Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner I need info on something...

if you've read my other thread, you know i've been out of the loop (piano) for 10 years now and consequently i've forgotten a lot of things. I've dug out my old books and tonight I found all my certificates/diplomas/whatever-you-call-them's.

I admit it.. i just never reallly knew but now i need to know. how does this work? how many of these can you end up getting and is there a point where you actually "graduate"? I've searched the net for answers but can't find the info i'm looking for. Maybe i'm just looking in the wrong place and if someone could direct me that would be great. I've searched pianoguild.com and surprisingly found little to no info on it, only forms.

I've got 6 of these that say "National Piano Playing Auditions" accross the top. the last one says "preparatory class 1993, section B", blue star, and a report card in the back. I always played in front of a 'judge' once a year for them.. and they were goals for us but... i dunno if it's "worth" something or what.

thanks,
-T

Your certificates are from the National Guild of Piano Teachers. They're not as strong an organization as they used to be, but they are still active in some places.

There is no national standard of grading for piano in the United States, although there is a project in the works to create an RCM/ABRSM type organization.

As for what your certificates mean, they mean what they say, that you did Prep B in 1993. That will have some meaning for teachers involved in Guild auditions, and it will mean nothing to others.

Thanks for replying, Kreisler..

I had never heard of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music before you mentioned it. Too bad it wasn't available (or at least my piano teacher wasn't a member) during my 6 years of lessons. I think I would have been forced to learn more than I did. My teacher never taught me scales, appregios, chords, nothing.. But it was also not a requirment of the National Guild of Piano Teachers for our 'exams'. We just showed up at the local University Music Department and played a list of pieces... and that was that.

I remember one year in particular I had not practiced enough and made quite a few mistakes during one of these exams.. i was still passed. So you see, it wasn't much of a challenge.

Thankfully it seems like the ABRSM has gained popularity in the states. Not as much as I would like but still, it's here. It seems if I want to participate and be examined I'd have to drive 4 hours north to Tampa... or at least that's where my nearest abrsm representative resides.