I do recitals differently than most music teachers. I start the recital by playing a piece myself, then I ask who wants to play next. The students raise their hand when they want to play. I've found that when the students choose when they play they have much less anxiety about performing and enjoy the process much more. There's no printed program, so the student doesn't watch the progression towards their turn with growing anxiety. Most of the time, all of the students end up performing. Sometimes a student doesn't play, sometimes a student will want to play a second time. I’m also casual about dress for the recitals. Your student can dress up if they wish, but casual clothes and sports uniforms are welcome. Parents often comment on how much more calm and enjoyable our recitals are from the recitals they remember from their childhoods.

I will help your student choose and prepare a piece for the recital. Ask your student to play their recital piece for you. It will help your child if you have practice performances where you sit down and listen to them play their piece and then (please!) applaud afterwards.

Our next recital will be Saturday, February 5, 2022 at 6:00 at Grace Lutheran Church, 3149 Waverley Street, Palo Alto, CA 94306.