Piano Prep for Parents and Students

 Hello, everyone!

   Yes, normally this is two posts, not one. But as it so happens, this year none of my students are doing a recital for the first time. I still think review is important, but I also think that it can be condensed a bit. ;)

   So, without further ado!

For parents

•     Make sure you and your family arrive at the church on time (a few minutes before 2:30 P.M.). Check the address ahead of time, so you know where you're going! 
•      Also please sanitize your hands upon entering. 
•      Help your child feel relaxed before the recital. Many children get very nervous before a recital, which doesn't help them play their best! All your children are prepared for this. And, much as we'd like it if everything went perfectly, mistakes do happen and they're not a big deal. Remind them of these things. They will be fine! 
•      Please clap for each student when they finish playing. All of them have put their best effort into this!
•      I'm encouraging your children to compliment each other after the recital, so if you could also encourage this mentality, that would be great.
•      Feel free to invite grandparents and other family members! But if they can't come, I will be videoing the whole recital and sharing the video with you, my piano families, later. And speaking of videos...
•      If you can't make it live to the recital (especially for health reasons), please give me as much advance notice as you can. Then, so your child's hard work doesn't go to waste, please send me a video of your child playing their piece within the following week, and I will add this video to the main recital video. If you do video, they should wear casual-dressy clothes, say their piece names, play, and then bow, just like they would in-person! 

For students

• On Friday or Saturday before the recital, flag your books! Put a sticky note on the page with the song you are playing, so you can flip to it easily and quickly at the recital! If you have loose sheet music, make sure you have it with you (preferably in a binder and flagged, or glued to a piece of cardboard). If you're playing from a book, and you have a page turn and haven't memorized the second page, get your mom or dad to photocopy pages so you don't have to do a page turn. Unless, of course, you've already talked with me about having me turn your pages for you. (This does not apply if you're playing from memory, though it won't hurt to bring your books along anyways even if you're not planning on using them.)

• Does it make you nervous to play in front of people? If so, that's OK -- most people feel this way! So, leading up to the recital, perform a lot for your family and friends. This will help you not to be so nervous. Don't forget to get them to sign your music or notebook in pencil! 
• Recitals are special, so now's a good chance to wear your best clothes! Dress nicely, and don't forget to put on your smiles. :)
•    When you and your family come in and sit down, find a spot close to the edge of the seats so you can get in and out easily.
•      Read the program, check where you are, and if you have two solo songs, check and see which one I want you to play first! 
• When it's your turn, come to the front, take a deep breath, and say the names of both the pieces you will be playing. 
• Then, if you need to move the piano bench forwards or backwards, do it before you sit down. After that, you may sit down, breathe, and start playing! 
• If you make a mistake in your piece, don't panic. Everybody makes mistakes at recitals, sooner or later. Just pretend absolutely nothing happened. Keep playing, keep smiling, and chances are nobody will ever know you messed it up. Don't start over unless it's really, really bad. (And if you do have to start over, make a joke out of it!)
• When you're finished, smile, then bow or curtsey while people are still clapping (once!). After that, pick up your books, and go sit down with your family again. If you have both your songs together, do this after you're done both songs. 
• When the other students play, clap at the end of each of their pieces. 
• When we're finished, if you thought someone played especially well, tell them so. Here's an extra challenge: Tell them what you really liked about their piece. (Example: "I really liked how you did your crescendo," or chord, or whatever it was you liked best.)

For both students and parents

• I know this is obvious... but consistent practice is essential in the days leading up to the recital. Parents, please help your budding musicians stick to a consistent practice schedule over the next week-and-a-bit, and students, please be diligent in doing your part to prioritize your piano practice! 
• Please be respectful of church property while we are there. Kids, this means no running in the sanctuary or playing with things that aren't yours. Parents, please supervise your children to avoid damages (and thus extra costs).
• After the recital, we will be having some snacks and a time to visit. This is a great time for you to connect with other families like yours! Please bring a plate of snack finger food.