After So Many Years of Piano Lessons… What's Next?

Have you ever wondered:

After years of piano lessons and finally achieving Grade 8, what can your child actually do as a musician? In today’s culture of private instrumental learning, many students spend years studying piano but end up only able to read, interpret, and play what’s written on the page. You might ask, “Isn’t that the whole point of piano lessons — to read the notes, understand the style, and play accurately?” Yes, that’s what a pianist is trained to do. But if we want our children to become all-rounded musicians, the goal goes far beyond that.

Two Different Learning Paths

ABRSM Digital Performance Grade focuses mainly on interpretation and performance — it trains a pianist.
ABRSM Practical Grade (Face-to-Face) includes scales, arpeggios, sight-reading, aural tests, and performance pieces — it trains an all-rounded musician.

Training a pianist is easy. Training an all-rounded musician takes time, dedication, and a holistic vision.

My Journey: From “Exam Student” to “Musician”

When I began my music journey, I was trained only as a “piano student” — and honestly, not a very good one. Back in the 1980s in Malaysia, piano pedagogy was limited. My lessons revolved around three exam pieces each year. My teacher would only start teaching aural and sight-reading three weeks before the exam — making me nervous, unprepared, and simply hoping to pass. It was a difficult and uninspiring experience. Today, I no longer see myself merely as a pianist, but as an all-rounded musician, and more importantly, a music educator.

Music Is More Than Three Exam Pieces

I play the piano, cello, ukulele, drums, bass guitar and saxophone. I can sing, improvise, read from lead sheets, arrange and compose music, transcribe by ear, and perform in ensembles and bands. I love attending concerts — because music has become my lifelong friend. You may wonder: “How did you manage to become an all-rounded musician when you only learned three exam pieces a year?” The answer is simple: I didn’t stop at what my piano teacher taught me.

My Inspiration — My Musical Mum

My mother was deeply musical. She conducted a school band and played piano from lead sheets. She opened my eyes to a wider world of music and taught me that: Learning music isn’t just about exams — it’s about exploration, creativity, and joy. Inspired by her, I started learning on my own. I loved movies and TV shows, and one of my favorite hobbies was transcribing theme songs by ear — such as the MacGyver theme! Back in the 1980s and 90s, without internet or free sheet music, I couldn’t afford to buy scores — so I wrote them out myself. I didn’t realize then that those hours of transcription were actually sharpening my aural skills. Gradually, I trained myself to play by ear. At Christmas parties, I could play all the carols without a score — not because I memorized them, but because I could hear them. Later, I taught myself jazz improvisation and even entered a Jazz Piano Examination — being my own teacher!

Where I Am Today — Music Without Boundaries

Today, I am a piano teacher who continues to enjoy my own musical journey. I learn new instruments, compose, arrange for ensembles, and serve in my church band as both drummer and pianist. It has taken me over forty years to become the musician I am today. Becoming an all-rounded musician does not happen overnight — it’s a lifelong process of curiosity and growth.

My Reflection for Music Education Today

If most students invest 8–10 years in piano study, can we design a system that helps them not only become skilled pianists, but also develop into all-rounded musicians along the way? This question has become my lifelong mission — one inspired by over forty years of learning, teaching, and growing with music. — To be continued (Part 2)

Dorayme Music Tuition Studio

Principal Christy WM Phang-Yau