Should I Play at My Student’s Recital?

Should I Play at my student's recital? | ComposeCreate.com

Recital season is here, and there is so much to think about as piano teachers! Student repertoire, venue, whether to have a theme, refreshments, recital programs, a speech – the list can feel endless!

One of the bigger things to consider: should I play at my student’s recital? 

This really comes down to personal preference, but there is a lot to consider. There are pros and cons to each (listed below), but also some less obvious things to consider. If you’ve always played during the recital, it can feel like the expectation is that you would always play. If you’ve never played, it may be something that you feel guilty for not doing.

What’s a piano teacher to do? 

Some Things to Consider When Deciding

First and foremost, you absolutely should not play at your students recital simply out of guilt. That’s certainly not a good enough reason to go through the time, effort, and stress of practicing and performing!

I have heard several teachers say that if their students are expected to perform, they should be doing the same. While we should never ask students to do what we couldn’t, we aren’t the student. I have zero expectation that during a gym meet, my child’s coach would perform because he’s asking the children to perform. I also wouldn’t expect a calculus teacher to take a calculus test just because her students are taking one. At some point we were the students – we have done exactly what we are asking our students to do. We are now in the position of helping them prepare to perform; that comes with a different set of expectations and responsibilities.

Second, there are just some seasons of life where it’s hard to do anything extra. It is okay to not play if you’re in a season where planning, practicing, and performing isn’t realistic for you! I haven’t played for a student recital since my daughter was born. In order to practice to a performance level, I would need to take time away from my family or from lesson and recital planning. I’m not willing to give up time in those areas to play for three minutes at the end of a recital. (As a side note, not a single parent has had an issue with my not playing!)

Third, many times we do play during a recital even if it isn’t our own piece. I always end up playing the teacher part of a piece, or even the secondo part in a duet. That counts as playing! 

Lastly, if you do decide to play a piece, the piece does not need to be anything difficult or showy. A piece like “Stepping Out of the Current” is perfect for this. It sounds very advanced, but would take far less time to prepare than something by Chopin or Liszt. You don’t need to perform the most difficult piece of repertoire you have in order to make an impact! 

Judy Horne Recital | Should I play at my student's recitals? | ComposeCreate.com
Judy Horne used Rhythm Cups at her most recent recital. Audience participation is a wonderful way to show parents what a creative teacher you are, and doesn’t require you to perform!

Below are pros and cons of playing. These aren’t meant to sway you in one direction or another. Rather, they’re just a jumping off point to help you make the best decision for you and your studio! If you have any to add to these lists, we would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 

Pros of Playing at Your Student’s Recital:

  • Playing for your students can inspire and motivate students. Seeing how well you play can get students excited about the thought that they could also play that way someday! 
  • It shows parents what their own students can accomplish if they put in the time and effort. It can also re-emphasize that you are a qualified professional who can help their child succeed. 
  • It can add more time to the recital if you have a smaller group of students and feel that you need to add length.

Cons of Playing at Your Student’s Recital:

  • Preparing to perform a piece takes a lot of extra time. You may not feel you have time when you’re already planning and executing a recital. 
  • Sometimes playing at the end of a recital can actually frustrate instead of inspire parents. If your recital is on the longer side, parents are ready to leave now that they’ve seen their child play.
  • Recitals can already be nerve-wracking for us as the teachers. There’s a lot of pressure in not only making sure the recital goes well, but that students do well and feel successful. If performing gives you anxiety, you may not want to add to what can already be a stressful day. 
  • A recital is meant to showcase what your students have accomplished. When a teacher plays at the end, it can take the “glory” away from the students and may even seem “showy” and arrogant.

So What’s a Teacher to Do?

Whether you choose to play at your students recital or not, remember that either way it is not a reflection of your abilities as a teacher or how successful your students are! What one teacher finds uplifting and encouraging may be what another teacher finds nerve-wracking. What’s best for you and your students is completely up to your wisdom and discretion.

What Are Your Thoughts?

There are so many views on this and we’re sure that there are things we haven’t even thought of. So tell us in the comments below so that teachers reading this article can consider even more perspectives – do you play at your students recitals? Is it something you only do occasionally? We’d love to hear your thoughts! 

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34 thoughts on “Should I Play at My Student’s Recital?”

