The Good Pianist

Author: Philip

  • So you wanna be a piano teacher? (Part 2)

    Another issue potential piano teachers face is whether they intend to teach in a music school, privately, or both. I’ll try to present my thoughts in this post.

    Teaching in a music school certainly has its merits. The biggest plus point is that you don’t have to source for students yourself, the school does it for you. And if you’re into group teaching, you can quickly see an increase in your student intake. All you have to do is turn up and teach.

    What about the disadvantages of teaching in a music school? The biggest shortcoming is that you don’t receive 100% of the students’ fees. This is understandable because the school needs a proportion for administration costs, utilities, etc. So let’s say you charge $100 for a beginning student for private teaching; you might find that you are paid only half of that at the school (meaning that you have to teach two students instead of one to get the same fee) That means you have to work harder if you intend to teach full-time in a music school.

    You are also obliged to abide and follow the regulations of the music school you’re teaching in. Fair enough, but depending on how it goes, you might find yourself teaching students that don’t get along with you, students who don’t show up and don’t inform you, etc. The school might insist that you teach them anyway because they can’t find another teacher who has time to do so.

    Teaching privately on the other hand, is a challenge when you’re first starting out. At this stage you can’t pick and choose students yet. When I first started out decades ago, I made a slight error in always trying to get advanced students because of higher fees—don’t do this. Get students of any level you can find. Beginning students are actually good, because if you teach them well, chances are they will stick with you as they progress. That will build up your student intake gradually.

    Perhaps the biggest advantage of teaching privately is that you get to keep 100% of the fees. You’re also your own boss, so you make your own decisions about lesson schedules, replacement lessons, holidays, etc. And need I say that it’s much more comfortable teaching at home, as opposed to being in a tiny room in a music school?

    Or you could opt to do both, like what I’ve been doing. I’ve gotten to the point where I know the school administrator very well, so any problems I have can be discussed and ironed out in the open. And because I’m involved with the school I get to participate in such interesting activities such as the Piano Idol competition, which I’ve been judging for the past two years.

    So there you have it. You have to make up your own mind, but it’s always possible to test the waters first in the field of piano teaching. Good luck!

  • So you wanna be a piano teacher?

    I made up my mind about becoming a piano teacher almost 37 years ago. Allow me to highlight my own personal pros and cons.

    POSITIVES

    1. Piano teaching can be a very fulfilling vocation, especially when you see students gradually improving over the course of time under your guidance. Many of my ex-students have gone on to become piano teachers themselves.
    2. You are your own boss. You set and maintain your own teaching schedules, your rates, your rules, etc. Best of all, you can do this in the comfort of your own home. And if you plan your teaching schedules carefully, you can have lots of me time for yourself and/or your family.
    3. You learn how to interact with people. I’m talking about students and parents here, of course. No doubt experience is the best teacher, but you have to indulge yourself in it, you can’t be shy. Learning people skills, knowing when and how to talk and listen, makes you a better person and teacher. Buy some self-motivational books and motivate yourself first before you motivate others.
    4. This is a good career for those of us who would rather work at home. Many mothers do this so that they can be close to their children at the same time.
    5. Piano teaching can also be a supplementary source of income if you already have a primary job. Some of my ex-students teach on a part-time basis (for example after office hours) and that means more money in the kitty.

    NEGATIVES

    1. Piano teaching is a career where your monthly salary is always in a state of flux. Like it or not, students come and go. You will have good periods and not-so-good periods. It comes with the territory.
    2. Piano teaching can be stressful. Believe me, this is the absolute truth. Teaching someone to play the piano well and expecting them to do their fair share of practice involves a lot of patience, determination, and wit. It will be a testing time for you!
    3. Like every other job, you get what you put in. I hate to say the obvious but if you don’t correct the bad habits that students may have, you’re not doing your job right. Piano teaching isn’t about just sitting beside the student and barking out orders, you have to get involved, to demonstrate, to show them how you want it done. And if you have no idea at all, then you shouldn’t be teaching in the first place!
    4. There is also a tendency for people to judge your quality of teaching on the number of students you have. While this is true to a point, it makes no sense whatsoever for you to offer discount rates and have students (mediocre or otherwise) flocking to you. It’s also downright unethical. After so many years of teaching I’ve arrived at the point where I can pick and choose my students; if you’re just starting off you might be able to do this.

    You might also want to get a book like like James Bastien’s How To Teach Piano Successfully. It’s a book I’ve read and periodically dip into. Another book which appears interesting is David Newsam’s Making Money Teaching Music. The link will also show you the many other books on piano teaching, it’s worth getting a book or two.

