zmary

Hello everybody. I was interested in finding out information about the influence that piano has in France. A lot of you are from there and maybe you can help me; it's for a school project that I need to do . For example: Which is the most popular instrument in France? Is music a required course in French Schools? Do they have piano bars in France? What percent play an instrument? How many musical schools are there? Currently, how many pianists exist in France? Thanks

The_FD

Well I can see you started that tread maybe even before I advised you so via MP...

Well as I told you before one cannot answer many of these questions, though I can tell you the following:
In french primary and secondary (until 16 yo) schools music education is rather poor. There is a lot of people getting out of this who cannot even read notes on scores! But there is a parallel possible scholarship called "conservatoire" that give high musical education, it is rather classical music but also includes some jazz. People who are able to go to the end of that scolarship are usually very good at their instrument... concerning the piano people are able to play the whole Liszt artwork for exemple. this education is very good but so few people can attend these courses, there is a huge lack of place.
Else private teachers exist all over the place, they are often more expensive and as always there are brilliant teachers and poor ones... actually each one has to find the one that fits the best.

I don't know what is the most populat instrument in france... Many young people want to learn the Guitare. I guess historically piano accordion is one of the most popular.

Let me tell you there is pretty many piano bars in Paris, I don't really know for the rest of france, though I bet you can find some in every big cities

I cannot say a percentage of people who play an instrument in france, but I think it is too few. I mean a lot of people tried in there childhood but so few kept it so as to be able to play "for real"

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zmary

thanks for the info FD

Lina

I don't know if piano is the most popular instrument, but in music schools ( like conservatoire, but not with a competitive examination to attend it and not always with such excellent classes... ), there are generally much more students willing to learn it than teachers... Piano is thought to be an "easy to play" instrument ( contrary to violin, for example ), so a lot of parents want their children to learn it, even if they only have a synthetizer, which is rather different from a piano.

zmary

thanks Lina