All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers

[Dreamaurora]

joyofmusic:

That is some awsome performance. Who is the artist? If it is you, bravo. You should pursue a performance career. Are you a Yong Siew Toh student?


If you are not the artist and just meant to let us hear the Yamaha C1, then you should clarify. Otherwise, it is a deception to falsely pass off a professional artist's playing as yours.

Ok what, this kind of standard quite common among the established teachers' diploma students in Singapore. When I went to Lip Tat's student concert many years back, many of his students already play stuff like Liszt's Paganini Variations and Prokofiev Toccata up to speed. Interestingly, many teachers actually evaluate a student's musicality and talent based on his/her ability to intepret slow and lyrical solo pieces. I've spoken to Fang Yuan (yup, principal of Young Talents) and she said when she judged piano competitions many of young kids nowadays could practically play anything virtuosic nowadays, so typically the judges will evaluate the slower movements or pieces instead to distinguish the contestants. In any case, if there is doubt to the authenticity of the recording, the pianist in question can always come forward to clarify and post an actual video of himself playing.

Solo performance career is destined only for the very select few. Need combination of charisma, immense musicality and personality. Even many of the winners of the major competitions around the world realised they couldn't sustain performance career for too long and many ended up teaching in faculties around the world.

[sacredmusicals]

I concur with dreamaurora about young pianists’ capabilities nowadays. But I do find the instance of the YouTube recording provided above suspicious. It sounds too clean like it was recorded in a recording studio and not at home studio. Normally can hear things like background noise but there is none totally there as far as I can tell. But this is just a hunch and for all we know he could be a sound engineer too.

And oh by the way dreamaurora, are you going to perform anytime soon? Would love to see you play.

[Dreamaurora]

sacredmusicals:

I concur with dreamaurora about young pianists' capabilities nowadays. But I do find the instance of the YouTube recording provided above suspicious. It sounds too clean like it was recorded in a recording studio and not at home studio. Normally can hear things like background noise but there is none totally there as far as I can tell. But this is just a hunch and for all we know he could be a sound engineer too.

And oh by the way dreamaurora, are you going to perform anytime soon? Would love to see you play.

I will migrate my response to you to my other thread on Q&A. Don't want to continue hicjaking this thread, haha.

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=27553

[tzechern]

for clarification, the above audio clip was done at my home on the yamaha c1 on a blue microphones YETI mic which was purchased to record my recordings. the reason why the recording sounds so clear is due to the mic which is NOT your normal microphone. It has 2 transducers inside with a proper selection of recording modes like cardoid, stereo and omni modes. The mic was connected to an apple macbook and the audio recorded via garage band. i have the raw garage band file if any of you need clarification.


you do not need a recording studio for a clean recording. all you need is to draw the curtains and close all doors in the house.

if anyone has any questions or queries please contact me directly via sms at 97484898 thank you.

[sugarpie2honey]

I’m looking for a piano teacher for my 7 year old son. Currently, he’s taking the Yamaha JXC course, and due to his high level of interest in playing the piano, my husband and I think we may as well start him with individual lessons as well.


We stay in the Mountbatten area but do go to Parkway Parade / Parkway Centre frequently. Does anyone have any piano teacher you would highly recommend at any of the piano schools at Parkway Parade or Parkway Centre?

Thanks in advance!

[vicki]

sugarpie2honey:

I'm looking for a piano teacher for my 7 year old son. Currently, he's taking the Yamaha JXC course, and due to his high level of interest in playing the piano, my husband and I think we may as well start him with individual lessons as well.


We stay in the Mountbatten area but do go to Parkway Parade / Parkway Centre frequently. Does anyone have any piano teacher you would highly recommend at any of the piano schools at Parkway Parade or Parkway Centre?

Thanks in advance!

Hi - wondering - why dont u ask his JXC teacher to teach? Since she has been with him for awhile, she will know his style better?

[sugarpie2honey]

This is not the same teacher at Yamaha which he started under for JMC. He started with new teacher under JXC and no special bond really--not like with the first teacher. Due to fact that small number of students usually opt for JXC, they will need to combine students for one timing and assign teacher.


Anyway, just looking into my options and always searching for that teacher that can spur a child on to their fullest potential.

Received a name today from a parent happy with their child's progress. May call to arrange a trial in my home.
thanks!

[vicki]

Oh I c. Cos my ds also want thru the JMC. But after we are done with that - I didn’t move on to JXC - instd ask the JMC teacher to 1 to 1 piano.

