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Hi all!

I need to gather some information for my degree dissertation which about identifying essential piano playing techniques and effective practice methods for young ASIAN piano students.

Now my questions are:

1) What are the differences between Western and Asian music education? (maybe you as western piano teacher who are not clear about how is Asian music education, can just briefly talk about your experiences as piano teacher?)

2) What are the common weaknesses (playing techniques; learning attitude, process and etc.) in young Western piano students?

Hope the experienced piano teachers can participate in my investigation. And ya! I'm Asian will be very grateful for your answer. Thank you.

Hi JJaen,

My studio gets a lot of students from various Asian countries with differing amounts of education before coming here. Not too many years ago, I had a really nice young lady, very hard working, from China. She wanted to prepare her level 9 exam, but when I read the syllabus, I realized that she really wasn't solidly prepared at level 7. We have the same problem in the USA, so what surprised me was the similarity, not the difference!

I find that most Asian students are better grounded in the classical period literature, with very little Romantic and almost no exposure to Twentieth Century or Impressionistic composers. I think that most American teachers attempt to expose students to a very broad range of styles, countries, etc., because of the richness which is available.

Our many S. California teachers probably get the most variety of Asian students, so perhaps they will chime in with impressions which are probably more accurate.

Regards and good luck,

John

Are you going to quote this forum in your dissertation?

That's a very broad topic for a dissertation. You should narrow it way, way down. Maybe how different cultures approach etudes?

I have participated in this type of information gathering for a dissertation a number of times.

The successful ones have used a more defined and precise survey form. Rather than the broad question (tell me all you know about education) the survey should focus on your hypothesis and ask what you really want to know, preferably in an easily scorable multiple choice format. For example, the question could read: In my experience, Asian students can be expected to maintain concentration for (pick one) <5 minutes> <15 minutes> <30 minutes> <45 minutes> <longer> Western students can be expected to maintain concentration for (pick one) etc.

That means you've done your homework, and you have an idea of what you're looking for, and you're asking questions designed to get the right information, and you have a basis for doing the statistical analysis.

Of course, you can't do it with just 2 questions. Each of your questions will become 10 questions when properly worded.

US graduate students don't usually start your dissertation with "I wonder if Asian and Western students differ?" We usually start with "I think Asian and Western students probably differ for the following reasons, and if so I should be able to measure this difference by asking these specific questions, and I will reject the null hypothesis only at a confidence level of p = .05."

Good advice, TimR. Not only will the OP get better more informed responses, but it will be more admissible information in your dissertation. It will make it seem less anecdotal.

I think we also need a more detailed definition of what a "western" student is. What about someone born in China but now studying in my studio here in US. What do we consider that student? Or how about a student whose parents moved to USA just before they were born? That student is US citizen but deeply rooted in Asian culture. For the purposes of this survey, what do I call my student family from Africa? Are they western students?

For those of us who teach in a melting pot community, these are all very real questions.

Let me make it clear, I'm sorry if I got everyone confusing. First of all, the above questions are NOT my research questions, my topic is to identify essential piano playing techniques and effective practice methods for young Asian piano students especially Malaysian (age range: 8-20 years old)in enhancement of performing skills. For your information, what I ask is just my intro and the topic will be further looked into and form the core of my study.

The incompatible qualities and standards of piano performance among today’s young Asian piano students comparing to the West have come to be a crucial issue today. From what I thought is because of the lacking of skills and knowledge in developing appropriate and effective piano playing techniques in Asian music education.

Lets narrow down into two countries (Malaysia and UK), from what I saw in Malaysia piano education, resistance to practice due to academic pressure is the attitude that most of the young piano students are currently habitually developing. Besides that, because of the different cultural background, West students always willing to share their thought in the learning process and participate in activities (for example, concert) to show what they can do. Way too shy to express themselves and stage fright are the main problems we can see in piano students in Malaysia.

I need reviews to support my thought. Arguments are also welcome.

@ezpiano.org : Yes! I will include this forum as online resources in my references list.

How do you define "West"?

Does what I do in my piano studio count as "West"? If so, your idealistic vision of what happens in the "West" isn't happening.

This is a far different topic than the one originally presented. It seems to me that they are asking:

1) What techniques are required to be a successful performer (both playing and practicing)

2) What cultural barriers exist which prevent this

3) How to overcome these barriers

I already narrow it down into Malaysia and UK. UK and US are prominent in music education worldwide (refer to the exam board) so lets define the "West" as these 2 countries.

Yes you're right, these are some of my research questions that I need to further look into. Before that, I need to explain why I want to focus on young ASIAN (Malaysian) students but not just young students so I have to find out the problems in the Malaysian compared to West(UK and US, lets define like this). I asked for the differences so that I can compare and contrast the both side. Sorry if my questions were too broad.

The majority of music teaching in the United States is not based on exams. Most kids who take piano lessons are doing so for their own leisure, just like they take up dance, singing, tennis, and swimming. They don't progress very far, and they quit lessons before they get to Book 2A of the method books. The general attitude toward piano is that it's just another extracurricular activity.

Is this really what you want to be writing about?

Weirdly enough sometimes that's enough.

My daughter took one year of piano lessons before outthinking me and coming up with a schedule conflict that forced her to quit. I don't know what book she got to; she did practice but neither efficiently nor long.

And then years later I needed an extra ringer in my handbell choir, and it turns out she can read notes and count rhythms better than most of the experienced members.

I believe that still having some students that can proceed to advance level right? From what I heard from my UK friends, yes! I knew that most kids taking piano lesson for leisure and it all come from their interest. They would like to learn piano by themselves. If they got motivation(for example, after watching a professional piano performance), they will discipline themselves in practice and move on to reach the goal. Which so much different with Malaysian, they learn because of their parents want them to learn. They are not interested in independent learning and tent to rely on teacher. They typically accepts the teacher's direction without asking question even if they are not sure what they are doing. Same thing comes to parents, they expect teachers to do everything for their children, all they want to see is the exam result that can satisfied them

I am not so sure this distinction is valid.

I'm in the US. I sent my kids to piano lessons because I thought it would be valuable for them, and most parents I know had the same reason. In many cases the kids were not convinced and dropped after the minimum time required.

Okay maybe I'm too arbitrary, kids are too small to decide what they interested in except having fun around Lets put kids aside, focus on the youngster, if they start learning piano between age range 8-20 years old.

Thoughts?

More often than not, after watching a professional piano performance, kids will just give up trying. That is the prevailing attitude out here in the "West." The concept of "effort" and "hard work" eludes most kids.

I think part of what you're saying is that Asian families tend to consider musical education as a requirement of overall education, and therefore, their children are signe up for piano lessons from Kindergarten through senior year of high school. I have had many of these students. There is no question of taking lessons. They come prepared. But most often there is no passion, no further interest other than the requirements stated in their current assignment, and therefore many of them never touch the piano once lessons stop upon graduation from high school. (I am not speaking of the future piano majors who excell, win competitions, and become passionate pianists.) I believe that if you consider the lessons as a requirement to get done each week and to wait out until they have run their course, compared to Western students who are more actively engaged in whether they take lessons or not, you would see a marked difference. This does not consider the separate issue of over-scheduled Western students and the myriad of issues there. But, rather just addressing the difference in how Asian families view music education.

Yes! Here came a clear point. Asian families always competitive, if their didn't send their child to music lesson, they will be left out(in other word, lose) because their friends are all in. When you talk to the parents about the value of music education, most of them will be - oh I don't care what is your teaching method, my child interested to learn it or not, I just want to get the certificate and show it to everyone. They just having one question all the time - when can my child go for exam? I want he/she reaching GD 8 faster.