Please Visit New Website: http://enjoypiano.weebly.com

The new website contains all the information that is in this blog in a neater layout.

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Li-San Ting

PhD (pending), GradDipMus, BA, AMusA, CMusA, MMTA

Phone: (02) 9894 8450

Email: coolisan@hotmail.com

Location: Castle Hill

Near Cherrybrook and Dural

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Enjoy Piano!

*     Beginner to advanced level

*     Read music efficiently          

*     Develop superior habits & technique

*     Learn, practise & memorise effectively   

*     Perform excellently with confidence

*     Play a variety of styles 

*     Optional AMEB (Piano or Piano For Leisure),  ABRSM or Trinity exams &

        eisteddfods

*      Performance classes 

*      Holiday workshops

*      Ensemble  & concert opportunities

Also learn:

- General Music Knowledge

- Sightreading Skills

- Theory of Music / Musicianship /Music Craft

- Aural & Composition Skills

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About Li-San:

Over the past 8 years, Li-San has taught over 70 different students, including children from the age of 5, teenagers, adults and seniors.  She currently teaches students ranging from beginner to advanced levels. Although Li-San specialises in exam preparation and Classical Piano (music composed by the masters between 1650-1950), she loves music of all styles, whether it is classical, jazz or contemporary, and enjoys  teaching any student  who is eager to learn and improve their skills. She is a friendly teacher and cares about the progress of each of her students.

Li-San is an accredited teacher and a full member of the Music Teacher's Association  of NSW. Her qualifications include Bachelor of Arts from UTS, the Associate Diploma of Music from AMEB and the Graduate Diploma of Music (Classical Performance) with Distinction, from the Australian Institute of Music. Li-San has also completed Grade 7 Musicianship with an Honours result. She is currently completing a Doctor of Philosophy in Music from the University of New South Wales; her thesis explores the principles of pianism and pedagogy of the 19th century pianist, composer and teacher Frederic Chopin.

As a pianist, Li-San has won various music awards, including 1st and 2nd prizes at eisteddfods such as Parramatta Eisteddfod, Castle Hill Festival of Performing Arts, Ryde Eisteddod, Galston Eisteddfod and the McDonald's Performing Arts Challenge. Li-San also works as an accompanist for HSC and AMEB exams.

As well as performing and teaching, she likes to compose music when she has extra time, and has composed music for a few short student animations. Li-San has  written an article for the parenting magazine, Tribe Magazine (July 09 issue) about the Benefits of Learning Music. Li-San is currently working on creating Music Theory and Piano practice resources called Ready To Cut Flashcards.

“She explains things in a way I can understand and makes sure I know it well. She’s the best teacher I’ve had.” – Rachel, Grade 5 Piano

“Li-San finds ways of teaching that suit my needs. She's creative and motivates practice by introducing really fun and engaging practising routines that are quick and easy to learn!

Other teachers I've been to were rigid on repertoire I learnt and always delivered a traditional lesson with the same routine. That got quite boring!

Li-San is flexible and very passionate. I have learnt a great deal from her.” – Serene, former student, currently a piano teacher

“Li-San’s lessons are more fun and relaxed than other teachers were. Li-San tells you what you need to improve on but also says the things you are doing well.” – Monique, Grade 5 Piano

“I like the way she explains in detail how to do something. She focuses on the weak points” – Eesha, Grade 2 Piano

“Piano lessons with Li-San are enjoyable and relaxed. She'll be there to correct your flaws, encourage you and to support decisions you make.

In the end you find yourself playing out of your own motivation with Li-San tutoring you in how to do what you want to do.

Most of the other teachers force you to do what they want you to do. Li-San lets you choose.” – Matthew, Grade 7 Piano

"Li-San actually motivates me to learn new songs and I enjoy this. She doesn't scream at me. My previous teacher made my liking of piano different to now, because she always used to make me repeat passages so many times more. I hardly practised and I never looked forward to lessons.

