How I Passed ABRSM Piano Performance Grade 8 5x Faster Than Average (Part 4): Lessons, Mindset Shifts, and Final Thoughts

So you've read about my timeline, the skipping decisions, and the practice strategies. Now let's talk about what this whole experience actually meant beyond just getting a certificate.

Because here's the thing: ABRSM Grade 8 with Distinction is cool and all, but it's just a piece of paper. What mattered more was what I learned about myself, about music, and about how I approach challenges in general.

This final part is less "how-to" and more "here's what actually happened when a high schooler decided to compress 8 years of piano exams into 16 months." The good, the weird, and the unexpectedly useful lessons I carry with me.

Summary

This article reflects on the bigger lessons from my accelerated ABRSM journey. I share what this experience taught me beyond piano, plus unexpected insights like learning that perfection is boring and that constraints breed creativity. I discuss what I'd do differently, how the fast pace actually deepened my love for piano, and offer honest advice. I address whether ABRSM is worth doing at all and for whom, and close with final thoughts on what "success" in music actually means.

What This Journey Actually Taught Me

1. Deadlines Are Magic (And Also Terrible)

The most obvious lesson: Having a concrete deadline makes you get stuff done.

When I knew I had an exam in 3 months, I practiced. When I didn't have a deadline, I... didn't. It's that simple. I had set a mental deadline for myself that I had to meet.

But here's the less obvious part: Deadlines also make you cut corners in ways you don't notice until later. There were pieces I "finished" for the exam that I didn't truly understand musically. I played them well enough to pass, but I didn't live with them long enough to make them mine.

Post-ABRSM, I've gone back and re-learned some of those pieces without a deadline, and they feel completely different. Richer. More nuanced. Like I'm actually having a conversation with the music instead of just reciting it.

Lesson: Deadlines are useful tools, not the point. Use them to move forward, but don't mistake speed for depth.

2. Progress Isn't the Same as Achievement

I achieved a lot in a short time: three exams, three passes, two Distinctions.

But the actual progress, the development of my musicianship, my ear, my understanding of how music works, happened in the quiet hours of practice, not in the exam results.

The weirdest realization: Some of my biggest moments of musical growth came during pieces I didn't even use for exams. Pieces I learned just because I liked them, with no deadline, no examiner, no certificate waiting.

Lesson: Achievement is visible and measurable. Progress is often invisible and slow. Don't confuse the two.

3. Your Ego Will Lie to You

Starting at Grade 5 instead of Grade 1 felt like a flex. Skipping Grade 6 felt smart. Getting Distinction on Grade 7 felt validating.

But here's what my ego didn't want to admit: I had technique gaps. There were scales I couldn't play smoothly. There were sight-reading skills I lacked. There were musical concepts I'd never learned because I jumped over the grades that taught them.

My ego said, "You're advanced, you don't need that stuff." Reality said, "You're going to struggle with double thirds in your Grade 8 piece because you never properly learned them."

Lesson: Ego loves shortcuts. Mastery doesn't care about shortcuts. Know the difference.

4. Perfection Is Boring (But Also Impossible)

I spent so much time chasing "perfect" takes for my recordings. Pieces played mechanically flawlessly, with every note exactly right.

You know what I learned? Perfect is boring. The takes that passed weren't the "perfect" ones—they were the ones where I made one or two tiny mistakes, but the musicality was alive, where I took a risk with rubato, where I leaned into a phrase, where I actually felt something.

Examiners don't want robots. They want musicians.

Lesson: Aim for expressive, not perfect. Music is supposed to make people feel something, not impress them with your accuracy.

5. Constraints Breed Creativity

Only having 2-3 months to prepare for Grade 8 meant I couldn't waste time. I had to be ruthlessly efficient with practice. I had to find the fastest path to mastery.

Ironically, those constraints made me more creative as a musician. I learned to listen more carefully, to identify problems faster, to experiment with different fingerings and phrasings to find what worked quickest.

If I'd had unlimited time, I probably would have procrastinated and practiced less intentionally.

Lesson: Sometimes the best thing that can happen to you is not having enough time. Forces you to focus on what actually matters.

6. The Real Skill Is Learning How to Learn

Here's the thing nobody tells you about accelerated anything: The actual skill you develop isn't the thing you're studying—it's learning how to learn.

By the time I got to Grade 8, I wasn't really learning "how to play piano" anymore. I was learning:

• How to diagnose my own mistakes

• How to break down complex problems

• How to build systems that produce results

• How to stay motivated when things get hard

• How to adjust my approach when something isn't working

These skills transfer to everything else. STEM research, writing, learning new software, tackling college coursework—the meta-skill of "figure out how to get good at this thing efficiently" has been way more valuable than the actual Grade 8 certificate.

Lesson: Focus on building your learning systems, not just the end result. The systems stick around after the certificate is filed away.

What I'd Do Differently

1. Start Recording Mock Exams Earlier

I only started recording full mock exams in the last 2-3 weeks before submission. I should have started at week 4.

Recording yourself is such brutal, honest feedback. The earlier you start, the more time you have to fix what's wrong.

If I did it again: Record a full mock every two weeks starting from month 2 of prep.

2. Take More Breaks Between Exams

Going from Grade 7 to Grade 8 in just 2-3 months was intense. And while I'm glad I did it, I was also exhausted.

If I'd taken even just a one-month break to play music for fun—no exam pressure, just pieces I liked—I think I would have come to Grade 8 with more energy and enthusiasm.

If I did it again: Build in at least 4-6 weeks between exams to decompress and remember why I love piano.

3. Learn Music Theory Earlier and More Thoroughly

I crammed Grade 5 Theory in 3-4 months because I had to. But theory actually makes you a better musician when you understand it deeply, not just well enough to pass an exam.

