24 May 2011 by
shoppingmum Actually, I wanted to upload a video of Justin’s playing piano last Sunday but the file is too big. So no video but crapping instead la. 
Our boy started piano last November, a month before his 6th birthday. I had been searching for piano classes before that and visited a few centers. In Bangkok, you can easily find learning centers under the same roof, mostly at shopping malls. There are other centers scattered around in shop lots too, but for my own convenience, I prefer those centers at shopping malls, which I can let the kids join one or 2 classes consecutively on the same day, and do my grocery or facial.
Anyway, we found them a music center which teaches ballet and musical instruments as Isabelle learns ballet and Justin’s on piano at the same time. After that, they will have Chinese class.
Now, I’ve heard a lot about group classes and I did consider enrolling my kids before. But when I visited one of the Yamaha centers near my office, the lady was not really good in entertaining me with her limited English, and the idea of having a parent and kid sit in the same room for JMC in Thai doesn’t work for me. I’m a working mother without a helper, so call me selfish or whatsoever, I do have my own priorities to keep my sanity.
Besides that, I read somewhere about not pushing kids too much when they are young, and if they have the interest in some aspect, there is no early or late in joining the class as it’s best for the kid to join one when he’s really ready. So, when Justin told me that he wanted to learn piano, he was about 3. I could just let him join those kiddie piano class in groups, but I sipeh lazy to sit in the class. Ok, blame on the lazy slacking mommy again.
From my survey, most classical piano lessons only take in kids of 6 years old, so I asked Justin to wait and consider. If he really wanted it, we would enroll him. He waited until he’s almost 6.
He did well on his trial class, and the teacher said he’s ready. He’s a young man, maybe about 20??? Most parents would prefer an older teacher with more experience, but there is something about Justin and his teacher. Maybe he’s young, and he’s fun, and he gives lots of Ben 10 stickers!!! Again, this bad mommy doesn’t buy Ben 10 stickers for her boy.
The lesson is conducted on one-to-one basis, and parents can peep through the glass window at the door. Honestly, I didn’t pay much attention to his lesson until recently.When the kids are at classes, hubby and I will be away running errands or me at my facial. Ya la, the slacker mommy la!!!
His fees are THB8,000 for 12 lessons, and each session is an hour, so it’s pretty reasonable. Books are not included and I can’t remember how much we paid for the sets, and each set should last about 12 lessons. For Justin, he completed the sets faster, and his teacher will give extra pieces. As for theory, he’s not really strong, but since he’s not sitting for any exams, I don’t really care about it.
It’s only recently that I found his pieces are getting harder than his books, and he needs more encouragement and coaching in reading the notes. Previously, I will just ask him to practice with his keyboard while I prepare dinner or do the house chores. In fact, both kids do their homework on their own, and then practice their piano or ballet on their own too, except after dinner when I leave washing dishes to hubby and I can look look see see their progress.
For each harder pieces, he will start by writing down the notes, and then slowly practice with each hand before combining both. The whole process starts with tears in his eyes, reluctant to try the piece, then trying to convince himself that he can, until he’s OK at it and ask me to snap videos. 
I’m going to start keeping a record of his progress now, and each time he has a difficult piece and feels like crying, I will show him the videos of previous songs which he has already “mastered” and let him know that each time he has overcome the “fear”, and after some practices, he can do it. Of course, some times he will mumble to himself that he can do it, which is a big contrast to the time when he’s in doubt. LOL!
Both hubby and I are beginning to pay attention to his progress but we won’t push him, I really hate to see that he loses interests in piano because of us trying to push him too hard. To us, picking up piano is more for playing the music, instead of excel in certificates. There is no point going through all the grades and totally lost interest in playing the music later on.
I guess we might do the same for Isabelle. Right now, she’s in ballet and she only practices splits at home. LOL! Once she starts violin, we shall see how she goes. Again, I haven’t started her in violin class because I’m not sure if her fingers are ready.What if she goes for trial class and the teacher said she’s not ready and better just wait? How will she feel? So to me, it’s ok to be late in starting up a musical instrument, even if most parents will prefer to start early to instill the interest. I started ballet when I was 21, which was very very late. But I could do until grade 5 (then stopped because of workload ), and I didn’t regret it. At least I did started. LOL!
So, if Justin can start when he’s almost turning 6, maybe we will only let Isabelle try violin at about the same age.
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