Tip Top Blogging

The Marathon Journey to Grade 1 Piano

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 21:51:06 GMT

The Marathon Journey to Grade 1 Piano

I feel it is important to write this brief guide to what Grade 1 piano entails so that students and parents can understand that the term ‘Grade 1’ is not beginner standard. However, I’ve included much information in this article that is helpful for anyone working towards a graded piano examination. Having said that…Grade 1 piano is a significant mile stone.

In my opinion, for a complete beginner to get to Grade 1 piano standard it is probably the longest journey for budding pianists. The amount of skill, knowledge and musicality is demanding and it cannot be rushed and it must not be underestimated. There are no short cuts, every step leading to Grade 1 needs to be covered and the pianist must be solid in his foundations.

If parents and pupils are too hasty in trying to get to the Grade 1 exam day, it is short sighted and storing up problems further down the road. If you think you can learn three pieces by rote and not develop reading skills or the theoretical knowledge for scales, the highest pass marks will not be possible. ALL parts of the syllabus must be worked on to ensure all round musical ability and progression. Please don't try and build a house on sand..... it never ends well. Indeed, the ABRSM offer pre-grade 1 examinations like the Preparatory Test then the Initial Grade which can help young musicians to develop exam skills and build towards Grade 1.

The ABRSM say the average time required to reach this standard would be 60 HOURS for total qualification time to prepare for this standard which is a 12 minute face to face exam. This is a considerable investment of time and effort. From starting to learn the pieces and scales and working on the aural and sight reading, if a student practises 30 minutes 5 times a week and has a 45 minute lesson once a week, grade 1 would take about 4 or 5 months. But this is not 5 months from being a complete beginner!

NOTE: If a student only practises 10 minutes 3 times a week, this will take more like 12-18 months! So frequency of practise is essential but so is the quality of practise.

It can often take 18 months to 2 years of essential foundational learning and development before a pianist even commences learning the Grade 1 materials. This is why I constantly demonstrate in lesson HOW to practise . Students may well sit at the piano for 30 minutes every day but if they do not focus on accuracy and actually improving their playing, they will have limited success. The whole process will take much longer if they practise with mistakes as they become ingrained and sometimes impossible to resolve.

They need to approach a new piece as though they are problem solving and should be thinking about they key, the time signature, which fingerings are appropriate. It will need work hands separately (MORE THAN ONE ATTEMPT) , slow practise and some sections will need LOTS of REPETITION. Proper practise is not playing through pieces from start to finish, that it the reward the follows once we have completed a great deal of diligent and intelligent practise. A great deal of practise should sound like a 'stuck record' - the finished polished piece comes after a lot of hard work.

The syllabus requirements assume that Grade 1 pianists can play with a significant level of coordination, perform in different styles, have a good command of pulse and rhythm and can read notes fluently across all lines and spaces of the Great Stave. They also need to be able to respond to music they listen to with appropriate language and are expected to attempt sight reading a piece they have never seen before with only 30 seconds to look at it

The pieces require technical competence so that pianists can get a significant range of dynamics and articulation nuances with assurance. Pieces should be played to a level where the style of the piece has clearly been considered, merely trudging through the notes with hesitations and mistakes or playing them with little expression will not lead to success. This is why I try to arrange concerts to provide my students with opportunities to perform. Please encourage students to perform in Tip Top concerts, also events that school may offer and please ask them to play for family and friends. Students should also record themselves and listen back to see if they really are playing fluently and musically. Students who send me videos in between their weekly lessons always progress better than students who don’t do this. I am more than happy to receive little clips and offer feedback – free of charge!

So what exactly does Grade 1 piano involve? What is the standard?

The syllabus has the same categories for each grade. Scales & Arpeggios, 3 pieces, Sight Reading and Aural Tests. All aspects need to be thoroughly prepared well before I enter students for the exam. I expect students to at least work towards passing with Merit. There are face to face exam sessions available in Spring (Feb/March) Summer (Junes/July) Autumn (Nov/Dec).

Pass – 100 marks

Merit – 120 marks

Distinction – 130 marks

Scales & Arpeggios - 21 Marks

These need to be memorised, fluent and confident. Usually these are played first in the exam and first impressions count. They give the pianist chance to get a feel for the piano and should be a positive start. There is no excuse to not know these thoroughly. In Grade 1, these are mostly hands separately 2 octaves but the C major scale is hands together. To get distinction marks students need scales & arpeggios to be as follows:

● Fluent and rhythmic

● Musically shaped

● Confident response

Three Pieces:

List A piece 30 marks - generally faster moving and require technical agility

List B piece 30 marks - more lyrical and invite expressive playing

List C piece 30 marks - reflect a wide variety of musical traditions, styles and characters.

The pieces for the highest marks should be played as follows;

Highly accurate notes and intonation
Fluent, with flexibility where appropriate. Rhythmic character well conveyed
Well projected. Sensitive use of tonal qualities
Expressive, idiomatic musical shaping and detail
Assured. Fully committed. Vivid communication of character and style

Sight Reading – 21 marks

Pupils who neglect developing their reading skills will struggle to get merit and distinction passes. It is wise to continually work on this skill using note reading apps such as ‘Note Rush’ for quickly identifying notes but also the sight reading books that I recommend because students need to learn to read how to navigate reading by intervals and also playing with a good sense of rhythm. The more different music you read, the better you will get! It also means you will decode your pieces more easily and be able to learn more independently.

This is the standard of sight reading expected for distinction:

Fluent, rhythmically accurate
Accurate notes/pitch/key
Musical detail realised
Confident presentation

Aural – 18 marks

Students have to clap a pulse and identify if there are 2 or 3 beats in a bar. There are short melodies to sing back as echoes and changes to identify. The last test requires musicians to listen to a piece of music played by the examiner then answer questions about the dynamics and articulation. Students should use appropriate musical vocabulary. Developing good aural skills helps many aspects of musicianship, if they can sing it, they stand a good chance of playing it! I advise students to sing in the school and/or church choir to improve this skill and it is wise to listen to a wide variety of music – classic fm is very helpful to develop musical understanding and hone listening skills.

Distinction aural skills require the following:

Accurate throughout
Musically perceptive
Confident response

And after the exam?

Please, please, PLEASE… Don’t be in a hurry to do the next grade. I absolutely hate it when pupils take their exam then arrive at their next lesson with the following exam grade pieces. This is not musical and eventually students reach the end of the road where their natural ability and poor practise habits just won’t get the next certificate anymore.

The lack of foundations in technique, knowledge and musicianship absolutely hinders them. In between each grade work, the musician needs to work on repertoire, play duets, accompany other musicians and play things that are NOT exam music. Pianists need to learn whole new set of skills before attempting the next grade and embed the learning before progressing to the next grade.

Longterm…. The tortoise always fares better.

Julie Csorba 6th February 2026

Macbeth - Revision tips for GCSE English Literature

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 12:52:24 GMT

Macbeth - Revision notes for GCSE English Literature

Read the play, know the plot, get the T-shirt!

I have focused specifically on the AQA exam, but this is still useful for students working with other exam boards. By now, you should know the play from endless English lessons, a viewing of a film (the 1971 version is excellent) and perhaps you have seen a live stage version…..or maybe you have had some of the seemingly endless Csorba exam questions!

The play: Three witches tell the Scottish general Macbeth that he will be King of Scotland. Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth kills the king, becomes the new king, and kills more people out of paranoia. Civil war erupts to overthrow Macbeth, resulting in yet more death. Finally realising that he has been duped by the Witches he too is killed.

Watch: Make sure you are confident with what happens in each Act of the play. You should be able to summarise all of the key parts of the narrative and put them into your own words. Personally I like to watch the ‘Animated Tales’ cartoon versions which you can easily watch over and over. For a film version I highly recommend Polanski's 1971 film adaptation. The world he creates is faithful to the play….and Martin Shaw is in it!

Themes: I know, you’re fed up of the teacher going on and on and on about the themes but they are quite straight forward. Ambition and Power; Macbeth is a play about ambition and its consequences. It can also be seen as a warning against those who seek to undermine or overthrow the rule of a rightful king.

The Supernatural: The vast majority of people in Jacobean England were Christian and believed in the literal word of the Bible. Occult occurrences or characters involved in witchcraft or sorcery would have been seen as the work of the devil, and evil. Consider how people thought back in the 1600s, glass Witch's balls were hung next to windows to protect houses from evil spirits.

Appearance versus Reality: Shakespeare plays with the concept of perception throughout Macbeth; are we seeing what’s really there? And are characters who they seem to be?

Corruption of Nature: Jacobean audiences believed in a set structure in the world: the world according to G-d’s plan. Any disruption to the world was, therefore, disruption to G_d’s ordained order.

Focus on the characters: Your exam question could be focused on how Shakespeare presents aspects of one of the characters, so you need to be clear on the key traits of the main characters and the important quotes which back these up. Obviously Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are the most crucial characters, but you should know your stuff on others as well: Banquo, Macduff and of course those pesky Witches!

Quotes: Try to remember a few quotes, it’s surprising just how many of us subconsciously retain many of them without realising; “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” Comes to mind and who can forget that lovely line, "False face must hide what the false heart doth know." The line is spoken by Macbeth to Lady Macbeth. He is telling her to go and act the perfect hostess to their esteemed guest, King Duncan. Macbeth wants her face to be bright and cheery in order to hide the evil thoughts that her mind and heart have conceived about Duncan's eventual murder. Write them on the fridge door or leave them written on your bedroom wall, wardrobe, door or even the ceiling!

Most of all, don’t overthink things and enjoy what you do!

Cristóir Csorba 6th February 2025

A Tip Top Performance for Pathways

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 21:40:19 GMT

A Tip Top Performance for Pathways

Isn’t it great when you can bless others and find that in doing so, you are also blessed?

Our Tip Top musicians certainly blessed family and friends with polished performances in our Christmas Concert on Saturday 14th December 2024. Tickets and refreshments were all free but generous donations were made to support Pathways of Chesterfield, therefore… we could bless others. ��

Preparing for the performance was a great motivation to practise more; it brought musicians together, enthralled listeners and provided the perfect opportunity to think about people who are not having an easy time. We were absolutely overjoyed to raise £352.50 and want to thank everyone who donated.

It was a privilege to meet the team members at Pathways (Sian, Thobani, Laura & Jules). Laura Roberts said:

‘Thank you so much for the generous donation of £352.50 raised at your Christmas Concert. At Pathways, we are fortunate to be able to provide a holistic service including housing and tenancy support, specialist mental health nursing, outreach services, emergency food and clothing provisions. However, we would be unable to provide such an impactful and varied service without the kind support of donors such as yourselves. Your donation has made a tangible difference in the lives of both individuals and families experiencing homelessness or a housing crisis within our community.’

You can find our more about the amazing work of the dedicated Pathways team and support them further by visiting: https://www.pathwaysofchesterfield.co.uk/

Littlemoor Gospel Chapel kindly hosted the concert where Pastor Colin Lamb welcomed the families and musicians. The concert was co-produced with my friend, musician and teacher Claire Lisi and featured musicians from aged 8 upwards. Claire reflected; ‘It was a lovely collaboration between us and a safe platform for musicians to share their love of music.’

We have had very positive and complimentary feedback from pupils and parents. Heidi, Mum of Reuben (aged 10):

‘Since taking part in these concerts Reuben has grown in self-confidence and finds performing in front of others easier which also makes the graded piano exams a little less scary!’ Reuben added: ‘It’s nice to listen to other performers and to get together with other musicians because I don’t really know anybody else who shares the same interests as me.’

