May 17 was our annual Spring Studio Recital, and I could not have been more proud of all of my wonderful students!
It’s been nearly impossible to avoid the news as the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly spreads across the globe. And for many educators — myself included — plans have been put on hold with no clear idea of when things might return to normal.
For music educators everywhere, lessons have become an exclusively online affair. I never imagined myself teaching kids how to tune through a computer screen, but this is the situation I have found myself in since the third week of March!
With the support of musician friends and students’ family members, we were able to record each individual performance and string it together into one fluid virtual concert.
Although I was skeptical at first (how could you possibly replace a live performance experience with a recording??) there were many unexpected plus sides to this online recital!
Students really started listening to themselves. Many told me they recorded their pieces 5 or 10 times before sharing them with me!
Family members who wouldn’t normally have been able to attend were able to view the stream as it premiered. Those who couldn’t tune in to the premiere were able to watch at a later time. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and older siblings tuned in from all over the United States!
The recital had a live chat! Parents and students were able to cheer each other on and write comments to each other. In future live recitals, I will encourage this kind of face-to-face interaction more.
Students experienced a different kind of performance anxiety. Some told me that the recording process was harder than playing in front of a live audience; some thought it was easier. Some were still surprised and nervous as they watched themselves, since they didn’t know the order in which they were playing ahead of time and there were no written programs!
In general, viewers watched the entire concert. For live recitals, there are almost always schedule conflicts, and inevitably some families must leave early to make it to the next event. But in this case, many families told me they sat back with some popcorn and enjoyed the concert as if it were a movie (I admit that I was in that camp!)
Of course, I am eager to return to live performances and working with students in person, but this was a neat, successful alternative.
A huge shout out goes to Dave Balandrin, who helped me record all of the piano accompaniments, and Robert Newth, who edited all of the performances together. Thank you!