Recitals
I put on three recitals per year for students. Recital performances are recorded digitally, and students get immediate feedback by listening to their own performances in the lesson following the recital. All recitals are open and free to the public.
Piano Classes
Held 4-6 times per year, piano classes serve as a less formal way of getting performance experience in a fun group setting of 3-6 students. Kids in middle school and under compete for prizes in each class by giving constructive criticism on each others’ performances.
Special Events
I spend time outside of lessons enabling students to participate in events such as additional outside recitals, festivals, competitions, master classes and workshops, all of which are made possible by music teacher associations and other organizations.
More importantly, I ensure my students enter such events with a very healthy mental attitude: win or lose, high rating or low rating, these events are learning experiences and primarily for fun – there is nothing to lose and everything to gain. That said, my students consistently get high ratings in festivals and are very competitive when they enter competitions.
Some teachers completely isolate themselves and their students from any events outside of their own studio, and this is nothing short of tragic. It is no worse for a teacher to force all students down the road of becoming concert pianists than it is for a teacher to hide the world of festivals and competitions from all of their students. Statistically speaking, every teacher has many students (a majority of them, in fact) who are eager to participate in festivals and competitions. Some are motivated by trophies and awards, others want to connect with peers, while others simply feel it pushes them to do their best.
Click to view past recital programs:
