First week back, stars and stickers and practising.

And so we have enjoyed the first week back cakes and the stars, stickers and 40 piece challenge chart are all out and being used, but what about practice? How much and what should we practise?

For beginners- Prep Test level the most important thing is to practise every day- 10 minutes is fine. This will build habits and strengthen the fingers. I only see your children once a week so parents, this is down to you! You can make charts, download them or reward regular practice. Try to establish a regular time each day to practice: as soon as they come in from school, after dinner, early in the morning- whatever works for you all.

For Grade 1-3 level pianists daily practice is vital but the amount and length of pieces means 20-30 mins at least is necessary.

For Grade 4-5 pianists, things are getting serious now and very enjoyable too so you will want to be doing at least 30 mins daily, maybe even 2 x 20 mins?

For advanced pianists of Grade 6 + 45- 60 mins per day is rewarding and enjoyable.

There will be times when whatever your level you will want to increase your daily practice/ playing. This might be before a concert or recital, leading up to an exam- grade or school exam, or if you have an audition.

Have enormous fun playing and I look forward to using up all those stickers in my folder and having a chart full of ticks!

Lesson information.

September 2017

Welcome to a new year of piano lessons. I am looking forward to hearing everyone play again.

Lessons are £36 per hour. This fee has not been raised for several years and is at the cheaper end of the scale for someone with my qualifications, experience and success rate. It breaks down as £27 per 45 mins and £18 per 30 mins. This is payable in advance before or at the first lesson.

Pupils who are beginner to g5 level generally have 30 min lessons and pupils at g6 + level can have 45 or 60 min lessons. Adults have 1 hour lessons on alternate weeks and pay as they come. I will send an email each month with dates of the lessons and the total to be paid. I appreciate that life gets busy so if you cannot attend a lesson, please tell me at this point and I will try my best to re-arrange it.

There is usually space to park on my road and, if you can arrive only 5 minutes before your lesson that would be great and keep interruptions to other pupils at a minimum. Notes for the lesson will be written in the piano notebook which you can supply or I can provide one of my generic exercise books, to be decorated with stickers etc! And please remember your music!

I also put information on my blog www.mrslaupiano.blogspot.com so check that but feel free to email me with any queries too.

In the unlikely event of you wanting to stop having lessons- it happens to everyone at some point for whatever reason- please give me 1 month’s notice.

Phew, I think I’ve mentioned everything,

 

Fiona Lau

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the following pupils for their exam achievements last term:

Alice Ward for gaining the equivalent of an A in her Music International Baccalaureate exam. Alice is going on to Roehampton to study Primary Education. We wish her lots of luck. Any school will be lucky to have Alice on their staff with her exceptional violin and piano skills.

Jennifer Marshall for gaining an A* at music GCSE. Jennifer is going on to study for A level music and to take her grade 8 piano.

Samuel Harradine for gaining an A at music GCSE. Sam played his Dvorak Slavonic Dance duet at a ferocious speed for the practical part of this exam, and I'm sure delighted the examiners with his performance of Shui Cao Wu. Sam is working towards his grade 8.

Hannah Spry for gaining a distinction mark of 138 at grade 3. Hannah has online lessons with me so has done exceptionally well to achieve this stunning mark.

Many thanks to all the parents who do so much to support and encourage pupils in these achievements; I appreciate you all.

Congratulations everyone!

Fiona Lau.

40 piece challenge!

40 Piece Challenge!

This year l have decided to take the idea of my esteemed Australian colleague, the teacher and composer, Elissa Milne, and issue all my pupils with the 40 piece challenge! This is to take place over the academic year from September 2017 to July 2018.

 

The challenge is to learn, and play to me over the year, 40 pieces. For this you will get a gold medal. 35 pieces will earn a silver medal and 30 pieces will achieve a bronze medal. The pieces can be chosen by me or you but have to be approved by me and then passed by me.

 

They can be in a variety of styles and the level of difficulty music can vary. This is an approximate guide of the levels likely to be acceptable:

 

·        Beginner pupils can include any pieces from pre-reading to Prep Test level

·        Prep Test pupils can include any pieces from beginner stave pieces to grade 1level

·        Grade 1 pupils can include any pieces from Prep Test to Grade 2 level

·        Grade 2 pupils can include any pieces from Prep Test to Grade 3 level

·        Grade 3 pupils can include any pieces from Grade 1 to Grade 4 level

·        Grade 4 pupils can include any pieces from Grade 2 to Grade 5 level

·        Grade 5 pupils can include any pieces from Grade 3 to Grade 6 level

·        Grade 6, 7 and 8 pupils can include any pieces from Grade 4 upwards!

 

So if you are working towards your grade 4, you might enjoy playing some Pam Wedgwood pieces, some pieces from your earlier tutor books, some Christmas carols, as well as your grade 4 pieces. You might even like to have a stab at some pieces that have been set for Grade 5!

 

The pieces can be solos, duets, Christmas songs, hymns, competition pieces and exam pieces. We will keep a list in your practice diary and l will be happy to lend you some of my music books. Have a good look at home as well and see what music you can find or ask your family what they have. You can also find music on the Internet or swop music with your friends. Be creative! 

 

This is a great way to discover new styles, composers and pieces and to improve your sight reading. You can also get a medal, will get a mention at the summer concert and be listed on this blog and on my website! Have a think and we will talk about it at your next lesson.

New Beginings in September 2017.

Hello,

Welcome back to piano lessons! I am really looking forward to seeing you all again after the Summer break and to hearing you play.

At the end of last term I gave many of you books with pieces in that you could learn and play during the holidays. I expect to hear you all play at least one of them in our 1st lesson, so get practising!

This year we will be doing the 40 piece challenge. Some of you may remember it from before. There will be a giant chart in my piano room with everyone's name on it and we will keep track of how many pieces you have learnt this year. There will be certificates and medals for those who achieve significant amounts. Watch out for a blogpost detailing this. Your Summer holiday piece could be your 1st piece.

Chelmsford Competitive Festival of Music and Drama: The closing date is looming so have a look at the syllabus and see which classes you would like to enter.

Christmas concert: Our Christmas concert is on Tuesday 5th December so put the date in your diaries now. It will be at The Salvation Army Hall again and will be joint with 2 colleagues of mine and their pupils.

Lessons start on week beginning Monday 18th September. And there will be cake!

Fiona Lau.