[Two Hands Studio]

Having graduated with a Master’s Degree in music, I strongly feel that it is best (and within your budget of course) to find a teacher who has studied in a full time music instituition with piano as her/his major instrument and experience in at least 2 years of PEDAGOGY classes in the college/university. Teachers who have obtained a Degree or/and Master’s in Music are well-trained in their major instrument, History, Harmony, Analysis, Aural, Keyboard Harmony, Pedagogy, Ensemble Training, Orchestra, etc subjects related to Music. Also, they will have a vast experience of performing with other musicians and in solo recitals. With such thorough training and background, you should have a well-equipped teacher to train your child (especially with pedagogical background) and most importantly, discover and stretch their potential and cultivate their passion for music. Also with the positive attitude, outgoing and generous personality of the teacher, values learned from music lessons are extensive: patience, discipline, confidence, hand-eye co-ordination, problems solving, thinking "out-of-the-box", perseverance, general-knowledge (through history, arts, culture) and many more. When a child learns music, they discover many more things than just the score and the instrument, but also a lot more about the world and themselves if chosen the right teacher.


But having said that, even without passion for teaching and for music, any qualifications will also not suffice.


Some parents might not want to pay too much for a teacher with such qualification as the child is still young and might not be interested in learning in a few years’ time OR might not know or support the idea of the child pursuing a full time music career OR simply would just like to attain Grade 8 to get into better schools etc etc. But do bear in mind, as with many sports and disciplines, a strong and good foundation is important and crucial at an early age so its good to invest in a good teacher nonetheless.

Parents might want to ask themselves the reasons of exposing their children to learning the piano/music because that will affect the child’s musical journey in the future and with a clear goal in mind, it will also help teachers understand and plan for your child.


This is a very personal belief (and rather quick sharing) of what Ive learnt and experienced as a teacher and from my professors and their teachers. Hope it helps.

[Dreamaurora]

Two Hands Studio:

Having graduated with a Master's Degree in music, I strongly feel that it is best (and within your budget of course) to find a teacher who has studied in a full time music instituition with piano as her/his major instrument and experience in at least 2 years of PEDAGOGY classes in the college/university. Teachers who have obtained a Degree or/and Master's in Music are well-trained in their major instrument, History, Harmony, Analysis, Aural, Keyboard Harmony, Pedagogy, Ensemble Training, Orchestra, etc subjects related to Music. Also, they will have a vast experience of performing with other musicians and in solo recitals. With such thorough training and background, you should have a well-equipped teacher to train your child (especially with pedagogical background) and most importantly, discover and stretch their potential and cultivate their passion for music. Also with the positive attitude, outgoing and generous personality of the teacher, values learned from music lessons are extensive: patience, discipline, confidence, hand-eye co-ordination, problems solving, thinking \"out-of-the-box\", perseverance, general-knowledge (through history, arts, culture) and many more. When a child learns music, they discover many more things than just the score and the instrument, but also a lot more about the world and themselves if chosen the right teacher.


But having said that, even without passion for teaching and for music, any qualifications will also not suffice.


Some parents might not want to pay too much for a teacher with such qualification as the child is still young and might not be interested in learning in a few years' time OR might not know or support the idea of the child pursuing a full time music career OR simply would just like to attain Grade 8 to get into better schools etc etc. But do bear in mind, as with many sports and disciplines, a strong and good foundation is important and crucial at an early age so its good to invest in a good teacher nonetheless.

Parents might want to ask themselves the reasons of exposing their children to learning the piano/music because that will affect the child's musical journey in the future and with a clear goal in mind, it will also help teachers understand and plan for your child.


This is a very personal belief (and rather quick sharing) of what Ive learnt and experienced as a teacher and from my professors and their teachers. Hope it helps.

While I will not the restate the obvious fact that full time trained teachers had a more comprehensive training than their non-full time colleagues, the reality I feel is less clear cut.

I fully agree that any decent full time course would have some decent emphasis on pedagogy because well, most graduates need to teach to earn a living. And I have to say whatever I learnt during my full time study did help. But teaching is a very hands-on profession and no matter how much theoretical knowledge we know, the only way to be better is to just do it and learn from our mistakes. So this does not mean a fresh grad, degree or master, will automatically be a good teacher; he/she will still have to acquire actual teaching experience to see what works and what does not work. That is why I urge parents to be understanding towards new grad teachers. Teaching your children is a learning journey for them too and it will not be pitch perfect all the way.

Now about non full-time trained teachers. Obviously the bulk of piano teacher population in Singapore are made up of these teachers. Some had been around very long, and many are pretty new with their grade 8s or diplomas. They can be excellent teachers if they want to. Some of these teachers continually upgrade themselves by furthering their private diplomas or attending conferences. I have two students who are actively teaching and I would gladly entrust my son to either one of them. What they may lack in theoretical knowledge they compensate in passion and desire to improve themselves.

No matter what, I believe a child should receive the best education right from the very beginning. I know that sometimes parents are wary if their child will like the instrument, whether the child has talent, whether the child wants to go into music field, etc. But this should not matter I believe. The main reason you get the best teacher for your child should be simply because you want your child to get the best learning experience and nothing else.