Well, the recital is over! It was just a delightful day. I am so proud of each and every one of my students. There was not a sour performance in the whole bunch. Everyone was so highly prepared! Our accompanist Gina Christopher was amazing! The sound system worked out great! And it seems a good time was had by all.
I want to share with you how blessed I feel to have this job and to have such wonderful students. I don't mean to brag but the compliments keep pouring in about how well the recital flowed, how well prepared the students were, how moved people were by some of the performances such as those by some of my music therapy students. This is a testament to months and months of hard work by everyone involved! Everyone took their role in this Spring Recital so seriously and it paid off. All of the parents brought desserts for a wonderful reception to follow the recital and they were so yummy. So many of the parents did extra tasks for me in the preparation so help me with some of the things I just could not do myself. (Psst---don't tell anyone but this was only my 2nd recital to EVER put on and my first one was years ago before I started having my precious little babies!)
As many of you know I am a music therapist and I believe in the ability of music to help everyone achieve non-musical goals. While taking formal music lessons children learn discipline and the importance of hard work to achieve a successful end result. Children learn organizational skills in recording their weekly practice, getting parent signatures, signing practice contracts and completing homework assignments. Children gain self-esteem by having successful music lessons, they learn poise and confidence, they make new friends (that may not necessarily go to their own school,) AND they simply have a talent and a leisure time activity that is irreplaceable.
I want to share with you how blessed I feel to have this job and to have such wonderful students. I don't mean to brag but the compliments keep pouring in about how well the recital flowed, how well prepared the students were, how moved people were by some of the performances such as those by some of my music therapy students. This is a testament to months and months of hard work by everyone involved! Everyone took their role in this Spring Recital so seriously and it paid off. All of the parents brought desserts for a wonderful reception to follow the recital and they were so yummy. So many of the parents did extra tasks for me in the preparation so help me with some of the things I just could not do myself. (Psst---don't tell anyone but this was only my 2nd recital to EVER put on and my first one was years ago before I started having my precious little babies!)
Many of my students I have been seeing for over 5 years. Several of my students such as Grant, Darrius and Mackenzie I have been seeing for over 10 years. In this time we have grown together and it has been a pleasure beyond my wildest dreams. There is always something more my students can learn and each of them has always had an open heart when it comes to their music lessons.
The recital was about so much more than music or performances it was about these students gaining more information about themselves to become better all around people. What did you learn by participating in the recital? Were you nervous? How did you calm your nerves? Were you proud of yourself or did you "beat yourself up" when your performance was over? How did you feel to perform for your mom or dad or grandparents or friends? Is this something that makes you feel good? What did you think of the other kids performances? I would love to hear your answers to some of these questions because it IS about so much more than music.
I learned that I MUST be highly prepared to feel calm. I learned that if I overly prepare I will be able to sit back and enjoy the performances. I learned that I love my job even more than I thought. I learned that it is okay to ask people for help and they will gladly give it if they know what you need. I learned that having a recital is expensive and next year I MUST have everyone (not just students using a accompanist) pay a recital fee or I am going to go broke! (HA HA HA) I learned that students want to sign their favorite songs at recitals not classical songs AND that the audience will respond so much better to a entertaining recital rather than a formal recital. I learned that I have so many people who love and support me, who believe in me, and who have put their faith in me. I learned that I should trust my instincts that I might have some good ideas that are worth sharing and I don't need to constantly ask for everyone opinion. What did you learn about yourself at the recital? I would love for you to comment on this post and share your thoughts with me!
Well done everyone!
