Magdalene Low
Piano Lessons in Singapore HP 9826 6274
Grade 2 piece by student Natalie ~ Inter-City Stomp
(Click on the header to play the video)
Grade 2 piece by student Natalie ~ Angelfish
(Click on the header to play the video)
Grade 2 piece by student Natalie ~ O Waly Waly
(Click on the header to play the video)
Grade 2 piece by student Natalie ~ Ecossaise in G
(Click on the header to play the video)
Grade 6 piece by student Shahfiq ~ Serenade sur l’eau
(Click on the header to play the video)
Grade 6 piece by student Shahfiq ~ Eight Maids a-milking
(Click on the header to play the video)
My experience with Performance Grade exams
I first submitted a Performance Grade exam on January 21, 2021. The results of the 5 candidates who have taken and cleared their exams thus far are:
- Syafeeqa Binte Imran, Grade 3 ~ 140 / 150 (Distinction)
- Tan Yu Li Ella, Grade 3 ~ 123 / 150 (Merit)
- Maher Ketul Kamdar, Grade 5 ~ 116 / 150 (Pass)
- Akshatha Giridhar, Grade 6 ~ 113 / 150 (Pass)
- Nandita Parakkuth, Grade 5 ~ 112 / 150 (Pass)
After experiencing 5 rounds of video recording and submission, I must say that the sense of satisfaction that I derive out of the Performance Grade exam mode is much greater than the traditional exam center mode. Under the face-to-face mode, there was no way for me to know exactly where the students had lost marks. Granted, mark forms would be issued by the examiner giving feedback on each exam segment, but those feedback are rather broad-based, so I would not know how EXACTLY the students had performed during the exam session. Did their nerves get the better of them? Did they manage to control the tone and dynamics of the pieces on an unfamiliar piano? How exactly did the pieces sound in that exam room? Was the less than expected performance due to the teacher’s (i.e. my) mis-interpretation of the pieces, or did the students fail to deliver the pieces the way I taught them? With the Performance Grade mode, all these doubts are removed. I would be with the students every step of the way….from Day 1 when they start learning the notes of the pieces, to getting the whole piece together, to fine-tuning the dynamics of the pieces, to putting all 4 pieces together, to finally recording the performance. In fact, the part that I enjoy the most is the recording process. I get to hear how the pieces sound, and I can get the students to change and adjust the dynamics, tempo, etc depending on what I hear. And with every attempt at getting a better recording, I see with my own eyes the students gaining confidence at the piano, and hear with my own ears the pieces coming together as a complete recital program. The version of the recording submitted would be the one that both the students and I feel are THE ONE, and that usually translates to the BEST performance I have ever heard from the students. It is also at this point in time that I feel encouraged at how much the students have accomplished from Day 1. With the results that come, I can also analyse how the different levels of playing translate into marks. Thus far, I have been fairly accurate in my predictions of the result category (Pass, Merit, Distiction) of the videos submitted. The marks are as much a testament of the students’ achievement as well as mine as a teacher.
To sum it all up, I am much more confident of helping students achieve the results that speak to their abilities and efforts in the Performance Grade exams. So do I love the Performance Grade mode of exams? The answer has to be a resounding YES!!
Some cool piano riffs I have picked up during the circuit breaker
These are some of the cool piano riffs that I have picked up during the circuit breaker.
Note: Riffs are short musical patterns that are repetitive and form the foundation of songs. Used extensively by pop acts such as Ed Sheeran and Coldplay. The beauty of riffs? Strong patterns that can be easily remembered, can be learnt without having to refer to musical scores, and most importantly, sound AWESOME!!
To get your scales right, see them in your mind first
By the time students get to Grade 5, they will have to memorise 24 scales in total. With so many keys, how do we increase the rate of accuracy in executing the various keys? As the lyrics in a song goes, “If I can see it, then I can do it”. One technique that I espouse is to “see” the scale in your mind by tracing the pathway along one octave, up and down, before actually pressing down the keys. This is much better than plunging headlong into the scale unpreparedly. Remember, if you can “see” the scale, then you can “do” the scale, Have fun with your scale practice!!
Why video-ing practice sessions helps
For about 1 year now I have been asking my students to video their practice sessions for me to check when I next see them. I am happy to say that students who diligently do so have been steadily improving. Whilst my initial rationale was as simple as ensuring (and having proof) that students do indeed practise, I realize that there are other benefits to recording:
1. As lesson duration is only around 45 mins to an hour, there is a limit to the areas I can focus on. By looking at their recorded practice sessions, however, I can identify the problem areas that students most frequently encounter during their own practices (students usually play differently on their own without teachers at their side to prompt them), so that I utilize the lesson time more productively to target those areas.
2. It makes students less self-conscious when playing in front of other people.
I remember that when I was learning the piano, I used to tell my teacher that I could execute the pieces and scales better during my own practices than with her during lessons. I believe this is the same experience of most students as well. I guess we humans are always self-conscious when other people are around. That’s why most of us are pretty good “bathroom singers” ……we can sing well in our own bathrooms, but not in front of other people. Recording is to a certain degree similar to playing in front of other people …..we get self-conscious as we know that every of our move is being recorded and captured. Once students are used to recording, however, they will automatically get into the zone of concentrating on their playing without paying undue attention to their surroundings. This will go a long way in helping them to cope with exam stress. Whilst the fear and stress of playing in front of an examiner (who holds the key to passing or failing you) can never be totally eliminated, I believe that recording will help students build some resilience to that stress, and hopefully help them in their confidence and steadiness on the exam day. Not to mention too that confident students are able and willing to play in front of family and friends.
Magdalene Low 