The majority of students enrolled in the piano olympics have been assessed and tallies are now available:
The objective of the olympic event is to reinvigorate students' preparation of technical work after the pandemic.
Students should be starting their practice with 5-10 minutes on the exercise for the week.
Students are assessed in class or via video on: LH, RH and TOG (if no TOG needed, an average of LH and RH is awarded).
A perfect score is 300 points, and achieving this score receives a gold award. This week, only one student achieved a perfect score: George. His playing was: accurate, rhythmically correct, a good tempo according to the metronome mark, phrased well, and with excellent dynamics. George understood the criteria for the exercise and practised to achieve the aims and criteria set out in the technical work.
There were many silver awards. In this category either one hand or the together playing reduced the overall score. For example, some students received 100 for RH, 100 for TOG, but only 75 for LH. The mark could be brought down by: stumbles, inconsistent rhythm, incosistent tempo between the hands when playing separately, lack of dynamics etc . . . The student then learns that a lower result for one section of the event can really impact on the overall tally. This encourages the student to be honest and even with their preparation.
A bronze award occurs when overall the objectives of the exercise are not met. This could include singly or a combination of in LH, RH and TOG: playing too fast for accuracy, playing without dynamics, stopping and starting, rhythmic inaccuracy, lack phrasing, poor tone quality. An award in this category is an encouragement for the student to really listen back to their playing and self assess based on the criteria set out for the exercise - these are printed on the page and the student is encouraged to read carefully so they engage in goal oriented practice.
A non award is an absence from the event.
Technique without musicality (expression) is meaningless.
Expression without good technique is simply messy.