I'm so about our upcoming Christmas Recital. All of the student have selected the piece that they are going to perform and I know each student is really looking forward to sharing it with everyone.
The weeks leading up to a recital can provide some of the most valuable learning opportunities in a young piano student’s education. Because of this, I wanted to share some tips on how you can be involved in your child's recital preparations.
In the weeks leading up to our recital, you can…
1. be their “pretend audience”. Sit down regularly and enjoy some practice performances. Make sure they add their bow before and after they play. It’s great performance practice to play for even just one set of undistracted eyes.
2. remind them to visit the piano frequently throughout the week to practice their recital piece. Regular practice is the most effective way of ensuring a successful recital performance.
3. offer lots of encouragement as they practice. Let your child know just how excited you are to watch them share their music.
4. ask your child to play for friends and family who stop by your home or set up opportunities for others to hear them play (invite grandparents over, play at auntie’s dinner party etc). Not only does this provide great performance practice, but it also shows how much you value all of their hard work.
5. find a way to mark this event as something special. Selecting a special outfit to wear to the recital, inviting family friends to attend, or buying your child flowers all contribute to showing them that the performance is meaningful, important and valued. It doesn’t have to be anything grand… often simply a heart-felt note left on the piano is all it takes.
Check back in the upcoming weeks for more recital tips.