I wanted to share a few thoughts about piano exams.

I haven’t really pushed exams since I returned to teaching a few years ago. I have a
few students who do exams, and they do well because they are engaged with the
process.

Many years ago, exams were simply what everyone did. Students would prepare for
exam after exam each year, but this usually meant learning only a handful of exam
pieces, along with plenty of scales, arpeggios and technical work.

The current trend is to focus on repertoire so that students get a solid foundation at
each level before moving on in difficulty. This has the advantage of engaging students
with lots of pieces they enjoy and encouraging sightreading and thereby the skill of
reading music is solidified.

Having said that, I've been reflecting on the role exams can play in a student's musical
development. While I hold two concerts each year and students prepare four pieces per year
to their best standard, the more demanding level of preparation required for an exam
encourages a deeper level of learning and ultimately develops stronger musical
competence.

Most exams require at least three pieces (and sometimes as many as six), together
with technical work such as exercises, scales, arpeggios, sight-reading and other
musicianship skills. The expectations are higher, and students need to sustain
consistent effort over a longer period to have everything ready at the same time.

You may have noticed how wonderfully motivated students become when a concert is
approaching! The phenomenon can also happen when preparing for an exam!

I don't believe piano exams should be stressful or competitive. For some students, the
additional pressure simply isn't appropriate, and if the process becomes overwhelming,
then exams are not the right path. However, other students thrive on having a clear
goal and enjoy rising to the challenge. If you think your child might be one of those
students, I'd love to chat with you about whether exams might be a good fit.

Of course, preparing for exams does require extra commitment from both students
and their families. There is the exam entry fee which will usually be in the region of
$120-$160 for the first few levels. More practice at home, ongoing encouragement, and
additional lesson time become increasingly important. A 30-minute lesson is generally
sufficient (just!) for the Preliminary grade, but beyond that, students undertaking
exams will require a longer lesson. An increased financial commitment is required,
so it's something to consider carefully.

I would like to stress that the student needs to be 100% on board with the process. If
preparing for an exam is something that a student hates, there is no point to do the
preparation. And if the student is not able to find the time to put in consistent
practice, then again, it is not worth pursuing.

I have used the AMEB in the past for exams and will use them again. The disadvantage
with the AMEB is that you often have to take a punt that the student will be ready to
sit the exam because entries need to be in about 3 months before the exam.

However, there is another exam board I really like – the Australian Guild of Music and
Speech (AGMS) https://www.agms.edu.au/ They have been around for a long time, a bit
smaller than the AMEB, and have a commitment to including many Australian composers
in their repertoire. I find their repertoire to be very good and very engaging and will
use their repertoire whether students do exams or not.

The AGMS is very approachable and contactable. I have been able to have direct
contact with them for quite a few questions I have had over the past few months.

Another aspect I really like is their flexibility. You only enter for an exam when the
student is ready, and once the entry is submitted, the in person exam date is usually
scheduled for about a month later. If you prefer, there's also the option of an online
live exam, which will typically be scheduled about two weeks after entering, or a
recorded exam, which can usually be submitted just a few days after entry. This
flexibility allows us to choose the format and timing that best suits your child.

What I like about this approach is that it takes the pressure off both the student and
the teacher. The student needs to be motivated and be ready to sit the exam, and only
then do we enter for the exam. If that motivation isn't there, we simply wait. This
shifts the focus away from the exam itself and keeps it where it belongs—on learning,
making progress and enjoying playing the piano.

One thing to note about the technical work. This is what I find takes so much
time. I need to hear the technical work every week. If the student practices well, we
can fly through this and have more time for pieces. If the student is dragging, it is
obvious they don’t like this aspect of the preparation... and is cause to reconsider the
goal.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the repertoire approach. My repertoire-
focused program, together with two concerts each year, keeps students engaged,
developing well, and—most importantly—enjoying their piano playing. But if you feel
your child would relish the challenge of working towards an exam, please let me know.
We can discuss what's involved, and you can decide whether it's the right pathway for
your family.

I am pleased to say that the 40 piece challenge has been taken up with gusto by the students. But, just because the younger students seem to be zooming ahead, the more advanced students get more points when they finish a piece. So, the full story won't be known until later!

