Do I have to?
What our students and clients say about our recitals and what we reply…
Written by Gabriella Serruya
“Do I have to?”
I get asked this question often by students about our End-of-the-Year Party and Recitals and lessons/sessions over the summer.
The simple answer is no. I can hear the cheering from students as I write this! BUT, and that’s a BIG but, the answer is more complicated than that.
Our End-of-the-Year Party and Recitals give students the opportunity to show off their new skills.
A lot happens in a year – in and out of music class! We all learn, grow and, mature in terms of our music skills, as well as everything else.
At the End-of-the-Year Party and Recitals, we all get to celebrate that together!
Music is meant to be experienced in groups! We can cheer each other on, appreciate each others’ new skills, and conquer our nerves. We get to celebrate music! We get to be a part of making music and listening to music. What a thrill!
In addition to the experience of preparing and performing in the recitals, summer lessons carry great benefits and help all of us. Students can stay in the habit of practicing without school and homework and really establish a habit of practicing! Students have a wonderful opportunity over the summer to keep the momentum of learning going.
Stopping lessons for the summer can lead to a frustrating September/October. We need to review skills and songs before moving on to new material. Weekly lessons in the summer are great and even a few check-ins can really help with continuity. Summer can be a good time to cement the new skills from the previous school year, or even have some fun learning something new. Maybe the recital will inspire a student to try something new – maybe a new instrument or singing, or composing their music.
In closing, while the short answer to the question “Do I have to?” may be no, the real, long answer for the student’s best interest, is an emphatic YES!!
Additional Resources:
Summer Lessons/Sessions
- Three Reasons to Continue Music Lessons/Sessions Over the Summer
- What Time Is It?! 🎶
- A Very Musical Summer Break
End-of-the-Year Party & Recitals
