Do you ever play a piece in your student recital yourself? I was thinking about doing this in order to show students and parents the possibilities of the piano, but I am not sure if it doesn’t look like I “need” an audience. Actually, my students could attend some of my own recitals if they want to hear me. What do you think?
Yes, I almost always play in my student recitals. This is mostly because I don’t enjoy performing, though, so I do it to let my students know that I’m willing to go through the same torture I put them through! 
Actually, many of my students and I have experienced significant improvement in our performing abilities since I started holding regular group classes with informal performance settings several years ago. From my experience as both a student and a teacher, I would say that it is always a positive thing for the teacher to perform something in student recitals, even if it’s a duet or ensemble with a friend or advanced student.
Rather than it looking like you “need an audience” or appearing showy, I think performing for your studio families lets them see how much you love playing your instrument. You are sharing your music with them, and they love to hear it! Does anyone else have input into this question? Do you perform at your student recitals? Do you think a teacher performing at his/her students’ recital could be perceived negatively? How so?
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I occasionally perform for my students at recitals and group lessons and then explain briefly about the composer musical style or period to teach them something pertaining to the piece – but I’ve never really enjoyed performing much either.
Yes, I perform at our recitals. I think it’s important for the students to hear advanced pieces and for the parents to know I “do” and not just “say.” I would want a teacher for my children who still played thier instrument and kept progressing. Plus I enjoy having a reason to work up a piece every year….I don’t enjoy performing but I do love practicing.
I used to perform at recitals until my studio got so big that I didn’t want to make the recital any longer than it already was. I do play duets/duos with my advanced students at every recital. Also, I perform with a couple of local bands and my students and parents know that I perform quite often.
As Amy said, I think it’s important for parents to see that we are performers as well – and it’s helpful for our students to realize we get nervous too! All performances help us grow as musicians. I’ve been holding a Recital-Prep group class before each recital for a few years now, always with positive feedback from the students. It helps to get some of the butterflies out!
Lots of students wanted to play that one!
For my own pieces, I try to pick pieces that are relatively short, and that the students can look forward to playing. One of the big favorites was Pieczonka’s Tarantella.
I perform at my student recitals, because I believe it’s important for the kids to hear advanced repertoire. My students often ask me to play for them, but of course there’s not enough time during regular lessons.
Also, my piano teacher passed away a couple months before my senior recital. I was crushed and didn’t give my recital. So now I’m doing my recital program – one piece at a time! It’s been fun reworking the pieces after all these years, but I find I’ve gotten a bit rusty! All the better reason to be playing in the recitals.
Hmmm…interesting discussion! I’ve never performed at my student’s recitals, mostly because I perceived it as “showing off” or something. Now, as I’m reading everyone’s worthy reasons for playing for their students, I can see I’ll have to reconsider.
I think it’s a great idea to play. I watched a documentary of Jane Bastien a few weeks ago and she actually held recitals frequently as performing is one of those things that so many hate. She held two recitals at a time. That is maybe one on Thursday and for students that didn’t have a good performance experience, she got them right back out there to play for the crowd on Friday. I know it seems time consuming but I think it sounds like a great way to stomp out those fears of performing so many students get.
I never performed a solo piece in a student recital, but I think about doing so. I love playing for others and play regularly in public, so I thought it would bore my students if I do so also in “their” recital. But I think it would be a good idea to show parents that I am active as a performer also and that I expect certain standards from my students. Thanks for your encouraging answer, Natalie!
About 3rd year into my teaching, I decided to play a piece at the end of the spring students recital. I played Flight of the Bumblebee. Parents and students were impressed but then all the spots light were on me. That summer I had several families pulled out. One of the reasons was that they felt pressured because they didn’t think their children need to attain that level of expertise in playing and feared that I’d push them to actually play! Ever since, I let students recital be the occasions for students to shine. I play duets with them only. I select one or two students for special performances at the end. If they want to hear me play, I invite them to my teachers recital at my MTAC branch.
Good question. Personally, I probably wouldn’t play at a student recital because, in my opinion, the focus should be on the students. There are other venues to show your skills: playing duest with students, demonstrating excerpts as lessons, posting videos, inviting families to your other performances, etc.
Along those lines, there is a story about a local school music teacher who included his own solo playing in the school concert, and bored everyone to tears. Granted, that’s a little different than a studio recital, but I think the principle is similar.