Lisa , Mum of Darci (aged 13);

‘The Christmas concert was an amazing opportunity for young musicians to showcase their abilities, experience playing to an audience and aspire to continually improve. As a parent it is wonderful to see how special music is to these young musicians and we are grateful to Julie for supporting Darci and giving her the confidence to play.

Hannah (aged 8); ‘I was excited, and it was then really fun to play.’

Lia (aged 11), ‘I felt nervous to begin with, but happy I did it and thought it went well.’

Steve (Dad of Hannah & Lia);

‘Lana and I found it quite emotional watching them. To have first seen them doing their French time names to then playing a full-sized piano with synchronised hands and in time with Julie... Lana may have had a tear in her eye. I definitely didn't.’ (I'm afraid I just don’t believe you Steve! ��)

Emma, Mum of Olivia (aged 8);

‘We thought the concert was a great way for young musicians to gain experience performing in a supportive environment. Julie’s hard work and dedication shines through. Fundraising to support a local charity is the icing on the cake of a lovely event.’

The program featured plenty of traditional Christmas music; celebrating our rich Judeo/Christian heritage and sharing the true meaning of Christmas. Playing Christmas music just brings people together in a very special way. I have the privilege of seeing these brave young musicians performing in concerts but it is also thoroughly heart-warming to see families happily singing together around the piano in their homes.

Solos, piano duets and the flute ensembles floated beautifully across the chapel, featuring music from Bach to Tchaikovsky to Abba. It was a joy to conclude the concert with a rousing rendition of ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’. With only one brief rehearsal altogether, our ensemble (2 pianists, 6 flautists and a euphonium player) quickly followed my directions and were able to lead the audience in singing. Bravo!

I look forward to 2025 and hope I am blessed to work with more budding musicians.

Julie Csorba

30th December 2024

Why do musicians need to practise?

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 12:59:09 GMT

Why do our young musicians need to practise?

This might sound silly but.... in the busy schedules of various activities, musical development is different to other hobbies. For example, children may go swimming, horse riding, football, dancing and so on and those commitments only demand you to practice when actually attending the club/lessons. Learning an instrument is simply not like this. Playing music is very rewarding, it's great fun, but only when we do it well. This is why youngsters need to get into a good practise pattern and, I want to help them practise PROPERLY.

Parents, you have a big part to play and most musicians cannot do this without adult support. To consider this.... would you let your child make and bake a loaf of bread with NO adult support whatsoever? If you wouldn't let your child bake bread without your help, then they are not ready to to practise piano without you.

Get into the habit....

This doesn't require you to be a musician, just be the adult and help with the life skills children have not yet developed.

For example: Reading and following instructions, helping schedule time so that piano practise becomes a HABIT. That it is built into the child's routine.

The first step.... is just to get to do SOMETHING on the instrument every day, just like you had to do with getting them into a routine of cleaning their teeth. If you can't set the same time slot every day, aim to connect practise time to something else, for example, while dinner is being made - I practise. While my sister is in the shower - I practise. Before doing homework - I practise.

I hope this is helpful. What helps your child get into the habit?

Julie Csorba 15th April 2024

Getting out of your comfort zone and getting into a book

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 19:30:29 GMT

Getting out of your comfort zone and getting into a book

I love books, I’ve always loved books. I practically lived in my local library as a child. These days I sigh in despair when I browse through what constitutes children’s literature. Tabloid books by ‘celebrity authors’ covering topics that would never have been considered acceptable or appropriate when I was a child. Take my advice (if you wish) never buy a children’s book unless you have carefully examined the content. It is not advisable to just read the blurb on the back cover as many books for youngsters have material you may not be comfortable with.

That said, here’s the positive side. I have just finished reading two children’s books, one a contemporary book and the other was a re-read from my childhood days. ‘The Wolf Wilder’ (2015) by Katherine Rundell and ‘Watership Down’ (1972) by Richard Adams. I couldn’t wait to pick them up each day and couldn’t put them down once I started.

In ‘The Wolf Wilder’ we have a good old fashioned adventure story with a likeable central character, not forgetting the wolves of course and no they are not ‘big bad ones’! Feo's mother is a wolf wilder, and Feo is a wolf wilder in training: a person who teaches tamed animals to be wild again, to fend for themselves, and to fight and to run. The writing is full of imagery and allows the mind to picture the action well;

‘Feo put down the skis she was oiling and listened. It was early, and she was still wearing her nightdress. She pulled on the jumper her mother had knitted, which came down to the scar on her knee, and ran to the front door…’

Like any adventure story there are elements of good versus bad and many hidden surprises along the way. As readers, we learn that there are times when we must rise above our fears and face our challenges. By doing so, we learn things about ourselves, things that we would otherwise never have known. We find qualities in others where perhaps we wouldn’t have before.

‘Watership Down’ follows the intrepid tale of some very brave rabbits as they escape the destruction of their warren and seek a place to establish a new home; encountering perils and temptations along the way. This beautifully written book shrinks you down to rabbit size and places you into the British countryside. Here we encounter a real closeness to nature albeit through the eyes, ears and smells of a rabbit.

‘The May sunset was red in the clouds, and there was still half an hour to twilight. The dry slope was dotted with rabbits nibbling at the thin grass near their holes; others were pushing farther down to look for dandelions or perhaps a cowslip that the rest had missed.’

The carefully noted details of our beautiful countryside is wonderful;

‘The sun sank below Ladle Hill and the autumn stars began to shine in the darkening east…The wind freshened, and soon myriads of dry beech leaves were filling the ditches and hollows…’

Both books are outstanding examples of children’s literature and upon reading an extract of Watership Down to one of my students, he was in his local library the next day to loan the book! His mum was delighted and emailed “I’m pleased he has started reading it because he usually only reads football story books!”

So, read the title of this article again. Pick up a book and EXPLORE!

A Christmas Carol 2023

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 14:56:54 GMT

A Christmas Carol 2023

The run up to the Christmas holiday has been a particular joy this term, not least for the continual progress of my KS2/3/4 students (well done you lot) but also the use of ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens. This book is, without a doubt, one of my all-time favourite books since childhood. The fact that it is also a GCSE text makes it all the more special.

There is something atmospheric and meaningful when this novella is read, or re-read, during the dark and dusky afternoons of winter. The book comes to life and the writing of Dickens conjures up vivid images in the mind of the reader. He offers us rich descriptions of those types of foods we associate with Christmas;

Heaped up on the floor, to form a kind of throne, were turkeys, geese, game, poultry, brawn, great joints of meat, sucking-pigs, long wreaths of sausages, mince-pies, plum-puddings, barrels of oysters, red-hot chestnuts, cherry-cheeked apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears, immense twelfth-cakes, and seething bowls of punch. It has been a lovely experience to teach English using this book with a lamp by my desk and a mince pie on a plate! In fact each student joined me and also had a festive mince pie as we sought to describe how all this rich Christmas food would look, smell and taste.

Teaching this story has been a lovely experience for me and also for the students too, such is the popularity of this story at this time of year. We explored the themes of poverty, family, Christmas and redemption as we went along. I was amazed how deeply each student read into each theme and interpreted the book with fresh eyes and minds. My job is a delight to do!

I can highly recommend this book to any parent wanting to get their child interested in reading, I have been reading it since I was eight and I still LOVE THE STORY. The book is readable in just a short hour but will take any young reader on a wonderful journey into the Christmas of 1843! There is also an endearing cartoon version of the story on the internet, ‘A Christmas Carol’ cartoon 1971. Beautifully animated and it follows the story excellently.

If you’re in need of a last minute stocking filler, then there is just enough time to grab a copy of ‘A Christmas Carol’, it will offer a lifetime of fond reading!

Cristóir Csorba

How can I help my child practise piano?

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 18:57:52 GMT

How can I help my child practise piano?

Many parents say they don’t know how to help their child practise because they are not musical. While it might seem somewhat overwhelming; parental involvement is crucial to a child developing as a musician. The success of a musician is like a three legged stool, the process requires support from ALL three participants! Without three legs, the stool collapses. I am writing this blog entry to help clarify ways in which parents (even non musicians) can play their part in the process.

Firstly, young children will not be able to work through the process of learning an instrument with only input from the music tutor once a week. Like learning to read and write, most of the learning takes place away from time with the teacher.

Here are ten ways that parents can help their young musician.

1) Good habits

Good habits need to be formed. Get into the habit of assigning time to practise each day and put away all distractions such as phones, toys, TV and computers. Habits are formed through a cue, which is a signal to begin an action. For example, if you want your child to practise piano after school, the cue might be eating an afternoon snack which is immediately followed by piano practice. With young beginners, don’t expect more than 15 mins, as they mature the length of practise time can increase and it’s OK to incorporate comfort breaks during that time. Advanced students will eventually need to be managing 45 to 60 minutes a day in order to progress. When you see an outstanding performance from a young musician, it is not because they are super gifted, it really is down to regular, committed work, Luke warm effort a couple of times a week will not yield satisfying results.

2) Incentives

If you need a sticker chart or Lego stack to log practise done in order for a reward, please do it! I am not opposed to a little external motivation!

3) Be Present.

Younger children will need their parent around, in the same room. They will not ‘get on with it’ rather like when you had to help them learn to read or use a knife and fork or even clean their teeth – they need help. Learning piano is one of the most difficult skills to master Most children find this a difficult discipline and will require prompts and encouragement from Mum or Dad.

4) Teacher advice

I write in note books and on the pupils’ music regularly. This gives the young musician guidance of what to work on in the week ahead. Parents should check what I have written and simply remind the child of what I have said. If parents would basically remind their children what I have advised the pupil to do, this would be ENORMOUSLY helpful.

5) Rounded Musician

You will find that there are tasks set which involves technical work, including scales and arpeggios, sight reading and also pieces. Most pupils are also given music theory to complete each week and aural skills need to be worked on. The pupil needs to commit time to each area daily and not neglect aspects. Encourage them to do some work on each area every time they practise so that they develop all aspects of musicianship.

6) Scales & Arpeggios

Be aware of the scale chart and ask them how they are going.

- Show me which scales you play well.

- What’s important to remember when you play a scale?

- Which ones are the more tricky scales/arpeggios? Have you checked the key signature, fingerings and done slow work on it?

7) Sight Reading

Sight reading is a precious skill, if you child reads well, they can learn music more quickly and who doesn’t want to do that?! Children often forget to check the key signature, or to count and a bad habit is looking at their hands. Be there with a scarf or a tea towel to cover their hands! This means that their eyes will not leave the page and fluency improves!

8) Pieces

Some pieces will be set that should only take a week or two to learn, this means that the student is seeing different music regularly (not relying on memory) and therefore improving the repertoire and their ability to sight read. Other pieces are more challenging and will need 4 to 8 weeks to play securely. Please ask me which pieces are short term goals and which ones are more challenging. I often send links of recordings to help both parent and child listen to good examples of how their pieces should be performed. I often

You should NOT hear pupils simply playing through a piece start to finish, with lots of errors. This is NOT practise and it forms very bad habits. Ingrained mistakes are extremely difficult to undo and it becomes frustrating for the child. Ask them?

- Which piece has some bars that need work?

- Try that section again and do slow practise, hand separately so that it is accurate seven times in a row.

