Comparison between western and asian music education

[jiaen]

Hi all!

I need to gather some information for my degree dissertation which about identifying essential piano playing techniques and effective practice methods for young ASIAN piano students.

Now my questions are:

1) What are the differences between Western and Asian music education? (maybe you as western piano teacher who are not clear about how is Asian music education, can just briefly talk about your experiences as piano teacher?)

2) What are the common weaknesses (playing techniques; learning attitude, process and etc.) in young Western piano students?

Hope the experienced piano teachers can participate in my investigation. And ya! I'm Asian will be very grateful for your answer. Thank you.

[faulty_damper]

In Asia, many teachers teach the way Western teachers taught them, i.e. finger strengthening, independence, etc.  They never learned any better techniques and most of the old piano teachers are still alive.  Hopefully, when they die, the awful technique will die with them, as long as their students don't take their place.

Western teachers have improved somewhat in that many are no longer constrained by the finger strengthening and independence exercises and such.  But, there is still significant room for improvement.

[dima_76557]

Comparison between western and asian music education

Most of your questions will be answered within the following documents and cited sources therein:

- PIANO TEACHING PHILOSOPHIES AND INFLUENCES ON PIANISM AT THE CENTRAL CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC IN BEIJING, CHINA (pdf)
- Cross Cultural Teaching in Piano Pedagogy from a Korean Perspective (pdf)
- Musical Identity and Culture: Exploring the Korean Diaspora through the Lens of Piano Pedagogy (pdf)
- Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior
- Response part 1 to "why Chinese mothers are superior"
- Response part 2 to "why Chinese mothers are superior

[elizasays]

I teach in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai and most of the teachers here who teach the piano have some exposure to western teaching techniques - over the past years, mainly due to the efforts of a few music foundations and examination centres here.

The difference in students over different localities is remarkable.

My students in the Western suburbs in Mumbai listen to music, play a lot or attend classes for sports activities and have schools with good choirs.

My Navi Mumbai students mostly go to schools with no regular music class, mainly due to a lack of singing teachers, very many of them do not play or walk at all, and do not listen to music at home. Some kids have very stiff bodies and a low energy level, so i've had to ask them to walk or play regularly, and the parents are trying to figure out how to make this happen, where space or distance to facilities is a proble.

Teaching in Mumbai - i mostly have to discipline over exuberant, energetic children and teach the piano

In Navi Mumbai, i need a lot more movement in class, and parents take quite sometime to realise they too should start listening to music, so their child does it. It's happenning, but it's a slow process

Both sets of kids are equally talented, but the musical exposure and level of confidence performing differs widely and the piano teacher has to make opportunites and give students a platform to perform, where needed.

I'm new here, in Navi Mumbai, so i expect a couple of years to really see the difference in my stud ents.

I cannot comment on Indian classical music exposure, as i really do not know much about it