It’s been so long, since I had a real recital in my home. So, when one of my students, Autumn, had prepared fourteen pieces, I decided to have a small recital and invite nine other students who would be comfortable performing despite Covid. Those students would play one or two pieces. I hoped a few would be interested and able to work it into their schedules. All of them jumped at the chance to perform. I realized that they had really missed performing and not just the punch and treats following. These students have been working hard without the benefit of an audience’s applause.

To prepare, I asked Autumn for permission to come to her home to practice with her. Autumn agreed and I set up a time over the weekend. I arrived and explained to Autumn, this was not a lesson, but a practice session. With so many pieces to perform, I thought it was an opportunity to teach her to practice with time saving focus. I always tell my students that playing many pieces at a recital is like a clown spinning plates at the Bozo show. It takes a lot of work and razor sharp focus to keep all of the plates spinning. After my early years of teaching, only the parents remembered Bozo. Now I have to explain it to the parents, as well. We practiced each of her pieces and I made notes of anything needing attention, such as dynamics, memory challenges or articulation. We went over those places and then discussed what she wanted to be certain the audience would hear when they listened to her. Her assignment was to work with the list we had created to eliminate the difficult spots. She could cross them off when they were no longer a problem. If she discovered a new problem spot, she could add it to the list. She would also remind herself what she wanted to create musically with each piece before playing it. That would not be crossed off, but become her goal, even on the day of the recital.

The day after her practice session, Autumn came to her lesson and already sounded more confident and musical. She prepared a story that will be the thread that leads from one piece to the next. Perhaps the dream of a recital is becoming more real to her. It has been two years without performing for a live audience. I tell my students that not performing is like being an artist who put their paintings in a closet. These students are thrilled to have a performance opportunity. The closet is going to burst open wide. Musicians have a gift that we all need.