Understanding harmony, voice leading, form, and analysis enriches your playing. I wish I'd studied theory alongside my piano lessons from the beginning, not as a checkbox to tick.

If I did it again: Start theory in parallel with performance from day one.

4. Perform More for Real People

All my practice was solo. All my recordings were just me and a camera.

I wish I'd done more actual performances: for friends, family, at recitals, anywhere with a live audience. Performing for people is a completely different skill than recording yourself, and it builds confidence in ways solo practice doesn't.

If I did it again: Find opportunities to perform every piece at least once before recording.

How This Changed My Relationship with Piano

Here's the paradox: You'd think sprinting through ABRSM would make me hate piano or burn me out.

The opposite happened. It made me love piano more deeply.

Why?

1. I Discovered the Breadth of What Piano Can Do

By being forced to learn pieces from Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary eras for exams, I got exposed to an incredible range of music.

Before ABRSM, I mostly played whatever my teacher assigned, which tended to skew toward one or two styles. ABRSM made me play Bach fugues, Mozart sonatas, Chopin nocturnes, and modern composers I'd never heard of.

Each era taught me something different about what the piano is capable of. I started hearing the piano not as one instrument, but as a chameleon that could create entirely different worlds depending on who was composing for it.

2. I Developed a More Profound Understanding

When you're working on a piece for 2-3 months, practicing it 5+ hours a day, you start to understand it on a cellular level.

You don't just play the notes—you feel the architecture of the piece. You understand why the composer chose that chord, why that phrase needs to breathe here, why the climax lands where it does.

It's like the difference between reading a poem once and memorizing it. Memorization forces you to live inside the language, to feel its rhythm, to understand its structure in a way casual reading never does.

3. I Realized Music Isn't About Being "Good"

This might sound weird, but: The more technically proficient I got, the less I cared about being "good." What I cared about was: Does this piece make me feel something? Can I make someone else feel something when I play it?

ABRSM taught me that music is a language for emotions that don't have words. It's a way to say things you can't say otherwise.

And once I understood that, piano stopped being about "am I good enough?" and became about "what do I want to say?"

Is ABRSM Worth Doing At All?

Honest answer: It depends on what you want.

ABRSM is great for:

1. Students who need structure and benchmarks

If you thrive on clear goals and measurable progress, ABRSM gives you that. Each grade has specific requirements. You know exactly what you need to learn.

2. Students applying to colleges

Having "ABRSM Grade 8 with Distinction" on your application is concrete, internationally recognized, and demonstrates commitment. Admissions officers understand what it means.

3. Students who want diverse repertoire exposure

ABRSM forces you to engage with different musical periods and styles. You won't just play what's comfortable—you'll stretch.

4. Students who perform well under deadlines

If you're someone who needs external pressure to stay motivated, ABRSM exams provide that pressure.

ABRSM is NOT great for:

1. Students who hate performance pressure

If the idea of recording yourself or performing for an examiner fills you with dread, ABRSM will be miserable.

2. Students who want to explore music freely

ABRSM is structured and specific. If you want to spend 6 months learning jazz, or just play movie soundtracks, ABRSM's requirements will feel constraining.

3. Students who learn slowly and need lots of time

There's no shame in being a slow, careful learner. But ABRSM's grade-by-grade structure might feel rushed or stressful.

4. Students doing music purely for joy

If you play piano because it makes you happy and you don't care about external validation, you probably don't need ABRSM. Just play what you love.

Alternatives to Consider:

• RCM (Royal Conservatory of Music): Similar to ABRSM but with different repertoire

• Local music teacher assessments: Many teachers have their own evaluation systems

• Competitions: If you like performing but want variety

• Just playing for yourself: Legitimately a valid choice!

Bottom line: ABRSM is a tool. Use it if it serves your goals. Don't use it if it doesn't.

Final Thoughts: What "Success" Actually Means

I got what I wanted: Grade 8 with Distinction before college applications. But here's what I didn't expect: The certificate didn't change my life.

It's on my resume. It probably helped my college apps. But my day-to-day life? Pretty much the same.

What did change my life:

• Learning how to set ambitious goals and execute them

• Developing discipline and work ethic

• Understanding how to learn efficiently

• Discovering that I'm capable of more than I thought

Those things came from the process, not the result.

So if you're reading this series wondering, "Should I try to pass ABRSM fast?", the real question is: What do you actually want to get out of it?

If the answer is "a certificate," just take your time. It'll come eventually. If the answer is "I want to prove to myself that I can do hard things," or "I want to develop discipline," or "I want to push my limits," then yeah, maybe an accelerated path makes sense.

But remember: Music itself doesn't care about your exam scores. Music cares whether you're listening, whether you're feeling, whether you're saying something true.

Everything else is just paperwork.

Closing Thoughts

Looking back on this whole journey, I don't regret any of it. Was it hard? Yes. Was it worth it? Yes. Would I do it exactly the same way again? Probably not.

But it taught me that I'm capable of more than I think I am. That constraints can unlock creativity. That speed isn't always better, but sometimes it's exactly what you need.

If you've read all four parts of this series, I hope you found something useful, whether that's a specific practice technique, a framework for deciding whether to skip, or just the reassurance that accelerating is possible if you want it.

And if you take nothing else from this: Play music because you love it. Everything else is secondary.

The point of learning piano isn't to pass Grade 8.

The point is to make beautiful noise.

About the Author: I'm Jophy Lin, a high school senior and researcher. I blog about a variety of topics, such as STEM research, competitions, shows, and my experiences in the scientific community. If you’re interested in research tips, competition insights, drama reviews, personal reflections on STEM opportunities, and other related topics, subscribe to my newsletter to stay updated!