My 2016 piano recital involved a lot of firsts. It was the first recital that I had hosted as the teacher and the first time that most of my students had played in a recital...sort of. Since most of my students were in their first year of lessons I realized that they really hadn't played for an audience. A few of them managed to play in a school or church talent show or program at some point, but those students were the exception. I started thinking about providing a "low stress" playing opportunity before the "Big Day". I called up a senior's retirement complex in the city to see if I could have my students put on a little show for the residents. It was a bigger success than I expected! The seniors loved hearing my students. I had two requests from them, the first was that I should come back again and the second was to ask for a larger room! My students enjoyed playing in the more intimate environment at the complex, the extra practice on a different piano, and the experience gained in coping with nerves served them well for the year end recital.
The evening of my year end recital I thought my students did an exceptional job, several students had personal best performances and all that hard work paid off. My favorite moment was after all my students had played and I shared with the audience that most of the students had only been in lessons for one year and seeing the amazed facial expressions. Proud? Biased? Bragging Rights? You bet!
The evening of my year end recital I thought my students did an exceptional job, several students had personal best performances and all that hard work paid off. My favorite moment was after all my students had played and I shared with the audience that most of the students had only been in lessons for one year and seeing the amazed facial expressions. Proud? Biased? Bragging Rights? You bet!
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