The holidays are just about halfway through already. Doesn't time go quickly. I am in planning mode for the upcoming year. We will have two studio challenges this year.

There will be a Notes challenge in May. The Notes challenge last year was very successful, and we will have another one this year. It will run for 4 weeks in May and will be a different format to last year, probably digitally based. Who doesn't love a computer game??

The other challenge will be based on the 40 piece practice challenge and will run all year until the concert in November. There will be lots of incentives along the way so I'm sure we'll have lots of fun with this too.

This term students have been having fun with the jelly bean practice challenge. The more you practice, the more jelly beans you build up in your jar. Only 2 and a bit weeks to go till the end of year recital and the jelly bean jars can be taken home.

I have some information on the site regarding digital pianos. I recently went around a few stores and tried quite a few digital pianos. I have put together a summary of what I think is a good basic overview of some entry level digital pianos. Let me know if you'd like me to email you a PDF.

We had a very successful recital a couple of weeks ago. I was amazed at how well the students played. What was the best though, was that students were really relaxed and happy to play. We have very informal recitals and the students and guests provide a great environment. Thanks to all students for your hard work, to the parents for providing the encouragement. Not as much would happen without the wonderful input of the parents. Of course, the adult students are also very self motivated, but I did notice that the adults were quite nervous!! 

Our first recital for the year is almost here. All students are looking forward to it and putting in some extra practice! 

​A very common question that parents ask is what age should my child start learning piano? 
​
There is much discussion amongst teachers about this topic. Some like to start children very young – 3 or 4 years old. Others say 5 or 6 years old. And others say not before 7 or 8. Who is correct? Well, there is not one right answer. Everything comes back to the child. So, I’ll try and give a summary of what teachers say.

Age 3-4
Some teachers start teaching piano to children who are 3-4.
There is necessarily a lot of focus on musical appreciation, musical activities and musical games. These might include moving in time to the music, using hands and feet in time with the music, tapping the beat with a percussive instrument, singing, learning some basic pieces from memory. Students can learn finger numbers, piano alphabets and finding the keys.
These activities are often undertaken in a class group of 3-4 students. Parent involvement is a must in that they need to attend the class/lesson, and parents need to spend time at home going over what has been done in class.
Some main drawbacks of formal piano lessons at this age are: development of hand dexterity will limit what can be played comfortably; hand strength and co-ordination are not usually adequate; the length of attention span is often short, but this can vary a lot between children; inability to read, which can also vary between children.

Age 5-6
A lot more teachers are happy to start teaching piano to children in this age range. 6 is often more preferred than 5. Musical activities can take up more of individual lesson time than formal learning because attention span can still be limited, and the size of the hand and hand dexterity can limit what can be played.
By this age students have usually developed a basic understanding of reading and counting. Some 5 years olds can learn to read music before learning to read words.
Students will still need a lot of parental involvement. It is very important for parents to attend lessons and to actively supervise practice at home.

Age 7-8
This is the preferred age for piano lessons to start for many teachers. Hands are bigger and dexterity is developing.
By this age, students are usually reading well, basic maths is understood, the difference between right and left is known, and homework tasks are usually managed well. Concentration ability has increased.
Ideally, parental involvement will still supervise practice at home, and make sure the student is practicing what is required. Some students really benefit from this help at home. It is good if the parent sits in on the lesson at least once a term to know how to help the student.
 
Age 9-11
This is also a great age to start learning piano. These students generally progress quickly. 

Summary
7 to 8 is a good age to start lessons. 5 and 6 year olds should display a high level of interest. Ideally, a parent would sit in on lessons and, be able to facilitate a high level of supervision at home during the week.

Many parents prefer to hold their children back from school, and send them when they have turned 6, rather than 5. Many of these arguments will also apply to learning piano. If a child is advanced in musical ability, it does not necessarily correlate to the ability to practice with the attention to detail to obtain the skills and technique required for a higher level of piano.

A recital will be held at the end of term 2. Stay tuned for the date.

Term 2 of 2024 is starting next week, beginning Monday 15th April. It's a long term of 11 weeks, making up for the short 9 week first term of the year.