All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers
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Dreamaurora:
Thank you for the explanation. We will think about it. Luckily we have 9 months to think about it as my son is preparing for PSLE after this month's piano exam.
A lot of factors determine the duration to complete a diploma, and also depends on what diploma your son is aiming for.ngl2010:
Thank you. How long does it usually take to complete diploma?
After grade 8, the common options here are DipABRSM, ATCL, DipLCM, and ALCM assuming your son is going for the performance one (Yes, I know have ANCZA also, but I am not aware anyone offering it now).
DipABRSM is the most comprehensive one available here but will require the most thorough preparation. And most likely you will need to get separate teachers to prepare the pieces and the viva voce as quite a few number of diploma teachers here do not teach viva voce. Depending on the difficulty of the pieces chosen and whether got recycle pieces from grade 8 syllabus, DipABRSM normally will take around 1.5 to 2 years to prepare. It is extremely important the exam program to be successfully performed first before you actually register for the exam.
ATCL seems to be the most popular choice nowadays. The program is longer than DipABRSM, but there is no viva voce and quick study. For practical purpose such as teaching, it is the weakest one a student can take since passing the exam only proves that the student can play at diploma level and nothing else. It can be useful as a first diploma to take before taking DipABRSM. The program can be planned in such a way that the student is playing exactly the same thing for DipABRSM and ATCL. ATCL normally takes shorter time to prepare as there is no other components to contend with. I've known someone who took less than one year to prepare for ATCL (not piano though).
ALCM occupies the middle ground. The recital requirement is the lightest (only 20-25 minutes of pieces plus scales/Czerny). Other components such as aural, viva voce, and quick study are present. I personally think this is the most suitable to take after grade 8 and I am actually preparing 2 of my students for this. They can than expand their program and prepare for DipABRSM afterwards if they wish to. And also, if you have grade 8 theory, only need to play the recital component.
The whole diploma thingy sounds very intimidating
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Dreamaurora:
My son has been with his current Grade 8 teacher since the starting time he plays piano. So, changing teacher will be a very scary experience for him and me. We are so used to the current teacher's style. However, life must go on...ngl2010:
What are the teachers' qualifications do I need to look for if my son wants to study diploma in piano?
Looking for diploma teachers is not as simple as it sounds, some of my friends regretted their first choice teachers.
It is important to note that to teach diploma, one has to have a higher or at least equal qualification than the diploma being taught and also able to perform well (or USED to be able to perform well). A good diploma teacher also has a good system in place to build students' confidence in performing through class hours, masterclass, and perfromances. I am glad to say that my previous teachers satisfied the requirements above and I am thankful for the training.
The matter of chemistry is also very important. Some diploma teachers are more patient, some are tyrannical. Preferably technical philosophy should also be similar to your son's teacher now. I would suggest attending these teachers' student concerts first and then having trial lessons to see if your son could react and interact well to them.
What do you think about learning Jazz Piano? Is it something less stressful than taking diploma? I just want him to enjoy playing piano. Use it for relaxation. He likes jazz pieces better than classical pieces. -
ngl2010:
My son has been with his current Grade 8 teacher since the starting time he plays piano. So, changing teacher will be a very scary experience for him and me. We are so used to the current teacher's style. However, life must go on...Dreamaurora:
[quote=\"ngl2010\"]What are the teachers' qualifications do I need to look for if my son wants to study diploma in piano?
Looking for diploma teachers is not as simple as it sounds, some of my friends regretted their first choice teachers.
It is important to note that to teach diploma, one has to have a higher or at least equal qualification than the diploma being taught and also able to perform well (or USED to be able to perform well). A good diploma teacher also has a good system in place to build students' confidence in performing through class hours, masterclass, and perfromances. I am glad to say that my previous teachers satisfied the requirements above and I am thankful for the training.
The matter of chemistry is also very important. Some diploma teachers are more patient, some are tyrannical. Preferably technical philosophy should also be similar to your son's teacher now. I would suggest attending these teachers' student concerts first and then having trial lessons to see if your son could react and interact well to them.
What do you think about learning Jazz Piano? Is it something less stressful than taking diploma? I just want him to enjoy playing piano. Use it for relaxation. He likes jazz pieces better than classical pieces.[/quote]Cannot use same teacher? -
Hi,
I am looking for a good Music Theory (ABRSM Grade 4/5) teacher who can come to my home weekly to tutor my son to prep him for ABRSM Grade 5 theory exam.