But now, I look forward to lessons and practise more than before. The pieces Li-San teaches me are better and more enjoyable - it's cool :) " - Heidi, Grade 5 Piano

"I like playing new songs and fixing the mistakes - also sight reading and theory. You can understand it more easily and quickly. I enjoy playing the piano and being taught by Li-San" - Joyce, Grade 2 Piano

“I gain a broader knowledge of piano playing.” – Eliseus, Grade 6 Piano

"Li-San explains every topic clearly and precisely. She has a great passion for music, therefore becoming a role model for all students" - Brendan, Grade 4 Theory Student

“It’s always fun to practice with her. She helped me be better in piano by helping me in the things I do wrong.

My past teachers didn’t help me, they were like “yep that’s good” when I had lots of mistakes. She’s probably the best out of my past teachers.” – Daniel, Grade 3 Piano

“She is very patient, and will keep correcting you until you get it right, [and not blow up :)] detailed, and is very well prepared during lessons.

You can tell that she really loves music, and has a deep understanding of what she is teaching.

I understood what I needed to achieve in order to play well, and she was very encouraging throughout the lessons.” – Lydia, former Grade 8 student

“She works at my level so I never feel lost during a piano lesson. I’ve improved heaps and it doesn’t even feel like I’m doing lots of work.

She’s always patient, understanding and fun” – Elaine, Grade 6 Piano

"Li-San has been a wonderful teacher for our two children.  She is reliable, responsible and keeps communication door open.  She is able to keep student moving by relationship building."  - Anselm and Helena

"Li-San has current connection to the industry by profession, prepares the students for exams and motivates students to real goals. [My child has had] great improvement and motivation, reaching her goal for the year." -  Eugenia

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Fees for 2010

* Fees are paid in advance of a school term (usually 10 weeks), or the rest of the term in the case of new students, by cash or cheque.

* A receipt will be given. Fees are non-refundable. Make-up lessons are arranged before the start of the following term if a student gives 24 hours advance notice of missing a lesson (7 days is appreciated).  Make-up lessons are limited to 2 per term.

* The length of lesson depends on the level and age of a student. 30 minute lessons are available to those not intending to do exams such as adult learners, and children under the age of 8 years.

There are many benefits of learning to play an instrument  - there are simple reasons, such as for personal enjoyment, discipline, and to be able to perform well in front of others. However, the benefits of learning how to play a musical instrument extend even further than these commonly known reasons for playing.

1. Aural, visual and tactile perception is refined through studying music, which involves three physical senses - hearing, seeing and touching. Each of these senses are refined through learning to play an instrument because the information received by our ear, eyes and sense of touch needs to be analysed and organised into meaningful signals, then acted upon. To be successful in learning an instrument, perception in the three senses mentioned must be precise and detailed. When a score is placed in front of a musician, the musician must not only see the notes and markings on the page, but must also be able to hear how it should sound in their mind so that they can achieve it in reality through the intricate coordination of physical movements. The musician’s eye must be able to scan the smallest detail, while the mind needs to be aware of whole sections for practice to be effective and for performance to be excellent. Therefore, sensory awareness and tactile sensitivity is increased through being able to play an instrument well.

2. Another benefit is that one will acquire the ability to think conceptually. The characteristics of sound (such as pitch, duration, tone colour and dynamics) have no meaning by themselves. The musician’s job is to be able to create meaning out of the composer’s score markings, which involves having to constantly listen to and compare each sound produced with the next. Knowledge of and the ability to perceive structures and parts within a whole are gained when studying a piece of music. Such skills developed by music study can be transferred to other areas. This is why there are traditional associations between music, mathematics, philosophy and science. All these academic categories demand a high degree of abstract thinking.

3. A third benefit is that one will be able to program and develop accurate physical responses. Sometimes our perception overrides our ability to respond physically in a disciplined way. Through studying a musical instrument, musicians learn practice techniques that will make the physical response more reliable. The techniques and knowledge used in the practice of an instrument, such as repetition, memorisation, rhythmic modification, and practising in sections, can be transferred to other learning contexts that require such techniques.

