Actually it is very common that the aural and sight reading areas are often neglected, thus students get the “permanent idea” that these are not important. When the higher grade students came to me (after changing many teachers over the years), their aural and sight reading were that of a grade 2, at most grade 3. Their books were so new and hardly touched, and they hardly play other repertoire. It was extremely difficult and frustrating when I went through aural and sight reading every lesson (I hear several out-of-tune singing/playing and off rhythms until I get headaches) because many students will ask to skip them. They cling unto the “permanent idea”, but I emphasized that these sections are part of the exam requirements and that it does help in their learning curve, plus it’s their good fortune that they got a teacher who loves loves loves aural and sight reading. They often wonder how I am able to hear that they sing/play wrongly or use the wrong fingering - without looking.


For the disciplined students, we often end up having fun and laughter doing it, and they see their fruits of labor at the end after several months of practising. For the less disciplined ones, they either stare and go silent, or they throw tantrums. At this point, teachers need the support of the parents. If the parents go, “Ok lah, don’t do these anymore. Just focus on scales and pieces”, the students will never make a breakthrough to achieve higher.

Some of my students were curious enough and went around asking their classmates if their piano teachers deliberately spend time on aural and sight reading. Nearly none. Their classmates got me to help them in the end.

Laoshi is right. China grade 10 (actually not just some areas, it’s most areas) is ABRSM grade 8. And yes, limited scales/arpeggios, no aural, no sight reading AND no theory.

Several of my iphone user friends switched to other models because they often complained that iphone battery lasts under a day, even if they dimmed the phone’s screen brightness to really low. When we hang out, it’s always the iphone users who will go, "My phone batt is going to be flat already. Anyone got charger?" Or at the airports, I usually see iphone users hugging the walls.


Go to any handphone shops, the guys will tell you that iphone models have the most problems compared to any other models.

My hubby and I have used S2. It charges quickly, yet drains quickly as well.

He uses S3 now. He’s a light user. So at the end of the day, his phone battery stands around 70%.

I use S4 now. I’m a moderate user. At the end of the day, phone batt stands around 30%. I am trying out Redmi note at the same time, the phone batt lasts at least 1.5 to 2 days. This phone and the super old Nokia phones are the only phones that I don’t charge everyday.

But we noticed one thing: on days where we RECEIVE hundreds of messages from whatsapp group chats, it will drain the phone’s batt a little more. So incoming stuff does play a part too.

If you usually check emails or fb on your PC or laptop, then turn off the fb and email notifications on your hp. Check your emails or fb only when you are absolutely free or bored.

Amazon apps store has come to Singapore a few days ago. You can download them locally now.

kathyh:

Do your students still have lessons with you when they join NAFA?


You meant you once sat in the nafa lesson with your student? In fact, video recording for the lesson is encouraged there.

[/quote]

Yes, they had lessons with me when they were still in NAFA. One of the parents recorded almost every lesson, I got to watch them. I got to know the teacher's style/methods, what's taught & what's not being taught.

waiyean:

Hi, I have read the earlier posts on this thread few years back that the environment in NAFA is quite tough, teachers are strict and scolds the child even if they can play well. Also the focus is mainly on exam pieces. Has the situation changed now, or is it still the same? What's the current feedback from parents who have kids in their program?

I have had 2 students at NAFA. They have a few mutual opinions & different opinions as well since they are brought up differently.

The first one is talented, mature and tough. I encouraged her to apply for NAFA and she actually got in easily, beating many other higher grade students. She didn't like her first 2 teachers and requested for a change of teachers and finally got one who's suitable. She mentioned that for the first 2 teachers, lessons got really boring many times, over emphasis of techniques, and she felt that she was not gaining much until the third teacher. She's not easily affected by negative remarks, she said she just stared back at the teacher and smiled. She made it through to diploma. I saw her performed and she's technically better, but sight reading wise, still weak.

The second one is just a kid, quite emotional, but multi-talented. She kept repeating that she hates her teacher, because there was much scolding till she lost the passion to play and she often cries silently in class. She wants a change of teacher but unfortunately her parents think that her present teacher is the best in the world, & that made the kid hates the teacher even more. I was hired to help her find her passion back, and her playing was really expressionless at the beginning though her technique was good. I got to see how her teacher taught her. I gotta say that the teacher really emphasizes on technique a HUGE lot, but only on one piece for the entire lesson, nothing else, nothing on expressions either. I was getting bored after 15 mins into the lesson. Scales and arpeggios are left to the kid to learn on her own, so I had to be the one to teach her that. There was no other repertoire, they only focus on their exam/performance pieces for the whole year, thus the kid's sight reading is... really... baaaaaaaaad. Techniques taught to the kid is also different from I have learnt in the States, thus the kid's posture seemed very awkward to me.

So different kids will respond differently even under same environment, and it all depends on the kid and how you brought up your kid.