Recital Season!

Personal Experience Disclaimer: I currently work for two fabulous studios where I am employed as one of many music teachers. Since I am one of many teachers, we have dedicated administrative employees so I am actually not super involved in the logistical aspects of putting on a recital (advertising, ticket sales, set up/strike, etc.). I am lucky in this way since it allows me to simply show up and give full focus to my students and their families (not just during recital season). I understand that my experience is not the same as other teachers and studio owners, so some of my experiences below may not be applicable or relatable to some.

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After wrapping up a fabulous recital season and a traditional school year, I am reminded and validated about my choice to become an educator, albeit an unexpected one. Although I have been teaching since 2013, I moved to Boston in 2017 and this is the first time that I have worked with multiple students for this significant length of time (over six years at this point). I am finally starting to see the long term effects of my teaching and that is electrifying for me.

I have a student that I worked with starting at the age of six where her first recital piece was “Hush Little Baby.” Today, she sang Taylor Swift’s “Out of the Woods.” I have a student who I started with when she was eleven, and now she is graduating high school and getting her degree in musical theater at a school in New York City. I also have many students who choose not to perform in recitals and, yet, I am so proud of all of the work and effort that they put into their instruments. Those students still put in the same dedication to their craft as the ones that dedicate a noteworthy (pun alert) amount of time into their one recital piece.

Another amazing thing that I enjoy about recital season is being able to connect with other teachers. Being a private teacher, you don’t necessarily have opportunities to check in with other teachers because of how isolating the profession can be. Today, since we had a two-hour break between two of our recitals, I was able to chat and catch up with a variety of teachers with vastly different backgrounds and experiences. One of whom is a percussionist getting their master’s in music education, one who is a guitar player in a band that is consistently gigging around the Boston area, and one who has their doctorate in jazz composition. All three of whom are super passionate about music teaching, their instruments, and music theory! It was so refreshing to have the time to nerd out with like-minded folks who are not judgmental or critical of one’s knowledge and desire to learn more.

These recitals are also a time to come together not to simply “show off” our highest level students (and I have the culture of the studios that I work with to thank for that), but to give an opportunity for all students to perform publicly, socialize, and see the potential of the musician they could grow up to be. Seeing these students receive the full, undivided attention of their parents, siblings, and caregivers for a full minute or two and the joy that student has after completing their piece and looking out and making eye contact with those family members is something that can’t be matched.

I hope to look back on this if I am ever feeling burned out or after a not so “successful” recital (whatever that even means) and refuel with this reminder of the bittersweet closure of a year paired with the thrilling unpredictability of what is coming next!

What are some validating experiences that you have received from successful recitals? Put all of the self praise and love in the comments!