If you know of any, please let me know including his/her contact. Thanks. -
Dear poohy,
My name is Olivia
I've been teaching piano for the past 5 years, since I graduated with ABRSM Diploma in Teaching.
Personally, I have experience with young toddlers as young as 4 years old and I certainly welcome anyone who is interested to learn as my oldest student was 60 years old.
To every parent out there, if you're looking for a way to develop & further nurture your child's interest in music & development, please feel free to contact me.
Personally, I'm a bubbly, lively, enthusiastic & patient teacher to begin with.
Less than traditional overly-strict teachers, I'm more of the interactive & fun-loving teacher.
I may be strict when necessary, however, I believe only when learning is fun & engaging - only will it make music learning more interesting for the kids.
I'm proud to say that I've a group of students that has followed me well throughout the 5 years & they certainly have also made their parents & me proud, by attaining MERIT & DISTINCTION awards for ABRSM Practical & Theory examinations.
Lastly, I take full pride in ensuring that my students learns & understands the full purpose & fun in the journey of music learning.
At this point of time, I believe as a parent, if you're still interested to learn more.
I do teach at student's/my own's place as well.
Please feel free to contact me at the following.
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: 92769848 -
Hi, I’m also looking for a lady piano teacher for my 2 girls (age 9 and 11) to come to my place at Serangoon Gardens.
I am also thinking of learning piano myself.
Please PM me. Thanks! -
ngl2010:
Jazz piano at a high level is equally as demanding as classical piano. I have a friend who converts from classical to jazz and he said he practices around 3-4 hours a day. A lot of time are spent practicing patterns and vamps in all different keys; improvisation contrary to popular belief is not making things up on the spot.
My son has been with his current Grade 8 teacher since the starting time he plays piano. So, changing teacher will be a very scary experience for him and me. We are so used to the current teacher's style. However, life must go on...
What do you think about learning Jazz Piano? Is it something less stressful than taking diploma? I just want him to enjoy playing piano. Use it for relaxation. He likes jazz pieces better than classical pieces.
But for your son, a little bit of jazz may provide a nice detour and improve his breadth of understanding. A lot of complaints are leveraged against classical learners for not being able to play more recent repertoire well. I have seen many ABRSM piano students unable to capture the mood and essence of jazz piano pieces if they choose to play one for their exams. Basic to intermediate jazz are quite easy if your son has strong theory background so definitely no harm picking it up.
If your son loves playing jazz pieces, have him look at some of the printed jazz pieces/standards available for classical piano learners. Some of the popular ones include Gershwin's Preludes and his song transcriptions, Confrey's Kitten on the Keys, Waller's Alligator Crawl, Kapustin's compositions, etc. On the easier side have various pieces by Christopher Norton, Pam Wedgwood, Bill Evans, and Mike Cornick. -
phankao:
Not all teachers have the confidence to teach diplomas. The jump in standard from grade 8 to diplomas is actually quite big and many teachers are not able to interpret repertoire from diploma syllabus well by themselves. The preparation is also far more intensive and the teacher may not have the necessary resource to achieve it.
Cannot use same teacher? -
Hi, I am looking for a piano and aural teacher to teach my kid, ABRSM Grade exam Grade 3. Please PM me
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phankao:
Cannot use same teacher?[/quote]The teacher does not teach diploma :sad:
My son has been with his current Grade 8 teacher since the starting time he plays piano. So, changing teacher will be a very scary experience for him and me. We are so used to the current teacher's style. However, life must go on...ngl2010:
[quote=\"Dreamaurora\"]
Looking for diploma teachers is not as simple as it sounds, some of my friends regretted their first choice teachers.
It is important to note that to teach diploma, one has to have a higher or at least equal qualification than the diploma being taught and also able to perform well (or USED to be able to perform well). A good diploma teacher also has a good system in place to build students' confidence in performing through class hours, masterclass, and perfromances. I am glad to say that my previous teachers satisfied the requirements above and I am thankful for the training.
The matter of chemistry is also very important. Some diploma teachers are more patient, some are tyrannical. Preferably technical philosophy should also be similar to your son's teacher now. I would suggest attending these teachers' student concerts first and then having trial lessons to see if your son could react and interact well to them.
What do you think about learning Jazz Piano? Is it something less stressful than taking diploma? I just want him to enjoy playing piano. Use it for relaxation. He likes jazz pieces better than classical pieces.
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