Why too many piano exams are counter productive

A lot of parents want their child to do piano exams.  I have two really important questions for you:

1) Why do you want your child to learn the piano?
2) Why does your child want to learn the piano?

I wish I could have your answers before I continue writing this post, however I'll make an assumption* that you want your child:

• to enjoy music;
• to be able to express themselves through music making;
• to develop a lifelong love of music and all the pleasure that brings. 

* based on goals nearly always expressed whenever I receive a new enquiry

I'll also assume your child wants to learn because he or she likes / loves music and really wants to play an instrument. 

I think it's unlikely you want your child to learn because you want him or her to get onto an exam treadmill where the sole purpose of playing an instrument becomes passing exams that get harder and harder and, very sadly, can have the opposite effect of what you're looking for for your child. 

So now we have a problem.  Much instrumental tuition revolves around exams because they really are one of the only absolute ways of measuring progress.  This means that parents also become exam focused because it is the only way they have been told progress can be measured, and doesn't everyone know that if you learn an instrument you 'have' to take exams.  But things don't have to be like this.

Following exam syllabi is very different to delivering a rounded curriculum and cannot possibly be a substitute.  Even Ofsted has finally come around to the view that good exam results 'do not always mean children have received the subject knowledge they need' and the focus on exams is at the expense of 'rich and full knowledge'.  Read the full article here. 

Children who learn using an exam focused approach often find they do not enjoy their learning, it is hard and they do not have a foundation on which to tackle harder and harder pieces.  They often give up around Grade 3 or so because they just don't have the right musical foundation in place.  If they are lucky enough to want to continue they tend to develop the opinion that, once they have reached Grade 8, their learning is complete and they do not need to play anymore.  Rather, Grade 8 is just the start - this is when the door opens to most of the truly wonderful piano repertoire. 

Incidentally, I was this student.  I did not have a good musical foundation, I found piano hard and would only practise for exams.  Once I reached Grade 8 at age 16 I felt I was pretty much done.  Fortunately I eventually fell in love with the piano and especially teaching the piano.  I did course after course and practised a lot to become the piano teacher I wanted to be.  I teach piano so that children can have the joyful, rich, musical experience that I did not have.  Surrey Music School love students love playing piano, making music and their piano lessons, they come full of excitement for each lesson and leave full of joy. 

So let's return to your goals for your child.....Surrey Music School provides a a well structured curriculum where progress is clear and many areas, including creativity and self expression are developed (not just reading music and passing exams!).  Teachers can also add to and adapt the curriculum so it meets additional goals they or their students may have. 

Exams have their place and are very useful formal benchmarks for measuring progress, however they must not become the focal point of instrumental tuition because this does not lead to the enjoyment, rounded development and the lifelong love of music you want for your child.  At Surrey Music School we use exams judiciously so that they become special occasions to mark achievement and not just run of the mill yearly activities. 

If you would like your child to learn piano within a structured curriculum, in a group or 1:1  environment, where the focus is on developing a love of music and all round musical skills through piano playing then please do get in touch.