Recitals
By John M. Zeigler, Ph.D. from Piano Education Page
Holiday Recital 2008
We would hope that you would want and demand more than the most basic of training for yourself or your child. There are a number of other services which we think are essential to producing a well-rounded musician and still others which are highly desirable because they help speed the learning process. Of course, if you receive more value, you should expect to pay more for the lessons in accordance with the extra value received. On the whole, you’ll get better value for your money if you invest in the teacher who is truly committed to providing the best teaching possible, even if they have to charge you a little more for it.
Summer Recital, 2009
Even for those students who don’t plan to perform professionally, we believe that piano lessons without performance opportunities are a little like the difference between plain vanilla ice cream in a dish and a banana split; both are great, but the banana split elevates the ice cream to a higher level. The best teachers offer a range of performance opportunities, like home concerts and/or recitals to their students. Home concerts/performance classes are usually held on non-teaching days, so the teacher must give up precious free time to organize and do them. For recitals, the teacher may have to charge an additional fee to cover the rental fee of the recital hall, programs, and so forth. Other performance occasions could include contests, music festivals, master classes, chamber music, piano ensembles, and accompanying. A quality teacher will try to provide as many and as varied opportunities as possible to serve the individual student’s needs. For example, not all students like or want to enter competitions, but do like the idea of performing as an opportunity to ‘strut their stuff’. For this student, recitals or non-competitive festivals might serve the student better than competition. Work with your teacher to identify those performance participation modes that best suit you or your child. If your teacher is willing to take the time to provide performance chances for you or your child, by all means, take advantage of them!
Why Piano?
Michael Giacchetto
“Piano lessons can make the child’s all-around educational development much greater and improve their chances for security, confidence and happiness…
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