Most people who have taken piano lessons have been in a recital, but why do we do them? Reasons range from giving motivation, to showing off for parents, to tradition. Here are my top 3 reasons for hosting recitals for my students and also why I encourage every student to participate.
1. To set goals on the long learning journey
Students usually take lessons for years. A shorter term student might move on after 2 years to other activities, but it’s also common for students to take lessons for up to 10 years before they graduate high school. That is a long time to continue in the same activity! So, it’s important to have milestones that break it up. Instead of focusing on the end goal years away, recitals give students something a little closer to prepare for.
Goals like that also provide periodic motivation to keep working. It is very common for students to practice a little extra leading up to a recital. Then, the excitement of performing gives them a boost to keep going learning new pieces.
I have met college musicians who said that what got them to stick with it to the college level was looking forward to the next performance, so this is not just for casual students. Even high level musicians use performances to motivate themselves!
2. To celebrate their accomplishments
Piano students work incredibly hard. They practice regularly and are constantly learning new things. So much of the work is done alone or only with the teacher, so recitals are an opportunity to show off a little bit for a crowd! While lesson times might be focused on what to work on next, a recital isn’t about critiquing oneself. Instead, it’s time to give it your best shot, pretend every wrong note was intentional, and bow for the applause!
3. To see how they measure up
It is generally not helpful to spend too much time comparing oneself to others BUT we do need to see what others are doing to help have an accurate self-perception of how accomplished we are.
Perfectionists who spend their practice time trying to get every detail correct and being overly critical of themselves will benefit from seeing that most students don’t perform perfectly… and yet, the performance is still pleasant to listen to!
Students with inflated egos also get the opportunity to see that they are on the same level as many of their peers. They are undoubtedly awesome, but so is everyone else!
Exceptionally talented students might realize that they are excelling and take an interest in a career in music.
Some students might find the motivation to practice because they now want to be able to learn a piece they saw in a recital.
In Conclusion
Performances can be a very grounding experiences. They help us to put everything in perspective, and help balance the more solitary activity of practicing.
These are three of the reasons that I host recitals and encourage students to participate. If you have another or a recital experience to share, leave me a comment below!
As a former piano student, this article is really encouraging! Sometimes it’s challenging to want to polish something up for a recital, but it can be so worth it!