**Seven times correctly might sound a lot but if this is only a few bars of music, sometimes even just one bar, it is not onerous**

Making a video recording of your child playing and watching it back together also helps the child to see what needs improving. You won’t even need to say anything because they can assess themselves and diagnose their own problems.

9) Listening and enjoying piano music

Listen to piano music, go to concerts – this sparks imagination and motivation. Listening to music is equally important to playing music. What does your child like playing or listening to? Ask them what their best piece is and why. Play music around the home, especially recordings of the pieces they are learning and going to see live music is often very inspiring. Creating a musical life and home helps them develop has a powerful impact on motivation and awareness.

10) Talk, praise and Encouragement

Talk to the child so that they know you are interested and that you understand what is difficult. Ask questions about what they have learned in their lessons today. Also ask them to show you what they are playing. Talking about their piano playing also encourages them to use musical vocabulary and to think about their learning. Celebrate your child’s successes and acknowledge their commitment, concentration and achievements . If your child gives and impromptu performance, stop and listen and talk proudly about how his/her hard work has paid off. Praise your child for a good posture, nice curved fingers, counting, playing a scale evenly, improved attention span and talk about their effort and determination in mastering something that was difficult. Ask your budding musician to put on a little performance. At Christmas ask them to play carols for you all, or play Happy Birthday for a celebration!

In conclusion: Learning the piano is not easy but it is certainly possible for anyone who is willing to put the time into regular and effective practise. As with anything that is difficult, children go through times of wanting to give up but until they are mature and mentally resilient enough to manage these challenges, it is up to you, the parent, to encourage and guide them.

Julie Csorba 15/12/2023

Piano/Flute exams - 2 weeks to go!

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 18:18:23 GMT

Practical Exams – 2 weeks to go!

The Spring Term ABRSM practical exam session will soon be underway and some of our Tip Top musicians have exams in early March.

I’ve been thinking of how young musicians should use this last couple of weeks to prepare. At this point, all the scales and arpeggios should be very confident and the three pieces should be secure and musical. However, there is a tendency for musicians to coast in the last couple of weeks and rather than making further improvements, it is easy to just play through everything with no thought of how the performance could be improved. From now on, your exam needs to be a priority when planning your week so organising sleep overs, holidays and scout camps right near an exam can mean students miss days of practise and they are even too tired on the day of the exam. I’ve known students turn up to a concert or exam and they’ve been on a sleep over the night before and not even played the piano for two days – they don’t feel particularly confident! It does not go well….

Here are some tips for parents and students.

1) Scales and Arpeggios are the first thing to be played in a piano exam and if they are strong and assured, it sets an excellent first impression to the examiner. It is absolutely possible to get 21/21 for these which need to be played from memory. They should be firm, nicely shaped and played at a tempo appropriate to the grade. Work on scales and arpeggios first and play ALL of them every day and check you are playing with a good posture and hand shape (no flat fingers). It should not be an onerous task to play them all every day.

**If a scale or arpeggio is not perfect first time, work on this by checking the correct notes and fingerings, doing separate hands practise or sometimes play one octave. Always play at a speed where there are NO mistakes and aim to get the scale correct three times in a row. Play the scales and arpeggios in a random order, parents could ask them or write each scale and arpeggio on a piece of paper and draw them out of a hat.**

Flautists should also work on one octave if there is errors and when securing the notes, don’t worry about taking extra breaths because you want ACCURACY before fluency. Again, aim for correct playing of a scale/arpeggio THREE times in a row. Can you play just as well slurred as tongued?

I often say to students ‘Aim for the hat trick’ That means playing something correct, correct, correct NOT wrong, wrong, correct, wrong, wrong, correct, wrong, correct because this still means you have played it incorrectly more often than accurately – it will not be secure, this type of practising is ‘gambling’. Too risky.

2) Pieces are worth 90 marks (30 marks per piece) – There are three contrasting pieces to prepare for the exam. At this point, ensure that you are practising in two ways. It is good to ‘play through’ without stopping because this is what you will have to do in your exam. Also play through to family and friends, it is helpful to have a parent video your pieces so you can listen back and see if you have a good posture/hand position (breath control on flute). The examiner will also be typing in the exam so it is good for young musicians to play with some distractions around every so often aswell!

Are you playing expressively? Perhaps your piece has a title that helps you to think of a story or picture that helps to makes your playing interesting and colourful. Practise PERFORMING just as you would for a concert. Is your posture and hand position good? Do you count yourself in your head before you play? Do you END the piece well? Some children play the last note and begin to look around or even stand up before they have finished, make sure you start well and finish well – don’t throw away the ending!

However, it is also important to continue to do SLOW, SEPARATE, SECTION practise where you pay attention to improving any weak sections – I often write on your music which bars or sections need extra work. Check that you have taken on board all the details in your pieces. Pay attention to dynamics, articulation, tempo changes, pauses, ornaments expression marks and any other features of your pieces. I often ask students to identify the loudest part of the piece and the quietest to help shade the dynamics. Check you a playing at a suitable tempo, pop the metronome on. Be careful not to just race through each piece with no consideration for musicality.

It is helpful to listen to recordings of the pieces to inspire the student and also clarify what the piece should sound like. It is particularly important for flaustists to be familiar with the piano accompaniment so do listen to recordings and play with your accompanist regularly.

If possible, play some or all of your exam piece in a concert to give you valuable experience.

3) Sight Reading is worth 21 marks and this can be sadly neglected and where this is a weakness, the marks lost can mean that merits and distinctions are just missed out by a couple of marks. Sight reading should be worked on EVERY DAY. I set rhythmic and melodic sight reading work every lesson. In the exam, candidates are given only THIRTY seconds to look at the sight reading test and try it through. Musicians need to hone their sight-reading skills DAILY so that the exam test is manageable. I give a lot of advice to students according to their level so please look at what I write in books. In the exam, the examiner doesn’t expect absolute perfection but you do need to keep going.

Please remember to:

· Check the key signature and look for accidentals

· Check the time signature, count yourself in a keep counting

· Plan your fingerings and look what the highest and lowest notes are, early grades should be looking for steps/skips

· Grade 3 piano onwards will include changes of hand position, notice the fingerings.

· When you have 30 seconds to try the piece you cannot just play the first bar 6 times, you need to get an idea of the notes and fingerings.

· When attempting the test go steady, count yourself in, look ahead of what you are playing (long notes are a gift! They give you time to think and look ahead!) and KEEP GOING. DO NOT STOP. DO NOT GO BACK TO CORRECT NOTES.

Another very important developmental aspect of sight reading is playing LOTS of different music. If students only play the same three exam pieces for months on end, their reading will be very weak. So I regularly set easier pieces that should be learned in a week, to ensure young musicians are regularly reading new notes. Duet and ensemble playing is also very helpful in improving sight reading as when you play with other musicians, you HAVE to keep going. This term, everyone should be learning at least one new Christmas piece each week. These pieces should be easier than the grade pieces but stretch you a bit more than the sight reading examples.

If musicians do not work on the skills of sight reading, they will at some point hit a standstill where they might be able to learn a grade 5 piece, basically by rote, but their reading is so poor, they can’t quickly learn a grade 2 piece.

Being good at sight reading is such a blessing, it means that you can decipher and learn music quickly, wonderful! Developing sight reading skills is a crucial part of being a rounded musician and you will be able to make music with other musicians and enjoy it.

4) The Aural Tests are worth 18 marks and like sight reading, some students neglect this and aural test marks will be low and could mean you don’t get the merit or distinction that you would like.

The best way to develop good aural skills is to sing in the school or church choir so that you are familiar with your voice and your vocal range. I cover the tests in your lesson and try to help you but I can only do this for a brief time in the lesson so students need to spend time in the week working on aural skills. If you practise the tests by using the YouTube links I send or ‘Improve Your Aural Skills’ books and CDs you will not be flummoxed in the exam and you won’t be disappointed with your overall result. There is also an ABRSM Aural test app for iphones which has helped students greatly.

Please see https://www.tiptoptutoring.co.uk/aural-test-training for lots of links to help you work on clapping the beat, singing, spotting the differences, describing music and more.

The Aural Tests are designed to help you develop your overall musicianship. This can be very helpful in preparing for GCSE and A level exams as well as auditions.

You might manage the early grades with poor aural skills but if you do not continue to develop your aural skills, you will hit a road block once the tests get longer and more involved at grades 4 and 5 onwards. Listen to classical music and go to concerts whenever possible, the more children listen to quality music the better.

Good luck everyone and continue to look where you can improve your playing before the exam.

Effective Practise Reminders for Young Musicians & Parents

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 13:55:12 GMT

Effective Practise

IS PRACTISE NECESSARY? Like athletes, musicians also have to train. Playing the piano or flute requires countless hours of dedication. If your child isn't practising regularly and properly, they will not progress - they will develop bad habits and in some cases REGRESS. It is important to practise SOON after the lesson while what we have covered is fresh in the mind. As I keep saying, practising is like a bucket with a hole in it.... you must keep topping it up. If the student has a lesson then doesn't touch the instrument again for a few days, all the things gained in the lesson will be lost. Sometimes there are valid reasons why a student hasn't practised much but.... I am not happy to continue teaching students indefinitely when they repeatedly don't practise or don't complete tasks I have set (including theory, scales and sight reading). It is disheartening for both student and teacher and a waste of parents' money. Please, please help the young musicians to develop a good practise routine - they will not just automatically do this by themselves until they are much more mature.

**Children will not practise automatically and need adults to make time and space for the musician to practise and also to remind them about HOW to practise**

COMMITMENT: As with eating, sleeping, reading, cleaning teeth….. children will need to learn about good habits, commitment and routine. I advise musicians to plan a regular daily practise schedule come what may, even if you are tired or don’t feel like practising. It is commitment and frequency that matter, not necessarily the amount of time you spend. ‘Little and often’ will help you achieve far more than overdoing it one day, and then doing nothing for the next few days. Some musicians find it more productive to put a little time in at the beginning of the day, and again later – whatever works for you.

As a rough guide to time required per day:

Young Beginners: 10-20 minutes
Grades 1-2: 20-30 mins
Grade 3-4: 30-40 mins
Grade 5-6: 40-50 minutes
Grade 7-8: 1 hour

LISTEN & RESEARCH: It is helpful for musicians to listen to recordings of their pieces and now this has never been so easy. Go on YouTube and search for the piece using the title and composer and there are usually numerous recordings to choose from. This can help pupils realise if they’re getting notes or rhythms wrong. Sometimes I ask parents to record me playing pieces, or the parts of pieces that a child needs help with, so do play these. As children mature, they should also find out about the composer, period and genre of their music to help them understand interpretation.

MUSICAL DEVELOPMENT: Wider musicianship skills need time and effort – Music theory must be completed and is set most weeks. Singing in the school or church choir or playing in a group/duet is valuable in improving aural skills . Attending concerts and listening to radio such as Classic fm broadens knowledge and understanding of orchestral instruments, composers, styles and inspires young musicians. https://www.classicfm.com/

Practising Tips

BEFORE YOU START: Focus on the task at hand. Free your space of noise, disruption and distraction – switch off phones, computers, ipads, TV and gaming devices! Check you are sat correctly with good posture. Forearms level, elbows in front of body. Do you need a cushion or something to rest your feet on? Is your back straight? Are your fingers curved?

GOALS: Have a goal for the practise session and think, about what you need to improve. It is better to work on small sections and make improvements than to try and play lots of things badly. Which scale or arpeggio needs extra work? Which piece has new notes to learn? What do you find difficult?

