This year, I took on a new role as a councillor for the Institute of Registered Music Teachers of New Zealand. I was placed in the education division, and our first mission was to organise a nationwide Zoom discussion forum. One of the key topics we explored was: “What does good music teaching look like these days?”
This question made me reflect: Have we done enough at Dorayme to provide the best possible private music education for our students?
Unlike school teachers, private music teachers do not need a formal qualification to start teaching. Anyone can teach piano—as long as parents are willing to hire them. Due to the lack of regulations in the profession, the standard of teaching can vary significantly between teachers.
So, what does good music teaching look like today? And have we at Dorayme done enough to uphold that standard?
We don’t claim to be the best, but we always strive to do our best.
Beyond the Dorayme Home Studios System, which provides a strong foundation for our young musicians to experience various aspects of music, we also set clear expectations through our Annual Basic Workload. Every academic year, students are required to complete:
- A graded repertoire book
- Scales and arpeggios (Dorayme syllabus)
- Three sets of studies
- Sight-reading (ABRSM graded syllabus)
To ensure consistency and progression, these four requirements must be completed before moving on to a new grade.
Through this structured workload, most Dorayme students become confident sight-readers because they learn so many pieces each year. When preparing for exams, we typically expect students to learn all nine pieces from the ABRSM exam book before selecting the best three or four for the exam. As a result, learning new repertoire often becomes second nature to our students who follow the Annual Basic Workload.
Are we doing enough? We’re not sure. But we do know that we are doing our best to develop strong sight-readers—because good sight-readers eventually become independent learners. And that is our goal.