09/04/2026
So true! 👏 👏
It’s time for a rant.
I’ve just been scrolling on social media and there was a parent asking about her daughter who had just just completed her Grade 2 piano and was now about to start on Grade 3, and would the book still be valid next year as she wouldn’t be ready until then?
Rant incoming.
So she starts now and won’t be ready until next year?
Of course. Because she’s not ready. Because an exam is an ASSESSMENT of skills that have been developed over time!
One of the things that makes me cross the most is this idea of 24 pieces to get to grade 8 - 3 pieces a year.
Are there some people that do that?
Of course.
But just imagine if, instead, you concentrated on developing skills, learning a range of repertoire, composing, improvising, exploring? And then, after some months, if you decided to do the next ASSESSMENT, you’d be so ready because your musicality and skills would be so much more developed.
Most importantly, you’d feel so much more accomplished and more driven because you’d perceive your own progress, rather than continually bashing yourself against repertoire that is currently beyond your reach like a goldfish hitting its head against the glass of a bowl that is too small!
So there’s my rant. And my ranting isn’t about to stop any time soon.
