Month: August 2015

Horrible experience going for ABRSM exam grade 4 piano for the first time in music practical exam.

This horrible experience is not due to bad examiner assigned by ABRSM or venue. It just that the preparation done was not enough from my previous teacher. She teach me about five months, a few times lesson schedule was change or she sick. She come in 25 Jan 2015 Sun first lessons and end on the 19th lessons in 05 July Sun. So average per month we have 3 lessons on sun as some weeks she go holiday, I sick, she sick, our first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew funeral ceremony for Singapore. So no make up was done on the same week like in weekday evening or weekend skip to next week instead as she is full of student to teach. She is indeed horrible and irresponsible teacher.

During the first lessons, I show her one exam pieces was ready and the next much harder done halfway plus a simple piece chosen make up to three exam pieces plus some scales done. So at the end of first lessons she said this is old pieces which I practice which this year is the last year can be used for exam. So she recommend for exam and I agreed as previous post below what I written. I was pretty struck in my lessons after a few months do not know what to do so end up stopping lessons revise on my own as they are pretty much to cover and prepare as she did not did it mostly sometimes she chat with me during lessons.

I do not know should I go for grade 5 exam to waste money in a year or two from now or wait until a few years at 40 years old take grade 8 if possible? Right now my current teacher is giving me grade one pieces to teach me to sight read well before playing it. Scales maybe fix later. She saw me playing grade 4 exam pieces and scales and sight reading but very disappointed wish me the best for the exam as she shared with me she go grade 3 exam also failed even taught by her teacher. Not so much covering done for grade 4 exam during a month with her before exam as my previous teacher said after I left the exam room today to tell her how my exam doing that she should be covering me grade 4 exam all the way. I did not explain to her why she did not do it and she wish me the best then I left the exam venue.

Before me, there is a grade 8 student a young lady in secondary school. She told to counter after come out of exam room that she practice no problem at home but come to exam room she forgotten most of it like most of it is eaten up not doing well feeling anxious inside. After me there is a very young boy doing grade 2 come with her mum, he seems do not know what songs to do as her mum taken up the exam book and asked him. Then my previous teacher come in to music school and his mum complaint why examiner take mc no backup or relief examiner. I thinking if she want to complaint do it after exam as now focus exam as money paid and effort time is put in. My previous teacher is asking me how am I preparing, I said I practice little and yesterday night prepare aural much before I enter into exam room to start my exam. After my exam I also told about her grade 8 student having difficulty and she said she is just a Malaysian being too hard on herself to me do not know is this real or not.

Just finish my ABRSM grade 4 piano exam but end up in failing likely for my first time taking music practical exam.

I had not been practicing much before exam. In end of January 2015 where a switch piano teacher in her first lessons we agreed to have exam in grade 4 about 6 month times and grade 5 next year. So she said grade 4 exam need to register soon about next week as the deadline is near.

Beginning of last month I intended to stop her lesson a while and maybe revise on my own, so see her the 4th lesson in mid of last month to discuss with her what are we going to do moving forward to the exam as the schedule is not out yet should we stop in 4th lessons or given a month of notice so that once the schedule is out we are just in time for exam and having a break after that as schedule should be out soon one month before the exam.

She taken that I want to stop lessons already immediately no need to come as on Saturday I send her a message that effectively tomorrow I may want to stop lessons want to discuss about it. Sunday afternoon is my regular piano lessons with her on 1.30pm. So she message me back said I can stop lessons anytime I want. I did not reply her back then. On Sunday 1.30pm, she message me again that what is my decision. I replied is she coming my house for lessons soon as this is the time normally we have lessons message come in right at the dot. So she message me to stop lessons. I replied her next time could she let me know earlier to stop lessons. So I decided to forgo S$50 for one lessons as I paid her every 4 lessons during the first lessons. She ask me for my bank account number so she refund me S$50, I replied my bank account number and she use ATM to do fund transfer. She message me again should I continue lessons with her once exam is over, I replied that I need to think about it told her to give up my time slot to other student instead now. She replied that she will kept her word to reserve the timeslot as after exam in beginning September I need to let her know if I continue lessons with her as the timeslot is taken away if not confirm.

So Monday mid of last month I approach music agent to recommend me piano teachers, so shortly in evening she message me after piano exam please find other piano teachers. I replied why. She said she knows from a piano agent that I looking for piano teachers, so she reckon I found piano teachers already. I told her I have not find piano teachers yet and said she is a horrible piano teacher and irresponsible too. I message also might as well no need to go exam and just wasted S$260 better. She encourage me to go for exam. Tomorrow she refund me S$260, replied this money just take it from her as encouragement to go exam. I replied to her this is simply crazy. She replied about Last Sunday she is having fever so last min cannot come my house for lessons. This money is simply out of her own pocket money not direct refund from ABRSM representative office. Tomorrow she message me that she called ABRSM representative office that send via to her e-mail in 22 July 2015 to know the exam date time and venue.

Later end of last month the exam schedule is out.  Exam date is Thursday 20 Aug 2015 10.42am near my house. On the exam day I took half day leave from work in the morning I receive her message that examiner is sick do not come for exam, later on she message make up is done same place same time in Sun 30 Aug 2015 so I no need to take leave from work as I wasted my leave already.

On the exam days, most scales I anyhow play so wrongly in many notes due to I learn the scale front to back the whole book in sequence. I already know my weakness that once they just randomly select scale ask me to play from my heart I couldn’t play well proper enough at least for many. Songs A part as I done video recording previously about 3 months could not play more than half skipping a lot of it as I cannot repeat. Song B no problem as I done video recording previously one year ago and in my youtube channel and this blog I improve as recorded three times before. Song C which today just record is a easy song, a bit of notes played wrongly 2 to 3 of them. Sight reading many notes almost all notes played wrongly and no rhythm. Aural manage to clap and sing well as it is easy, except the three question like is the notes play smooth or detach, characteristic of the music and the timing 2,3 or 4 I think can be at least two or all questions are wrong. Then I left the exam room and spoken to my teacher sitting outside explain to her how is the exam.