The thrill of performing music in front of an audience is an experience like no other. It's a moment that not only showcases your child's musical talents but also serves as a testament to their hard work and dedication. In this blog, we will walk you through our recommended steps to ensure your child's success in a music recital, from selecting the perfect piece to understanding the importance of preparation and a consistent practice schedule and, most importantly, creating a supportive environment. At Music U, we believe that the experience your child gains from performing is immeasurable, and it's our goal to make sure it’s enjoyable and enriching.
Here are some key ways to help your child prepare for a recital:
Choosing the Right Piece
The Importance of Preparation
Creating a Practice Schedule
Create a Supportive Environment
Start by Choosing the Right Piece
When deciding to perform for a recital, the first step is to do just that: Decide! Often times the most important thing you can do is 1. Choose for yourself that you want to show your musical skills and talents, and then 2. Figure out what song is the best option for you.
Once you’ve got the song, the rest can often fall into place. Here are some tips on finding that perfect song:
The Significance of Song Selection
The goal of a recital can be different depending on who you are:
Are you the student? In that case, you might decide to pick an easy song that you already know or a song that you love to listen to. You may even want to play a song that is way above your current skill level. We’ve seen it all!
Are you the parent? If so, and you have some input on what you would like your child to perform, you may want them to challenge themselves with a difficult song or pick something that is easy to play and thus ensure the joy and satisfaction of a successful performance.
Are you the teacher? If so, and similar to a parent, you may want your student to pick a song that showcases all of the things they have learned in music lessons up to that point.
All things considered, the song that is chosen can be done for different reasons and goals, but at Music U, we like to recommend that the experience a child will have performing is the most important factor in their song selection. To us, it’s the journey, not the destination.
Picking the Perfect Piece for Your Child
We have had students perform lots of different song selections over the years, so here are some key factors that we like to consider when recommending a song selection for our students:
How strong is the melody? - When performing a song without lyrics, the only thing a listener has to go off of is the melody. If that is the case, pick a song that has a commonly known melody or one that, even if heard by most for the first time, is strong and can be easily understood. This is not typically an issue when selecting songs from a child’s curriculum, supplemental music book, or even a songbook that includes “popular” songs from the last 50-100 years. If you plan to perform a song that just dropped on TikTok, you might want to make sure the melody is easy to listen to, understand, transcribe, and finally perform.
Does the song work best on its own or with additional accompaniment, like a duet? - If you are a beginner, it might be easier to perform a song with the accompaniment provided by your teacher; these duets can help you feel like the song sounds “fuller” than it otherwise would be if you simply played by yourself. Though not required, since we find that the experience of a child's performance is important to keep them excited about playing their instrument, we usually recommend a student perform with accompaniment until they are playing with both hands at the same time on the piano, or playing a solo arrangement for the guitar.
How much time do we have? - This is often one of the most important things to consider. And the part to keep in mind isn’t “How many weeks till the recital?” but more, “How much time do we have to practice during the week?” If you have time to practice 30+ minutes each day, you can prepare for a recital in a week. To be more realistic, though, we recommend that if you are choosing a song that the kiddo already knows, to allow for at least 3-4 weeks, and if it is a new song, 2 - 3 months, depending on how challenging the song is. So, with that in mind, let’s say you are reading this blog, and your child still needs to pick a song for their recital that is coming up in 2 weeks! If so, we recommend a song that has already been worked on in lessons, and if there still isn’t enough time to practice, there is no shame in deciding to postpone a performance to the next recital opportunity.
The Importance of Preparation
There are many ways to prepare for a recital performance, but the most important is that however you choose to prepare, make sure it’s consistent.
Why Preparation Matters
More than any one specific thing, good preparation can set your child up to have the best possible experience during their recital performance. There are a lot of things that some people are “just good at,” and music often is one that requires time and focus from everyone. Even the best performers still need to prepare. Did you know that Beyonce prepared for four months for her 2018 show at Coachella?
Benefits of a Well-Prepared Performance
Being completely prepared for a recital means that your child can simply enjoy the performance. Doing so can help your child build confidence, reduce anxiety, and perform at their best! Without proper preparation, performances can be stressful and less enjoyable, which in turn can create a negative emotion when playing their instrument.
Creating a Practice Schedule
So, are you ready to start? If so, the next step is more of an action than a recommendation. And that is action is, get to practicing! No, really, you can start right now!
How to Be Consistent
Consistent preparation mainly comes down to time management. Since almost everyone needs time to prepare, it’s best to carve out small amounts of time each day rather than all at once. Doing so will also allow you to track your practicing progress and know if you need to add more time each day for that challenging piece or less time if you finish preparing earlier than expected. You can use a to-do list or, even better yet, add a recurring event to your calendar with a reminder notification that goes off when it’s time to practice.
Tips for Effective Practice Time
Divide practice sessions into smaller, focused segments to prevent burnout and maintain concentration. You can even take a half-hour practice session and divide it into 3 practice chunks:
10 minutes of practice, 5-minute break
10 minutes of practice, 5-minute break
5-minute review
Rinse, repeat…
Mix different aspects of music in each session:
Work on different parts of your song and play them in random order.
After you have perfected the easy parts, skip them! Only work on the parts that are giving you trouble, and repeat them till they feel better to play.
Turn your music upside down to see if you can play it! Just kidding… or am I?
Encourage your child to self-assess and reflect on their progress during practice, which helps them identify areas that need more attention.
Which parts are easy? Which are hard?
How much did they progress in their practice time? Did they reach their goal for that day?
Have them take time to reflect on how far they’ve come!
Create a Supportive Environment
Providing Emotional Support
Your child's support network plays a vital role in their musical journey. Positive reinforcement and encouragement from family and friends boost their confidence. With this in mind, create an environment where mistakes are viewed as opportunities for growth. Your child should feel safe to explore and take risks in their music. If they get frustrated, offer emotional support and reassurance, reminding your child that their value is not determined by their musical performance.
Dealing with Performance Anxiety
Performance anxiety is a common experience for musicians of all ages. It's crucial to acknowledge it and learn how to manage it. Encourage your child to practice performing in front of friends or family to simulate the performance environment. Teach them deep breathing exercises to help them stay relaxed and focused on the stage. At Music U, we believe that a calm and focused mind can help to achieve a successful and fun performance!
Have Fun!
At the end of the day, music should be fun, so we encourage you to take these tips and iterate on them to ensure that your child is having fun learning their instrument! Music U is here to make music education a source of inspiration and growth for every student, from toddlers to adults.
Interested in signing up your kiddo for private music lessons? Learn more about Music U!
