The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Holiday Piano Recital
What's better about the holiday season than gathering around and enjoying delightful tunes? This is your ultimate guide to planning a holiday recital.
It seems like once fall begins, there is a procession of holidays that slowly builds up the anticipation until the Christmas season. Many of us look forward to this season, as it is a time when we spend time with friends and family. Along with that comes festive celebrations in the form of gatherings, decorations, gifts—and of course, you can’t forget those catchy carols everyone loves. Give your students and their families another reason to celebrate by using this ultimate guide to plan an unforgettable holiday piano recital.
The Joy of the Season
When the holidays finally come around, we can't help but feel the joyous energy of the season as we commune with our friends and family. When we gather around with loved ones, we often do so to commemorate the season. As such, we give gifts, enjoy eggnog, and even sing our favorite holiday carols. Music is a beautiful thing that brings us together and often enhances our celebrations, so you may find yourself wanting to plan a holiday recital.
Create an Outline
When you choose to plan a holiday recital, you know that you are taking on quite the challenge as there are many moving parts. One of the best ways to manage your stress is to plan ahead by creating an outline that you can use as a guide to planning your holiday piano recital. You might consider beginning the planning process at least a couple of weeks or months before the recital since there is much to do. A good place to start is to create a list of all the aspects of the event that you must take care of.
Recital Size
Before proceeding with anything, you should figure out the number of students in the recital. It is also extremely helpful to send out RSVPs, so it gives you a general idea of the total number of people that will be in attendance. When you know the number of potential guests, you can better plan for important aspects like reserving your recital hall and ensuring you have enough food and drinks.
Food and Drink
Watching a musical performance is always a good time, but it is better with the accompaniment of snacks and refreshments. The idea of procuring food and drink may seem overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be.
Keep in mind that people are attending this recital for the music, not the food, so you don't have to serve anything too fancy. In fact, you might consider making your recital a potluck and asking students and/or parents to help out, as they are usually more than willing to lend a hand.
Don't Forget Décor
What's a holiday recital without fun and festive decorations? The best way to ensure that you have enough décor to fill the room adequately is to observe your recital area. It might help to take some photos so you can plan where you want to place your holiday decorations. When in doubt, a simple tree and colorful lights do wonders in creating that perfect holiday feel.
Choosing the Music
Of course, choosing the music is one of the most important aspects of your recital. Depending on the number of students participating, you might consider keeping the pieces within a timeframe, as you don't want the recital to run too long. Thankfully, there are many holiday tunes that are short and sweet.
If you feel a little lost and overwhelmed with finding music, Piano Marvel can help you. When you use our software, you gain access to over 25,000 pieces of music with varying levels of difficulty and a plethora of genres for your students to choose from.
Do you have a holiday song in mind and want to find the sheet music? It is easier than ever to search through our musical library database to find the perfect carol for you to play at the recital.
Practice Makes Perfect
We know you want your recital to run as smoothly as possible; the best way to achieve that is through consistent practice. However, making extra time for your students to practice their holiday pieces while also continuing with your lesson plan can cause some challenges. As an instructor, you can't be everywhere at the same time, no matter how much you wish you could.
That is where our piano teaching software for PC can help manage your time while also providing your students with guidance when you can't be there. When you are with your students, you can use your class time to focus on musical theory and other lessons only you can provide. Then your students can utilize our app to guide them as they practice their holiday music for the recital.
Make Time for Celebration
Remember that your recital is a time for celebrating the holiday season and for families to admire the progress their loved ones have made. As such, you should make time for celebration, usually at the end of the recital, as people commune together to take photos and congratulate their pianists.
Certificates and Awards
As you near the end of your recital-planning process, consider taking time to hand out certificates and awards. The recital is the perfect time to reward your exemplary students for their phenomenal growth and unique talents. If you want to offer a physical trophy or certificate, you should create them a couple of weeks in advance. Planning in advance also allows you to brainstorm what awards you will give and to whom.
Offer Virtual Viewing
Many of your students likely have family that lives too far away to attend the recital despite how much they wish they could. That is why you might consider offering a virtual viewing option for those who cannot make it or live too far away to attend in person. Now, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins can watch from thousands of miles away.
In fact, setting up a virtual viewing of your recital is much easier than it seems, as it has become much more common in recent years. Moreover, you don't have to worry too much about confusion, as many people have become familiar with virtual communication apps.