4. Studying and playing music allows one to express emotions in sound, while still respecting the composer's score markings. This requires a balance between attention to detail and sticking to the score, and the ability to go beyond the score to express the music as the performer hears it. The understanding of musical styles throughout the centuries and knowledge of composers, combined with the desire to communicate the music to a modern audience effectively is learned in the piano lesson.

5. A musician learns to cope with the preparation, disappointment and triumph of performance. Every musician who has gone through exams and competitions knows that the practice room and stage/exam room can feel like a universe apart. Passages that are played with relative confidence at home suddenly become unstable when played in front of an audience. Sometimes, memory lapses happen in the places where they are least expected. However, there are times when the pressure of an audience and the excitement of displaying the hard work of practising a piece of wonderful music can benefit the musician, and the adrenaline rush causes them to play with more expression or with more energy than what they have been doing before. This new found inspiration can be taken to the practise room and recreated. Even if the performance doesn't go as well as planned, the musician has the opportunity to learn from mistakes and do better the next time. This is a skill that has obvious benefits outside the music lesson.

Conclusion

When all these benefits are combined, it makes up a powerful package that is unmatched by any other academic discipline. The benefits of learning to play a musical instrument are immeasurable, and benefits apply to every musician, not just the prodigy or the professional. The benefits are noticeable from the first lesson, continue through every musical experience in the student’s life, and cross over into other life experiences.

                                                   

Newsletter Semester 1, 2009


Hills Newspaper - July 14, 2009, p.12

Congratulations to these students for their excellent May/June exam results:

Theory of Music
Elaine Fidel – Grade 2 - A (96)
Brendan Chan – Grade 2, A (95)
Matthew Chow – Grade 2, A+ (99)
Daniel Ling - Grade 2, A (96)
Rachel Gorman – Grade 3, A (87)

Piano Practical
Joyce Fidel – Preliminary Grade, A
Monique Rutherford – Grade 4, A

A special congratulations from me to all my Grade 2 theory students of May '09, who each received a mark of 95 out of 100 or above, and to Rachel, my Grade 3 theory student who has greatly improved her mark since the last practice exam she did. Brendan, Elaine and Daniel, you were 1 or 2 marks away from an A+ (97 or above), but well done for your best effort. Matthew, I am especially proud of you...but why didn't you get 100?....!

Well done Joyce and Monique for both receiving an A result for their practical exams. You've both worked diligently leading up to the exam and deserve your honours.

I submitted a news story online that celebrates your results:
http://hills-shire-times.whereilive.com.au/your-news/

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Studio Updates

•    I will be on holiday in early December for two weeks and in February for two weeks. If possible, students can have 4 piano lessons during the January school holidays to make up for the 4 lessons that will be missed in Term 4 this year and Term 1 next year. I will give further detail closer to Term 4.

•    Performance classes will be held once per term for all exam students (whether taking the exam this year or next year) or any others who would like to participate.  This is required as part of the student’s training, as I believe it is important for students to share their skills and perform in front of others, and to have a performance date to work towards each term. The cost is $10 per student per term and is added to your invoice.

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Piano Practice Advice for the Semester:

SLOW PRACTICE

One of the benefits of slow practice is that it can be part of a varied and structured session of piano practice. The experienced piano teacher, Joan Last affirmed that ‘all wise pianists practise slowly, indeed it is a vital factor in the overcoming of technical difficulties and in laying a safe foundation for the performance of quick passages’. A further benefit of slow practice is that the visual, aural, analytical and tactile aspects of the memory can be improved, while also providing a way out of the trap where the learned movements become so automatic that the mind is no longer actively learning.

An abundance of slow and deliberate practice as part of a balanced practice session helps a pianist to combat performance anxieties because it forces the pianist to get out of playing through a piece of music without thinking. This is due to all the learned movements being slowed down again to the point where the tactile memory cannot be relied on the whole time.