TECHNICAL WORK: Scales & Arpeggios/Technical/Tone exercises. Do these first each session as a warm up (think like an athelete) and they also link to your theory knowledge. Flautists should spend time on tone development daily. Play all or some of your scales and arpeggios. The weakest ones will need slow, separate work. Sometimes just try a scale 1 octave. Check that you know:

The key signature and any accidentals.
Related key (For example C major’s relative minor is A minor)
Correct fingerings – knowing which notes the 4 ^th fingers play is helpful.
Different rhythms - Intermediate and higher grades should use the method of practising in different rhythms, Page 7 of Piano Lessons Book 2 by Fanny Waterman.

SIGHT READING only gets easier when you see and play lots of different music. If you only play the same three pieces for months at a time, your sight reading will be poor. Do the exercises in ‘Improve Your Sight Reading’ and ‘A Piece a Week’ to strengthen this essential skill.

PIECES: DO NOT PLAY THROUGH THE PIECE START TO FINISH. If you only play through pieces with mistakes, you are actually practising the mistakes and developing bad habits and then it is far more difficult to fix ingrained mistakes. You will be frustrated with the outcomes of this type of practise. Isolate and work on the trouble spots that need care and attention and extra practise. If you cannot play something correctly and securely:

SECTION work will help you to focus on the difficult parts and make improvements. Like building with lego, work in sections! Sometimes just one bar going onto the first notes of the next bar is needed and is far more productive than playing through a whole piece full of mistakes. Have you checked the key signature. Can you work out the rhythm? What are the dynamics and articulation?

SEPARATE practise is needed to check notes, rhythms and fingerings are correct. Mark in some fingerings if needed. THREE times separately then THREE times hands together is often enough but only if you are doing this three times ACCURATELY. Aim for a hat trick before moving on.

SLOW practise is essential so that your brain is ahead of your fingers. If you can’t play something correctly at a slow tempo, it won’t work when played up to speed. Play at a speed where everything is correct.

Finish the Race

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 13:27:52 GMT

Finish the Race

John Stephen Akhwari represented Tanzania in the men’s marathon at the Mexico Olympics of 1968. The event was won by Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia but it Akhwari who will be forever remembered in this race. I should, to be fair, point out that Akhwari came last!

During the race, Akhwari suffered severe cramps in his legs; however worse was to befall him. While jockeying for position he fell. Akhwari hit the ground, gashing his knee and also causing a dislocation. He also smashed his shoulder against the pavement. Most observers, seeing his injuries, assumed he would pull out and go to hospital. Instead, he received medical attention and returned to the track to continue his race.

Now, out of a total of seventy-five runners, eighteen had already dropped out, Akhwari carried on despite his physical condition. He had clearly no chance of either winning or even securing a decent time for the race. By the time he reached the stadium, he was limping and the bandage around his leg was flapping in the breeze. The medals had already been awarded and the winners had been given their medals. However, and no doubt to his astonishment, the crowd had remained and, as one, all stood up and clapped this man across the finish line.

He was asked why he'd carried on, and his response has gone down in sporting history. “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race,” he said. “They sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”

Akhwari will be forever remembered for his courage and determination, ideals we can all be inspired by. Life is a marathon and a marathon of an unknown distance as we run our course. Akhwari had his cramps; we have our trials and tests, never nice and somewhat painful. His accident could, I suppose, symbolise our presumed failures in life. Now here’s the thing, when setbacks or failures seem overwhelming and when others might expect us to give up-GET BACK UP!

Do the unexpected, do the thing people will remember you for. KEEP GOING AND FINISH THE RACE. Your determination, your courage and your curiosity will take you across the line. Medals are nice, certificates too but these are mere bits of metal and paper. It is your sheer determination that will get you over the line NOT your ‘best time’. Go at your own pace and finish well. At the end you will be all the stronger and all the wiser too.

When people recall the 1968 men’s marathon, no one remembers the winner, they ALL remember John Akhwari.

Cristóir Csorba 28th September 2023

Book Review: 'Another Way to Learn?'

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 18:03:08 GMT

Book Review: 'Another Way to Learn?'

This is a brief book review for parents who are thinking about, or actually embarking upon, home-education. I have recently read Molly Ashton’s wonderful book; ‘Another Way to Learn?’ Her book is a selection of personal testimonies from various parents who have bravely stepped out of the British education system to teach their children themselves.

It is a lovely handbook to enlighten those of you out there who feel the necessity to take control of your child’s learning, development, wellbeing and their future. The prospect of home-educating can be terrifying, daunting and somewhat intimidating to most parents but Molly understands that no parent takes this step lightly or without much consideration.

‘Let me be clear, I really enjoyed our first year of home education. For all intents and purposes, I was happy and content to have had the privilege of offering my son an idyllic childhood that I could have only dreamed of. I enjoyed learning alongside him, watching his curiosity and confidence blossom and the connection between us deepen.’

You can read more about the contributors to the book here: https://www.anotherwaytolearn.co.uk/authors

The book is packed full of practical advice and a useful resource list, this book takes you through the daily rhythms of home education.

Some of the chapters include:

Finding freedom to follow a unique path
The early years: Building good foundations
Exploring delight-led learning in the teen years
Socially speaking: understanding the home-educated child as a social being
Additional needs: Making room for disabilities, disorders, difficulties and differences.
Home education: Is it for Dads too?
Help! My grandchildren are being home-educated: Home education and the wider family.

As a tutor, this was an inspirational read and I think it is a must read for parents considering home education. The help is out there and also here at Tip Top Tutoring. We are already tutoring several home-educated students; it’s a privilege to be able to work with the individual learner, their parents and to meet their specific needs. We all want our children to be happy as they learn and grow and sadly, the British school system is not equipped to do this for all children.

On page 42 the book includes a poignant poem to inspire all of us who step away from the beaten track:

The Road Not Taken

(by Robert Frost 1874-1963)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Review by Cristoir Csorba 29th August 2023

Classic Children's Literature: The Silver Sword

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 13:03:01 GMT

Classic Children's Literature: The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier

I first came across this book as a child at Primary school. I fell in love with the book then and I love reading it to this very day. I have lost track of just how many children have acquired their own copy (as I did at their age) following me reading it to them. I can assure parents this is a wholesome book with historical value, full of adventure. One of the themes is about growing up and taking on responsibilities in extraordinary circumstances.

I recall as a teacher at a secondary school, I’d been reading it to my form class. A colleague, dear Bob Stirling told me, how as a schoolboy, he had been a pupil of Ian Serraillier. Bob explained with fondness how Serrailier used to read extracts to Bob and the rest of the class from a book he was writing, yes, ‘The Silver Sword’!

Plot Summary:

In war-torn Poland, the Balicki family lives under Nazi occupation after the German invasion. Joseph Balicki, a schoolteacher, is arrested by the Nazis and sent to Zakyna, a brutal work camp in the mountains of Southern Poland. Anxious to escape he manages to hit a guard with a small stone shot from a catapult, knocking him out and giving Joseph time to take his uniform and wear it; in this way, he is able to leave with the other guards. He hides in a cable car and is discovered by a Polish peasant; the peasant and his wife hide Joseph for a couple of weeks, at great danger to themselves.

Joseph walks for a month until he reaches Warsaw, but finds his family gone and his home burned down. His old neighbour tells him that the Nazis took his wife away and his children are most likely dead. He is picking over the rubble of his home when he spots a letter opener his wife had given him in the shape of a silver sword. He turns to see a boy watching him; this seemingly selfish and streetwise boy wants Joseph to give him the sword. Joseph agrees to do so on the condition that the boy, whose name is Jan, tells his children (should he run into them) that Joseph is making for their grandparents' home in Switzerland, and that they should meet him there. Jan agrees, and also returns the next day to help Joseph. Jan keeps the sword in a small wooden box that he keeps with him at all times.

After Joseph was arrested, the Germans took his wife to work on a German farm. Now their three children, Ruth, Edek and Bronia, who managed to escape after Margrit was taken, live in the cellar of a ruined house. Food is sparse, but Edek is a gifted smuggler and brings what they need. Ruth starts a school in the cellar; when she mentions this at the soup kitchen, she is given school supplies and a Bible:

‘They liked the stories from the Old Testament best. Their favourite was always Daniel in the lions’ den. They enjoyed it just as a story, but for Ruth it had a deeper meaning. She thought of it as the story of their own troubles. The lions were the cold and hunger and the hardships of their life….’

One day, Bronia and other children find a scrawny boy outside passed out from hunger. When he wakes, he tells them his name is Jan, but he is not very friendly. At first, he is too ill to leave; once he is well again, he decides to stay. He is the same Jan that met their father a year earlier and still has the sword he gave him in the wooden box!

The story develops over the long miles towards Switzerland and over five years. Naturally they have many adventures en route, but they also change. Jan was a street child who was orphaned in the war. He was quite wild, almost feral, as a result of taking care of himself on the streets of Warsaw. He was also talented at all the things that are illegal, such as fighting and pickpocketing. Jan was very combative; he hated Germans and soldiers, so it is possible that he saw his family taken away by the German military. He is oddly sentimental about seemingly worthless things throughout the book, such as three dead fleas given to him by an escaped chimpanzee. It is this love of acquiring and hoarding in his little wooden box that ultimately brings him together with the Balicki children and their quest to find their parents: Ruth recognizes the silver sword in his box from her house. Jan is not much of a people person, but he has a special bond with animals, all of whom love him, and with Ruth.

Do they make it to Switzerland? I could tell you but it would be better to read it and find out for yourself.

Cristóir Csorba

Classic Children’s Literature: The Railway Children

Sat, 15 Apr 2023 12:29:34 GMT

Classic Children’s Literature: The Railway Children

I was shocked and saddened by the recent moves to censor several well-known and classic children’s’ books in this country. Not being one to follow the latest thing, I have decided to do the opposite and encourage my students to read more of the classics and enjoy the range of a skilled author’s use of storytelling. A quick browse of current children’s books in the supermarkets and, what is left of, high street bookshops leaves one thoroughly disappointed. Books by celebrities and footballers fill the shelves and a brief glance through any of these books reveals an overpriced and underwhelming literary experience.

As a child at primary school, I had a wide selection of books by authors who wrote FOR children and not for themselves. As a child I cared not a jot what Enid Blyton might have thought, how she dressed or what she believed in, she just wrote excellent books which allowed me to escape into and enjoy. I still vividly recall my own childhood education; the end of the school day story was precious. Sitting with my peers as the teacher read from “The Silver Sword” by Ian Serraillier. Each chapter was timed by the teacher, so that just after she had read the last sentence, the home time bell would ring. We didn’t want to go home; we wanted more of the book!

Perhaps it is my age? Perhaps I’m missing the point of modern books? However, when older books become victims of censorship and modern books can contain references to sleaze then maybe the point is leaping from the page! I urge parents to closely examine the content of their child’s reading books to ensure they are appropriate. The vast majority of modern children’s literature is sadly ‘tabloid’ in nature. I am seeking out and buying older books so I can encourage youngsters with wholesome literature.

So this term, for some of my English lessons, I aim to use “The Railway Children” by E. Nesbit. It is a beautifully written book that is enjoyable for children aged 8-12. You can be assured of child friendly writing, nothing inappropriate and of course, the film version (1970 film) is also a family friendly film.

