This may be your child's first recital ever, or it may be your child's first recital in a while. Recitals are a great experience for students. They allow them to work towards a goal, share what they've learned, perform by themself in a concert setting, and hear other students play. Here are some important tips about recitals to share with your child.
Don't overpractice or overthink your recital pieces. In the couple of weeks leading up to the recital, play your recital pieces once or twice during your practice sessions. You should already know the pieces pretty well, and playing them regularly at this point will help you maintain your level of learning. On the day of the recital, play your recital pieces but also play other music so that your hands are warmed up and your mind is fresh.
Dress to impress, but keep it practical. Wear something dressy but comfortable. Sit at your piano in your recital outfit and play your pieces a couple of times to check to make sure that your outfit isn't too tight and your sleeves aren' too floppy. Restrictive clothing and bell shaped sleeves don't work well with playing the piano. Also, make sure that your shoes work well for pedaling. They should have a firm sole and a low heel.
Come early and give the recital piano a test run. Every piano is unique in the way that the piano keys respond to your fingers, the way the bench feels, the way the pedals work, and the way the sound of your playing fills the space, so it's important to introduce yourself to the new piano before your performance. There may be a lot of other students arriving, and you may only need to sit down and play a couple of notes. You might see other piano students that you recognize from school or other activities. Take a moment to say hello before getting seated with your family.
Take a moment to think before you play. When the recital has started and it's your turn to play, take some time to get comfortable at the piano. You might need to adjust the bench and get your music ready. Once you're ready, imagine yourself playing your music for just a few seconds. Think about the tempo, the feel of the music, and remind yourself of any things you need to remember as you play your piece. Then take a deep breath and play as if it's just you and the piano, and no one's watching.
But what if I make a mistake? It's okay to make mistakes, but should you keep going or just stop and start over? The answer to that is that it depends. If your mistake is in the very beginning of the piece, it's okay to start over. If the mistake is in the middle or the end of the piece, keep going. It's important to remember that sometimes the audience won't even know that you've made a mistake because they don't know the piece like you do. Also, just the fact that you were brave enough to come up and play the piano by yourself in front of people is amazing, so try not to worry about making mistakes.
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