  1. Sometimes in the past, I’ve teamed up with another teacher to play an intermediate level duet of something fun – usually a Philip Keveren arrangement of Star Wars, Frozen, or something else that families will recognize and enjoy. We schedule our recitals back-to-back on the same day and split the cost of renting the venue. She helps “behind the scenes” at my recital and I do the same for hers. And then we perform the duet on both recitals! The music is almost sight-readable for us, so we don’t have to spend oodles of time practicing. In my view, picking something easier that we can play well with little prep time helps drive home the point that recitals should be about sharing music you love with people you care about, not showing off or proving yourself. At least, that’s the “why” behind recitals in my studio!

  2. These are helpful thoughts, Wendy! I typically don’t play for recitals other than teacher/duet parts, but I decided to do something different last year. We do group composition activities in my studio, so I decided to play the pieces they wrote at the end of the recital. That way the parents could hear what the students had created and could experience the fruits of their children’s creative processes. (Otherwise, they may just receive a copy of the music they won’t get to hear, if their child is not yet able to play it.) The parents and kids all seemed to enjoy it.

  3. I never performed as I believe the students are the ones to show chase themselves. I have played difficult secondo parts with advanced students. It’s important to focus energy and time on the students performance. If students perform to their best then that speaks for the teacher as a performance.

  4. Actually, Amanda wrote this fantastic article! Thanks for letting me know what you do at the end of your recital. I think that’s a fantastic idea and what a great thing for your students to hear someone else play their music!

  5. I have been playing or singing (I also teach voice) at the ends of recitals for the last couple of years. I think it does help inspire students. However, I have been worrying about my recitals getting too long (I have 30 students, though not all perform, and some take piano and voice and get to perform for both instruments). I also do have difficulty finding enough time to prepare, especially piano pieces. I have been considering performing only occasionally or not at all. I plan to do a survey during the summer including what parents prefer as well to get their thoughts on this among other things. But I love some of the ideas you all have come up with too! Thanks for sharing!

  6. I was considering playing first as part of the introduction, maybe even while people are arriving. That way you’re not trapping the parents there at the end, and my performance is out of the way. I think it’s important for the parents to know that I can play, as sort of an advertisement for weddings or other events in their lives as well as inspiration for the students. I always loved watching my teacher perform at my recitals growing up.

  7. I have always felt pressured that I’m supposed to play at my recitals. I have played a lot of challenging difficult pieces. It usually ends up being quite stressful! This article has given me a different perspective. Thank you so much. I might just sit this one out this year or play something much easier. I want to focus more on my student’s success.

  8. Thanks for taking the pressure off. I have often played at the end just because I felt that it gave my students something they could look forward to playing one day. However, in the last few years, I’ve not had the time to practice a piece so I didn’t do something.
    This year has been different. I only had four students and two had their last lesson today as they are moving. The oldest one is going to high school in the fall and is busy with band and friends. I don’t expect her to take lessons in the fall. The youngest one just started in December and is not ready for this yet. I may also be moving out of state in a few months so I just took the pressure off myself and am not doing a recital.
    Once I move I will start back up with new students as the area I will probably be moving to has a lot of children (so I’ve been told) and then I have less pressure than I do now. Downsizing from a two story house to a townhouse takes time as well.
    Thanks for all you teach us as we teach others.

  9. Marianne Henderson

    While struggling with the answer for whether to play or not, I remembered something I played at the end of recitals a few different times in the past. This was fun for me, an enticement to learn theory for students and hopefully a reason to study for parents. Take a simple well known melody and play in different styles. Jazz, Alberti bass, blues, rodeo, concert worthy, rock, waltz, robotic. The possibilities are endless. This memory has helped me decide what to do in May. 😊🎹❤️

  10. I do play at my students’ recitals; however, I play at the beginning so as not to take the spotlight away from everything my students just performed. I also explicitly say before I perform that I am playing because I want to be on the same side as my students and show them that I am trying to practice and become a better pianist just like them. The friends and families of my students who attend seem to appreciate it.

