Student achievement update 2025!

 In addition to the well-prepared studio recital performance on Feb. 4, I am thrilled to share our students' achievements for this quarter. Despite my two-month leave, the students have shown incredible dedication and have worked hard independently. Their self-motivation is a testament to their growth and determination, which is the ultimate goal for any teacher to achieve.

You can view their achievements details, photos and videos on the studio's Facebook page and website. Congratulations to their achievements:

US OPEN MUSIC COMPETITION

Maggie Sun: Gold Medalist and 1st prize winner

Elton Zhang: 2nd Place

Leo Zhang and Reina Lin: 3rd Place

CAPMT HONORS COMPETITION

Maggie Sun: Honorable Mention, Category C

RCM exams, First Class Honors with Distinction 90-100

 Reina Lin: Level 7, 

 

Lecturer/Workshop for CMTANC 3/3/2025

 I am excited to present my Fundamental Technique teaching method at the CMTANC lecture/workshop on March 3, Monday, 10:30 am. This presentation will concentrate on the 'Elementary Level", which can also apply to higher level of playing. If you are in the San Jose/ Silicon Valley area, please join us! registration is here  Handout.

 

 

 

End of the year acheievements!

It has been an amazing last quarter to see students rising to their best performances! In addition to the beautiful recital on 5/19, in which I will post some of the best performances on the studio's Facebook page, we also had students winning competitions and achieving high scores in the RCM exam. Congratulations to: their achievements.

Competitions:

Maggie Sun and Sanyi Yao, First-place winner in the first round of the San Francisco International Piano Competition June 2024. Best wishes to both of them in the final round on August.

RCM Practical Exam:

Tristan Chang, Level 8, First Class Honors with distinction.

Rishi Ranganathan, Level 9, First Class Honors. 

Theory:

Reina Lin, Theory Level 5, 92

 

 

Student Achievemnts 2024

 It was always a pleasure to write this blog about my students' achievement. They strive their best and progress steadily in both the Royal Conservatory Music program as well as the competitions! Here are the detail list of the results!

For the 2024 United States Open Music Competition:

Sanyi Yao, who has won the first places 5 times that include Outstanding Gold Medalists and Special Scholarship Awards in the Showcase Piano Solo category! This year, she also won the first place, the Outstanding Gold medalist and the Crystal award. She also invited to participate in the masterclass. Check out her performance.

Rui-Wen Lin, Eric Zeng and Larry Pham also placed 2nd, 3rd and 4th places in the Treasury of Baroque Intermediate and Classical category.

For the first half of the academic year, several students have passed the RCM exam with first class honors with distinctions: Zoey Meixner Larry Pham, Kaylee and Madison Chem. 

Some of them received perfect scores on their repertoires and etudes which means that their performance is truly exceptional:  Maggie Sun (Level 10), Larry Pham (level 5), and Rui-Wen Lin (Level 5).

Congratulations to these students achievement! I am so proud of you. 

 

Studio recital

 We had our semi-annual studio recital on Lunar New Year Day! Students were well-prepared and performed beautifully considering that we had 5 weeks of winter break.

 The value of having a recital is to set a goal for the students and also provide a chance for a public performance experience. I enjoy hearing their progresses on a semi-annul basis and see how they blossoming into expressive musicians!

Here are some of their performances :) 

Pedagogy Seminar for MTAC Santa Clara Co. Branch 2023!

There will be five exciting sessions for this year's Pedagogy Seminars that encompass all levels from beginner to advanced that target techniques-practice-motivation!! 

Date 9/28-10/26

Time: Thursday at 10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Fees:  Registration link

• MTAC Santa Clara County Branch members $150 
• non-members $200.

Session 1: Teaching Scales with only four fingerings groups!! 

No more memorizing or reading boring finger numbers but understanding them from keyboard topography and theory. 

Sessions 2 and 3 feature eight tension-free fundamental techniques  

• Establish a solid foundation and fix stiff hands, awkward hand positions, and weak fingers for beginner and elementary students. 
• It also enables intermediate/early advanced students to achieve sound and musical expression without tension. It addresses advanced techniques such as ornamentation, octaves, repeating notes, and more. 

Session 4: Motivation through practicing habits, learning style, and selecting study goals such as festivals and exams!! 

Session 5: Q and A. I will collect your questions in advance and discuss them in this session. This is a beneficial session since there are no limits to the questions you like to submit. Great opportunities to exchange ideas! 

Upcoming Webinars and pedagogy seminar with Santa Clara County Branch

 Sept-Oct: dates TBA

"Scales and Arpeggios": in this session, we will explore 

• the thumb rotation techniques that allow students to play evenly without twisting and turning! 
• Fingering groups will help students to learn the fingerings from the understanding of "when to cross over and under without the need to read the fingerings printed on the page!

"Pedagogy Seminar for the Intermediate Students": teachers can review the seminar on Youtube.

• Fundamental Techniques for Tension-Free Playing: This topic is in high demand and the most popular among the workshops I presented. It provides a systematic approach that enhances your teaching and students' playing! It has been featured in both the MTAC convention and the CSUEB piano pedagogy symposium. I will discuss challenging techniques such as ornamentations, balance, pedals, and coordination that target intermediate-level techniques.  
• Musicality
• Standard repertoire literature survey
• Practice skills and habits
• Performance preparation and anxiety issues
• Group discussion: great for deep diving into individual concerns
• Online lessons and studio management