Plot Summary:

Roberta (also known as Bobbie), Peter, and Phyllis live comfortable, privileged lives with their loving mother and father in London. One day, everything changes. Father suddenly leaves the family home under mysterious circumstances and the children move to a modest house in the countryside to live a far more isolated and impoverished existence. The children do not understand why their father is absent, and their mother is reluctant to give them any details about his exact whereabouts.

The children cope with their adverse circumstances by forming a bond with their new home and community. They develop a deep love for the nearby railway, especially the train they nickname the Green Dragon. Each day, they appear on the platform to wave at this train as it passes, and a passenger they nickname the old gentleman waves back to them. The children forge friendships with the railway employees, including the Station Master and the Porter, Mr. Perks. During their time in the countryside, they have several adventures, including preventing a train accident.

The appearance of a Russian exile at the station midway through the novel foreshadows Father’s whereabouts. The Russian exile has suffered arbitrary imprisonment—and so, too, has Father, who is serving a five-year sentence for supposed treason. Although all three of the children gradually become aware that there is something strangely amiss in their father’s absence, it is only Roberta, the eldest and most sensitive of the children, who finally discovers the truth in an old newspaper article.

She responds to this discovery by writing a letter to the old gentleman asking for his assistance, as the well-connected and kind man is often a benefactor to the family in times of need. The old gentleman’s intervention secures Father’s release and leads to the eventual reunion of the family at the end of the novel.

Edith Nesbit’s story (written in 1906) covers the pain a family feels with a father's absence. This reflects Nesbit's own experience: Her father died when she was four. But it offers much more, not least the strength of the family unit but a sense of confidence and warmth within a small community. As books go this has everything…..I actually shed a tear on the last page!

Cristóir Csorba.

Reflections on Pandemic Learning: Part 2 “He’s dangling, he’s dangling!”

Mon, 14 Feb 2022 20:51:28 GMT

Reflections on Pandemic Learning: Part 2 “He’s dangling, he’s dangling!”

Throughout my teaching career, motivating learning and raising self-confidence have been at the very heart of what I do. I came into teaching with a heart to help young people and spent twenty-two years doing just that.

The year 2020 will be remembered by us all for all the worst reasons and not least for the disaster it was for education. We were contacted by countless parents whose children were dangling in front of an educational drop. I could almost hear Corporal Jones shouting;

“He’s dangling, he’s dangling!”

Each student who came our way was assessed in a free half hour consultation and the biggest and common problem they all shared was a loss of self-confidence. Certainly the ability was there but the lack of confidence seemed to saturate it. This was made worse by some schools sending constant schoolwork electronically without ever actually teaching it. I was contacted by panicking parents sending me examples of homework their children had been sent. Both the parents and children had been confounded by the jump in both the amount and the content of the maths. Some teachers were clearly expecting the children to know what to do, though have also never taught any of the skills needed to solve such mathematical problems. So each new student who came my way was assessed.

I followed the same maths topics that each student was doing at that time in the curriculum in order to reinforce any gaps or difficulties the student was encountering while learning at home. For other students it became clear that learning at home alone was too distracting and thus focus was going to be hard to maintain. For these students our 45 minutes online together became a new routine and a bond was able to be built.

A bond between tutor and student is key here. It didn’t take me long to get to know each one of them and find out just what they were good at and what was more challenging to them. As the lockdowns continued I found my students were pushing themselves harder within their work. As the achievements grew then so did the self-confidence too. I was, in most cases, able to gently take them into higher mathematical levels and show them that, actually, they could do it!

Alongside Maths I also teach English. The best thing about teaching KS2/3 English was that I could use whatever texts I deemed useful to learning. I chose lots of Dahl (nothing new there) and added different books and authors such as ‘The Silver Sword’ by Ian Serraillier. ‘A Kestrel for a Knave’ by Barry Hines. ‘The Pit’ by Reginald Maddock. ‘Fattypuffs and Thinifers’ by Andre Maurois. ‘The Hobbit’ by J. Tolkien. Memorably, it was ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens that really pushed their imaginations. I covered the book in the run up to Christmas 2020 and then even better in the run up to Christmas 2021 (Those lessons deserve a separate explanation at a later date).

The combination of a set online lesson, a brief ‘catch up chat’ and then tackling the subject matter together was a great success and before long parents were commenting on how they were seeing huge improvements in both learning and yes, confidence too! Children would be looking forward to our online lessons.

In all, the panic of that first 2020 lockdown, led to an approach to learning that I had always advocated, CHILD-CENTRED. Indeed just before I finally retired from the classroom in the July of that year, I had been teaching a ‘bubble’ of eight children of mixed KS2 ages. I simply asked them;

“What do YOU want to know?”

From that question came all sorts of topics. In my final weeks at school I followed their lead. Whatever the children asked to know about, I would teach it! We found out about the American Apollo space programme and studied the missions of Apollo’s 8, 11 and 13. We found out if the Millennium Falcon, from ‘Star Wars’ could fly in air…..yes it can! These were worrying times for adults and children alike , but when learning is both fun and enlightening, then anything can be achieved, not least the re-building of self-confidence.

Reflections on Pandemic Learning Part 1: Don’t Panic!

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 22:44:23 GMT

Reflections on Pandemic Learning

Part 1: Don’t Panic!

In March 2020, schools, nurseries and colleges in the United Kingdom were shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. By 20 March, all schools in the UK had closed for all in-person teaching, except for children of key workers and children considered vulnerable. With children at home, teaching took place online. Students were encouraged to keep on studying at home with many parents becoming responsible for their children's education…..and so the panic began! Jules and I were spent the first lockdown watching the whole boxset of ‘Dad’s Army’ and soon I was quoting Corporal Jones in my work to reassure parents and learners; ‘Don’t panic!’

I was still teaching at this stage, with just four months to serve before retirement (yippee!) and had also begun to tutor a few children online. The world of education changed dramatically for teachers, parents and of course, for the children. With the closure of schools came the new concept (for many) of online and distanced learning. School work was emailed to each child’s home and it became the role of the parent to now become the teacher. For those of you who are familiar with the 1970s TV series, ‘Dad’s Army’ and to coin an expression from Private Fraser, “We’re doomed!” was the cry of many a parent.

It really did feel like we were doomed too. But in the area of education this was especially true. Some children struggled with the whole concept of distanced learning and Zoom lessons from the home. Parents had to juggle their work and family routines to fit in with in-coming Zoom lessons or to be on-hand to help with homework. It was no easier for the children of key workers either. The new problem of ‘pinging’ became yet another hindrance to any learning that was trying to go on in class. Children who were ‘testing positive’ would be isolating at home closely followed by the rest of the class who had shared a classroom with them. Result? More pressure on both parents and children. Parents were trying to work from home while penned up with children who needed teaching. All this and cancelled holidays, staff absences, supermarket queuing, masks, one outdoor walk per day, loo roll panic buying and Joe Wicks jumping around to help us stay fit!

Summer exams were looming, but ‘three weeks to flatten the curve’ was a distant memory and we were clearly on a war footing. The exams were duly cancelled. As a result, an alternative method had to be designed and implemented at short notice to determine the qualification grades to be given to students for that year. The standardisation algorithm for exam grades was produced which turned out to be a disaster. The damage to education since 2020 and up to today is immeasurable, ask any child! From the early months of distanced learning to the year that followed that, it has been a nightmare for children to both catch up and keep up with their learning.

By July 2020, I’d retired from a twenty-two year teaching career in the classroom and began to devote myself to the task of tutoring. The children came on board quickly and each one of them with a need and a common denominator, a lack of confidence. 2020 had already made its affects felt. Any disruption to the flow of learning can be quite a hard blow to anyone, if ever you recall having a long period of time off school yourself then you’ll understand the dent it made in your own confidence. Tutoring was going to have to a classic pincer movement, as Captain Mainwaring would no doubt say. I would have to motivate their learning and their self-confidence.

Part 2 to follow; stay tuned!

Cristoir Csorba

Benefits of Playing the Flute

tiptoptutoring@yahoo.com (Julie Csorba) — Sun, 16 Jan 2022 18:33:39 GMT

Benefits of Playing the Flute

The flute is a versatile instrument and there are many advantages to learning how to play it. A pre-requisite is being big enough to manage the physical demands and also to have adult teeth in place. Generally aged 9 upwards - but it depends on the individual.

Here are just some of the benefits to learning the flute:

No.1: Cost

The flute is relatively inexpensive compared to other woodwind instruments. A brand new instrument can be purchased for around £400 and obviously you might find a bargain second hand. They are also easy to assemble, clean and maintain – no reeds to keep replacing! My favourite shops for budding flautists are ‘Clarke’s Music’ in Chesterfield and ‘Windblowers’ in Nottingham for those requiring expensive flutes.

No.2: It's Small!

It’s far easier to carry and transport a flute than almost any other instrument! When I was just 11, I asked my music teacher at school if I could learn flute EVERY day – she tried to encourage me to have a trombone but this simply didn’t appeal, especially carrying a huge case around. Thankfully my persistence paid off. The flute fits easily into cars (the double bass needs more consideration) and your bag – just don’t leave it on a train or bus.

No.3: And Breathe......

Playing a woodwind instrument makes you conscious of every aspect of your breath, from relaxed and open inhalations to sharp and controlled exhalations. Woodwind instruments will absolutely give your lungs a serious respiratory workout.

The larger/lower woodwind instruments (think bassoon) use your breath in a different way, by utilising significant volumes of air at a low pressure. Higher woodwind instruments, like the flute, require your full lung capacity at a high speed. With improved breathing ability, doing things like exercising or taking the stairs will come naturally to you. Naturally, this gives your lungs and diaphragm a respiratory work out, making your core a lot stronger. All of this can even play a role in making it easier to live with asthma.

No.4: Lots of Opportunities

Opportunities are abundant for the flautist as it is an instrument that is used in many different genres such as classical, pop, jazz and folk music. The flute features in almost all types of ensembles, which is not the case of some instruments. When you choose to learn and master it, the flute will introduce you to a world of new opportunities from quite a young age. Some of the different ensembles that flutes are used frequently in include concert and jazz bands, orchestra, pit orchestra, flute choirs and more.

No.5: Coordination

Flute playing requires good coordination; this involves skills with your hands, eyes, respiratory system and mouth. Learning the flute will improve your coordination from the start as you master different fingering styles and tunes. Needless to say, you’ll be required to read musical sheets, play keys, and blow into the mouthpiece, all in one sitting. Hence, your body coordination is definitely going to improve. Having incorrect posture can negatively affect your tone quality and overall sound. So from the very beginning, I teach how to stand/ sit, how to correctly position your shoulders and elbows and how to hold the flute.

No.6: Transferrable Skills

If you decide that you would like to try your hand at another woodwind instrument, your flute playing experience and ability to read music will stand you in good stead. As you practise the flute, your dexterity will improve because fingers will be able to move faster and more effectively and this will improve your technical range for other wind instruments. For example, many flute players interested in jazz often transition to instruments that have similar fingerings as the flute such as the tenor sax. Playing the piccolo is a very natural progression for the experienced flautist and gives even more opportunities to play in ensembles and orchestras. Flute playing certainly encourages creativity and exploration of other woodwind instruments.

No.7: Discipline & Confidence!

