Personally, I play classical Western music, especially romantic composers such as Chopin, Liszt, as well as Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. I also enjoy exploring modern jazz and blues music and performing rock songs on the piano.
I worked with Professor Hacibaba Adiloglu between the ages of 8 and 22 and performed at several concerts and festival. I was awarded second prize in the 2019 Russian Science and Culture Center Piano Competition.
I have spent a decade studying their curriculum, performing live to their juries, getting real-life feedback from the examiners, passing their qualifications and eventually preparing my own students for their exams with my expert understanding of their grading system and the intricacies of piano performance.
ABRSM offers assessments for pianists at all levels. Face-to-face Practical Grades and digital Performance Grades are available for Initial Grade to Grade 8. For advanced pianists, they offer ARSM, LRSM and FRSM Music Performance Diplomas.
Once you decide to work toward an exam, we will discuss the specific requirements, structure, and preparation timeline in detail.
Why take these exams?
Practical and Performance Grades are for learners of any age. They are designed to inspire and challenge and to recognise and celebrate progress. Working towards a Grade encourages learners to develop their musical skills, knowledge and understanding and get the most from their music making.
One doesn’t necessarily think of music as a physical reality, but it has physical manifestations. Music is making art that is invisible.
Why is supporting your children or yourself in learning to play an instrument is important? Because making music and playing an instrument supports mental development, enhances mathematical and creative thinking skills, encourages emotional expression, reduces stress, and strengthens emotional well-being, and most importantly, allows for a means to process emotions in a healthy way. In the magical world of music, your or your child’s creativity and self-confidence will grow, while allowing you to a step back from screens and the internet to explore the real world and realistic perspectives.
YouTube makes accomplished playing look easy. Learning piano is also learning discipline. Enjoyment isn’t more important when you aren’t advancing or comfortably playing because you can’t read the notes on the page. Sight reading is the building block of reading and understanding music, which in turn will make your skills and performance better. At the same time, if the purpose is just to pass an exam and put a certificate on the wall, you will never truly enjoy music making and piano playing, Exams are an achievement, learning curve and milestone marker. Not a factory for gaining distinctions. It’s all about balance and determination, “life is a balancing act”.