Covid 19 ( Apr - Jun 2020)

A global pandemic thrown many people off since the beginning of 2020.

While some students began staggered classes in school before Singapore announced Circuit Breaker which home based learning and work from home made compulsory, I had the opportunity to go ahead with trial class online. 

Towards the last week of March, most students were having online piano lessons. 

The initial communication app was Zoom. After a few weeks, we have included FaceTime and WhatsApp video chat. Though FaceTime is very clear, Zoom allows showing students YouTube and notes on a whiteboard .

While not having the best acoustic teaching online, lessons focused on broadening repertoires, music theory knowledge and learning scales. To encourage students for making their best effort to be engaged during lesson, each had received a certification noting for their good performance during lessons.

Looking forward, online lesson could stay for students who do not wish to travel. Yet face to face lesson would be ideal unless studio is equipped with professional sound equipment for the best acoustic sounds to be broadcast over the web.

Student's Learning Plan

At the end of June, I drew up a lesson format for every students. Important areas to cover are listed in a column. With this format, I make a consious effforts to include them in the lesson. It also allows me to do a thorough review and improve on it for the next quarter. Though it is not easy to balance an interesting and effective lesson, but with planning, it is so much more possible.

Can't stop the Beat

A new jazz duet explores and well liked by many. Good to use this and sing melody as aural training . Just can't stop the beat .

My life as a piano teacher

I am a very blessed piano teacher. Quite nice parents, not too difficult students .

As I broaden my repertoire, there are some work to be done.

I believe in working with what is in my hands at the moment.

Draw out plan for each individual students, launch stickers gift redemption scheme , final year recital , fees revision ..... The rest will follow up later.

Discipline , time management and focus to get all these done by the end of this year.
Group baby musician class must be planned and carry out soon

Saturday... 16th July

This student 's grade 3 practical examination is around the corner. However we have yet learn the third piece . She is putting more efforts after I start to tighten all reins but I really dislike it this way. This is her second examination and she usually carelessly learn and play her piano until I get mad. However she done not want to stop lessons. Hope I can do whatever I can to help her pass this examinations.

The next student is taking his grade 4 practical exams. He is a huge contrast. He really put in efforts and he could reach where he is right now in 2 years. The only concern which I am working on with him is his shut reading and aural which previously I fail to see the importance and failed to include in every lesson till nearing examinations.

The third student is not taking examinations this year. We have lots of time to work through scales fingerings, cantabile technique and various elements for repertoire . The downside is the lack of motivation. Learning takes place slower as there is no dateline to meet

A rewarding second lesson

This week speed by so swiftly...

There is a student that motivates me much this week.
An adult student whom just had two lessons.

This week I introduced her to a piano method book. I was sharing with her that I planned to teach her some familiar tunes like Bach's Minuet in G. I played the melody and she started to learn that piece observing my fingers on the piano. And that was how the lesson began.

She managed to play 4 bars with LH accompaniment of block chords. She even went home to search on YouTube .

Many musiciAns play by ear. Teachers should at times play by ear. Whatever lesson plan was done, teachers can teach according to Student's interest.

That lesson went on to some history on baroque, note values, time signature, key signature and even patterns. It was a rewarding lesson.

Quite a successful simultaneous learning

Prior to this lesson with a 7 year old beginner (boy), I do not have a weekly lesson plan. However the long term plan was to follow the Piano Adventure 2A and achieve what was already in the book.

When he arrived, we were discussing what he had learnt from the performance he put up at the June Concert which happened a week ago.

Glancing through the next piece in the book, I got him to locate and play all the five keys of G position which he was not very sure yet. After that we make up some music in that position. Initially with nothing in mind and he went up and down the five keys. Subsequently, some ideas were incorporated into the improvisation which include- bouncing basketball, high jump , hopping rabbit, happy song etc ... Well done ! We have convered quite a lot , from learning G position to improvisation . I know this student learns a little slower in a new piece, trying to read all that is in the page and struggling to put things together. I think now he can play lots of songs that he is going to make up .

Next we proceed to placing magnets note on the grand staff magnetic board. I get thim to do it and I will guide him to find the right line or space when needed.

Now, he was ready to play the piece. Right hand first always, especially for this boy. So right hand went playing the melody but with quite a few corrections needed. I just feel that was not good enough.

We stopped playing. Instead I proposed that he tells me if he can find the notes in bar one on the treble staff appearing elsewhere. He spotted it in the second bar, and twice consecutively on a phrase in the second page as well. Seems things are improving.

Then miracles happen. He play the first phrase melody on the right hand again and this time he can play the melody without as many mistakes as compared to the first time. Actually he played well.
At the end of the lesson, we managed to focus on the the first phrase to be played by both hands , that means two phrases as the phrase reappears in the second part of the music.

Lesson was well paced- not congested with activities and music elements . However it was a great lesson as student get to really understand each element well, achieved progress and an interesting homework which will include playing new improvised music everyday.