How Competition Helps Kindergarten Kids to Keep Learning Music?
2014/09/29 | コメント(0)
| トラックバック(0)
|
Is it too early to take part in competitions from childhood? PTNA made a brief research on whether they continue musical learning after they participated in grade A2 of PTNA Piano Competition (the lowest grade), and how the competition helps keep their motivations. In this competition, grade A2 is open for kids under 6, and consists of 3 rounds; preliminary round, semi-final round, and the final joint concert. The final concert has replaced the final round, in order to give them opportunity to enjoy playing on stage, rather than being judged (since 2010).
In 2010, 1275 kids have participated in grade A2, and 4 years later in 2014, more than 50% of them continued to participate in the competition. That's not a small number, as the same statistic shows only 35% in grade A1. And in the past 5 years, the number of the participants in grade A2 has increased by 120%. We would say that starting from grade A2 is not too early, rather, it keeps their motivation of learning music.
Furthermore, in 2014, among the finalists of grade F (under 18), 12% of them have been participating from grade A2, whereas 3.1% were from grade A1. The same statistic shows that among the finalists of grade D (under 14), 4.6% of them were from grade A2, whereas 2.9% were from grade A1. This testifies that the earlier they participate in the competition, the more they get better results when they grow up.
Yurina Tetsu, one of the semi-finalists of grade superior in 2014, has been participating in PTNA Piano Competition from grade A2. She remembered that she made mistakes in the competition when she was little, but recovered very soon. She became used to playing on stage little by little, and that even gave her courage in the school life. She could raise hand whenever she wanted, and spoke or did things in front of other classmates without hesitation.
3 students from the studio of Satoko Sasaki, have proceeded to the final joint concert of grade A2 in 2011 and 2013. Sasaki said that everyone fully enjoyed the stage and that made other students encouraged and inspired.
Another teacher, Maki Mizuno, has herself participated in grade A2, and 9 of her current students have taken part in already. She knows how precious it is for kids to walk on stage, bow to the audience, and play the music. This experience also grows them up mentally and musically. After months of practice and stage experience, they got into the habit of learning in depth and thus realized how easy the pieces are.
You can watch the video from the latest final joint concert of grade A2, and drawings by little kids! Rui Urayama (2013 grand prize winner) played several pieces in front of them on stage, and Yukino Kano gave a workshop.
【GoogleAdsense】