All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers

[pirate]

Personally, I think it is primarily the teacher’s job to teach, and primarily my job to motivate. After all, the teacher only has about an hour a week. Does that make me a strange parent?

[Dreamaurora]

pirate:

Personally, I think it is primarily the teacher's job to teach, and primarily my job to motivate. After all, the teacher only has about an hour a week. Does that make me a strange parent?

I would say the responsibility is shared equally among teacher and parents. Teachers need to make their lessons stimulating and engaging. They also need to pace the student's progress comfortably. Parents need to be encouraging and assisting as much as possible. They also should not shy from providing the best resources money can buy.

When only either party is motivating, the result may be less than ideal. I have seen children with supportive parents lost interest because of teachers who are douches. Likewise, I have seen brilliant students who could not reach their potential because parents are unwilling to commit more.

[kaeshion]

Hi

Uh do any parents know a piano school/place where I can rent a studio or a rehearsal room that has two pianos?
I don't need it to be cheap (but not so expensive too ;__;), and location doesn't matter, but preferably in the west. Thank you!

[waiyean]

As a parent, I would place ability of teacher to motivate on a lower priority than ability to teach. As Pirate rightfully pointed out, time with teacher is limited. The child should spent whatever time available learning the right techniques, explore new materials, and anything that requires the presence of a teacher. If a teacher spends 15 mins motivating the child, that’s 15 mins of lesson time lost.


Parents can play the role of the motivator better. Besides spending more time practising with the child, parents also understands the child better, and knows what the child is motivated by.

Yes, the teacher can engage the child more and ensure lesson progresses at a suitable level. However motivation is more than just a few minutes of pep talk a week. Celebrating small achievements, setting reasonable and achievable targets, and instilling in child the drive to succeed, may be a start.

[Dreamaurora]

waiyean:

As a parent, I would place ability of teacher to motivate on a lower priority than ability to teach. As Pirate rightfully pointed out, time with teacher is limited. The child should spent whatever time available learning the right techniques, explore new materials, and anything that requires the presence of a teacher. If a teacher spends 15 mins motivating the child, that's 15 mins of lesson time lost.


Parents can play the role of the motivator better. Besides spending more time practising with the child, parents also understands the child better, and knows what the child is motivated by.

Yes, the teacher can engage the child more and ensure lesson progresses at a suitable level. However motivation is more than just a few minutes of pep talk a week. Celebrating small achievements, setting reasonable and achievable targets, and instilling in child the drive to succeed, may be a start.

It will depend on what level of commitment parents will be willing to put into piano lesson. If the parents are very committed and encouraging, given a brutal and very strict teacher, a child may still flourish because the parents can fill the void in motivating. So in this instance, you are correct, the teacher's ability to teach can be considered as the deciding factor in choosing a teacher. Though I would stress that I personally believe this is not the ideal condition for learning as I have mentioned above.

But how about those whose parents are not that willing to go all the way with their kids? I would say most of students, especially those who started a little later in their adolescents or teenage years fall into this category. I have also met plenty young children's parents who are not prepared to sit in lessons or assist in practicing at home. Half of my student population belong to this category and the task of keeping them motivated falls squarely on my shoulder. So in this case, the teacher's ability to create engaging and stimulating lessons is probably the most important factor.

[Dreamaurora]

Anyway, I would like to clarify once again what is considered as 'motivating students'. It is really a sum of teaching factors that contribute to students' mental and emotional state; it's not just 'pep talk' or 'listening to CD or teacher playing'. I've written about this once before quite some time ago in this thread:


http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=41122&hilit=motivating+students

[HuiShan]

kaeshion:

Hi

Uh do any parents know a piano school/place where I can rent a studio or a rehearsal room that has two pianos?
I don't need it to be cheap (but not so expensive too ;__;), and location doesn't matter, but preferably in the west. Thank you!

Hi there,

I think you can check out http://www.cristofori.asia/ver3/en/services/facilities-rental.html

http://www.renner.com.sg/pianorental.html

Hope that helps

[Adetan]

Coolkidsrock2:

skyvelvet:

hi

anyone can recommend a piano teacher for mt son- 8 yr old - grade 2.
to teach at my place. jurong east .
pls PM me or email me @ [email protected]

thanks

I have pm you.

I am staying in jurong west, I am also looking for piano teacher to teach at my place, can also email me the details. My email is [email protected]

Thank you! Thank you!

[XiaoXin]

Hi Dreamaurora,


Excellent! Perfecto! You must be very proud of your students.

Recently, I bought a YUS5 as a Christmas present for my 4 years old son and taken a video for him playing 'Beautiful World' too. Still a gap comparing to your students.

BTW, which Music school are you teaching at? Please PM me. Thanks.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

Dreamaurora:

Hi all,

I've just uploaded the videos from my latest student concert to my youtube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/user/CWDorianMusic?feature=mhee

Hope you enjoy them and leave nice comments in the videos if you like them.

[XiaoXin]

Imami:

Folks, seeking your opinion - for piano, we need to buy a good one (for various reasons). How about keyboard? Is it also necessary to buy a proper/good one? The reasons behind your answer will be much appreciated. Thanks.

We started off with Keyboard. But we bought the touch-response keyboard. Get those touch-response type and heavier keys. Reasonable keyboard will be good enough.

Recently, bought him a Piano as a Christmas present. Went to my sister's place to play her Piano. Came back and bought a Piano without thinking much. Makes a hell of differences.

I still keeping my keyboard so I can play together with my son on Piano.