It has been a busy start to the year with many students preparing to sit AMEB Practical Exams in the Semester 1 sessions - congratulations to those who have already completed them with fantastic results!
There will be an end semester concert on June 18 (see details below) which will be a fun opportunity to share the achievements of this semester in a less formal setting - please RSVP by June 3rd with payment to participate.
The end semester concerts are also coming up the Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - many are free events - and cover a wide range of ensembles including Early music (choral and instrumental), Guitar, World Music and Percussion. A Wind Symphony day including some of Victoria's finest secondary schools is being held May 27 at the Recital Centre - free booking here.
There will be an end semester concert on June 18 (see details below) which will be a fun opportunity to share the achievements of this semester in a less formal setting - please RSVP by June 3rd with payment to participate.
The end semester concerts are also coming up the Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - many are free events - and cover a wide range of ensembles including Early music (choral and instrumental), Guitar, World Music and Percussion. A Wind Symphony day including some of Victoria's finest secondary schools is being held May 27 at the Recital Centre - free booking here.
| CONCERT NEWS: The end-semester concert will be held on Sunday June 18 at 4pm at the Kew East Uniting Church, 142 Normanby Rd Kew East (there is ample street parking). If you would like to play 1-2 favourite pieces of your choice, please RSVP with the $10 participation fee and the names of your favourite pieces by Saturday June 3. | AMEB CORNER: I am pleased to report the following students successfully passed their exams with great results! Congratulations to all involved. Alexandra - Grade 6 Traditional (B) Maella – Grade 6 Leisure (B+) Jack - Grade 4 Traditional (A) Ithara - Grade 4 Leisure (A) Ashnela - Grade 3 Leisure (B+) Ethan - Grade 3 Leisure (B+) Dylan - Grade 2 Leisure (A) Kashi - Grade 2 Leisure (A) |
30 PIECE CHALLENGE
As we are mid-way through term 2 it is time to check in with your chart and see if you are on the way to meeting the minimum 10 pieces by end Semester 1 goal! If you have been busy working on exam pieces and are not yet close to 10 new pieces that you started this year, pick out some favourite pop or movie tunes, pieces a couple of grades below your current AMEB grade, or ask me about some easy duets.. Remember that learning a variety of musical styles is where the enjoyment (and progress) in studying music happens!
OLD BOOKS
If you would like to move on old piano books that you are no longer using, other families may be interested to purchase them second-hand for a discounted price. I am happy to advertise books in the newsletter or put you in touch with a student requiring that book directly.
As we are mid-way through term 2 it is time to check in with your chart and see if you are on the way to meeting the minimum 10 pieces by end Semester 1 goal! If you have been busy working on exam pieces and are not yet close to 10 new pieces that you started this year, pick out some favourite pop or movie tunes, pieces a couple of grades below your current AMEB grade, or ask me about some easy duets.. Remember that learning a variety of musical styles is where the enjoyment (and progress) in studying music happens!
OLD BOOKS
If you would like to move on old piano books that you are no longer using, other families may be interested to purchase them second-hand for a discounted price. I am happy to advertise books in the newsletter or put you in touch with a student requiring that book directly.
| RACHAEL’S NOTES With many students enrolling yearly for exams I thought it would be a good idea to re-visit the purpose of these as part of overall music tuition. Exams can provide useful external feedback as to how students are going across a range of musical areas (technical development of scales and posture at the piano; playing of repertoire pieces with increasing technical challenges, and including overall musicality and expression; sight-reading; aural skills; and general knowledge of music related to the composition and theoretical aspects of pieces played). However, I strongly feel that exams should only be secondary to the goals of learning music. After all, the point of learning is firstly to ENJOY music! And also to develop a range of musical skills through learning and understanding a wide variety of pieces/musical styles, which is underpinned by theoretical knowledge, and a secure technique. | It can be easy to get bogged down with perfecting the three pieces chosen to present at exams. However, if other pieces aren't also learnt during the preparation for exams, the overall goal of learning music is hindered. Without regularly working on new material, students are not working on reading new notes and developing knowledge of, and the ability to master, new skills/styles. And of course, they are probably not enjoying the endless repetition of those 3 pieces! I have created a cycle (below) that I feel sums up how learning music works: regular Practice (meaning minimum 5 days a week!) leads to Achievement of skills; providing the Progress that then Motivates you to Practice more! And so on.. This being so, for those who wish to sit exams, a commitment to thorough preparation of all areas is required in order to attain a good result - so be sure to include scale practice, sight-reading, theory, and listening to professional recordings as part of your daily music practice! |
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