You know you wanted to be a rock star at some point when you were a kid. Most of us have played air guitar alone in our room and dreamt about being centre-stage in front of a cheering crowd. Every rock star has to start somewhere, and performing in a recital is often the first step of the journey. A recital is a way to develop confidence, measure success and build teamwork skills in music students. It’s a priceless photo/video opportunity – get in front of family, friends, and your community of peers to make a memory that will last forever.

Working with a private instructor to prepare for a recital is a valuable learning experience. Recitals are an encouraging environment that allow students to come out of their shells and develop confidence. The social skills learned from being on stage apply to all aspects of life, from playing music to giving presentations at school. I still get the “jitters” before performing. Thanks to the performance training I gained as a kid in my early recitals, however, I’m able to let loose and have fun while sharing my performances with others!

My parents never failed to bring our clunky old video camera to my piano recitals when I was a kid. At the time I felt a little embarrassed, but getting to capture their child sharing his hard work and accomplishments was a big moment of pride for them. They’d play the videos years later every time an extended family member or friend would come to our house. Super cringey! Today I’m very grateful to have watched those old tapes because I can see my progression and really appreciate how far I’ve come as a performing musician.

Learn how to be part of a team by participating in a group performance. Playing in a band is a quick and surefire way for music students to develop accountability to others and hone their listening skills. The positive benefits of a recital performance is guaranteed to spill into other areas of the student’s social life! 

Students of all levels and ages are invited by our school to perform in community performances throughout the year – from casual to fancy, online and in-person, in more intimate settings and with wider audiences. Don’t want to participate? That’s ok, recitals are never mandatory, although we’ll always encourage it because we know how beneficial it is to our music students.

On June 9th, 1840, pianist Franz Liszt played the first ever ‘recital’, and these concerts were so popular that he became the world's first ‘rockstar’. Recitals are now common-place for students and professional musicians.