Is it time to stop piano?

[Anonymous]

Still would appreciate names of Levine teachers who would be good with an intermediate level kid who isn't going to turn to competitions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She is enjoying this and practicing. That's what you want. If this teacher has grand plans that won't be achieved, find a different one who understands music as a lifelong hobby.

+ 1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is 10, and has been playing for a few years. She likes lessons and for the most part practice has not been a struggle. What I've realized this year now that she is more intermediate is that she isn't playing musically. Her teacher is trying to teach her how to shape the phrases and play with expression, but it is a real struggle for her. She tends to play mechanically (and gets all the right notes etc.) Her teacher also mentioned that progress has been slow recently because of this. Has anyone else experienced this and how did it play out? Can a child grow into real musicality? Time is precious for all of us and if she isn't going to get past the mechanical playing, then perhaps it is time to stop and enjoy music in other ways. I'd love to hear from you if you have experience with this.

Time is precious, and therefore should be spent doing things we enjoy. If your daughter is enjoying the piano, please don't take it away from her because she's "not good enough." Think about the message that would send to her.

Amen!

Truer words were never spoken.

OP, think about the message that taking away the piano would give, indeed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Still would appreciate names of Levine teachers who would be good with an intermediate level kid who isn't going to turn to competitions.

Not sure they exist although would be happy to hear if they do!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still would appreciate names of Levine teachers who would be good with an intermediate level kid who isn't going to turn to competitions.

Not sure they exist although would be happy to hear if they do!

They must exist!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Levine's piano department is not very friendly towards kids (or parents) who just want to play and aren't likely to become competitors. That said it is a good curriculum and I would just not worry about what the teachers think. they can be quite unsupportive of kids they don't think are "serious" but that doesn't mean your child still can't benefit from taking lessons there.

Not sure what you mean by this. In what sense are they unsupportive? DD has been taking lessons at Levine for a years and is by no means "serious," but our experience has been good.

[Anonymous]

Levine lost me at hello. We were in a situation where DC would be using a weighted digital piano for a few months, and they would not even consider him. It came off as being very snobby.

[Anonymous]

OP I do think your child has a practice problem based on the studio at the intermediate level as most competitive kids I would guess are practicing at least 1 hour per day. My 8 year old son is in level 2B Faber and he practices a minimum of one hour and many days closer to 2 hours per day. We are at a home studio with a teacher with credentials from a top music school. I like this,because she can push my child to his abilities but she's not a teacher who has kids who are involved in a million competitions so she can go at his speed. If your child reached intermediate with only 25 to 45 minutes per day then she's doing great but if she doesn't put more effort in she'll be continually frustrated if she's comparing herself against others at a high pressure music school. As long as your daughter enjoys piano, I wouldn't worry about that comment from the teacher.

[Anonymous]

OP here. My child is at Level 3 at Levine. Should she really be practicing 1-2 hours per day? PP, how does your 8 year old find time for that after school? We have homework daily that can take 15 minutes - 1 hour. Piano, dinner, bath, bed by 8:15. My kids enjoy dinners and do take their time with that and they can lollygag in the shower. But what do we cut out. Here is what a typical afternoon looks like.

3:45-4: arrive home, unpack, wash up.
4-4:45: snack and homework. Sometimes this can go on until 5:15.
4:45-5:30: piano
5:30-6: shower
6-7: dinner
7-8: brush teeth, read
8:15 lights out

To get more time in for piano, we'd need to cut out some dinner togetherness or some reading. We also can't make this schedule work on afternoons where a friend comes over. And I still think that that should happen. How does your 8 year old get 1-2 hours of practice in? I am genuinely interested not being snarky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP I do think your child has a practice problem based on the studio at the intermediate level as most competitive kids I would guess are practicing at least 1 hour per day. My 8 year old son is in level 2B Faber and he practices a minimum of one hour and many days closer to 2 hours per day. We are at a home studio with a teacher with credentials from a top music school. I like this,because she can push my child to his abilities but she's not a teacher who has kids who are involved in a million competitions so she can go at his speed. If your child reached intermediate with only 25 to 45 minutes per day then she's doing great but if she doesn't put more effort in she'll be continually frustrated if she's comparing herself against others at a high pressure music school. As long as your daughter enjoys piano, I wouldn't worry about that comment from the teacher.

Would you share the name of your teacher?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep it coming! OP here. DD can shape her phrases but it takes a lot of work on the part of the teacher for this to happen. She can execute quite nicely once she learns what to do with every phrase in a piece. But it does not translate to the next piece at all. And it does come intuitively to her.

