I have been in the piano teaching industry for almost 44 years. Looking back over this time, I’ve noticed a concerning trend: exam pieces have become progressively less challenging.
The introduction of digital performance grade examinations during the pandemic further accelerated this decline. These digital exams removed three essential components that are vital in developing a well-rounded musician: aural skills, sight reading, and scales.
Since candidates can record their performances multiple times and upload only the best version, the essence of an “examination” is lost. This has led to a surge in Distinction results—many of which, in my opinion, are misleading.
However, the most worrying consequence is how this trend has impacted teaching practices.
Some teachers have stopped including sight reading, scales, and aural training in their lessons altogether. Their focus has shifted solely to perfecting the four exam pieces for recording purposes.
Although face-to-face practical exams are still available once a year, enrolment numbers remain low. Given the choice, many opt for digital exams where they have multiple chances to submit a flawless recording, without needing to prepare additional components like scales, aural, or sight reading—yet still achieve high marks.
Understandably, most parents and students now choose the digital route. But if this continues, sight reading, scales, and aural skills may slowly disappear from teaching entirely. This will result in a generation of musicians who can play pieces, but lack a solid foundation and musicianship. Alarmingly, some teachers now teach only exam pieces—meaning their students may learn just four pieces in an entire year.
The standard is undeniably dropping.
So, what is the real purpose of learning an instrument? Is it merely to pass an exam? Or is it to acquire a lifelong skill that brings joy and enrichment for years to come?
At Dorayme Music Home Studios, we are committed to setting the standard. While we may not be able to change the current exam-focused culture, we can maintain high expectations within our own community of little musicians.
All Dorayme home studios follow a unified curriculum for weekly music lessons, covering scales, sight reading, repertoire, studies, and theory. However, due to time constraints, aural training has been difficult to include.
To address this, we are introducing a new extracurricular initiative in 2025: the “Setting the Standard" Workshop. In addition to our regular music camps, this program will focus on four key elements:
We hope this new initiative will raise awareness of these four vital areas that build true musicianship.