This would mean that the visual memory of the keyboard (where to put the fingers, changes in hand position, visual landmarks on the keyboard), analytical memory (of structure and tonality, for example) and the aural memory of the music (such as direction of the melody, or the changes in harmony) can be consciously absorbed to supplement the tactile memory, which is naturally the first kind of memory a pianist acquires in the memorisation of a piece of music.

I will now explain the pitfalls to be avoided during slow practice. The solutions to the problems encountered when using slow practice as a method of practice are easily found in the correct application of the benefits previously mentioned. One of the pitfalls of slow practice is that the movements used when playing slow are different to that of playing fast, resulting in an inability to increase the speed with ease. Obviously, playing at a slow tempo with the wrong technique will not be of any benefit. However, if the right technique is exaggerated when playing slowly, when the movements become faster, those movements can become smaller and more efficient.

A student may become bored with practising slowly, and the mind can become more passive as the tempo is slowed, which is linked to the other common pitfall of losing the character of a lively piece of music when the tempo is slowed. Articulations can become lazier, and the mood of a bright, exciting piece of music is turned into a dull interpretation just because of a slow tempo. One of the benefits of slow practice is that details in the music can be absorbed by the mind more easily, and that the artistic image of a piece can be worked on from the beginning to the end of learning a composition. If this is kept in mind, boredom and incorrect interpretation can be avoided.

Another pitfall of slow practice is that progress may be stalled if slow practice is used as virtually the only way of practising. The answer to this is obviously to include other practice techniques like hands separate practice, structural practice, mental practice away from the piano and to alternate slow practice with faster playing. The most productive way to practice slowly is to be motivated to improve, listen critically to one’s playing, and keep the goal of the artistic image clear.

 

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Quotes about Music

If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music.
Gustav Mahler

It takes a lot of devotion and work, or maybe I should say play, because if you love it, that's what it amounts to. I haven't found any shortcuts, and I've been looking for a long time.
Chet Atkins

The trouble with music appreciation in general is that people are taught to have too much respect for music; they should be taught to love it instead.
Igor Stravinsky

It's easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself.
J.S. Bach

Music is an outburst of the soul.
Frederick Delius

Music is well said to be the speech of angels.
Thomas Carlyle

Without music, life is a journey through a desert.
Pat Conroy

After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.
Aldous Huxley

Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here!
J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997

Where words fail, music speaks.
Hans Christian Andersen

My idea is that there is music in the air, music all around us; the world is full of it, and you simply take as much as you require.
Edward Elgar

Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.
Sergei Rachmaninoff

If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.
Albert Einstein

1. The first time you play a piece be extremely careful not to make mistakes with notes or rhythms.
Think 10 times and play once - Franz Liszt

 2. Divide the piece into short sections or phrases for effective practice. For a new piece, repeat one section 4-8 times before moving to the next. Then join sections.

It's better to practice well and make significant improvement in one area than to tackle too many aspects or too much of the music at once and make tiny (or no) improvements.


 3. Begin practice with the last section of a piece, then move to the next-last till you have reached the beginning. This is useful when a piece is harder at the end, and as a memorisation technique. You should be able to start playing from any bar in the piece if you want to be secure in performance.


 4. It is better to play slowly and accurately than play too fast early on. You don't want to develop bad habits - that's not productive practice.

Practise very slowly; progress very fast - Stephen Heller


 5. Count aloud when practising. You could also mark the beat with one hand if you are playing hands separately.


 6. It is good to end the practice of a piece by playing it slowly (1/2 speed), including the details in your playing. Your brain tends to remember the last way you played a piece most strongly.


 7. Play every note staccato. This helps strengthen memory and finger lifts, which are often the weak part of finger technique.


 8. Use variety. Any one method will dull your brain if used too much. This is the same with practising one piece or one part of  piece for so long that you get tired.


 9. Sit still and sit up, as posture affects your playing and the audience.


 10. When you are ready to perform, play for others often. This way, you will discover your weak areas of technique or memory, as nervousness tends to uncover these insecurities.

