Sharing the Music: Performing

Mention the word “recital” and many students and parents alike shudder at the thought!  Many parents have memories of sleepless nights, uncomfortable clothes, and austere faces.  All too often students feel they are being plunged into a great unknown.  However, with proper preparation the recital experience will sharpen many of the most sought-after skills.  Students learn to concentrate and focus while communicating expressively through music to a live audience in real-time, all the while maintaining poise and flow through the inevitable unplanned variables that might arise. Students should start with less formal group settings as a first public performance experience.  After gaining a level of comfort in these settings, they may then move on to the more formal recitals, and some may also want to participate in competitions or exams.

My goal for most students is to perform a minimum of twice per school year.  This is manageable for nearly everyone, and many choose to perform more often.  More advanced students preparing for competitions and exams are encouraged to perform the same pieces several times building up to the competition itself.

Private Performances

Play for your family and friends!  They will be appreciative of whatever you do and will give you a feeling of playing straight through a piece without stopping.  It’s always great to have one or two pieces that you can pull out anytime and play when Grandma comes to visit! 

Performance Workshop or Group Class

These are slightly more formal since you will be playing for a mix of people including some that you know and some that you don’t.  Still, there’s no need to pull out the coat and tails at this point—jeans and a T-shirt are just fine!  Students usually play for each other and then have a chance to get some immediate feedback from their peers and teachers.  These are offered throughout the year and have a variety of formats, including piano-only as well as mixed instruments.