Countdown to piano exam

21 days to the first AMEB exam in the Tan household.

Of course, The One Sitting The Exam is not biting her nails about it. That would be me, the classically trained parent with the ATCL who is probably guilty of reliving her own exam stresses through her hapless child.

I don't know if all 8 yos are like TOSTE - is it a case of blissful ignorance or just "simply bo chap" (can't be bothered)?

I keep telling her she should be putting in one hour a day to get a really good grade (a Distinction would be nice). But she just sails through her scales and list pieces once or twice and considers her daily practice done. She simply hasn't got any competitive spirit in her. Or maybe she has yet to locate it...

Today, we flicked through the AMEB site together and discovered, to my horror, that there are aural tests involved. Even at Grade One.

I don't recall TOSTE's teacher mentioning aural tests during lessons. Perhaps she feels that Yamaha keyboard students are more than adequately prepared to be tested on their aural abilities, any time.

I am quite worried about TOSTE's sight reading.

She still struggles to read notes. It's not that she can't work them out. It's like Math. Most kids get the answers eventually, but the really good ones are those who can produce the right answers consistently and within set time limits.

While it wouldn't be entirely fair to lay the responsibility at Yamaha's doorstep, it must be noted that the emphasis in the Y philosophy is definitely not on note reading. At least not in the first two (and to my Asian mind, most crucial) years of learning. They seem to think it's more important that the child develops their listening ability and enjoys experiencing the music, as opposed to the classical (my!) regime where you are required to read notes from day one.