For more practice tips, visit the websites:

http://www.magicmountainmusic.org/index.html

http://www.practicespot.com/home.php

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The following checklist is a useful guide to piano performance and to setting interpretative goals in piano practice. It is taken from Maurice Hinson's  Introduction (pp.14-15) to the Alfred's edition of Felix Mendelssohn's "Songs Without Words" (one of my favourite collections of intermediate-advanced level piano music). When you are stuck about how to improve your playing, the following questions should lead you back on track. These are also points that I tend to emphasise during  a lesson besides your technique (which goes hand in hand with your interpretation).

1. Do I begin the piece in a simple, rich and straightforward mood?

2. Do I play the piece with a range of tone and dynamics to project the melodic line convincingly?

3. Have I discovered the long, moving rhythmic pulse of the piece?

4. Do I respect all tempo, dynamic and phrasing indications of the composer?

5. Do I avoid regimenting the piece to measure lines by accenting the first beats too strongly?

6. Do I avoid playing accents in places that disrupt the meter?

7. Do I avoid playing the left hand before the right hand, especially on the first beats of the measures?

8. In the slow, poetic pieces, do I avoid making sudden, inappropriate changes of dynamics and tempo?

9. In the faster pieces, can I make more effective dynamic contrasts between phrases or measures?

10. Do I begin crescendos quietly and accelerandos deliberately?

11. Do I avoid making long ritards and unconvincing diminuendos?

12. After a diminuendo, do I revitalise the tone and phrase when it threatens to fade?

13. Do I return to "a tempo" immediately after a ritard?

14. Do I play the points of complete repose with sufficient calm to communicate the mood?

15. Do I subdue the stronger inside fingers of my hands while strengthening the top melody and solid bass?

16. Do I give the melody rich, basic support through the accompaniment at all times?

17. Do I use the una corda pedal for colour change?

18. Do I treat returning or repeating phrases and themes with sensitivity and variety?

19. Do I work toward the highest point of the phrase?

20. Do I avoid breaking the phrase into too many short, fragmentary groups?

21. Do I use a tone quality suited to the phrase?

22. Does the technical approach I employ make the phrase sound well shaped and free?

23. Do I avoid stressing or deliberately articulating passing, dissonant and syncopated tones?

24. After strong notes, do I play shorter notes with less tone?

25. Am I especially sensitive in my treatment of repeated notes (vary them dynamically)and melodic notes (play them with similar intensity)?

26. Do I play fortes strong enough and pianos quiet enough in relationship to surrounding dynamics?

27. Do I use the damper pedal economically so that there are no blurred harmonies?

28. Do I avoid excessive rubato?

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Melodic References

For melody dictation/sightsinging/aural tests

This is available as a free download from S. Coate's website: http://www.blitzbooks.com.au

The website also offers other free downloads that are great supplementary resources for learning and teaching piano sightreading, music theory and musicianship.

Here is a list of associations between intervals and triads and famous pieces/songs. You may not be familiar with some of the pieces listed, so there are plenty of options for each interval and triad. If you DO recognise and use these, it makes life so much easier!

ASCENDING INTERVALS:

Minor 2nd: The Entertainer, start of chromatic scale.
Major 2nd: Happy Birthday, start of major and minor scales.
Minor 3rd: Greensleeves, Romeo & Juliet, Supercalafragilistic, Smoke on the Water.
Major 3rd: Blue Danube, When the Saints Go Marching In, Kumbaya.
Perfect 4th: Away in a Manger, Advance Australia Fair, Amazing Grace, Star Wars, Love Me Tender, Auld Lang Syne.
Augmented 4th: The Simpsons (opening vocal), Maria (West Side Story).
Perfect 5th: Twinkle Twinkle, The Last Post, Lavender’s Blue.
Minor 6th: Love Story (descending then ascending), third interval in The Entertainer, Chopin Waltz op. 64 no.2.
Major 6th: My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, Jingle Bells verse.
Minor 7th: Somewhere (West Side Story), Star Trek.
Major 7th: There are no famous melodies that begin like this. It is extremely dissonant!
Perfect 8ve: Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Stranger on the Shore, Lonely Goat-herd (Sound of Music).
 
