WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE TO PIANO EXAMS?
The exam system aims to provide an objective assessment of standard and performance. So, to some extent, exams say something not only about the pupil’s progress but also about the tuition s/he is receiving. But they do not provide a complete curriculum. You will not learn to play an instrument by working through grade exams year in year out with little attention to the larger world of music out there. Come the end of exams and it really will be the end! We believe that music, and the deeper involvement in music that playing an instrument gives, is for life. Pupils must learn to stand on their own musical feet and find their own ways of spending time at the instrument otherwise they will not play at all after the last exam is behind them.
We do not enter pupils for exams routinely but are quite prepared to do so in particular cases where everyone agrees it is appropriate. As a goal for younger pupils, the performance (from memory) of a collection of pieces to the extended family and friends is usually more challenging and rewarding than exam work. It also gives a social dimension to being able to play the piano. Older pupils often relish the challenge of preparing for the middle and upper-grade exams. We do always help those who are interested to achieve the highest grade they are capable of.