All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers
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ilovepiano:
But the MOE requirement is still only gr 3. If the child is using MEP as a DSA route, then yes, the requirements is much much tougher. For those, even gr8 is not enough.Hi
Correct me if i am wrong, but i think different schools have different requirements for MEP. Some of my students who previously applied for MEP need to have minimum G5 both in theory and practical and for another school, students have to go through an audition, where they are assessed on their performance skills.
So far, most of the schools i know would stick by this gr 3 / gr 4 requirement at most, especially those schools listed as MEP centres on MOE website, but yes, there would be an audition & test - so ultimately, it's how the child performs in his/her selections.
My son is currently in MEP so I know how rigourous it can be. 2 practical recital programmes to prepare each year plus written exams/listening. Preparing for the practical exams already keeps him quite busy too, especially since he does quite a bit of ensemble performances in his recital programmes. -
Thanks ilovepiano and phankao. Really appreciate your making time to answer my questions.
dd is very committed and independent in whatever she does. I’m not a music person and she handles all her learning by herself with the help of teacher. She’s not stressed, I’m the one who’s stressed because I’m her time manager. For her, she just wants to do what she loves. She’s quite a perfectionist and still too young to know how to prioritize and even out her commitments. So I’m worried she has too much on her plate. It’s her strength as well as her weakness. Lately, she has been asking to take up a second instrument,oboe.
Dd did even grades over 3 exams. It was quite well paced I thought. For those years where there’re no exams, she does repertoire and a lot fun pieces. There was Latin jazz and broadway musical, which she really enjoyed as she had watched most of them the shows and know the songs well. I should safely say, she does much more than her exam 3pieces.
I can also see that things are getting tougher now at higher grade. She’s happy to continue with piano has a very good teacher who can prepare her. it’s just that many things are competing for her time and I need to know if she can park certain things away for awhile to concentrate on those of
value now, like her band.
Like phankao said, band is good. She’s having a great time there learning to work with other musicians.
Perhaps, I’ve been a SAHM for too long and life has been easy so I can’t bear to see the kids working so hard. dh thinks I’m silly because dd is not suffering if she enjoys what she does. It’s called passion.
Will read up more about MEP, thanks for website phankao. -
Sounds good! You're welcome
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Faun:
I fully understand bc my ds1 was in both band and string orchestra for much of his primary school life. He's in sec 1 now. Very busy life he had. He'd even go for half a band practice and run off for strings halfway. The same juggling for performances. eg. Wear band t-shirt under strings outfit, then after strings item, run off to change instrument and perform band item. haha! But he's no longer in band - realised his strength is in strings.
Like phankao said, band is good. She's having a great time there learning to work with other musicians.
Perhaps, I've been a SAHM for too long and life has been easy so I can't bear to see the kids working so hard. dh thinks I'm silly because dd is not suffering if she enjoys what she does. It's called passion.
Will read up more about MEP, thanks for website phankao.
If your girl is interested in band instruments, she could even consider majoring in those instruments instead of piano, especially if she feels she has greater aptitude in those. She can likewise do ABRSM grading for any of those instruments. Usually a well-trained instrumentalist is much more sought after than a pianist, especially for band/orchestras. It's much easier to apply for orchestras using those instruments too. -
phankao,
Yeah, I think she’d probably finish grade8 and stop there permanently or temporarily. I can see she’s very very interested to explore other instruments now.
By the way, this SYF competition is really crazy. It’s like the whole band is taking ABRSM exam. They practice 3 times a week and up to 4 times when it’s near the competition. Sometimes even get pull out of class for rehearsals. How not to affect the studies? I suppose it’s all worth it. After all the kids remember their Alma mater for the CCA more than their studies.
Thank You. -
Faun:
Yes, I have 3 kids who did SYF over the years in various CCAs, so I am very familiar.phankao,
Yeah, I think she'd probably finish grade8 and stop there permanently or temporarily. I can see she's very very interested to explore other instruments now.
By the way, this SYF competition is really crazy. It's like the whole band is taking ABRSM exam. They practice 3 times a week and up to 4 times when it's near the competition. Sometimes even get pull out of class for rehearsals. How not to affect the studies? I suppose it's all worth it. After all the kids remember their Alma mater for the CCA more than their studies.
Thank You.
My dd has done 3 syf and 2 overseas competitions for choir. My ds1 has gone thru 2 syfs in pri sch and ds2 likewise. 3 afternoons and week plus 2 mornings a week. Yeah, so many hours!!!
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Hi phankao,
Do you know of any piano teachers to recommend?phankao:
No, the theory exams are at various centres around Singapore. eg. Suntec city convention halls, school halls, hotel & business meeting rooms, etc, etc, just to name a few.
As for practical exam studios, you can actually request for a certain area(altho' not the exact studio) when you register online but then, the studio they assign you - really up to your luck. eg. we were given an exam studio in the next town when we have one in our neighbourhood *sigh*. And the one given was quite a lousy studio, altho' ABRSM says it is within their standard (which must be quite low standards, then). -
phankao,
Wow, your family is so musical you can start a band :D. Well done! -
Faun:
Nah, it's too diverse.phankao,
Wow, your family is so musical you can start a band :D. Well done! -
phankao:
Yep! dd just encountered a very lousy piano in the exam studio. Echo and light. So different from our home and the piano teacher's one.
No, the theory exams are at various centres around Singapore. eg. Suntec city convention halls, school halls, hotel & business meeting rooms, etc, etc, just to name a few.
As for practical exam studios, you can actually request for a certain area(altho' not the exact studio) when you register online but then, the studio they assign you - really up to your luck. eg. we were given an exam studio in the next town when we have one in our neighbourhood *sigh*. And the one given was quite a lousy studio, altho' ABRSM says it is within their standard (which must be quite low standards, then).
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