    You can also join a forum like Piano World (of which I’m a member) Registration is free and there are over 47,000 members sharing a wealth of information and advice. It’s a great place for piano fans.

  • Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas

    I’ve already recorded another version of this wonderful song in my other blog, but this piano version has been requested by a close friend of mine, so I have acquiesced. Forgive me if I look a little forlorn in this video, but this song always tugs at my heartstrings. It’s one of those Christmas songs I never tire of playing every Christmas.

    And if you’re wondering why I have my penguin suit on, well a friend requested that. Enjoy and Merry Christmas, everybody!

  • The Korg KDM-2 Digital Metronome

    Note: this post was first published in my other blog in March 2009, but I thought it relevant to be included here.

    Wikipedia defines a metronome as

    …any device that produces a regulated aural, visual or tactile pulse to establish a steady tempo in the performance of music. It is a useful practice tool for musicians that dates back to the early 19th century. The mechanical metronome was invented by Dietrich Nikolaus Winkel in Amsterdam in 1812. Johann Mälzel copied several of Winkel’s construction ideas and received the patent for the portable metronome in 1816. Ludwig van Beethoven was the first notable composer to indicate specific metronome markings in his music, in 1817.

    Musicians use the metronome during practicing in order to attain a constant tempo (or speed). Tempo is measured in beats per minute, or BPM. Metronomes can be set to any tempo the performer chooses, usually between 40 to 208 BPM. Mechanical metronomes have been around the longest, but they do have some shortcomings:

    1. They aren’t particularly accurate at the extreme ends of slow and fast tempos, due to their mechanical makeup.
    2. They need the performer to periodically wind it up, just like a mechanical clock.
    3. They are sensitive to extremes of temperature, and also to humidity.
    4. For some strange reason, even if you take very good care of it, mechanical metronomes just fail to tick properly after some time. In other words, the ticking becomes uneven and inaccurate.

    I’ve owned a couple of mechanical metronomes before, a long time ago. When electronic metronomes saw the light of day, I was one of the first to acquire one, a Wittner Taktell, which was powered by a 9V battery and had a flashing red light. Then later on, in 2000 I think, I happened to see the Korg KDM-1 at a music store here, and it impressed me with its loud sound (students sometimes complained to me that they couldn’t hear the Taktell’s sound over their own playing). Moreover, the KDM-1 had its own volume control, which was a definite plus. It also had an earphone jack, though I wouldn’t recommend you use it for blasting the ticking sound directly into your eardrums. It could last about 70 hours, powered by only a 9V battery.

    Korg KDM-1 Digital Metronome

    When Korg announced the successor to the KDM-1, known simply as the KDM-2, I was ecstatic. It was like a KDM-1 on steroids, being just slightly wider and 40 grams heavier. Here’s the plethora of features it possesses (taken from the Korg website):

    • Korg’s original, cylindrical resonator speaker provides powerful sound, now with even more volume and improved tone.
    • An LED provides visual confirmation of the tempo, a convenient feature for practicing with the metronome muted.
    • Newly added beat variations range from basic to sophisticated rhythms like son clave and rumba clave
    • A total of 19 beat patterns cover your practicing needs in numerous musical styles.
    • Tap Tempo function makes it easy to set the tempo.
    • An audible Reference tone in a range of C4 to B4 is available, allowing you to tune your instrument.
    • An encoder-type TEMPO/CALIB dial and switch provide direct access to the desired setting or function.
    • A large LCD screen makes settings easy to see.
    • Original and compact style.
    • Long battery life (4 AAA’s), with approximately 120 hours of continuous use.

    The KDM-1 had served me well for quite a few years without any trouble, so I sold it off to a student of mine and bought the KDM-2, which was a steal at $35 USD. This concludes my metronome odyssey. Needless to say, I await the KDM-3 with baited breath! 

    P/S Perhaps those clever wunderkinds in Korg could incorporate a female voice counting out the beats in the KDM-3. That would be cool!

  • So you wanna be a cocktail pianist?

    I had played solo before going overseas for my further studies. However, it was mainly on the Yamaha Electone organ in those days (I thought the Electone was so cool compared to the piano. My opinion is reversed now!) I did play some small gigs in the US by myself, but mostly for my “supper.” And don’t get me started on the pianos—I have played on some extremely crappy ones, but once in a while a decent one comes along and makes up for the other junk. Furthermore, playing the piano in the US is so much fun because of the tips—a tip jar is always provided, and people drop money in occasionally. Not much, but a dollar here and a dollar there does a lot for my humble ego. Some places even threw in a sandwich or burger for me, so I wasn’t complaining!

