All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers

[cse1217]

JY2011:

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....

Hi cse1217,

Thanks for encouragement. I feel much more relief after the assessment as I can understand how my DD current abilities. If she is not ready, we don't really want to force her. She is not discipline enough to do daily practices even though she is keen to learn. We just wait and see how then. If she really wants to go ahead, there will be a strong sign from her. She can do better then I guess.

Coming from a piano teacher experience, I strongly agree with what you decided. Haha, don't force her! It's hard for triple groups! Teacher, student and parents. A lot of children are still very young and need parents to motivate and monitor them in order to progress further. Without practice and effort, progress will be very slow and money put in is not worth it.

[waiyean]

cse1217:

Hope this helps in understanding the benefits of standing during violin lesson.

Thanks for taking the time to explain benefits.

[waiyean]

JY2011:

It is also not an easy task. I dun even know if I can remember everything when attending the lessons. I think I will need a video recorder too... :oops: very bad in music stuff.. ..

Do you attend the lessons with your DD in the preschool music lessons?
Yes, video recorder is a good idea. I carry a tripod and camcorder to record every of my daughter's piano lessons.

[JY2011]

cse1217:

Coming from a piano teacher experience, I strongly agree with what you decided. Haha, don't force her! It's hard for triple groups! Teacher, student and parents. A lot of children are still very young and need parents to motivate and monitor them in order to progress further. Without practice and effort, progress will be very slow and money put in is not worth it.

I think no one will like to be forced or pushed to do things, especially my DD who has very strong character and only does things if she agrees / is willing to do. So what I learn now is to be patient enough, not to rush. Maybe few months or half a year later, she may just become more mature and discipline by chance. I will monitor first and keep her music interest on still. Hope our kids can understand our kind efforts to guide and help them next time when they grow up ah.

[JY2011]

waiyean:

Do you attend the lessons with your DD in the preschool music lessons?
Yes, video recorder is a good idea. I carry a tripod and camcorder to record every of my daughter's piano lessons.

Hi waiyean,

Nope, i don't attend the music lessons with my DD in the preschool. They don't allow parents stay in the classroom to interrupt the lessons unless our DD or DS is new student for 1-2 day orientation. I checked with teachers (2 at least) how the classes are conducted. So they said they introduce different basic instruments like xylophone, drum, keyboard (my DD said piano).. etc. Very basic stuff, sometimes sings Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So... So my DD actually hits on her formula milk can this morning coz she said she played Drum yesterday. Is it very different from those JMC or Yamaha appreciation classes?

Will singing class a better choice if she is not ready for piano lessons? If she attends group piano lessons, she may not learn much and not patient enough. Singing probably dun need to sit down patiently like piano class? I mean I just curious.

[waiyean]

JY2011:

waiyean:

Do you attend the lessons with your DD in the preschool music lessons?
Yes, video recorder is a good idea. I carry a tripod and camcorder to record every of my daughter's piano lessons.

Hi waiyean,

Nope, i don't attend the music lessons with my DD in the preschool. They don't allow parents stay in the classroom to interrupt the lessons unless our DD or DS is new student for 1-2 day orientation. I checked with teachers (2 at least) how the classes are conducted. So they said they introduce different basic instruments like xylophone, drum, keyboard (my DD said piano).. etc. Very basic stuff, sometimes sings Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So... So my DD actually hits on her formula milk can this morning coz she said she played Drum yesterday. Is it very different from those JMC or Yamaha appreciation classes?

Will singing class a better choice if she is not ready for piano lessons? If she attends group piano lessons, she may not learn much and not patient enough. Singing probably dun need to sit down patiently like piano class? I mean I just curious.

I think it usually depends on how cooperative the class is. In preschool environment, I can imagine the teachers won't move faster than what the class can absorb. Personally, I prefer group lessons in a music school, at least a parent can sit in for the lesson, and know what is going on. Class size is also smaller, and because parents are around to control the kids, teachers can go around spending about 10-15 mins at least on each kid. Not so sure about Yamaha's classes, but the music schools my 2 kids attended also teaches reading of notes from a very young age, as young as below 2. Also exposed to concepts like loud and soft, slow and fast, etc.

Not sure if singing lessons requires less patience as compared to piano. My dd has only attended a few classes of singing lessons, so not too sure. From what I know, she has to stand quite still, control her breathing, etc. May not be easier than sitting in front of the piano.

[JY2011]

Hi, waiyean.


Yes, I agree that sitting in maybe better as we know what is going. Oh, I just recalled that my DH said if our DD doesn’t perform because of our presence. She normally "acts" a lot when we are around like even wearing shoes or change clothes. She asked us for help but teachers told us that she is the few fastest kids to finish most of her rountine activities like shower, changing clothes, pack sleeping bag. Generally, she is quite independent, bossy sometimes and no problem with learning. So we actually thought she behaves ok but can be quite stubborn and playful sometimes. Basically, I always see like 2 different kids at home and school. We are ok to be around or not as long as she and teacher are comfortable. Of course, 1-to-1 piano lesson shld be around coz need to correct them later during practising.

So no harm to go for some trial lessons in group if we really want to know. DD just asked me again why she can’t attend the new "music school" yesterday. Coz we passed by the shopping mall where the location of her assessment atttended recently. I just answered the same thing - she can’t follow instruction and sit patiently. See if she is going to ask again this evening on our way home.

[reiner]

please recommend piano theory practice book… thanks…


wanna buy grade 5 scales book, please pm me yah… thanks.

[Dreamaurora]

reiner:

please recommend piano theory practice book... thanks...


wanna buy grade 5 scales book, please pm me yah... thanks.

I recommended Feldstein's Practical Theory Complete earlier in another thread I think. Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory is another excellent self-study book, but the layout is not as good as Feldstein's

For the scales book, check your PM.

[jce]

Any kind of lesson, taken seriously, will require effort. Singing has a separate set of difficulties compared to piano. Your voice is your instrument. So to start singing, and I do mean vocal training, you need to start of with a decent instrument. Not all are cut for this. After that it goes into training of sound projection, breathing techniques, phrasing etc etc.


If it’s exploration you are looking for, then perhaps a group class, whether from Yamaha, Cristofori, or other music schools would be advisable. That’s for exposure. From there one can decide where the strengths and interests are.