All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers

[Dreamaurora]

Imami:

phankao:

SSO casual concerts are attendable by those 5yo and above too - 1hour only.
http://www.sso.org.sg/outreach/casual-concerts.html

How about Beautiful Sunday concerts in the Big Esplanade Concert Hall? You can watch all sorts of musical groups - Chinese, Pop, Band, Wind, Singing, etc, etc.

http://www.esplanade.com/whats_on/esplanade_presents/series/beautiful_sunday/index.jsp

The concerts are only 1 hour, free, only once a month though. So if your child fusses, then just leave - no big deal. It's free.

I brought my son since he was like 16mths' old. But do have to be forgiving to some groups lah. They are not professional standard, altho' some are really good. Again, since it's free... so it's great for exposure. I'm afraid I really hate those that play K-pop and J-pop. I totally cannot appreciate, so would avoid those.

Yong Siew toh Conservatory also has free concerts. Check out what's suitable:
http://www.nus.edu.sg/music/02_whatson.html

Concerts only run during term-time.. so it'd be around August to April only. From May-early Aug, there would be no concerts usually.

SNYO has concerts that are not expensive. Their website not always updated, so might be easier to check sistic or gatecrash.
http://www.snyo.org.sg/upcomingPerformances.aspx


Would you consider Botanic Gardens concerts? Or other outdoor concerts, eg. at Turf club, etc, etc?

eg. tomorrow there's a Chinese ensemble performance at Botanic:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=621666021183662&set=a.224804537536481.75185.193894753960793&type=1&theater

Wah :thankyou:

Very happy to see your suggestions! For the time being, I am not picky about the where/who/what/how much so long as it is casual enough (my son still cannot internalize the \"keep quiet during performance\" and would blurt out questions) and short enough (one hr is fine, anything longer I think I need help such as biscuits to keep my son focus).

I shall explore those links you hv mentioned! Thanks much!

I think Phankao's suggestion is excellent and should give you good ideas what concerts to attend. It is heartening to see that there are more casual concerts geared towards children nowadays. Unfortunately though, piano concerts are still generally quite stuffy and I see that most of pianists who visit Singapore like to play very traditional programs e.g. 3 COMPLETE sonatas in one concert. I love standard western classical repertoire, but I am equally fond of a lot contemporary repertoire (no, not Boulez or Crumb type). I am thinking when I get more comfortable performing I should organise casual piano concerts in which audience get to ask questions or even participate actively. It's something that is still currently lacking in Singapore.

Anyway speaking of classical music for children, you can let your son listen to Beethoven's Wig series. I am using it to train singing for my students and it's a hit with them (yeah, you can buy the scores for it). Here are some samples.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEQI6AyDxpo][/youtube]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_nGZM3O-5Y][/youtube]

[Dreamaurora]

phtthp:

for children who had completed say for example, Yamaha junior basic course, or eg: Christofori basic music course for kindergarten K2 kids -

on average, how long does it take, before they're ready to sit for Grade 1 exam ?

They should be ready to register and attempt grade 1 immediately which is give or take around 4 months minimum, though I would suggest slightly longer time because the child may need some more time to get accustomed to new teacher and practice routine. So, in reality probably ideally minimum 6 months.

[Imami]

dreamaurora:

Anyway speaking of classical music for children, you can let your son listen to Beethoven's Wig series. I am using it to train singing for my students and it's a hit with them (yeah, you can buy the scores for it).

Thanks, will check this out!

[phankao]

Dreamaurora:

Anyway speaking of classical music for children, you can let your son listen to Beethoven's Wig series. I am using it to train singing for my students and it's a hit with them (yeah, you can buy the scores for it). Here are some samples.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEQI6AyDxpo][/youtube]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_nGZM3O-5Y][/youtube]

Ah... my little boy did Beethoven's Wig Series in his preschool the year before last. THey had quite some fun with it, dramatising it later as well in their own playtimes.

[phankao]

Dreamaurora:

Unfortunately though, piano concerts are still generally quite stuffy and I see that most of pianists who visit Singapore like to play very traditional programs e.g. 3 COMPLETE sonatas in one concert. I love standard western classical repertoire, but I am equally fond of a lot contemporary repertoire (no, not Boulez or Crumb type). I am thinking when I get more comfortable performing I should organise casual piano concerts in which audience get to ask questions or even participate actively. It's something that is still currently lacking in Singapore.

I personally don't like to attend piano concerts. I find them rather boring! I brought my kids to watch YST's piano concerts - 2 hands, 4 hands, 2 pianos, etc. They used to do their free concerts at Victoria concert hall before the YST concert hall was ready last time. We left early. haha! Bc not only my kids got bored, but I got bored too!

However, the piano ensembles that I have been watching for the last few years performed by groups in my DS2's school's music programme (mep, but not MOE mep ctr) - they are very very entertaining. They do say only allow those above 6yo to attend, but I've brought my 3 or 4yo a few times already (bc the teacher allowed. haaha) . It not only has piano ensembles, but also various other ensembles like brass, wind, strings, voice, depending on what area of music their students are doing those years.

But interestingly, my elder boy who is a string player, now enjoys piano performances, and he'd actually flag out programmes he wants me to bring him to. Eg. last year's Anderson & Roe, this year's Blind Pianist. We also watched Melvin Tan's performance on Harpsichord, FortePiano, and grand piano recently. There were a few where I just dropped him off to watch by himself (I didn't want to to watch those myself!!! Urgh).

[ElleanaLiu]

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[MommySherrie]

Is there any link to the newspaper report??

[phtthp]

Hi,

any parents sending their kid to community center for violin ? Any feedback?

[sleepy]

phankao:

I personally don't like to attend piano concerts. I find them rather boring! I brought my kids to watch YST's piano concerts - 2 hands, 4 hands, 2 pianos, etc. They used to do their free concerts at Victoria concert hall before the YST concert hall was ready last time. We left early. haha! Bc not only my kids got bored, but I got bored too!

:rotflmao:
Same same :snooze: we drop this idea after attending YST concert once

[sleepy]

Hi, I've a question on aural


How to train for aural?

My dd simply cannot remember the tune (too long for her) so has difficulties clapping or singing. Her problem is short retention span so by the time teacher reached 2nd half of playing the aural scores she already forgotten those at the front so always stumble when ask to sing

When she play those aural scores at home she can sing along alright. So I think it's not so much on singing but more of her short retention. In exam, I think can't expect her to play the tunes though, otherwise aural become additional sight reading

How to tackle this? If go higher grade (6 & above) aural scores will be even longer I suppose :nailbite: