Think all music recitals are held in an acoustically-perfect concert hall? Think again. With today’s acceptance of home-based businesses, many music studios now operate out of a house on your street.
If you are a self-employed music teacher, you may not have enough space in your house to accommodate your 20 to 40 students and their family. It is unthinkable to bypass the opportunity to showcase the progress of a miniature Mozart so you will have to be creative. Fortunately, there are several other options open to you.
You might consider having a series of mini-concerts. Group your students by age and invite three or four families at a time into your home. Make sure the students have prepared two or even three pieces, depending on the length and difficulty, and alternate their appearance so they play at two or three different times throughout the program. You can also use this opportunity to share some information with the parents, from tips on how to get students to practice, to the benefits of music for all ages, or whatever. If you serve juices and cookies and allow a little social time after, you should be able to host a pleasant one-hour show. Over several weekends, you will be able to have all your students perform. This idea is especially useful if you have adult students who may be reluctant to perform where children are playing. You can plan one recital just for your mature students, and they’ll be pleased to meet and be encouraged by other adult learners.
If your home is too small for a series of min-concerts, perhaps the parents of one of your students has a large living or family room that they’d be willing to use. Community league halls and church sanctuaries make wonderful venues for a music recital and the acoustics are usually good. Most senior citizen drop in centres or retirement homes welcome musical recitals too. For those students who are nervous about performing, a group of “grandmas and grandpas” is about as friendly and unintimidating an audience as you can get!
Whether you are a teacher of your own private studio, or work on a team of teachers in a commercial studio, putting a little creativity into your program will make it a most-enjoyable experience for your audience. Plan to open and close with strong performances by advanced students. Place your beginner students, with their two or three line pieces, between other performers, such as two students performing a duet or a guitar student accompanying herself while she sings a well-known piece.
Be sure you have a piece prepared to perform too. Having a recital is an opportunity to showcase yourself and your talents and you want your parents to have confidence in your abilities as well. And it gives you an excuse to practice – something that’s hard to find time for when you are busy running a studio along with your other everyday duties. And as host, you would be offering a pleasing interlude to your guests and performers.
Have student prepare to introduce themselves. You can make a comment after their performances, but it’s important for each of them to stand up to the microphone and repeat their name and the title of their piece. You’ll have rehearsed often in your classes, so it won’t be difficult and will add to the self-confidence they are gaining by the experience. Select their pieces several weeks in advance so they are very accomplished by recital time.
If you are the proud parent of a music student, you may wish to host family members and friends and have your prodigy perform for his or her own special audience.Look around your home now and determine if you can host a music recital, for your own students or as a venue for your child’s teacher, or just for your own family. You will be providing an opportunity for the students to grow and mature in their chosen activity and bring pleasure to everyone by doing it!
