Having grown up in my father’s piano store, one of my first jobs was setting up chairs for piano recitals. Now, more than 30 years later, it’s still one of my jobs. During this time, I have had the privilege of attending hundreds of recitals and have learned that making them a positive experience for everyone takes planning, preparation and practice… just like playing the piano.

Nancy Wynn (lower left) guides students through a recital rehearsal

When it comes to running a smooth recital, Nancy Wynn in Fitchburg is one of the best. She says she started teaching piano to neighbor kids when she was ten-years-old because she wanted to be “just like my mom.” While many teachers say it’s difficult to schedule practice sessions, Nancy makes it her practice to have a group rehearsal just before each recital. She sums up her approach this way, “I think that making a big deal of the joy they give to their parents and others is important and dressing up makes them feel special and good about themselves.”

Jan Helwig performs a duet with a student during a recital at our Piano Gallery

In addition to recitals with her full studio, Jan Helwig in Verona holds smaller book recitals through the year with fewer students playing more pieces. Before performing, her students are relaxed and the variety “allows the students to gain comfort at the piano, instead of a quick one or two pieces. They develop focus, get used to thinking about changing mood between pieces. They really look and feel much more comfortable about play for others this way.”

Jane LeCount in Middleton creates a variety of opportunities for her students to build performance skills. In addition to traditional recitals, her students can perform for other students one-on-one, attend student only “piano parties” and studio open houses and play at special events. She explains that this allows her students to “use that experience to take their musicianship to the next level.”

While each of these teachers takes a different approach to recitals, the smiling faces of their students are the common denominator; these kids are having fun! But they’re not alone…

When parents, grandparents and other adults hear children perform it confirms that the child is learning and growing. For many parents it may be the only time they hear their children play and enjoy the fruits of their labor. “It is amazing the difference between hearing my son practice at home and hearing him play in a recital,” one parent recently told me. “This brings everything, the whole year, together for us.” Witnessing your child performing in front of strangers adds legitimacy to taking lessons and increases the likelihood lessons will continue.

And timing is everything. “It’s important to keep recitals moving,” advises LeCount. “And end while the audience is still ready for more.” Wynn suggests that recitals for the youngest students should be no longer than thirty minutes. Helwig says, “I really like the 45-minute recital. This often means I have two recitals scheduled back to back with a small break in between.” She is definitely on to something. For several months, I tracked the length of recitals I attended and at what point something happened to disrupt the event. On average, younger sibling began to fuss right at the 44-minute mark. It is simply unreasonable to expect a two- or three-year-old to sit still quietly for much more than about 45 minutes.

Recitals should be held at locations with a good, well-maintained piano to insure a positive experience for students and parents.

Shorter recitals also offer more options for scheduling around other events and make it easier for every student to stay until the end. It would be hard to imagine a parent asking the coach to let their child start in a game so they could leave early to attend a piano recital, but the reverse happens quite often. By setting the expectation that “if you play, you stay,” the teacher sends the message that the recital is an important event; something greater than the sum of its parts. It also presents the studio as a community; one where everybody has an interest in supporting every child.

Helwig explained it well when she said “the piano teacher controls the thought process.” Teachers who approach recitals as they approach teaching – being professional and prepared – enjoy more committed students who see music as more than something they do; it is part of who they are. While the secret formula to getting students to practice regularly has yet to be revealed, setting the bar high for recitals seems to be a key ingredient.

Recital Tips:

• Plan an organized recital rehearsal.
• Choose an intimate, professional setting with a really good piano.
• Keep recitals shorter, especially for younger students. Having two or three short recitals takes about the same amount of time as one long one.
• Ask for volunteers and give them simple tasks such as handing out programs or arranging refreshments.
• Set the expectation that “If you play, you stay.”