, is it common for violin students to stand up throughout the lessons?[/quote]Mine stands!

[JY2011]

Hi, phankao.


I think you have a musical talented son. He must have sharp eyes to capture what he observes and then learn by himself.

In fact, DD kept reminding us before the assessement. She even took out her electronic piano to play and rushed us to step out from house. So when she saw the real piano, she just touched and played with the keyboard. When we asked her to follow instruction to hit this key or that key, she said she doesn't want to do it. She just played the keyboard by her own way without following instruction. So your son is good that he can sit for 20 mins... mine not even 1 min.... when I told DD that we have to wait for some times later for the piano class after the assessment. She asked me why and I told her the truth that she can't follow instruction and not sitting long enough. But she still insisted she wants to attend lessons. Not sure if I shld send her to other group lessons but it will be quite similar to her preschool music lessons actually. Honestly speaking, we don't want to spend too much now if she is not ready for serious classes.

Thanks for your sharing that active children also can learn well.

[Dreamaurora]

JY2011:

Hi, phankao.


I think you have a musical talented son. He must have sharp eyes to capture what he observes and then learn by himself.

In fact, DD kept reminding us before the assessement. She even took out her electronic piano to play and rushed us to step out from house. So when she saw the real piano, she just touched and played with the keyboard. When we asked her to follow instruction to hit this key or that key, she said she doesn't want to do it. She just played the keyboard by her own way without following instruction. So your son is good that he can sit for 20 mins... mine not even 1 min.... when I told DD that we have to wait for some times later for the piano class after the assessment. She asked me why and I told her the truth that she can't follow instruction and not sitting long enough. But she still insisted she wants to attend lessons. Not sure if I shld send her to other group lessons but it will be quite similar to her preschool music lessons actually. Honestly speaking, we don't want to spend too much now if she is not ready for serious classes.

Thanks for your sharing that active children also can learn well.

I think it's great that you are realistic about what your daughter can achieve currently. I think too often parents have narrow-minded views on how they should develop their children's abilities. Though it is tempting to believe that all our kids are little Mozarts and they can handle whatever thrown at them, the reality is learning an instrument properly is a long difficult journey and one that is becoming increasingly unattractive in this era of instant gratification.

I myself often have to advise my own students' parents to adjust their own expectations and not push their kids beyond what they are willing to achieve. Surmounting a difficult challenge can be a very powerful motivation for young children, but the one they should be challenging should be themselves, not other children. A common question often asked to me by parents enquiring my lessons is \"my son/daughter's classmate is preparing grade X now, will he/she be able to achieve the same too next year?\" Though certainly a valid question, I caution parents about comparing their kids others, especially in this age of social media. So normally I will ask back this question \"Who do you think is more talented? A 6 year old girl who plays grade 5 pieces very average, or a 8 year old girl who plays grade 2 pieces beautifully with artistry?\" And most parents should be able to see the point afterwards.

[cse1217]

Hi JY2011,


Happy to hear that your daughter went through the assessment class so you have a better gauge whether to put her through formal lessons or not.

Dont worry, what your daughter is doing now is very normal. A lot of young children do like to play randomly at the at piano. Sometimes even older students like 9-10 years old still cannot sit still.

Take time to teach her bit by bit and slowly when she learns to follow instruction and able to sit down for longer period of time, that's when you can start.

I actually started learning piano when I was 8 years old. Haha! So no hurries!!

Hi Waiyean

Whether the kid gets to stand throughout or get some time to rest and sit down, it depends on how long the music lesson is. Typically if the student only have half an hour, I observe the teacher will make the student stand throughout because it makes them more disciplined.

However for higher grade students like grade 8, sometimes the lesson might be more than 1hour, so when explaining concepts to the student, the teacher might let the student sit down.

It also depends whether the student is able to take the long standing during the lesson. If your kid is really tired during lesson, you can tell your kid to tell the teacher. Then she/he can get some rest accordingly.

Dont worry! Just voice out! Its not a punishment.

Orchestra violinist most of the time are seated unless they have solo. So even sitting down, you can play well too!

[waiyean]

cse1217:

Hi Waiyean

Whether the kid gets to stand throughout or get some time to rest and sit down, it depends on how long the music lesson is. Typically if the student only have half an hour, I observe the teacher will make the student stand throughout because it makes them more disciplined.

However for higher grade students like grade 8, sometimes the lesson might be more than 1hour, so when explaining concepts to the student, the teacher might let the student sit down.

It also depends whether the student is able to take the long standing during the lesson. If your kid is really tired during lesson, you can tell your kid to tell the teacher. Then she/he can get some rest accordingly.

Dont worry! Just voice out! Its not a punishment.

Orchestra violinist most of the time are seated unless they have solo. So even sitting down, you can play well too!

Hi CSE,
DD's violin lessons are 1 hour long. Hardly gets to sit down, as most of the time, the instructions part is quite short, and spread out throughout the lesson. As she has to stand during lessons, I make her stand as well when she practices daily at home.

However, whenever we watch the SSO performs, they are always sitting down. Also when she is attending string ensemble practice in school, she gets to sit. So, what's the point of making students stand during violin lessons, other than making them \"more disciplined\"?

[phankao]

cse1217:

Orchestra violinist most of the time are seated unless they have solo. So even sitting down, you can play well too!

Haha - that's probably why my son likes School String Orchestra. Sit down! I always warn him to sit straight and properly though. - No chance to see how he actually does.

[phankao]

JY2011:

Hi, phankao.


I think you have a musical talented son. He must have sharp eyes to capture what he observes and then learn by himself. .

More like I'm the one who is attending lesson and reminding him lah. Sometimes the teacher will tell me what to look out for and what to work on. Not many things for young kids' lessons.

Now that he's 6, he's starting to get way more out of lessons than he used to. And in the past few weeks, I notice that he is catching what the teacher is showing him much more, and that it is me who cannot follow as well already. Glad to see him maturing.

[phankao]

JY2011:

Thanks for your sharing that active children also can learn well.

And you are absolutely right that I'm only pointing out that active children can learn too. You just have to see what is the main points of each lesson and work on those few points at home. That's why for young kids , to start lessons young, parental involvement is important.