PPP092: Post-Recital Reflections

15May 2018 by Shelly Davis

This episode was recorded the day after my 2018 Spring Recitals. My Spring Recitals are held the first Monday and Tuesday of May each year. Now that recitals are done, I’ve declared this day, “International Post-Recital Lazy Day” and you are welcome that I at least changed out of my pajamas to record this week’s show! 🙂

You would think after 28 years of annual spring recitals, I would have this down and wouldn’t have any issues or problems. No matter how many times I’ve done recitals, there is always some new variable and this year was no different.

The Problem with Procrastination

This year’s recital was held in a new venue, First Presbyterian Church, Tyler, Texas. While I’ve attended many other musical events at FPC, I had never held one of my recitals. I had never been “behind the scenes”.

Because I was facing a new and different challenge, I did what I usually do when facing the unknown…..I procrastinated.

I waited to contact the church receptionist to confirm my recital dates.

I didn’t finish making my recital programs – I went to the copy store THE DAY OF!

What does all of this have to do with your piano kid?

I think the same problems I experienced can happen with your child as well. If they are putting up a struggle with practicing, maybe they’re feeling unsure about the unknown.

Even though I waited to print my recital programs, I had systems in place to make creating my program an easy process. Even though your piano kid may be fearful about an upcoming event, you can encourage them to follow the systems, the practice routines, you already have in place.

To learn more about creating a practice routine listen to Episode 001.

Put in the Repetitions

One thing I was not worried about with this year’s recitals was the preparation of my students.

My biggest concern for my students when they play in a recital is that they have a good, positive experience. I don’t want them to have a meltdown or memory lapse and leave the piano feeling bad about themselves.

I used to require students to play their recital piece from memory but over time, I have come to realize that the musical score can be a nice safety net. The performer may never even look at their music but they feel more secure and confident having it there on the music rack.

For the 2018 Spring Recital preparation, I used our studio bead challenge to motivate students to play their recital piece many, many times. Over the last sic weeks, I challenged my students to play their recital piece 100 times. They would earn a special bead at 25, 50, and 75 repetitions with a really special bead once they reached 100 repetitions.

Repetition is what makes their memory piece come together. It helps students get passed the basic performance of the notes and move to the musical expressiveness.

Dear Dads,

Thank you for attending your child’s recital. For some reason, your presence is a little more special than mom’s. (No offense intended here. Moms just tend to be the family manager and chauffeur. It’s expected that you will attend the recital – how else with your child get there?)

Thank you for helping your teacher prepare for the recital and clean up afterward. Last night, several dads were on hand to help move the piano to center stage for our recital and then put it back in place when we were done.

Thank you for acting as a security guard and fielding questions from the uninvited man who appeared in the auditorium after the recital. There was no problem in this instance, and there might not have been whether you were there or not but I felt much safer having a man communicate directly with the other man. I felt more secure for the other women and children still in the auditorium as well.

Thank you for listening to my debriefing session after this year’s recital. What tips or suggestions do you have for me to make next year’s recital even better and less stressful?