Ravina's musical journey
Ravina is a professional musician, academician, and teacher with over a decade of experience teaching the piano to students of all ages and grades. She has performed at numerous piano concerts in Delhi and was chosen as a Mentor by The Recording Academy for Spring 2023.
Her father, a professional musician, nurtured her passion for music. “He always wanted me to be a musician,” she recalls. Hailing from Meerut, she would travel three hours to Delhi for music lessons. It was there that she first learned about Trinity’s graded music exams.
The Trinity syllabus advantage
Ravina's introduction to Trinity's exams marked a significant turn in her musical journey. "I heard about many graded music exams, but the syllabus provided by Trinity had the most diverse repertoire. One can fall in love with their selection of pieces." she muses.
The syllabus's focus on technical exercises deepened her understanding of the piano without overwhelming her with theoretical knowledge. “It’s very easy to follow. I have not seen that in any other syllabuses.”
Ravina believes this is still the case, which is one of the reasons why, as a music teacher herself, she recommends the Trinity syllabus and graded music exams to her students. “What I like the most in the syllabus is that the lesson architecture is laid out in easy-to-follow steps. It is very approachable and helps my students grasp concepts easily. They don't feel the usual pressure, instead treating the exams like a concert performance.”
Now Trinity allows students to choose between two exam pathways depending on their learning style and preference. The technical pathway blends theory and practice, whereas the performance-only pathway focuses on the latter.
The performance focus has inspired Ravina to start composing music. “It pushed me to take up composition. And it pushed my students, too, with some composing music right from grade 1. It made them better performers and sight-readers, which can sometimes be very scary.”
Ravina has contributed to Trinity’s new piano syllabus for 2023 by helping to integrate two Indian and one Western piano pieces into the repertoire. The aim is to make the syllabus more culturally inclusive and appealing to learners everywhere.
The value of graded music exams
Ravina strongly recommends all her students take graded music exams. "Taking a piece to the performance level offers a much deeper understanding," she says. “Having technical exercises to focus on specific techniques makes you think more about the instrument and how to emote through music.”
Following methodical lessons is essential, according to Ravina. And her students agree. “The students feel levelled up after taking these exams and want to take the next one as soon as possible!”
Besides teaching, Ravina is pursuing her Licentiate in Piano Performance and Instrumental Teaching from Trinity College London.
“What I like the most in the syllabus is that the lesson architecture is laid out in easy-to-follow steps. It is very approachable and helps my students grasp concepts easily. They don't feel the usual pressure, instead treating the exams like a concert performance.”