Practice makes progress. CSMA is excited to offer private lesson students additional time to strengthen their music skills through practice recitals. Onsite recitals, free concerts, music workshops and small group classes in music theory and ensembles help provide a complete musical education.
Music School Director Chaz Fautch said the motivation for the practice recitals is to, “provide students with an informal opportunity to practice their performance skills in a live setting, gain valuable experience in a world-class recital hall, and prepare for upcoming formal performances such as competitions, auditions, and exams. This environment not only enhances their confidence but also allows them to refine their artistry in front of an audience, fostering growth and development as musicians.”
Fautch gives an overview of the practice recitals in the Q & A below.
Q: When will recitals be held?
A: Recitals are planned to be held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 4pm (students need to arrive and check in by 3:45pm). Depending on CSMA events, there may be occasional changes but that’s the plan right now. We’re hoping the consistent time makes it easier for students and parents to plan.
Q: How do students sign up?
A: Our Private Lessons team will email all enrolled private lesson students on the 1st of every month at 9:00am with a form to submit their signup. Participation is first-come-first-served and the form is set to close once the maximum time has been reached. Students who use an accompaniment part will need to submit an MP3 of their accompaniment recording at the time of their signup.
Q: How long are the practice recitals?
A: We’re starting the recitals as 1-hour sessions. As time goes by, we may consider extending the length to allow more students to practice performing. It’s safe for parents to expect Practice Recitals to be completed no later than 5:30pm. Students are required to stay for the entirety of the recital in order to participate.
Q: What is the benefit of a practice recital?
A: As a teacher myself, I used to describe three mental states that students would experience. 1) Practicing – the state of “work” where the goal is to fix problems and approach the music in a way to improve its playability and musicianship; 2) Playing – the state where a student is going from beginning to end of a piece with the goal of playing as accurately and intentionally as possible; finally, 3) Performing – this is the most challenging. The performance mindset is one where the pressure is high to play as accurately as possible, from beginning to end, and in front of an audience.
The benefit of the Practice Recital is that it gives students the opportunity to practice performing in a supportive environment among peers. Mistakes are part of this process and it helps students get familiar with the “performance” state of mind.
An additional benefit is that the CSMA Practice Recitals allow us to give all of our enrolled private music students the opportunity to experience a world-class recital hall, Tateuchi Hall, on stage with excellent acoustics. For those playing piano, they will get to perform on one of the world’s finest Steinway grand pianos.
Q: Are recitals evaluated by private lesson instructors?
A: The only evaluation involved is that students are required to receive approval from their teacher to perform. In that regard, teachers will evaluate a student’s readiness; however, at the recital itself, there will be no formal evaluation of any performances. Students are able to invite guests if they’d like.
See our upcoming recital schedule below. For additional information on recital policies and how to register click here.
Upcoming Schedule:
2nd Wednesdays at 4:00pm. Students need to arrive and check in by 3:45pm.
- November 13
- December 11
- January 8
- February 12
- March 19
- April 9
- May 14
By TaLeiza Calloway-Appleton
