Of learning Piano and turning to teaching

I have one student only with me now, and I have high expectation on myself on how can I make the lessons fun and informative, and most importantly, to see progress on my student.

I learned my piano since 8 years old, and completed Grade 8 when I was 15 years. Most of the exams I got Distinction, except for Grade 6 and 8 (or only 8 I can't remember) that I got Merit - for the ABRSM practical exam. For Theory, I did win some highest marks prize for the Trinity Grade 6 in my region, which was kind of unexpected at that point of time and I took pride. My teacher switched me to Trinity from Grade 6 onwards as she said that it was more straightforward to pass - but it is still equally qualified as ABRSM or some sort of thing. I couldn't bother much.

So after ending of my Grade 8 piano, I took up violin class when I was Form 4, 16 years old, where I had only classes for 3 months plus before I quit. I told myself and the teacher that after my PMR exam (a Form 3 exam for Malaysian) I would take it up again .. but you know the answer - it just stopped there.

Therefore that marks my ending of piano learning journey. I remember me and my mum bought big hamper to my music teacher as a thank you for her dedication for teaching me for the 7 years of journey. I did not know why I do that lol.. but I really thanks for her motivating me and accompanying me through this journey. It was just quite overwhelming that I spent a long time growing up with her. I am now hoping that my student will do the same to me too. :P

So after that, I was just playing my piano for leisure. I printed out my favourite songs, just playing and banging on the piano on my own. I did not commit to practice it until perfection, I just played a few rounds and get a hold of it, and then ditch the songs. So the piano playing slowly dies off. (sadly)

I can make myself play some music through listening, but only those with simple Chord progression - C-G-A-E-F. I can't even play C7 or those seventh chord - I have long forgotten what the hell was that. So I can't actually play very complicated songs or songs not really with the normal Chord progression. On top of that, I still feel that I am very lack of creativity in playing my left hand accompaniment. I know only simple arpeggios - that's it. :( Ok I am getting sadder when I write this.

Therefore, I just play to entertain myself enough after a long college day or what. From time to time, I still have the craving towards expressing myself on the piano keyboards. It was just a big stress reliever to me. But I just couldn't take up any masterpiece and play it.. so I was just playing for fun. And I still remember that I asked my mum to sponsor me a keyboard towards the 2nd year of my college so that I could play it. It was a Yamaha DGX-230, which cost around RM1.6k back then. It was a digital keyboard, with no weigh and all, but I had always wanted one that can play a lot of other musical instruments. - I felt like I could be expert enough to sound like an orchestra, with the auto music accompaniment all. This is from the impression that once my teacher showed me on the digital piano in the other room and she was playing "Tong Hua" by Guang Liang with strings arrangement. It was fun, and beautiful.

Yet, I think I still fail to sound like that till this point of time. Haha. I still have my keyboard with me, being brought from places to places following the place that I stay.

Of course, when you learned piano, you will sure in your lifetime hear this for not less than 10 times, on "Oh you know how to play piano, so you can teach next time." I will usually just roll my eyes after hearing this, because I know that I can't really teach. I don't think I have patience and I don't really believe in myself that much that I can guide and lead students just like what my teacher used to be.

However, at the same time, I always felt wasted towards my piano knowledge. Like, I am not playing it well enough to be a piano performer in the bars or cafes, I am not playing it well enough to post it on YouTube (well I did post some and the views look like people just mistakenly press into it), but I look at the other Youtubers, they sound and look like they are "in the zone" while playing, or they are like flying in the air or playing on the clouds. I always think that I can't play like that. To be precise, I don't know how to actually play like that. Whole of our piano journey we have only be trained to learn basic piano knowledge and then play exam pieces. We have had our "music sheets" with us most of the time, and we just need to play and play and play until it looks perfect. Or clearly, I'm just not the "gifted" child who can do wonder.

Therefore, an only option for me to get Return on Investment towards my piano lessons are to teach them. Ok, I got traumatised by this idea too, as I was really really clueless about it. But years after years I have came across with people who do wonders with their piano skills, and earning a lot from them. (Ok money is the motivator here :P) Like I came across how much the performers in the cafes and bars being paid per night, singing and performing, doing something they like, or some people who just teach piano as part time income. Therefore, deep down inside, I tell myself I have to do something about my skills.

I can't believe that some people can just easily think that, oh I can teach piano. But for me, I was really putting effort in convincing myself that I can teach. Besides, I felt like I have to get a back up for my current job if everything just fail. Like I have to have a side skill for myself to earn a living. At least if I was being fired I can just do this thing freelance (muehehehe).

So I forced myself to search online aggressively on vacancy for piano teachers. So few of them too far, some of them want people with experience etc., until this particular music center called me up, and they are the centers that offering home teaching for students, where teachers have to go to the students' house and teach. Therefore, this is an entire different thing because I used to learn in piano centers. It is quite different, because as a student you know that you are not in a place that belongs to you, but in this case, students may get distracted or not focus when they are in their own home environment.

Ok that's it for today. Let's just continue in next post I have to have lunch. :P

Signing Off,

SRR