Q+A Ep 16 To Exam or Not to Exam Part 1
Show Notes
Are you thinking about piano exams and creative piano lessons for your students? This Q+A Episode and the next are MUST watch episodes for any piano teacher looking at exams. With brilliant panelists spread across part 1 & part 2. In this episode we heard from Sally Cathcart, Graham Fitch, Glory St Germain, Margaret Greig, Alison Mathews, Elise Russell, Erica Booker, and the composer who has pieces in just about every exam syllabus, Elissa Milne.
Ideas on the 4 Strategies to make Piano Exams work for you and your students.
- Choose your Exam Syllabus.
- Get creative in HOW you teach.
- Design your ideal piano student.
- Develop an individualised learning program for each student.
Overview: Episode 16 (To exam or not to exam Part 1)
Where you can find specific answers to your questions in this week's show. There were many deep dives into topics this week. (timings of the broadcast):
00:00 Welcome to: To Exam or Not to Exam.
0:2:50 Sally Cathcart shares the history of piano exams and piano lesson activities which stem from the UK
09:00 Practice Goals and Glory St Germain shares her views on making the exam experience fun and positive for children on teaching beginning piano
11:33 Paul Myatt shares his story of getting kids to practice scales and technical work for exams.
17:50 Graham Fitch speaks about well-rounded syllabi and students exploring skills that they may not have learned if they didn't do exams but also the danger of students getting stuck polishing 3-4 pieces a year.
20:41 Paul speaks to Margaret Greig about performance and ways of giving students performance practice.
23:47 Composer Alison Mathews shares why she likes Trinity College exams and a discussion ensues as to how to choose an exam syllabus.
26:38 Choosing an exam syllabus with an overview of ABRSM, AMEB, Trinity College, ANZCA & Royal Conservatory
31:53 Learning strategies for exploring a different way to teach for exams that develops chord playing, lead sheet playing, singing, accompanying, improvisation composition. Register your interest for the Piano Teaching Success Studio here.
41:34 US Teacher, Elise Russell shares her frustration with what was available and choose to create her own syllabus
44:24 Overview of the first 3 elements of your strategy for piano exams:
Choose your Exam Syllabus
Get creative in how you teach
Design your ideal piano studio
44:48 Erica Booker shares about her piano studio that really works for her and the learning triangle of parents, teachers & students.
48:54 Strategy #4: develop an individualised learning program for each student and how to incorporate this in the learning triangle of teacher, parent and student.
54:13 Elissa Milne shares her teaching experience of exams in the past and now in the 2020s.
