All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers

[phankao]

pianojazzy:

Yup so if is ABRSM dip, if she is able to go gr 7 at young age, she can actually do dip with the teacher she is with, if her teacher teaches dip as she is doing fine with her existing teacher.


From what i know, a no. students completed gr 8 with NAFA and get prof to do dip instead of staying in NAFA.

So far, most that i've heard seem to do their grade 8 by 10 or 11years old latest, so just nice - before psle. Then after that, quite often many leave nafa to yes, like \"pianojazzy\" says, to study under a professor or audition to join YST young musician programme.

i personally don't see a point in joining nafa if the child is doing well outside with his own instructor.

But if for a young child, yes, I would consider putting him/her in nafa. I think it at gives a rather well-rounded music education (the expectations notwithstanding).

[sleepy]

pianojazzy:

From what i know, a no. students completed gr 8 with NAFA and get prof to do dip instead of staying in NAFA.

Depends on scenario. Could be the reverse.

Say if the child is seeking performance platform, then joining Nafa at grade 7, completed grade 8, continued with diploma + performance platform. I guess no hard or fast rule.

I believe a child with talent shines anywhere, private teacher or music school. The only difference is probably not much public performance opportunity with a private teacher

Then again, if my dd has the good fortune & affinity to meet a wonderful private teacher, I would ask her to stay put. A good mentor is so hard to come by

[corneyAmber]

Actually Nafa doesn’t really provide an all rounded education. There are more exam - orientated, as in they have to complete 2 grades in a year etc. So they focus on exam pieces, scales and technic etc as they do not have time to touch on other components.


As a teacher, i believe a wide range of repetoire, music awareness, history of music, music appreciation and many more are also important in learning music.

Agree with sleepy, performing is also an important part. Some pte teachers do organise recital. I would also try to organise one yearly or bi-yearly.

[phankao]

pianojazzy:

Actually Nafa doesn't really provide an all rounded education. There are more exam - orientated, as in they have to complete 2 grades in a year etc. So they focus on exam pieces, scales and technic etc as they do not have time to touch on other components.


As a teacher, i believe a wide range of repetoire, music awareness, history of music, music appreciation and many more are also important in learning music.

But for instrumentalists, for example (not piano), they have separate theory & aural lessons all throughout. Whereas for students taking private tuition, often, they only take theory lessons for a short period only, so I find the depth is not there. And then, aural lessons only for like those few weeks before their exams (eg. violin or cello exams). It's not a wonder that they tend to do poorly in aural, right? This is unlike piano students who do aural in quite a large part of the year as well. Whereas, NAFA students go through the whole aural syllabus the whole time they are in nafa until they have completed and passed the whole curriculum. Grade 8 aural requires an understanding of the different types of music too, and this understanding can be strengthened through a more long-term study than a short 4 to 6 weeks prior to exams.

[sleepy]

phankao:

But for instrumentalists, for example (not piano), they have separate theory & aural lessons all throughout. Whereas for students taking private tuition, often, they only take theory lessons for a short period only, so I find the depth is not there. And then, aural lessons only for like those few weeks before their exams (eg. violin or cello exams). It's not a wonder that they tend to do poorly in aural, right? This is unlike piano students who do aural in quite a large part of the year as well. Whereas, NAFA students go through the whole aural syllabus the whole time they are in nafa until they have completed and passed the whole curriculum. Grade 8 aural requires an understanding of the different types of music too, and this understanding can be strengthened through a more long-term study than a short 4 to 6 weeks prior to exams.

True. The weekly one hour theory lesson is valuable.

I'm not aware of aural lessons though. Aural lesson is on top of theory or aural covered during 1 hour theory lesson? Are your kids in Nafa?

[phankao]

sleepy:

phankao:

But for instrumentalists, for example (not piano), they have separate theory & aural lessons all throughout. Whereas for students taking private tuition, often, they only take theory lessons for a short period only, so I find the depth is not there. And then, aural lessons only for like those few weeks before their exams (eg. violin or cello exams). It's not a wonder that they tend to do poorly in aural, right? This is unlike piano students who do aural in quite a large part of the year as well. Whereas, NAFA students go through the whole aural syllabus the whole time they are in nafa until they have completed and passed the whole curriculum. Grade 8 aural requires an understanding of the different types of music too, and this understanding can be strengthened through a more long-term study than a short 4 to 6 weeks prior to exams.

True. The weekly one hour theory lesson is valuable.

I'm not aware of aural lessons though. Aural lesson is on top of theory or aural covered during 1 hour theory lesson? Are your kids in Nafa?

My friend whose children are in, say that. They have to pass the full curriculum for aural before they are allowed to stop going for those extra lessons. I'm not sure of the schedule. But there are several term breaks in nafa too, anyway.

When we take lessons with private teachers on our own - there's no fixed breaks, unless you ask for them. Or the teachers ask for them.

[Mona Vs Lisa]

[corneyAmber]

Yup true true. This is what i mean by the other components are also important other than exam pieces and scales.


Agreed that for other instuments other than piano, pte teachers are not able to train aural as some of them might not have piano background and they might be doing home visits so there may not be a piano at the student’s home. It can only be done when practising with accompanist.

Music awareness and history of music helps a lot in gr 8 aural (last section) which shouldn’t be missed out during earlier grades too.

I am not sure about the aural part in nafa but i do have a no. of students who are in nafa who come to take extra lessons for aural, theory and sight-reading.

[phankao]

Mona Vs Lisa:

pianojazzy:

Erm, if she is able to do gr 7 then y go to nafa? She only have one more grade to complete.

Hi All,

I am very happy to have so many respond abt my Q. My DD p6 now, next year will be secondary student.

She have been with a piano teacher since she was 6, but never obtain a good grade (the best is G3 - merit) her grade 2,4,&5 pass, G6 fail (i know the result today) I am thinking to find another teacher, but do not know how..

I feel sad, that she has wasting her time & i as mother wasting my $..

no worries. But the important thing is - does she want to go on for now? I keep asking my daughter that.

Or next year then decide?

[sleepy]

Mona Vs Lisa:

I feel sad, that she has wasting her time & i as mother wasting my $..

Sigh... a good teacher is so hard to find, like digging for diamond

My dd is with her 4th teacher and I'm searching for her 5th