  11. Sometimes I play, sometimes not. Depends on what else is going on in my life. Piano isn’t necessarily the middle of my life and I don’t derive all decisions from that perspective. I wasn’t always this way, though. I think getting older, but still desiring and able to teach, I love having the students in my home, in my studio. You bring up an excellent point about the gym coach not performing. Never thought of that one! Thank you!
    So just because we are teachers doesn’t mean we have to engage in their performance. If we want them to hear us play, we can play something really short at the end of their lesson. Probably would go further as far as motivation anyway. 🙂
    A teacher who has been teaching piano for 53 years,
    Carol DuBe NCTM

  12. I regularly play at our studio recitals. Because I agree time can get long, one year I played 5 minutes before we started, kind of like prelude fashion. Most people were already there but it was totally fine if they were coming in. I have never played at the end. I do not want to end with the focus on me but on the students. I find playing is enjoyable & I appreciate the occasion to have to practice something & get it prepped even though it does cost the time. I play in the middle but then I don’t program my recital by levels, starting with the newest to the most advanced. I believe it is so much more interesting for the audience to mix up the beginners & intermediates. If there is an advanced student they might play in the middle, where I often find myself. Often a complete beginner will play after me that it isn’t possible to generate any comparisons. Last year there was a teen student trio who followed me. That was unique enough draw attention away from my work.

  13. I am interested in the logistics of using rhythm cups at recital. Do you project the rhythm on a screen and set up tables for the cups?

  14. Early in my teaching, I was also preparing my senior recital for university. Because I had pieces prepared and my recitals were a great performance opportunity, I played one selection at the end. It was a hit and I’ve done it ever since. It’s a good goal for my personally to get something performance ready and my students enjoy hearing what I’ve picked each time. I also have many young families who’ve never heard an advanced piano piece performed so I like to show what’s possible. I’ve even considered sending out a poll at the beginning of the semester with options and having my students pick what I perform!

    I know I probably won’t be able to do this in every stage of life, so I’m enjoying the opportunity to learn and perform now 🙂

  15. Aside from teaching piano, I perform a lot as a collaborative pianist. I typically have several university music students working with me every year, so I’ve often invited them to be a “guest artist” at my studio recital. I pay them a small honorarium, we get another chance to perform together (often it’s great preparation for their own upcoming jury or recital), and my studio families see another aspect of being a pianist as they see me collaborate. It’s not all about being a solo performer! Often, the repertoire is quite challenging so it also lets my students see me working hard and showcasing proper piano technique.

    Another thing I’ve often done is invited a studio parent to collaborate with me. Whether they are professional musicians themselves, or highly skilled amateurs, it makes for a fun atmosphere for the kids to see their own parents performing.

    I’m a big believer in demonstrating to my students that adults who “do music” have a lot of fun doing it, that some of us even make money doing it (!!!), and that it’s a worthwhile endeavour to work diligently at.

    Thanks for this article!

  16. I used to not play at my recitals, but I had a mom that chided me into playing😉. The reason I choose to play now is because I feel that today’s students…(and parents too) —have likely never heard the piano played before. I do a lot of suggesting to parents to encourage their student to listen to recordings of their pieces, whether it’s a method book, or Wendy’s music but I notice that they do not listen. I usually choose something that some of my students could choose to play themselves ……Wendy’s pieces, William Gillock, or some other piece that requires very little prep time for me. Or one of my more advanced students could accompany me on my flute – then they see that we can be multi instrument players.

  17. Thank you for this article! I do not play at my recitals other than to accompany beginner students or to play a secondo part as mentioned by you and others. I have felt guilty about not doing this and am relieved to know that many teachers do not perform at their student recitals. Putting on the recital as everyone knows, is very stressful and I just think that adding my own performance would tip me over the edge in that regard, not to speak of the idea of taking the attention away from the students.

  18. I appreciate these perspectives. I have done similar to many above. I think the most important part: to not feel guilty or pressured into doing something, Great article. Thank you!

  19. I think it also depends on where you live and the accessibility of live performances. I live in a town of 3,000 on an island in Alaska, so most people love to hear live piano that isn’t what they might hear at church. I was an adult student and was delighted when my teacher (a Wheaton Conservatory alum) played something that was accessible to students but sounded difficult. She gave me a love for music I had never heard before and probably wouldn’t have if she hadn’t played. She was reluctant to play, but I encouraged her because she was exposing all of us to great repertoire.

  20. I had several piano teachers during the 70’s and 80’s (we moved a lot because my dad was in the army), and none of them ever played at our recitals. Later, I was surprised to learn that some teachers play at their students’ recitals! I can see how it would be fun and inspiring for students to hear their teacher play. As for myself, I have had extraordinary performance anxiety for decades, so I’m afraid I can’t bring myself to perform at my students’ recital. However, this makes me feel a little hypocritical when I gently encourage my shyer students to play at recitals.