DESCENDING INTERVALS:

Minor 2nd: Fur Elise.
Major 2nd: Mary had a Little Lamb, Three Blind Mice, Yesterday (The Beatles).
Minor 3rd: Girl from Ipanema, This Old Man, Morning (Peer Gynt), Little Brown Jug, Hey Jude, Baby Face, Oranges and Lemons.
Major 3rd: Summertime, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Goodnight Ladies, Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto no. 1.
Perfect 4th: Born Free, Old McDonald, I’ve been working on the Railroad, Clementine, Food Glorious Food.
Augmented 4th: ‘Mistake’ sound in game shows
Perfect 5th: Bach’s Minuet in G, Feelings, Flinstones, Swan Lake
Minor 6th: Love Story, Arthur’s Theme.
Major 6th: Music of the Night (Phantom), Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen
Perfect 8ve: The Young and the Restless

TRIADS (MAJOR):

Root position (ascending): The Blue Danube, Kumbaya, Morning Has Broken.
Root position (descending): Oranges and Lemons, Silent Night, This Old Man.
1st inversion: Born Free, Chopin Military Polonaise, first descending chord from Clocks (Coldplay).
2nd inversion: My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, Liebestraume, My Way, sustained chord at beginning of Simpsons theme.

TRIADS (MINOR):

Root position: Swan Lake, Summertime, Scarborough Fair, Feelings, third descending chord from Clocks (Coldplay).
1st inversion: Theme from Phantom of the Opera, Pathetique Sonata (Beethoven), Funeral March (Chopin).
2nd inversion: Love Story, second descending chord from Clocks (Coldplay).

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Being a Supportive Parent

of a Piano Student

Here is a useful article from the "Piano Education" website. There are other useful articles on the website as well. http://www.pianoeducation.org/pnotchld.html

Many successful musicians regard their parents' influence and inspiration as the most important in sparking their own interest in serious music. Whether or not your child makes a career of music, your efforts in bringing the world of music to your child will make his or her life fuller and happier. You can help your child learn faster and enjoy lessons more by doing a few simple things:

1. Become Involved With Your Child's Piano Training

Discuss with your teacher the kind and degree of involvement which makes the best sense for your child. Should you attend lessons and, if so, how often? Should you supervise or coach practice sessions and, if so, how should you go about that? Communicate often with your child's teacher to monitor progress and learn what you can do to be helpful to the learning process.

2. Encourage Your Child

Be sure to praise effort as well as accomplishment. Even if your child does not learn as fast as another, in the long run, hard work will determine the final result. There is no better way to bring about the hard work than to reward the effort. Try to express interest in what your child is doing, even if you are getting tired of hearing "Chopsticks". Encourage your child in every way possible to perform for family and friends in relaxed settings.

3. Avoid Negative Criticism

Most of us respond better to thoughtful, loving help than undirected criticism. If your child seems uncooperative, it may mean that they need more help, encouragement, and support. Punishment is usually not a long-term solution.

4. Make Sure Your Child Knows That Music is a Serious Commitment

Schedule piano practice time for your child just as regularly as you do Little League or soccer practice. See to it that practice sessions are as free as possible from distractions. If the piano is in the living room, try to limit access to the living room during your child's allotted practice time. If your child has not practiced for some reason, do not cancel lessons. If you find the child's interest in lessons waning, the best thing to do it to discuss the problem with your child's teacher; often, this can be solved with proper stimulation and supervision by you and the teacher working together.

5. Provide As Much Cultural Enrichment As Possible

The experience of listening to music without the pressure of having to play the notes correctly can add greatly to your child's appreciation for music generally and lessons in particular. Go to concerts with your children whenever possible. Introduce your children to the works of the masters by playing the music in your home. These days, computer technology, especially the advent of CD-ROM disks, has made it possible to explore great music in a way that is fun for the entire family. If you have a CD-ROM drive equipped computer, try any of several different CD-ROM's of this type.

