PREPARE YOUR OWN HOLIDAY RECITAL!
During this time, Suzuki Strings of Madison students and faculty would be busy preparing for solo recitals and our annual Holiday concerts. And families would be anticipating visits with family and friends. But of course, due to the pandemic, these usual occurrences aren’t possible this year.
So, let’s make some new “pandemic traditions!” One of the silver linings of this difficult time is being able to share video and audio with people far and near via Zoom, Facetime and other apps. With these mediums, you can create your own personal recital and perform it live for family and friends or make a recital video and send it to them as a gift. We invite you to do this anytime between now and the first week of January.
Here’s how:
• Plan your recital
1. Choose what you want to play from the Suzuki repertoire, holiday tunes,
Fiddle tunes (music can be found on the SSM website here: http://www.suzukistringsofmadison.org/forms-and-materials)
or any other music you like to play. Consider invitingother family members who play an instrument or sing to join you on your recital.
2. Decide what order you want to play your pieces.
3. Make a recital program. Type or hand write the name of the pieces and the composer (if known) in the order you want to perform. You could decorate it and make a cover with some art work by you or a family member, or use favorite photos. Be creative! Download the program so it can be screen shared during the recital.
4. Make a list of who you want to invite. Please include your private and group class teachers! We want to come, too!
5. Choose a date and time for your recital.
• Prepare for your recital
1. Practice and polish your pieces!
2. Send out invitations with the date, time and the zoom or other app invitation.
3. Invite people to have a snack to enjoy after the recital for a virtual reception!
4. Play a trial run of your recital for family members and some stuffed toys!
5. Prepare your recital space and computer technology for the best picture and sound.
• Performance
1. Dress nice!
2. Have family members present for a live audience.
3. Have your recital program ready to screen share, or announce each piece before you perform it.
4. Ask a family member to run the computer for you so all you have to do is play your violin. Before and after the performance, use gallery view; during the performance, use speaker view.
5. Enjoy sharing your music and all the time and effort you have applied to your violin playing!
6. Enjoy visiting with your family and friends with snacks after the performance!
We are so proud of the time and effort you have devoted to your violin playing and all the progress you have made! And thank you, parents, for your dedication to your child’s musical education! Happy Holidays!
