Student Recital

My big end of the year recital, the culmination of entire year's worth of work, was this past Saturday. And I am pleased to say that it couldn't have gone much better! I might even say that it was one of the top three recitals during my 15 years of teaching.

In preparation for the big event, we had our Performance Class on the Thursday before the recital. This consisted of a group rehearsal in which each student practiced bowing and performing in front of their peers, followed by a party with Sweetcakes' scrumptious cupcakes and juice. It went very well for six out of the seven kids! (The one who arrived without music books was clearly unprepared.)

Our Performance Class

The recital was held at the church next door to my house/studio, which was extremely convenient. Especially when one of my students arrived without music yet again, just two minutes before the recital was scheduled to start! Luckily I was able to run home and grab the needed music before panic could set in. (I only hope I was able to hide my extreme annoyance.)

The site of this year's recital

For this year's recital, I decided to do things a bit differently. I started with each student performing a set of their favorite repertoire, typically 2-3 pieces - some were solos, and some were duets with me. After each student had performed their set, we moved on to the second part of the program.

The second part of the program was Classical Repertoire, and each student performed a Classical piece of their choice. We went in chronological order as dictated by the composer's birth year, beginning with the Baroque period, then the Classical period, and finishing with the Romantic period. I spoke a bit about each composer and gave vital facts mixed in with fun trivia to keep things interesting.

The recital program

Our featured "Composer of the Year" was Edvard Grieg, a Norwegian nationalist composer. Two of my students performed well-known Grieg pieces: "Morning" from Peer Gynt and the A minor Piano Concerto (a simplified version!)

The final segment of our program was my favorite: the student ensembles.

I had paired up four girls of comparable skill levels into two duet teams. The chemistry that formed between the girls was nothing short of magical! The way they were able to communicate to each other through music rather than words was astounding.

Team #1 played a "Promenade", followed by "Blue Bells of Scotland." Team #2 played a fun piece called "Billy Goat Rag" followed by a rock tune entitled "Bouncin' Boogie", which was the grand finale of our program. Immediately before the boogie, the two girls donned crazy sunglasses and acknowledged the audience with a smile before setting off at an extremely energetic pace. I had never heard them practice it that fast before, and surely nerves/adrenalin were to blame... but they managed to pull it off without a hitch! The applause was thunderous.

I was extremely proud of the whole bunch! It never ceases to amaze me how much the kids progress from year to year. The night before the recital, I pulled out past recital programs and could not believe how some of these kids had rocketed through several levels over the past few years. As I always say, sometimes it's hard to gauge your progress until you look back and see how far you've come.

Upon the conclusion of the recital, students were presented with a certificate and a small Grieg statuette. We posed for a group picture, but unfortunately Dave left early with the girls so I wasn't able to get a photo on my own camera. (Bummer! I am hoping one of my students' families will get a copy to me!)

After the photo shoot, I was presented with a few beautiful bouquets and then talked with appreciative parents/family members.

It was a really nice afternoon and although I was nervous being in front of the crowd, I actually managed to enjoy myself.

This was Amanda's first time attending a formal recital.
She was unbelievably excited to be there!

And now, I am glad that it's all behind me for another year! I have one more week of lessons before my year officially ends, and then our Summer Term begins on June 1st. During the summer, we focus on pop songs, movie soundtracks, duets and "students' choice" pieces. I am really looking forward to the relaxed, low-key lessons that will occur over the summer months. It should be a fun summer!