Great!~

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. My child is at Level 3 at Levine. Should she really be practicing 1-2 hours per day? PP, how does your 8 year old find time for that after school? We have homework daily that can take 15 minutes - 1 hour. Piano, dinner, bath, bed by 8:15. My kids enjoy dinners and do take their time with that and they can lollygag in the shower. But what do we cut out. Here is what a typical afternoon looks like.

3:45-4: arrive home, unpack, wash up.
4-4:45: snack and homework. Sometimes this can go on until 5:15.
4:45-5:30: piano
5:30-6: shower
6-7: dinner
7-8: brush teeth, read
8:15 lights out

To get more time in for piano, we'd need to cut out some dinner togetherness or some reading. We also can't make this schedule work on afternoons where a friend comes over. And I still think that that should happen. How does your 8 year old get 1-2 hours of practice in? I am genuinely interested not being snarky.

Not the PP but that is too much time practicing. You should be doing 45 mins tops by age 12 so at age 8, unless you're genuinely a prodigy you should be doing 30 mins tops.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. My child is at Level 3 at Levine. Should she really be practicing 1-2 hours per day? PP, how does your 8 year old find time for that after school? We have homework daily that can take 15 minutes - 1 hour. Piano, dinner, bath, bed by 8:15. My kids enjoy dinners and do take their time with that and they can lollygag in the shower. But what do we cut out. Here is what a typical afternoon looks like.

3:45-4: arrive home, unpack, wash up.
4-4:45: snack and homework. Sometimes this can go on until 5:15.
4:45-5:30: piano
5:30-6: shower
6-7: dinner
7-8: brush teeth, read
8:15 lights out

To get more time in for piano, we'd need to cut out some dinner togetherness or some reading. We also can't make this schedule work on afternoons where a friend comes over. And I still think that that should happen. How does your 8 year old get 1-2 hours of practice in? I am genuinely interested not being snarky.

Not the PP but that is too much time practicing. You should be doing 45 mins tops by age 12 so at age 8, unless you're genuinely a prodigy you should be doing 30 mins tops.

I completely agree. Practising for 1-2 hours is insane for an 8-year old. My DD is almost nine, she plays piano at a very high standard for her age, she takes exams and takes part in competitions. Her teacher is a graduate of one of the most prestigious conservatoires in the world and has 35 years of teaching experience. In the beginning, when DD was six, the teacher told me that the most efficient way to practise is play for 15 minutes, take a real break, then play for another 15 min. Now that DD is older we practise for 45 minutes with a break after the first 25 min. Practice is about quality, not quantity. You can accomplish a lot with short, efficient practice sessions.

[Anonymous]

All I'm saying PP and OP is that the teacher who made the comment is probably comparing OP's daughter against kids who are practicing way more than her DD. I agree that focus practice is more important than quantity but I would imagine that top students have focused practice more than that and that this teacher is comparing OP's child against these children which is unfair. I think it is incredibly demoralizing and insulting to tell a child that young that she's unmusical. You need to find a teacher that will work with her given her schedule and your daughter's goals. Also I think finding an at home teacher would be better as she could develop a long term relationship. I would prefer not to recommend my child's teacher over an anonymous forum for privacy reasons but,there are many resources to find quality teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. My child is at Level 3 at Levine. Should she really be practicing 1-2 hours per day? PP, how does your 8 year old find time for that after school? We have homework daily that can take 15 minutes - 1 hour. Piano, dinner, bath, bed by 8:15. My kids enjoy dinners and do take their time with that and they can lollygag in the shower. But what do we cut out. Here is what a typical afternoon looks like.

3:45-4: arrive home, unpack, wash up.
4-4:45: snack and homework. Sometimes this can go on until 5:15.
4:45-5:30: piano
5:30-6: shower
6-7: dinner
7-8: brush teeth, read
8:15 lights out

To get more time in for piano, we'd need to cut out some dinner togetherness or some reading. We also can't make this schedule work on afternoons where a friend comes over. And I still think that that should happen. How does your 8 year old get 1-2 hours of practice in? I am genuinely interested not being snarky.

Not the PP but that is too much time practicing. You should be doing 45 mins tops by age 12 so at age 8, unless you're genuinely a prodigy you should be doing 30 mins tops.

I completely agree. Practising for 1-2 hours is insane for an 8-year old. My DD is almost nine, she plays piano at a very high standard for her age, she takes exams and takes part in competitions. Her teacher is a graduate of one of the most prestigious conservatoires in the world and has 35 years of teaching experience. In the beginning, when DD was six, the teacher told me that the most efficient way to practise is play for 15 minutes, take a real break, then play for another 15 min. Now that DD is older we practise for 45 minutes with a break after the first 25 min. Practice is about quality, not quantity. You can accomplish a lot with short, efficient practice sessions.

Thank you for this view. Would you share your teacher's name?