A Fall Costume Recital Can Mask
Piano Students' Fear of Playing in Public!

Piano students can remember their first piano recital fondly or as a bad nightmare. As teachers, we should try to make that first recital as stress-free as possible. Here's what worked for my students over the years.

Each fall we would have a costume recital. The students would wear their Halloween attire and coordinate the costume with their recital piece.

The student who played Kabalevsky's "The Clown" would dress up as a clown. The recital also included an Indian Dance song and costume. There would be an abundance of various goblins, ghosts, spooks and an elf playing Grieg's "Elfin Dance." It was fun for the teacher and students to find a costume and matching piano solo. The parents always looked forward to the special Fall Costume Piano Recital. The students also enjoyed playing in this relaxed atmosphere. Usually several prizes were given for the best costume, funniest costume, etc.

One important reason for having the students wear a costume at their first recital of the year was that it literally masked their fear. They were not as self-conscious or nervous playing in front of an audience for the first time when they were in disguise.

Another suggestion is to arrange to have this recital at a local retirement facility. The activity director is usually very agreeable to hosting a recital for the residents. Students are able to share their talent with others and begin to see how their music can bring enjoyment.

Another benefit of dressing up to match your piano solo is that the student will interpret their piece better and play with appropriate expression and dynamics.

This month's free music to download is Edvard Grieg's Dance of the Elves, Op. 12, No. 4 (PDF format- 56 KB).

The following are pictures of by students playing at a Fall Costume Piano Recital. Can you guess what kind of piano solo each one played?