    My first solo piano gig here in Penang was at the Golden Sands Resort in 1982. Trust my dad to network and find out that they were looking for a pianist to play in the fine dining restaurant. Since I was out on a two-month Summer break, my thoughts were “Yay, some pocket money coming my way!” It was a very nice stint there, I got along very well with the friendly staff and guests; that prepped me up for my future solo piano gigs. I’ve learnt some lessons along the way and I will share them here in my blog.

    So you wanna be a cocktail pianist? From my experience, you’ll need the following:

    • A decent repertoire of songs (the more, the better)
    • A good knowledge of chords and playing styles
    • Good improvisational skills
    • An ability to sight-read well
    • An ability to interact well with people
    • A keen sense of intuition of your surroundings
    • Nerves of steel

    I’ll expound on the above points in future posts, but for now you may have wondered why I chose this cocktail pianist line in tandem with my piano teaching. The simple answer is, I find it very relaxing…and since I’m playing solo I am my own boss. I choose which song I’d like to play next, what key I want to play it in, how many choruses I want to play, how long I want to improvise, what intro and ending to do—you get the picture. I’m totally in control. Besides, I have an extra source of income and that’s a good thing.

    And what other job allows you a 15-minute break every hour? Allows you to choose your own repertoire? Allows you to practice while supposedly working, heh? And most importantly, allows you to relax while you’re at it?

    There is a downside, admittedly. Since I don’t sing (I have never been a singer—period) I have to be able to make my piano sing. This is easy on a good piano, less so when I’m playing on a piece of junk. Still, I can’t be like a bad workman blaming his tools, so it’s up to me to wring out whatever I can from the instrument itself. Another downside is when I’m playing to an almost empty restaurant or lounge (trust me, you’ll have days like that). Conversely you could be playing in a packed venue where it’s so damn noisy that you’re drowned out, no matter how loud you play. You just have to grit your teeth and bear with it—yeah sometimes I go into auto-pilot mode, but the show must go on. And it definitely has in my case—for 35 years.

  • Beginnings, Part 2

    In retrospect it amazes me that I chose my piano teaching career so early on in my life—I had already made my mind up about teaching piano when the idea of continuing my further studies in the UK was brought up by my parents. They asked me whether I really wanted to pursue it, and gave me some time to think about it. I have to admit part of me was itchin’ to get away from Penang, perhaps my rebellious side. However, I was pondering a lot over it. Although I was just 17 at that time, I had enough insight and maturity to realize that this was a big decision I had to make. And I went for it. Fortunately a few of my parents’ friends gave me sage advice about what to expect when I went over to the UK.

    So I spent a few years in the UK and then four more in the US (read more about it here) When I came back in the summer of ‘84 I was raring to start teaching. I didn’t have a set agenda, but I guess a few folk were doing the “publicity” for me, and I was very grateful for that. Pretty soon I had my first motley batch of students—big ones, small ones, and everything in between. Experience is the best teacher, as the saying goes…and that’s something that one has to be patient with, you can’t gain experience in a few weeks or months.

    My father had an old Wagner upright piano in the house so I used that. After playing all those wonderful Steinway grands in the US, this piano with yellowish keys felt like a total let-down, but I had to take what I had, at least in the beginning. Several years would pass before I was able to purchase my new Young Chang upright piano. Besides, the Yamaha Clavinova was still in its infancy in those days, so no thoughts of a digital piano flashed through my mind yet. I bought myself a metronome, brushed up on the piano-teaching books I’d brought home, and then there was nowhere else to go except to get my toes (or rather fingers) wet.

    A good piece of advice I had from an uncle of mine (who also taught piano) was that when first starting out you can’t be too picky. In other words, I’d get good students as well as the not-so-good ones. I’d get beginners as well as advanced students. You also need to focus on getting the experience first, instead of monetary gains. I was guilty of this at the start, because fees for advanced students were naturally higher than for beginners. But as my uncle reminded me, the best experience I could ever obtain would be to teach students when they were at the beginner level, and then nurture them onwards. If I gave them good quality teaching there was a good chance they would stick with me as their musical needs grew.

    A suggestion to those just starting out in the field would be this—get as much advice as you can from experienced piano teachers. Don’t be shy or too proud to ask. Do what you will with the advice they give you, and remember you can change or modify it to suit your own teaching. There is no one correct method, you have to go with whatever works best for yourself and your students.