Hello everyone,

My name is Constance and I am from Singapore. I have a buring question to ask. Erm.. Do you need to be a music prodigy, well at least a decent one to be a concert pianist?

I don't think there's such a thing as a prodigy! 'Prodigies' always turn out to have started learning their instrument at an extremely young age (2-5), and went on to practise for vast amounts of time over a period of years. They also always have extremely good teachers and supportive parents. Some innate musical talent is also necessary, as well as the sort of personality that will withstand that sort of pressure and a genuine love of music, but without a very good teacher, an early start, and a massive amount of practice, there are no prodigies.

If you're asking 'do you have to start very young if you want to become a concert pianist?' I think the answer if probably yes, in this day and age when standards are so high.

However, becoming a concert pianist isn't the only decent goal a budding pianist should consider worth striving for!

Hey AngloChinese_Music!! i just sent you a private message:)

Well some children who are child prodigies, do become concert pianists, others fail miserably. But I think there are also late developers, particularly on rarer instruments where that instrument may not have been the first one they learned.
But Id have thought on piano most budding concert players would at least have got to garde 8 by mid teens, many earlier.
Anyway Constance to the forums, there are quite a few Singapore members, and Im coming out there in January too !

I see. I just want to hear your comment on music prodigies as there are more and more prodigies which doesn't make them special. Honestly speaking, many people have spotted my music talent when I was a little girl (well according to my parents). But the thing is that my parents counldn't afford to pay for my piano lesson. Thus, I started late in my early teenhood. It was a struggle for me as I have to cope with more academic subjects like Math and Science.

How old are you now Constance? I assume you're either in ACJC or ACS International? The term "prodigy" is a constructed term (sorry, just completed my Psych exam today ). Most concert pianists start very young. The brain goes through a priming process at 3 years of age. Brain connections that are not used are cut. The same process happens again at 13 years of age. I got this information from the documentary "My Brilliant Brain". I do not know how true it is but you could get to a reasonably good standard even if you started now but then again, your definition of "concert pianist" depends on where you want to go. You could be a concert pianist amongst friends and family (playing a little recital for them makes you a concert pianist too! ) but your meaning is probably the world-famous kind? I don't want to put a damper on you but there are very few concert pianists (I haven't heard of any but I'm sure there are) who started later in life and we live in Singapore where...well, academics have always taken precedence over arts.

That saying, there have been Singaporeans who excel in music and have gone to further their studies in music eg. Lee Huei Min, Clare Yeo, Gabriel Ng and Ian Ike See.

I think I'm rambling but the bottomline, I guess, if you want it really badly, you'll find some way to do it. Don't be afraid of following your dreams. Maybe I'll see you in concert one day!

I'm sorry, I'm not from ACJC or ACS International. I've put 'AngloChinese' in this forum to show that I am an English speaking Chinese. I'm a full time Diploma student of Nangyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). I'm in my final year now and will be graduating in May 2008 with a diploma in theatre studies. Yes, apart from studying music on a part-time basis, I'm an acting student too.

The reason of getting in to NAFA after my 'O' Levels is that I have the passion for the arts and would like to pursue it as a career. I have a choice to do musical theatre in future or be a piano teacher. I love performing and I'd like to assimilate the concept of acting in music performance. I feel that both form of performing arts shares almost the same principle.

Currently, I get to take piano lessons with one of NAFA music lecturers who teaches me the right technique to play on the grand piano. On top of that my boyfriend gives me additional music coaching. I kind of feel that I pick up those techniques a little too late as I'm already taking grade 8. If I have the chance to go back to the the past, I would have fixed my 'bad' techinques when I was doing my lower grade.

I am 20 years old this year. I know that I cannot be compared to those music prodigies who eventually become concert pianist despite having a some musical telant. (Sorry, I don't mean to boast, my ancestors were musicians too.) Well some day I will debut my first ever recital in Singapore. Right now I just focus on my studies and work on my grade 8 exam pieces.

You're taking Grade 8 piano already? That shouldn't be too bad really. I feel that if you go back and fix the basics, you'll be able to progress very much faster coupled with good teachers. NAFA is where young talents are groomed (in SYT) so I think you're in good hands! Go for it! I'm 20 too! Hehe.

yes, sometimes i think that i must to be professional in piano (i.e. concert pianist) as i have contributed many times to practising and serious on piano, but, in the reality, it really hard, many others who have more talented and had learn from very young ages so sometimes i think only to be a teacher someday..

but, if someone really want to be a concert pianist or something special in piano career, don't be pesimistic!
go for it and everything comes from dream..

I'm also 20!! wahaha.. 3 20 yr old singaporeans in the forum!!

just wondering Constance, how come u graduate next year if u went to nafa after O's? i went to poly studying biodmedical science after O's and have already graduated March'07.. so wierd huh..

anw, i am going to apply for diploma (Music Performance) at NAFA and hope to get advance standing to 2nd yr in the next intake.. and hopefully go on to get a NAFA music performance degree which they offer in 1 year.. what do you think of that huh?? i havent had many friends who studied at NAFA.. but u are studying theatre rite.. do you know anything about the music dept??

Initially i wanted to try out for NUS Yong Siew Toh conservatory.. but many pple told me that it's kinda hard to get in as there're many foreigners, so ive decided to go for NAFA first then maybe try out for YST after getting NAFA degree..

suggestions??

oops.. please pardon me for being a lil off topic here..

I think you should go for the audition at YST anyway. There's no harm in trying!

im worried that if i go for the audition, and i do not make it, i will not get a 2nd chance to audit again a few yrs later when im more matured in my performance.. i actually hope that NAFA will help me grow in performance skills before trying out for uni..

do they have that kind of rule? stating that you only have 1 chance to audit?? or is there an unspoken rule that normally if u go audit a 2nd time, u most probably will not get in?? hmm.. really need someone from YST to discuss this issue with.. haha..

and the audition requirements for YST is O-M-G.. compared to the audition requirements for NAFA..

dunno what i should do also.. sigh..

If you can't get to study music full time is not the end of the road. You need to be technically secured to pass audition in YST. Trust me, the school only takes younger students below the age of 21 at first year. But you can try studying under NAFA music Lecturerer privately without an audtion.

Well at least getting a good grade for LRSM is still more important. I still can go forth to pursue my career in music teaching and performance (as in throw a concert locally).

If you need help in getting good music teachers (piano teachers that is). I can help you.