All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers

[kate J]

Hi,

Can anyone recommend a good piano teacher for my 9 year old daughter?
She started going for piano class a year before, but the teacher was too strict & she gradually lost interest!!!
Pls recommend someone who knows how to teach kids.
Thanks.

[Dreamaurora]

kate J:

Hi,

Can anyone recommend a good piano teacher for my 9 year old daughter?
She started going for piano class a year before, but the teacher was too strict & she gradually lost interest!!!
Pls recommend someone who knows how to teach kids.
Thanks.

Hi, before considering to find a new teacher as a solution, perhaps you might want to discuss with the current teacher first if some changes can be made. Most teachers should be flexible enough to vary their approaches when needed.

There is nothing wrong with being strict with young children. In fact I feel it is important to lay technical and musical foundations correctly right from the start so the child can progress further comfortably, and being lax with standard often means these are compromised. What is not ok is being demeaning to children. It is ok to say things like \"your rhythm needs to be more steady\", but it is not ok to say things like \"why so simple thing you cannot do?\" So it is possible to be strict yet still encouraging.

Parents here have wrote in to me telling me that their children's teachers were overly obsessive in just working only the exam pieces to perfection to get the best exam results. But there are also parents who wrote in to complain that their children's teachers taught a lot of songs, but none at good standard and the songs sound quite bad. I think at the end of the day, both extreme ends of approaches are not ideal. I prefer an approach in the middle. For songs that my students learn for fun, I won't be too strict. But for songs my students plan to present for exams or competitions, I will be strict and demand the highest standard.

As a parent, you need to ask yourself also what you hope to see your children gaining from piano lessons. If you want them to play at a very good standard and able to progress to an advanced level, then a teacher who is strict is necessary and you will need to chip in to help also. If you are contented with your children being able to enjoy playing simple to intermediate level pieces and you don't mind if the playing is ok only then you can get a teacher is more relaxed with standards of playing.

If you still want to consider another teacher, you can PM me. I can try to refer one of my friends to you.

[kate J]

Thank you for your response.I’ll discuss this matter with her teacher and get back to you.Thanks again!

[mikyway]

Hi,

I am looking for a piano teacher to teach Dip ABRSM, what kind of qualification should the teacher possess?

[sacredmusicals]

mikyway:

Hi,

I am looking for a piano teacher to teach Dip ABRSM, what kind of qualification should the teacher possess?

Dremaurora would be the best person to answer your question since he has experience preparing DipABRSM students.

[mikyway]

Thanks. Appreciate any input or advice.

[Dreamaurora]

mikyway:

Thanks. Appreciate any input or advice.

If you are just looking for a teacher to prepare ARSM or ATCL, not too complicated to find a competent teacher.

DipABRSM Performance though, is entirely different ball game.

DipABRSM requires 3 components to be passed, Recital, Quick Study, and Viva Voce. Failure in any of these 3 sections mean a fail in the exam, and the candidate must retake the failed components until he/she pass before the Dip can be awarded. Quick Study and Viva Voce are often underestimated by students and teachers alike. Quick Study is an advanced form of sight-reading that tests a student's musical knowledge and understanding to quickly execute an interpretation that is stylistically accurate. So it is very much possible to fail Quick Study even if the student plays all the correct notes but the playing is stylistically not accurate and not musical. Viva Voce is an interview test where the examiner expects the student to demonstrate personal understanding and knowledge of the exam program; additionally he/she must demonstrate a broad knowledge of music.

This proves to be tricky as a teacher need to be entirely proficient in these various areas to be able to guide students in these sections. Additionally, it is kind of widely acknowledged that DipABRSM demands a higher standard in Recital compared to ATCL. The playing standard expected for borderline pass for the Recital section is similar to borderline Grade 8 Distinction standard.

If you are looking for a one-stop teacher who can prepare all three sections by himself/herself, the number of teachers who can do this is quite small. Probably even lesser if your instrument is not piano. A one-stop DipABRSM teacher is normally at least a full-time grad, either Hons or Masters degree. He/she needs to be proficient in playing and knowledgeable in a wide range of repertoire. He/she needs to be strong in academic subjects such as Music History and Analysis. And also able to write and communicate verbally well.

A more common scenario is a student engages an excellent teacher performer. He/she then goes for group lessons conducted by other teachers to prepare the Quick Study and Viva Voce.

[mikyway]

Thank you for the advice.

[mikyway]

I need a piano teacher to teach DipABRSM in performance, preferably in Sengkang/Punggol/Hougang. Any recommendation?

If a teacher has FTCL and another has LRSM, which one more qualified?

[Dreamaurora]

mikyway:

I need a piano teacher to teach DipABRSM in performance, preferably in Sengkang/Punggol/Hougang. Any recommendation?

If a teacher has FTCL and another has LRSM, which one more qualified?

I would take the one with LRSM over the one with FTCL, at least the teacher with LRSM would know what is required in the exam.