I’ve just returned from my second trip to the Far East this year. I love these adventures to far-flung exotic destinations and I feel it a privilege to travel for my work. Despite having worked in Singapore and Hong Kong on numerous occasions, I hadn’t visited since just before the pandemic in 2019. One of…
Tag: RockSchool
10 Tips for Piano Exam Success
I’m excited to have been invited to be an Honorary Master Teacher at the Tom Lee Academy in Hong Kong, and I’m looking forward to visiting the academy every year to work specifically with piano teachers. My first blog post for the Tom Lee website focuses on piano exams. This perennially popular subject is suitably…
10 Top Tips To Pass Your Piano Exam
As the new term gets underway, many will be preparing for music exams at the end of the year. The aim of this post is to provide a few extra pointers and ideas for last-minute preparations Once the pieces have been learned, scales, arpeggios and technical work is all in place, how can students feel…
Why is Grade 5 Theory important?
In this post I examine the importance of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music’s Grade 5 theory exam. The Grade 5 theory exam is significant to pupils because once a Grade 5 instrumental practical exam has been achieved it’s not possible to take a further graded instrumental exam until you have passed…
Do music examiners account for nerves?
Most feel anxiety before an exam. It really doesn’t matter what type of test is being taken, it’s just the fear of being scrutinized. Some students deal with nerves better than others and the most effective way to cope is to be very well prepared. I’ve already written about performance anxiety several times on my…
Piano exam success: 9 key points
I examined for the ABRSM (The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) for 5 years both in the UK and abroad, and I’ve compiled the following list of important points to remember when preparing for your music exam. 1. Preparation is the key to success. You have a very short time to make…