Blog – Page 19 – SE22 Piano School ~ East Dulwich

Claremont High School Academy: Music Aptitude Test

Music Scholarship Preparation at the SE22 Piano School

Claremont High School Academy will admit 10 percent of new intake places for students who have an aptitude in Music. The Music Aptitude Test will be held on Saturday, 10th June 2023 at 9am.

You can download and practice the specimen MAT Training Materials online so that you know what kind of tests to expect. Use these with your teacher or we offer 1-to-1 lessons on Zoom and have a few slots available just before the Claremont test on 10 June.

Music Aptitude Test web site:
https://musicaptitudetest.wordpress.com/

About the Music Aptitude Test (Round One)

The written test consists of questions involving three areas of music, namely PITCH, MELODY, and TEXTURE.

Pitch: For example candidates listen to two sounds and have to indicate whether the second sound is the same as the first, or whether it is higher or lower.

Melody: For example candidates listen to two tunes consisting of five notes. Candidates have to decide whether the second tune is the same as the first or if one of the notes has been altered. If there is a change, candidates will be expected to identify which note has been altered by giving the note number.

Texture: For these questions candidates listen to a number of extracts containing multiple instruments or sounds. Candidates need to comment on the amount of instruments and compare any differences between examples.

In addition to the written aptitude test, Candidates will be required to complete a musical performance aptitude test. Each child will be allocated a 5 minute slot to perform their chosen piece of vocal or instrumental music. Their aptitude for music will be further assessed from this performance and, as there is a free choice of piece, this will allow candidates of all cultures an equal chance to succeed. An accompanist will be provided. Students can bring their own CD backing track.

Save a small business in Penge: SE20 Cycles

As if Covid wasn’t tough enough for UK businesses we are now facing a huge hike in energy bills that are threatening many small businesses to close. The piano school has seen our energy bill double this month which is a tough amount to cover as we are still not yet back up to the number of students that we had pre-lockdown.

Since moving to Penge this year one of my regular hangouts as a keen cyclist and commuter has been SE20 Cycles on the high street. I dogsit a very cute Saluki greyhound every week and she’s a regular visitor to their cafe. Her owner also supplies SE20 cycles with yummy raw vegan treats. I’ve also had my bike serviced at a recent event organised by Hadley Property at the Blenheim Shopping Centre by Winnie, the owner of SE20 Cycles.

It’s one of the most treasured businesses in Penge and a hub for the local cycling community. I was sad to read that they are threatened with closure due to a huge energy bill of over £11,000 before the winter has even started. This is unaffordable for a small business, and if the money cannot be found, the shop is facing closure.

Friends and supporters at Penge Cycle Club have come together to raise funds required to pay this enormous fuel bill and to support the shop through the next few difficult winter months. The recent pandemic has taught us all the importance of friendship and community – we cannot allow this otherwise successful business to be lost due to this short-term crisis. Please consider donating whatever you can afford, small or large, and together we can save our wonderful local cycling hub!

https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-se20-cycles?qid=915cdc32e482f76a45667471dece0219

How to contact your piano teacher

Your teacher is always your first point of contact for all queries about piano lessons, scholarships, exams etc. Most parents see their teacher every week but if you do not drop your child to lessons, then please use the school Gmail account below.

If you have any personal contact details for your teacher, please do not use these as the only contact method is se22pianoschool @ gmail.com. We aim to answer all emails within 3 working days or at your next lesson, whichever comes sooner.

This week one of the teachers was abroad at a family funeral and one parent was contacting her and our head teacher multiple times by all sorts of different methods (email and phone) just because they forgot to ask something non-urgent that could easily have waited until next week’s lesson.

Please respect that we all have the need for personal space and time away from work especially during a time of bereavement.

We are a small team of teachers that work part-time at the school and we all have other jobs, family commitments and a long commute to East Dulwich for our shift as none of us live in the area.

We thank you in advance for helping with the smooth running of the piano school.