Last Minute Practice

My piano student recital was last Monday evening, and YaYa and Mr. SP made their debut.  They remained calm, cool and collected despite my own neurosis regarding recitals.  I used to be a grumpy, nervous wreck before my own recitals, from a beginning piano student all they way through college, and even as a teacher, I spend much of recital day in a nervous tizzy, worried for each and every one of my students, which is ridiculous because they are all wonderfully prepared and anything that happens is completely out of my hands by the time recital day comes.  I try to keep my craziness under everyone’s radar, but I thought maybe my own kidlets would catch my crazy bug.  Luckily they did not!  They both played wonderfully, and so did ALL of the students.  I was so proud of them and everyone else.  Learning to comfortably share music is such a long learning process, and so important.  The spring recital is certainly not the only performing opportunity my students have for the year, but it is the most formal. (Although not too formal!  Especially compared to other piano studios! We always have at least a couple students rushing in from baseball games at the last minute who play in their uniforms and cleats . . . and I”m fine with that, happy just to have them play.)

Before we left for the recital, we did a bit of last minute practicing, all dressed up and ready to go.  The Banana borrowed YaYa’s former flower girl dress, and she was very much in her element.  She chose a piece called Cheerful Chimes for the recital.  It was very challenging, but she plugged away at it for weeks, and loved that it involved the use of the pedal.  Mr. SP was excited to play a song about a piano playing skeleton.  He loves anything a bit creepy.  They both were all about suffering through the “pain” of performing with the promise of a special ice cream treat after the recital.