Learning any instrument cultivates discipline, a rare and valuable asset today! The learning of flute, or any instrument, requires a lot of effort, focus and commitment. In short, you’ll never excel without the discipline to practice until you’ve mastered it. Therefore, learning the flute is a good way to instil a sense of discipline and also resilience. Acquiring musical skills is a way of building confidence in learners. Flute playing is not that easy at first and not everyone can achieve that milestone. Therefore, it helps students to build confidence in their skills and abilities by giving a sense of satisfaction and achievement.

No.8: Enjoyment

Needless to say, playing an instrument is fun and a can be a great stress-buster. From jamming with other musicians to making music alone, it’s wonderful hobby that can make you forget about your cares. Playing the flute can be therapeutic, especially to people who love music.

Dr Bob Unwin - A Tribute

Sat, 15 May 2021 13:37:37 GMT

Dr Bob Unwin - A Tribute

Dr Robert (Bob) Unwin

I was extremely sad to hear the news that dear Bob Unwin passed away in January 2021. Bob was my tutor and my inspiration during my PGCE year at Leeds University. His warmth and energy are a legend to those of us who passed through the doors of the School of Education. His history tours were those special moments when Bob’s sheer enthusiasm shone through.

There are already countless comments from former students and every one of them has his lovable character threading through them. I know that, in my case, I would never have grown into the teacher I became without dear Bob Unwin. I would like to share a few Bob stories from my time as a student under his protective and wise wing.

I recall Bob taking a small group of us (PGCE students) to our school practice in the rural part of West Yorkshire, this was our first introduction to the school AND Bob’s history teaching methods. He took all six of us in a mini bus and took great delight on insisting we have a ‘stop-off’. We pulled up at an isolated café near a disused colliery whereupon Bob took us in for breakfast. “Nothing like a fried muffin before school!” He told us. As we tucked into our muffins and tea, Bob told us about the history of the school catchment. This included the very café in which we were snacking in. During its heyday it had been a working coal mine. He told us of the miners’ strike in the 1980s and how the many social/economic implications had thus affected the area ever since. As mines go, Bob was a deep mine of knowledge and insight. Thus, we were all extremely sensitive to the issues of mine closures and strikes. The egg muffin was excellent I have to say.

When, during my studies, I told Bob that I was unsettled in my student accommodation he arranged a change for me and I went on to stay in a lovely family home. The family were, quite naturally, friends of his. He really was just a warm person and with a heart of gold. The family adopted me during my stay with them. A great move, thanks Bob.

My introduction to his legendary history tours, was a PGCE tour of Hull. I remember some thirty plus PGCE students filing into a snug room of a Hull pub where a solitary man was sitting and having a quiet pint. As the room filled up, Bob walked to each individual and handed them a quiz sheet. He handed the poor chap a sheet with the Bob-get out clause, “Would you care to join us?” The man seized the get out clause and politely left. That was Bob all over; even members of the public could be nicely drawn in to Bob’s history learning….if they wished.

As my training progressed; so did Bob’s guidance. I made sure I used some of his resources in my history lessons, he would have a glint in his eye and compliment any use of such good sources of history. Bob was a published author of several school history text books. On the occasion of my first classroom observation, it was Bob who came along to observe. I primed my class beforehand. As Bob entered the classroom thirty odd year 8 students stood up and gave a Roman chest salute and a loudly greeted him with a, “Hail visitor!” Bob was nicely responsive and returned their greeting with a hearty, “Hail class!” I loved his sense of humour and so did the kids.

Bob was there supporting and encouraging me throughout my school practice and was present in class in order to observe my final lesson observation. Half way through a Year 9 history lesson, Bob gave me the thumbs up. It was just like that feeling you have when the driving examiner tells you that you have passed your driving test. I had passed my teacher training with the Bob Unwin thumbs up!

I owe so much to Bob. He was inspirational. His manner with people was his greatest asset and I always see him in my mind with a smile on his face. Bob taught history with passion and with a glow. I, like all his students, have tried to carry that glow on. I recall, just a year into my career, doing a history lesson about the cotton mills….Bob Unwin flowed out in that lesson. I arranged the tables in a long row and got the pupils to bang their metallic pencil cases on the tops and in unison. After a whole minute of much noise, I signalled and the rhythmic beating of pencil cases stopped. Then in a low voice and using sign language I told the children….”That’s what a cotton mill sounded like, but not just for a minute, all day long. I’m using sign in order that you can understand me because, back then, you would all have had severe hearing damage!” It was pure Bob Unwin.

I will miss you Bob. Thank you for everything.

G-d bless his memory.

Cristóir Csorba.

Learning the Note Lengths

tiptoptutoring@yahoo.com (Julie Csorba) — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 17:10:49 GMT

Music and Maths go hand in hand

It was so easy to teach the four main note lengths using shapes, fractional names and French time names to a pupil this week. My pupil had some knowledge of crotchet, minim and so forth but it was patchy and not consistent. I have nothing against the words crotchet, semibreve etc ..that only we Brits so fondly use but... they are abstract and the education system is missing a trick by not utilising the fractional names too. Also, we seem to be very fixed about teaching a 'crotchet is worth one beat' but this is not always true.. consider that in the time signatures, 2/2, 4/8, 9/8 the crotchet is NOT worth one beat! It is better to teach the children the truth from the beginning instead of having to relearn about the note lengths.

Today, within minutes, using the shapes, the pupil was confidently naming the notes:

Whole note

Half note

Quarter note

Eight notes

I only had to explain how to clap, say and name the whole note, the rest of it came from the student herself as it is LOGICAL and of course, relates clearly to the maths lesson.

We then explored how the shapes can be rearranged to compose rhythms which she then clapped perfectly in time while saying the French time names. She then went on to play her pieces and was saying the French time names as she played, all rhythmic errors and hesitations vanished! A rhythm task this week is to play around with the shapes and teach a relative about the note lengths.

The beauty is.... students have a secure way of working out rhythms and they will also be able to be introduced to ALL the simple time signatures in one lesson, because the fractional time names make it SO simple!

When we teach a musical concept, delivering the whole pattern makes for much deeper learning and more independence for the young musician.

Encouraging our Young Writers

Sun, 30 Aug 2020 17:16:38 GMT

French Roast - Literacy Shed

Literacy Shed provides some extremely useful resources to stimulate young writers. I have been using these clips for several years now and they offer a wealth of interesting ways of creating a text.

One resource is ‘French Roast’ https://www.literacyshed.com/french-roast.html# I would suggest using the resource in a number of ways:

• Watch the clip with your child twice through. On the second play, pause the film to ask questions.

• Explore characters by showing the child part of story then pause to ask them to describe the character or predict what might happen next. Consider the moral dilemmas that ensue.

• When a new character is introduced ask; ‘Who is the better person?’ – ‘Why? ’ As each new character is introduced, pause and invite the child to 'pass judgement'. In the end who was the 'better' person?

• Can you predict the ending? Write your OWN ending or add another scene… ‘Several months later in the café…’

• Use a still from the film and ask your child to write the internal dialogue of one of the characters. Why do you think that is what the character is feeling/thinking? How does the tone change throughout?

French Roast is simply brilliant with a fabulous twist at the end.

You can find this clip and MANY MORE on Literacy Shed.

Cristoir Csorba

Consequences of Covid-19 to students

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 14:20:24 GMT

It's been a tough time for students and one-to-one tuition can help..

I thought I would share a few observations since I joined Tip Top Tutoring, especially in light of the Covid-19 challenges. I’m going to talk about how students have found the recent disruption to learning and you may find similarities in you experience of teaching your own children, let’s see. I believe that one-to-one support is going to be the intervention that will help many students to overcome their anxieties about the next steps - given so much has been missed.

Firstly I would like to tell you of what it was like to teach in school during the lock-down (March to July) at school – many of you may be worried that your child has not been to school at all since March and how much they have missed out on but I can assure you – it wasn’t easy for the key worker children who continued to attend school and learning has definitely been disrupted.

Before tutoring, I had been teaching in a local primary school. When the lock-down was imposed I continued (as did many of my colleagues) to teach children of key workers. The classes were small, no more than ten and sometimes as low as four. The children were kept together as sibling groups, which meant the classes were mixed age groups (this means teaching to the class in the conventional sense was rather difficult). Obviously the fabric of the school was altered to follow the government guidance on distancing and hand washing….and the myriad of the other ever-changing rules.

The children and their teachers spent the period of March to July in ‘bubbles’. Clearly school was going to be VERY different for all concerned, throw into this the worries children have of their own families (many had parents who were nurses). This was far from what school had always been to them prior to the lock-down. While small classes are the dreams of teachers; in this case we were not allowed to go near any of the children to help them with their work and we couldn’t mark their work; this is not ideal. A maths lesson would be each child (across the age range) working on their own with occasional help from their friends and me at the front. In my own case I taught with a sense of extra care for my bubble and it would be true to say that for those strange months my class became more like a family than the usual stereotypical class. To keep their interest and to keep their sense of inquisitiveness alive, I let them choose topics of interest and planned mini-lessons to suit. We learned everything, from Martin Luther-King to “Can the Millennium Falcon fly in atmosphere?” I like to think that the children DID learn a lot about the world but probably learned a lot more about themselves; however there has been significant disruption in the teaching and learning f Maths and English – the subjects that no one wants to get left behind in.

So what of those children who were in lock-down? Having some one-to-one tuition has proved to be very worthwhile for the following students who I took on in July…

Student A, a year 7 girl - Maths

Student A was having a stressful lock-down which was mostly caused by a deluge of homework being sent via email which was fast becoming overwhelming for her. This was further compounded by the fact that some of the homework in maths was at GCSE level and came with little or no explanation. The priority here was to assess precisely where the gaps were and ascertain what she did and did not know within the homework assignments. We selected areas and topics which she herself felt unsure of and went from there. Within two sessions she was able to tackle some GCSE foundation level work in ratio, equations and probability. As her confidence grew I was able to show her some harder level work. Each session plugged the areas that were of concern and also added extra guidance in how to tackle more complex problems. Most of the work we did was GCSE and the rest followed the Year 8 syllabus for when she returns to school.

Student B, a year 8 boy - Maths

Student B was already struggling with some aspects of Maths prior to the lock-down. Time was spent on these areas and help given as to overcome them quicker. We established some strategies that helped with recall. Confidence was a major factor in this particular case as the lock-down had simply added to his frustrations. Again after two sessions his confidence grew and he began to apply some of the strategies and do so with skill. For example, lots of simple errors were being made with basic subtraction; we focused on this in order to then move onto more complex concepts such as fractions and equations. Most of our work was pitched to the Year 9 syllabus and we tackled some GCSE foundation which greatly increased his confidence.

Student C, a year 4 girl - Maths

Student C was one of those students who just loves the whole one-to-one experience. She came with a slight feeling of self-doubt and consequently her confidence had been knocked by the absence of school and school routine. There were some gaps in times table knowledge (though again this was mainly the manifestation of self-doubt). We tackled the basics of mathematics that she had covered before lock-down and then worked on strategies to help overcome them. As a challenge she also fully mastered her 8X which gave her a huge confidence boost. After this we looked at aspects of the Year 5 syllabus; this included place value, multiplying and dividing by 10,100,1000 and perimeter (to reinforce her recall of number). We then went on to fractions and even added in the odd Year 6 problem to let her see how far she had come.

