Piano students who have been taking lessons for a few years start to come across new challenges. Musically speaking, these challenges deal with dynamics, phrasing and improving technique. Dynamics are all about volume and touch. Phrasing can be thought of as musical sentences. Understanding phrase structure helps to identify phrases and how to treat them in a piece of music. Adding dynamics to a phrase helps bring music to life as opposed to simply playing the notes on the page. Lastly, technique is developed through focused repetitive study. Playing scales, chord and arpeggio exercises is how you develop technique. These can be thought of as exercises played over and over in an effort to develop muscle memory, ability and agility.
Intermediate to advanced piano students can further challenge themselves by participating in graded curriculums. At San Marino Music Center, we encourage our classically focused musicians to participate in the ABRSM. It stands for the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music, a globally recognized music education and examination board. The goal of ABRSM is to “create an examining body inspired by disinterested (not sponsored) motives for the benefit of musical education to genuinely provide a stimulus and objective for a high standard of achievement”. When participating in ABRSM, students are challenged to master skills in performance, theory, sight-reading and auditory/dictation for their instrument. Students work through levels they will be tested on when a student’s teacher deems them ready for the challenge.
Congratulations to Natalie C.
Natalie Chua began her lessons at SMMC in August 2017-nearly nine years ago! Natalie was only 4 years old when she began taking lessons and in this time, she has become a very good piano player. In addition to piano, Natalie also plays and takes viola lessons at SMMC. She recently participated in our Chamber Ensemble class and performed with the group at one of our Blossom Market Hall concerts. Natalie is a participant in the ABRSM curriculum and has completed grades 1 through 7. The ABRSM curriculum only goes up to grade 8, so Natalie is one away from a certificate!
Natalie takes piano lessons from SMMC instructor Mrs. Justyna M. Justyna is a highly decorated instructor who completed her Ph.D. in Musicology from the Claremont Graduate University. She is both an organist and a pianist with an interest in early sacred music, music history and performance practice. Justyna loves to share her musical interests with her students and aims to develop a love of music for her students that will last for a lifetime.
In Justyna’s Words
Of Natalie, Mrs. Justyna writes: “Natalie is a student with excellent musical sensibility and a strong work ethic. She engages in her practice and makes significant progress each week. I have been working with Natalie for the last four years, and during that time, I have witnessed her tremendous musical development. Over the past four years, Natalie has been taking the ABRSM exams. She started with level one and recently completed level seven, earning merit in each. The exam requires excellent techniques, musicianship, and artistic sensitivity. Natalie emphatically delivers all of these. She approaches challenging passages with great attention to detail and is eager to expand her repertoire. Working with Natalie is always encouraging, and I am privileged to be her teacher. “
San Marino Music Center is proud of all that Natalie has accomplished. We are equally proud of Ms. Justyna for her humble but explicit effort in aiding Natalie reach these achievements. Applause to you both!
In this video, Natalie performs Le Coucou by Louis-Claude Daquin. This video is recorded for her most recent ABRSM submission.
In Her Words
In short, Natalie is a very motivated young individual. But why did she decide to take piano lessons and what interested her outside of music? We sent Natalie a list of questions to find out about her musical likes, hobbies and how she spends her free time. Get ready for the Q & A!
1. How long have you been playing your instrument and what do you like most about playing it?
“I’ve been playing piano for over eight years, and what I love most about piano is being able to play beautiful pieces.”
2. How did you get started playing piano and why did you decide to take lessons?
“My mom started bringing me to music classes when I was five and I never stopped —aside from a few breaks here and there.”
3. What do you like about how your instrument sounds and is there anything that makes your instrument special?
“I like how the piano can play different styles and genres of music.”
4. What do you enjoy about the ABRSM exam curriculum? What would you advise another student who was considering to participate in the curriculum as well?
“I like the repertoire that ABRSM selects! Some advice I give to other students is to not worry and enjoy the pieces you choose!”
5. What is your favorite food, movie/tv show, video game, etc.?
“My favorite food is kimbap (Korean dish of cooked rice in dried seaweed), my favorite video game is block blast, and my favorite tv show is Extraordinary Attorney Woo.”
6. What are your top 3 favorite things to do in your free time?
“Listen to music by KPop artists ILLIT, writing in my journal about whatever comes to mind, and reading.”
7. What have you done this year that you consider to be the most fun you’ve had all year?
“Eating a candy salad with a group of friends. We all brought bags of candy, mixed them together and had an epic sugar rush!”
Start Your Musical Journey
Surely, you or your child are ready to get yourselves started on your musical journey! In that case, our wonderful teachers are eager to work with you. Study with degreed educators who have years of experience. Whether you are a beginner, have not played for years, or looking to make the jump to intermediate or advance level, our teachers have the tools to help you achieve your ambition! Book a trial lesson today!