From ABRSM Grade 8 to AMEB Grade 8

This year, I have three Grade 8 students:

MyrA, whose lesson is on Sunday afternoon, will be doing her ABRSM exam in June/July. She chose Scarlatti's Sonata in B L. 446, Clementi's 1st movt Sonata in Bb Op. 24 No. 2 & Fats Waller's Alligator Crawl. She has learned them with her teacher in Malaysia probably two years ago & she came to me in July 2009. She has so much potential in her & I believe she will do well in her exam. She want to pass her exam but I want her to do more than just pass :) We are working on the technique & interpretation for each pieces. Her biggest challenge is to play octave & big chords with her small hands, but that doesn't stop her from learning Clementi & Fats Waller pieces.

TessA, whose lesson is on Friday after school hours, will be doing her ABRSM exam in October/December. She had her first lesson with me on May 2009. She has performed one of her pieces, Beethoven 3rd Movt Sonata in C minor Op. 10 No. 1, in Spring Music Carnival 2009 (http://ria-musicdesign.blogspot.com/2009/12/spring-music-carnival-2009-session-1.html) Now, she is learning Handel's Fugue No. 6 in C minor & Piazzolla's Retrato de Alfredo Gobbi.

EmiliA, who comes in on every Thursday morning just before her class at uni, decides to do AMEB Grade 8 & she selected these pieces for her exam: Bach Italy Concerto BWV 971 3rd Movt, Schubert Sonata in A minor Op. 143 3rd Movt, Chopin Waltz in F minor Op. 70 No. 2 & Poulenc Novelette in Bb minor No. 2. She is learning Chopin's Waltz & hopefully she will be ready to perform it for Mid-Year or End-of-Year Recital this year :)