Student D, a year 8 girl – Maths

Student D was yet another student who had lost track after lock-down and the gaps that were already there simply remained. We quickly established areas of concern and began to fill them with some easy to use strategies and some reinforcement of those aspects of maths which were proving a stumbling block. Ratio was again a problem (I can only think that it must have been on the Year 7 syllabus just as lock-down happened). Once we had secured Ratio we looked at some “niggling” concerns that Student D had with fractions and came up with a “personalised” method of doing them, with success. This student was able to the Year 9 probability as well as GCSE foundation equations with a higher sense of confidence and ability.

Clearly the effect of the lock-down has been felt by all these students and it is visible in the needs that each one came with. The most common factor was, without doubt, confidence. Then came the gaps caused by trying to understand concepts via distanced learning as appose to being in a classroom. Giving out endless homework with no guidance is just not fair. In all cases the parents felt unable to help with some of the maths, let’s face it….maths is meant to be challenging and isn’t easy. Existing gaps in knowledge simply remained and became either neglected or worried about. The lack of the school routine and environment did not help this. For lock-down students this was a “learning time bomb” and in many cases it has yet to trigger! If one-to-one learning helps in re-establishing these key factors and more then perhaps you should consider giving it a go. Online tuition is actually very bonding and fun. Okay there is the odd cat that strolls over the keyboard and in front of the screen but you know, I’d rather put up with that than lock-down !

Cristoir Csorba.

Teaching Music Online During Lockdown

tiptoptutoring@yahoo.com (Julie Csorba) — Sat, 20 Jun 2020 19:01:50 GMT

Teaching Music Online During Lock-down

20th June 2020

With every challenge we face, no matter how stressful, there are opportunities to learn. At the beginning of the Coronavirus crisis lockdown (23rd March 2020), I had to consider how, (indeed 'if') I could find a way to teach my pupils from a distance.

Moreover.... some of my pupils were complete beginners (young) and had only had THREE lessons! I thought I'd reflect on the experiences of the last 3 months and share with you all as learning online may be something we all do more in the future.

Initially; I really doubted that anyone would want to have their instrumental lessons online. To be honest... I felt pretty deflated at the thought of teaching via Skype - especially just 3 months into me beginning to teach privately in the area. To my surprise, every pupil, and their parents, wanted to give it a go! I was touched that even after a handful of lessons, my pupils wanted to carry on, even virtually! With trepidation (and excitement) we transferred our weekly lessons to online sessions....

Social Interaction:

It was quite a sad time - and of course a worrying, when we first experienced being in lock-down. Many of us adults were completely out of our routines, children too (but I think it was mostly adults who didn't know which day it was!) I found that scheduled lessons on Skype helped me to structure my days and weeks and I absolutely loved seeing my students and their families. online tutoring provides me with much needed interaction and exercises my brain. It has been really easy to arrange lessons through texts, WhatsApp and emails. Skype allows me to 'Schedule a call' so each week I send this to the students and we are alerted to the next lesson. Communicating has been easy to maintain and I have been touched by the consideration and encouragement from all the parents- thank you . The first week, we all had to experiment with where to place laptops/i pads etc so that I could best see pupils play. Everyone soon got into a routine; I always giggle at the start of one lesson each week where I am greeted by a moving plant!

Time lag issue:

I soon realised that instrumental teaching online has a few limitations; this is unique to music and needs careful consideration. I think every other academic subject has no such issue when taught online. When I'm in person - I just take it for granted that I can use my own musicianship skills right there and then, instantly! When teaching via Skye (or Zoom) this is not possible due to the time delay - I cannot be the human metronome for a pupil! Normally, I naturally sing along or tap the beat, or say the French time names when a pupil plays; it is second nature to me, intuitive.... I have had to bite my lip and sit on my hands as this would not help the pupils at all when we have a time lag! However.... I have recently realised that I can make a 'video message' on Skype to demonstrate something as a reminder, or even send recordings of aural tests. This is a good thing - a pupil can see and hear how something is played and watch it as many times as they need. Useful - something I will definitely use even when we get back to normal.

The limitations for me actually had some positives in my teaching, and for students. Not being able to sing, tap, count, speak or play alongside a youngster means that they HAVE to count themselves in, they HAVE to work the rhythms out for themselves and I am delighted that even my two youngest students (ages 6 & 7) have developed brilliant habits in terms of playing in time, counting in and being very independent about this - good habits to foster early on.

Preparation for Lessons:

Teaching an instrument online does require more preparation for the instrumental tutor. I find it useful to type up notes on a word doc before, during and after each lesson. This means I can send instructions and information on Skype using the 'conversation box' - I copy everything each pupil needs to do from the word doc and paste it into the chat area. This planning on my part provides useful notes to assist each musician as they practise in the week. On average, I have spent as much time preparing for the lesson as the lesson itself.

I often want to share pieces, theoretical aspects or even things from the internet with pupils during a lesson so I have to get them all ready but then it is brilliant to 'Share Screen' on Skype - knowing that each pupil can see what I'm trying to put across -exactly as it appears on my screen. I have really enjoyed using my bank of Power Point slides, especially for teaching about note lengths, notes across the Great Stave, harmony, notation ruler, tones, semitones, tetrachords, scales, key signatures, intervals.... Having my own computer has been brilliant for this type of teaching, everything at my finger tips and it is very well presented. But it does need preparation so that the lesson doesn't have lots of interruptions. I spend time after each lesson making notes about what we need to cover next time.

Safeguarding:

Sadly, not everyone uses the internet with integrity and all children, parents and teachers need to know how to be safe. As an educational professional, I have a responsibility to ensure the safety of pupils. Working online brings different problems for a tutor. I have had to consider how best to conduct online tuition and found information from the ISM (Incorporated Society of Musicians) very helpful. I am an approved member of the ISM and they have published useful documents throughout the Covid19 crisis; they kindly provided me with the appropriate legal advice over the phone. I also found information from the NSPCC very useful; concurring with the ISM advice. The challenges of the lock-down made me think carefully about how to be safe online and when I visit to teach in person. I researched and though it out then made adjustments to my 'Terms of Agreement'. https://www.tiptoptutoring.co.uk/music-terms-of-agreement

Another example of how a challenge brings about opportunities to learn and grow.

Pros and Cons:

Teaching in person is the most natural, and the most musical way of working for me. I love to be there to instantly make music WITH the young musician. The youngest beginners can learn with a tutor online but their parents must be fully involved, there at all times and need to intervene to help the tutor when the child is finding something difficult. I have been bowled over with the commitment of parents of my little ones - one Mum will have a go at playing something herself to check they have understood what I'm asking. The older children (aged 10+), and the more experience musicians have done VERY well online! They are highly motivated, punctual, mature and they have engaged fully in each lesson with little help from parents.

For students studying at more advanced levels (grade 5 onward) I think online tuition is even easier for them and the tutor - this is because the pupil has enough musical skill and competence so they rely less on intervention from the tutor on the basics (timing, reading, technical skills). I do like using Skype to record video messages to demonstrate things and remind pupils. This is great for all ages and abilities and this is something I will happily do for pupils even when we are back to lessons in person. I will also do all my Tip Top Tutoring admin online, such as sending documents, worksheets and invoices. Less paper and less ink is good!

Teaching Music Theory works BRILLIANTLY online - I would not hesitate to offer this in the future. My grade 5 theory student has learned most of the exam syllabus during the lock-down and she is well on track to taking her exam in the autumn term. It is easy to send all the relevant worksheets required and links to clips or websites. I learned new skills so that I could receive work completed by the student in jpeg form and write on comments and tips to feedback. Sharing the screen for theoretical purposes is definitely an advantage - I simply can't carry that quantity of information with me in person by car!

To conclude.... I have enjoyed the online tutoring far more than I thought - I have acquired new skills, new technical knowledge and students have been able to continue to learn - every single pupil has made progress. It's amazing what is possible and I intend to incorporate my new online tutoring skills when we return to in person lessons. God willing, we will all be safe and well to do this in September.

Julie Csorba

P.S. I am looking forward to our first online mini-concert! Sunday 12th July 3pm. Yet another learning opportunity on the horizon - keep practising. x

Every child could be musically literate

tiptoptutoring@yahoo.com (Julie Csorba) — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 22:25:35 GMT

Every Child Could (and should!) be Musically Literate by the Age of 8

I've been reflecting upon my recent new students... keen, bright, capable and yet the school system has given them little in the way of musicianship skills and knowledge. Controversial as it may seem, I had to dig out the following article that I drafted for 'Music Teacher' Magazine in 2008 and sadly.... 12 years later I'm sorry to say that our music education is still in the same state... Failing our children.

Here's what I said in 2008...

The challenges of teaching music in the classroom

The psychology of teaching music has fascinated me throughout my career and I have always been looking for a way to overcome the elitism in music education. I began my career as a secondary school music teacher, teaching ages 11-18 and found that one of the most difficult things to manage in the music lesson is the enormous range of musical abilities. More often than not the music teacher has to teach mixed ability classes and whilst there is always a minority of privileged children who have a wealth of musical experience there are a great many who have little. Sometimes I would be faced with a class that had one or two pupils who were grade 5 standard whilst the lowest ability children couldn’t maintain a steady beat. If the English teacher had an equivalent class they would be confronted with some children who had been studying Hamlet whilst others could not even read or write. The teacher would be outraged and would probably resign given the impossibility of trying to differentiate for such a class. However this is what the secondary school music teacher has to deal with year upon year.

I always wanted to see if I could find a way to overcome this gulf of experiences and abilities and thought that primary school children could probably do a great deal more than anyone suspected. I decided I wanted to get to the root of the problem so I took a post in a primary school where I have been a music teacher and coordinator for the past four years. I soon realised that whatever I was going to do needed to be inexpensive, accessible to all abilities and possible to maintain and implement long term; these factors became my self imposed brief. I spoke to instrumental teachers and most of them commented that music illiteracy is a big barrier for many children. I researched and looked at a number of resources on the market and finally took time to look at the Tobin Music System website www.tobinmusic.co.uk I have used the Tobin Music System for the last three and a half years and the effects are far reaching. My only regret is that I dismissed the system when I was teaching in the secondary school; I had heard of the Tobin Music System every now and again but I thought it was just concerned with colouring the notes to help little ones. I was mistaken.

The website captured my imagination and I visited Candida Tobin in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire to observe her taking Saturday morning classes. It was an eye opener to see how much infants could manage. Their aural memory facility was excellent; they were quickly and accurately notating 4 bar rhythms using rhythmic shorthand after just one hearing. Candida revised the notes across the great stave with them and I thought how ambitious this was but they could immediately identify the notes and although no colours were being used on the board that day I realised that the coloured mnemonics were all in the children’s’ heads!

That morning the second class (ages 6-8) worked on all of their cadences and settled down to composing a piece for bassoon; I expected a few notes scribbled down but they produced lovely minuets in ternary form using all their cadences and relative minor chords. I had never seen scales or harmony presented in a circle before but it makes life so much easier! The children played a movement game with hand chimes to work out relative minor chords; I was stunned to see these concepts being easily taught and in such an enjoyable way. I wondered if the children were selected for the classes on aptitude but Candida explained that she will teach anyone and many of the children she works with have learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

I admit that part of me was actually frightened to embark upon such an approach in my own teaching because it was so different but I had always wanted students to have a real understanding of music and it was happening before my eyes with infants let alone teenagers. I could have ignored what I had seen and carried on with what I knew but this method was far better than anything else I had seen or tried before. I made a decision to train with Candida and implement the method in my own school and private teaching practice.

My teaching has changed beyond all recognition and definitely for the better. By the time my students go up to high school they are competent and musically literate composers with well developed rhythmic and aural skills. The system enables the children to develop rhythmic skills by engaging all of the senses.