  21. Thanks for this article I was literally just going through this decision for my next recital! I think that it’s a great idea to have something you love to play prepared and in your back pocket, but to go with the flow of the recital. If it’s going over-time or short on time, if you have students and parents eagerly asking you to play. Just feel the vibe of the recital and take it from there! Best wishes to all for the recitals ahead!

  22. Phyllis Fulcher

    I do not play at our spring recital. I keep that one all about the students and their accomplishments. However, I host a Christmas recital each year and I do play at that one. I generally play a sacred selection while the Christmas Scriptures are being read.

  23. I sometimes play at my recitals and if I do I play at the very beginning of the recital. I don’t want to take away from the students by being the last to perform. I also agree with some of the other teachers about the fact that most people don’t hear good pianists. This is an opportunity to hear what the piano is capable of and the joy I have in playing. It’s never anything heavy or long. I’m considering an arrangement of The Sound of Music this year. Thanks to all who reply to Wendy’s articles. Your comments are helpful and affirming.

  24. I do play at my students’ recitals; however, I play at the very beginning so as not to take the spotlight away from everything that the students just performed. I also say explicitly at the beginning that I am playing because I want to show my students that I am on their side and that I am practicing and trying to be a better pianist just like them 🙂 I have found it is also helpful to play at the beginning because none of my students want to go first! I think it breaks the ice a little for me to start. The friends and families of my students seem to appreciate it.

  25. Hi Lynette,

    That’s a great question! Yes, you could definitely do that. But I think most teachers just make a print of the music and put it in front of the students on tables. usually one score per two students works well. The advantage of putting it on a screen is that students faces’ can be “up.” However, there would have to be a screen in front of them (or at the back of the room) so that the parents could see them doing the rhythms and not their backs. I hope that helps!

  26. Oh I love the idea of playing at the beginning – I hadn’t thought of that! I have found the same thing, no one wants to be first. So that is definitely a great idea!

  27. I hadn’t ever considered playing at the beginning, but all of these comments about teachers doing so is really getting me thinking for my next recital!

  28. That’s a great point, Carol! I’m sure people in your town love getting to hear a live performance!

  29. I love the idea of inviting in a university music student or studio parent! That feels like a wonderful mix of performing and exposing students to different types of performers/performances.

  30. I always play a duet with every student at all the levels. To me, this gives enough of any idea of my ability and it also makes the students sound even better ,since 4 hands is more intricate. Of course my students play their own 1-2 pieces depending upon length. I try to keep my recital to one hour or 1:15 tops. Then we have refreshments/reception. My friend and colleague Sarah, has 40 students so she does 2 recitals in order to keep them each to one hour. She divides them up by age . The JH and HS have their own. The only sad part is that the young students do not get to hear the older students. Sarah also often opens the recital with one of her own arrangements of a familiar song that most would know.

  31. I have played at the beginning or the end of recitals. The former to show my students that I also make mistakes and they should not be afraid to play because these things happen.
    Interestingly the main reason why I often – but not always – play at my students’ recitals has not been mentioned. Maybe the situation is different in America. Here the students know very little about classical music and hardly listen to it. As a theory teacher I often see that my students when they are preparing for music Abitur still feel very insecure in recognizing classical music styles which they “suddenly” have to do identify by listening exams. Thus I often prepare a piece in a style that is lacking in the recital because I hope that listening to more pieces in classical styles helps them a little to know more about music (at the same tima every classical piece that is played by students will get a short introduction with an anekdote about the composer or soemthing about the style). I also tend to include atonal music in my own performances. So far it has made students as well as parents more open minded towards atonal composers. After a recital where I played two short atonal pieces and my daughter some Kurtag a whole bunch of students + their parents asked for more music like this and now those students regularly perform pieces that are not so tonal and occasionally use techniques like clusters. My main reasons for performing at recitals are thus educationally motivated. If I perform then the main question ist what my students will get out of it – not myself. At my last recital the children who went for competition played their programmes and therefore I did not play because they provided a lot of different classical styles from Baroque to living composers. Thus I did not feel as if anything needed to be added.

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