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Exam and Eisteddfod Advice 

By Li-San Ting

If you have a practical exam or competition coming up, here's some advice to make the experience less stressful and more positive. If you've done your daily dose of focused and productive practice (and not cheated yourself by quality or quantity), and applied all the lessons I have given you, then you've done most of the work. However, there are things you should know about how to practise and behave in the few weeks and days before your upcoming performance.

The Few Weeks (Or Months) Before

* When you are ready (an indicator is if you are already playing through the pieces all the way during the lesson), practise performing your pieces before every practice session. Imagine an audience near your piano, take a bow, prepare for a few seconds at the piano seat and begin playing. Treat it like a real performance, so do not correct errors or pause too long anywhere. Take note of weak areas to work on during your practice session and focus on improving these in the next few days. You may bring up any musical or technical issues you have in your next piano lesson (whether or not I have gone through it with you).

* When you have performed by yourself with confidence, practice performing in front of an audience, whether friends or family. Organise a little concert for your friends or family, and provide paper for them to write comments. You can bring these comments to me for checking and to work on during the lesson. This is an especially useful exercise that can be repeated as many times as you wish. I recommend doing this at least twice before any important performance. You should also be looking for performance opportunities at school and other places where people are willing to listen to you.

*Read your music away from the piano and imagine the way you want to play it (this is also important to do even if you haven't been learning the piece that long). Also check for any markings you may have missed when you were first learning the piece and include them into your practice. It is useful to circle or comment in pencil on your music any questions you have for me, or reminders to yourself.

* Remember to still do the type of careful practice that you did when you were first learning the piece, such as hands separate practice, slow practice, rhythms practice and practice in small sections - all at different speeds with the metronome. Whatever you do, do not always play fast - playing fast too much will not make you any better at playing faster, as any experienced pianist will know.

The Day Before

* Do some moderate exercise to help you stay calm and in perspective).

* Do a moderate amount of practice on everything you will be examined on or perform. Keep your playing mostly slow, strong (if applicable) and accurate in detail.

*Check that all pencil markings are rubbed off the music if you are going to do an exam.

* If you are a parent of a student who is going to sit for an exam or enter a competition, be as positive and supportive as possible. Do not overly criticise or make your child afraid in any way.

The Night Before

* Eat something healthy.

* Revise your general knowledge out loud, referring to your pieces (if you are doing an exam). Family members can act as an examiner for this, even weeks before the exam.

*Try to enjoy your night - don't stress about the exam or do too much other work.

*Get enough sleep - during the week don't go to bed too late either.

On the Day

* Eat light and healthy food.

* If you want, and have time, you can do moderate exercise to stay calm - be sure to rest for at least a couple of hours before the exam/ eisteddfod.

* Think about how you want to play the pieces and how brilliantly you will do. Now is not the time to regret minimal practice or be worried about potential mistakes. Negative thinking only makes things worse. It is helpful to look at the score and imagine how you'd like it to sound and how it will feel to play it.

During the Exam/ Eisteddfod

* Keep thinking positively and stay calm - deep breathing for a minute or two every few minutes might help (breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, breathe out for 4 counts).

* Relax your arms and body as you play. If you've been practising correctly, this should be automatic, but just check that you do not tense up because it will affect your sound and technique.

* If you happen to make a mistake (even an unexpected one), forget about it instantly, and keep playing your best. Try to maintain the flow of the music. Mistakes are only a big deal if you make it so.

* Most importantly - ENJOY playing the music that you've worked so hard to be able to play. The examiner will then enjoy listening to it because they can tell that you love the music.

After the Exam/ Eisteddfod

* No matter what your results (whether excellent, okay or worse), think about what you did well and if there were any points of improvement that could be made. Don't beat yourself up about errors or lapses in memory, but work on improving those areas for the next time.

* If you followed all the above advice diligently, you must have done well, so CELEBRATE your results! Eat pizza or whatever you love!...but not too much...:)