As a child I accepted the familiar lesson ‘This is a crotchet worth 1 beat’ but of course this is not true in time signatures such as 4/2 and these concepts were all taught in a very dry, boring and illogical way. Infants take easily to the concept of a whole note, half note, quarter note and even the eighth notes by using the shapes shown below and saying French Time Names. Therefore they can go onto to understand all of their simple time signatures and compose and play rhythms confidently. The general classroom teacher can deliver this easily and incorporate it into the maths lesson; it not necessary to be a specialist music teacher.

My infant classes go on to learn all of the notes across the great stave through a series of coloured mnemonics. These concepts are presented in an interactive way; it is important for all the senses to be engaged. Once the notes are coloured the children can easily see that there are only seven different notes, that the note G is followed by A (not H!) and they can see that an octave is the distance of eight notes. This can’t be put across to youngsters effectively without the use of colour.

Junior students can work out any major scale by using the notation ruler; imagine children aged 9-11 telling you the key signature of B major, Ab major etc..!

They can compose meaningful pieces in ternary form using the primary chords, relative minor chords, cadences and passing notes. I know from experience that the work of these 9-11 year olds is better than many GCSE music students. They play their compositions on recorders and pitched percussion instruments and they know they have accomplished something worthwhile.

I have fulfilled my brief; my primary pupils are all musically literate composers and have developed essential musicianship skills. It was not expensive and all of the children have made excellent progress regardless of age or ability. This method did not involve expensive orchestral instruments or the hiring additional music teachers and it can be sustained and developed year upon year. Pitched percussion instruments, recorders, shapes and coloured pencils – that’s all I needed.

To my shame my high school students never achieved a deep level of understanding, not many of my KS4 students truly understood what it was all about yet I was considered to be a successful and very effective teacher. I wish I had made the effort to look at the system years ago when I was teaching in high schools; I should have implemented it as part of the music curriculum. Teaching theory and harmony and developing vital musicianship skills does not have to be boring or ‘fuddy duddy’. The students do not regard this as learning about ‘classical’ music because understanding pitch, rhythm and harmony is at the core of all kinds of music whether it be composing a waltz, pop song or using a mixture of cultures. Once we equip them with skills, knowledge and technique it is up to them how they choose to be creative but they have to be given the tools to build upon and explore.

I have an increasing number of private teenage students who come to learn music with me because they struggle with music literacy and eventually they are advised to learn to read and write music in order to progress further. I still present it in colour and use shapes and patterns but we move at a quicker pace because the students are older; they are delighted to be able to work things out for themselves. Time after time the pupils and parents all say to me ‘That’s brilliant! Why don’t they do this at school?’

If I could put myself in a time machine and go back a few years to my secondary teaching days I would rapidly put year 7 through all the fundamental concepts of the Tobin Music System in the first two terms. It is easy to set the experienced pupils more challenging tasks whilst meeting the needs of the less able using these multi-sensory techniques. I would also share the Tobin Music System with all my feeder schools and empower the non specialists with the techniques and confidence to teach music to a high level. It would be marvellous to have a whole community of teachers all working together; putting on concerts and festivals for the children and involving instrumental teachers and parents. I believe that this is what we should be aiming for in education so that the children in Britain can enjoy a truly progressive music curriculum.

Perhaps we are ready for a change; I think that there is a place and a need for the Tobin Music System in our secondary schools who need to work closely with the feeder schools to ensure progression and continuity. I am curious to see how far we could stretch the secondary aged students; would anyone like to join me in my next music education adventure?

Live Music Concerts

tiptoptutoring@yahoo.com (Julie Csorba) — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 21:01:44 GMT

Live Music for Children and Families

Attending an orchestral concert for the first time is one of my most memorable experiences as an 11 year old child, Shostakovitch Symphony No.5 conducted by his Grandson! I was enthralled and the experience really motivated me to want to play well and to take up every opportunity possible to play in orchestras and ensembles. I only wish I had been taken to such a spectacular concert when I was younger. Although we have a plethora of ways to hear and see music online and on various devices; this does not compare to seeing and hearing LIVE music. The buzz as the players tune up is exciting, let alone when the 1 violinist and conductor takes to the platform. The thrill of seeing and hearing how all the musicians play together as one is breathtaking for a child.

In a concert situation, you can fully focus on the music and see how the musicians interact. No TV or games and so forth, you are fully soaking up the atmosphere simply can't be grasped any other way. I understand that expense can be a factor but do look around for concerts that are planned with children and young people in mind and you will find great offers and some are free. I love taking children to see the Hallé Orchestra when they do their annual series of concerts for 'Youth'. I have seen children sat on the edge of their seat, totally captured and delighted in the moment - I love seeing this because I remember it so well. Hallé Orchestra concerts for Youth are planned with the younger audience in mind so the pieces are not too long and also have a good mix of more modern film themes alongside older pieces. The prices are very reasonable and your child may get an opportunity to attend such a concert with their school. But.... going to classical concerts as a family can be one of the greatest bonding experiences between a parent or grandparent.

Do look out for free concert opportunities at

https://classicalsheffield.org.uk/events/free

https://trch.co.uk/seasons/international-concert-season-1920/ also looks wonderful!

And the Hallé Orchestra do wonderful concerts for youngsters, check out their website. https://www.halle.co.uk/education/halle-for-youth/

Look for opportunities so that you can enjoy music as a family and motivate the young musicians; inspiring them to aim high.

Benefits of Playing the Piano

tiptoptutoring@yahoo.com (Julie Csorba) — Sun, 26 Jan 2020 19:14:36 GMT

Benefits of Playing the Piano 26th January 2020

I recently made a few posts on Facebook about the benefits of playing the piano, so I thought I'd share them all here:

Benefits of playing the piano No.1: Easy sound production

Producing a sound on the piano is easy, simply strike a key and the sound is there - no physical pain involved!

Other instruments have significant challenges in even producing a sound. Strings and guitar require the stamina to hold the instrument correctly and callouses need to develop on the fingers.

Woodwind and brass also need to be held correctly but also factor in the need to breathe correctly and train the embouchure (lip and face shape) to even produce a sound. It can take a while to produce a sound and many years to enjoy a good sound.

Budding musicians can find the hurdles of producing a sound off putting, the piano can be more motivational given there are no such barriers to making a pleasant sound.

Benefits of playing the piano No.2: Concentration Skills

Split concentration, also called divided attention, is an integral part of playing the piano, which helps improve your concentration skills. To play the piano, you must use both hands, listen, play in time, read music, and operate the pedals. And if you are teaching a choir or directing other musicians, you may be singing and giving cues too! ��

Serious multi tasking! ��

As a musician becomes accomplished with split concentration at the piano, multitasking in life becomes easier too.

Benefits to playing the piano No.3 : N europlasticity

Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to form and reorganise synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury. In simpler terms, neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to change form and function specifically when stimulated by physical activity.

Playing the piano changes the brain in a positive way! Studies show that music stimulates the brain in a way no other activity does. While playing a piece on the piano, you are adding new neural connections, which primes your brain for other forms of communication.

Practicing music at an early age can make structural changes to the brain that stay with you for the rest of your life.

So while you think you are just working on a particularly tough piano piece, you are also improving your memory, attention, speech, language, spatial and math skills, and even the ability to vocally convey emotions.

Benefits of playing the piano No.4: The one man orchestra

While the pianist often accompanies other instruments - they can also play solo.

There is a vast repertoire for solo piano. Other orchestral instruments usually need a pianist to accompany them (most instruments can only play one, perhaps 2 notes at a time) but the piano is like having an orchestra at your fingertips!

The pianist is able to play polyphonic music with no other musicians around - basically we can play the tune and the chords. This is very satisfying. You can sit at the piano, alone and sound like an orchestra!

Did you know that classical piano sonatas use the same musical structures as the symphony? Haydn was known as 'Father of the symphony', his symphonies are wonderful pieces of music and his piano sonatas are equally brilliant.

Pianists learn how to bring out a melodic line and make all the other notes like an orchestral accompaniment, just like an orchestral player knows to play out or blend into the background accordingly.

Learning piano also makes it easier for the young musician to learn theory and how to harmonise. At music college level, musicians are usually expected to have some piano skills because it is such a useful and versatile instrument.

Benefits of Playing the Piano No.5: Aural Skills

Maybe you have a good musical ear, or are you tone deaf? Playing the piano can improve your overall aural awareness no matter where you fall in this range and, it doesn't matter what age you are! The piano will help you to improve your aural skills.

Playing the piano trains you to recognise tones, intervals, and chords as well as helping you to develop a sense of pitch.

Aural skills are not just important for musical learning, they help develop the part of the brain in understanding sound patterns in different languages. Good aural awareness is also helpful if you have trouble hearing when there is a lot of background noise. A good aural awareness also helps with memory.

Benefits of playing the piano No.6: Discipline

Discipline is absolutely essential in the learning process - no matter what we are learning. Learning the piano serves to strengthen children's sense of discipline in general. While discipline is something that parents and music teachers should be reinforcing, it must also come from the child himself. Of course the piano should be a tool of pleasure and enjoyment, but it’s also synonymous with work and effort. There is little enjoyment in struggling to play, and it is certainly a struggle without the hard work.

A child who wants to learn the piano will have to adopt a disciplined attitude to handle rigorous training. These children must have a keen sense of how to use discipline and apply methods to play the piano.

A young pianist doesn’t only develop cognitive faculties that make scholastic achievement and learning easier, he develops a capacity for discipline that aids the process of learning in general.

Benefits of playing the piano No.7: Relaxation

Research shows that playing the piano helps to combat stress and improves mental health. People who play the piano tend to experience less anxiety and depression than their non-musical counterparts. Playing for a few minutes a day can improve your well-being, make you feel more positive, and can lower your blood pressure.

Piano Student Consultation

tiptoptutoring@yahoo.com (Julie Csorba) — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 19:22:03 GMT

Julie's

Tip Top

Journal

Piano Student Consultation Mon 23rd Dec 2019

I had a lovely consultation with a very keen young pianist this morning, really enjoyed hearing her play the piano AND sing!

Super talented! Great potential!

This student has a beautiful Kawai upright piano (and a three cat home always brightens a Tip Top day.) It's brilliant that Mum is musical and keen to support musical learning in her daughter and we had a really good chat about the way forward.

Posture:

We made just a couple of tweaks to posture, as youngsters forget that they grow and, as they do, they need to sit further away from the piano keyboard as the forearms need freedom from the body to reach the full range of the keyboard. We also tried a book to support the right foot so that the student could keep her heel grounded.

Fingers should also be curved and check that the end finger joint doesn't collapse.

Notation Ruler:

We had fun making a notation ruler, a marvellous tool for working out any measurement of pitch, starting with tones and semitones, then the major tetrachord, scales, chords, intervals.... it makes theory a breeze and equips learners to work things out for themselves! My new student readily used the ruler to work out tones, semitones and tetrachords and played them beginning on C,G,D,E & B using 2 finger patterns. Easy and simple but soon.... she will be playing lots of major scales and she will begin to understand the characteristics of each key........ this not only makes scales easier to learn, it helps sight-reading, theory and harmony.

This is great way to learn about the key system - I'd recommend learning how to construct and use this for all young musicians.

I look forward to meeting more new students in the New Year.

Have a blessed Christmas (and Hanukkah in the Csorba house).

Julie x

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