Perspective on performances for elementary-Level piano students.

Like all the arts, music is a source of pleasure for many people, not only musicians. Unlike the other arts, however, it generally must be performed to be enjoyed by its audience. Thus, public performance has become an unquestioned and highly prominent aspect of music study at every level. Kindergarteners are taught to sing songs for their parents; elementary school bands perform at school functions; high school orchestras give public concerts featuring solos by their most accomplished players. And, every spring, countless piano teachers present recitals, marching their students out on stage, one by one, to play from memory in front of an audience. The piano recital is, in fact, a long-standing tradition. Yet many students find the prospect of performing alone, on stage, before a crowd filled with unfamiliar faces intimidating, to say the least. The nervousness that can result from such intimidation often negatively affects the performances of those new to the stage. Sadly, one bad experience frequently is enough to deter many children from further piano study, thus robbing them and others of musical enjoyment.

One might legitimately question the necessity of public performance for elementary-level students. To most children, the typical recital setting--a large stage, empty except for a piano--is unfamiliar, unnatural and, thus, confusing. Stephen Zolper, a piano teacher, recalls an elementary student, in dress rehearsal, who was quite taken aback by the unfamiliar instrument on which he was to perform. "This piano is different from mine," he said. "Where do I put my hands?" (1) Zolper also addresses the precarious position in which children are placed when they are put on stage He likens public performance to driving down a narrow, winding road. "The process of publicly navigating a musical roadway places enormous pressure on students.... The event often becomes a trauma rather than a celebration of achievements." (2)

Because public performance is just that--public--students, at their teachers" urging, may devote so much energy to polishing their performances that the rest of their musical education suffers. Keith Swanwick, in Teaching Music Musically, cites a study undertaken in 1997 at a private music school in Brazil. Twenty students, ages 11 through 13, recorded three of their musical activities: individual verbal responses to and discussions of three pieces of music; performance of three of their own musical compositions; and performance on piano of three memorized pieces by other composers. The judges assessing these recordings found, in every case, that students scored much higher when playing their own compositions or discussing music than when performing from memory. Swanwick reasons that, after practicing a set program for so long, the students may have become bored with the music, they may simply have ceased really listening to their playing or they may have focused principally on technical issues. He concludes, "Music decision-making often seemed to go underground when they played their prepared piano pieces from memory." (3) This same phenomenon was observed as early as the sixth century. Apparently tired of mechanical performances by virtuosi, the scholar Boethius made a distinction between performers and those who were truly musically astute. "But the type which buries itself in instruments is separated from the understanding of musical knowledge. Representatives of this type devote their total effort to exhibiting their skill on instruments. Thus, they act as slaves, as has been said: For they use no reason but are totally lacking in thought." (4) The observations of Zolper, Swanwick and Boethius all suggest that public performance can have a negative effect on young musicians, both psychologically and musically.

Nonetheless, many psychological and musical arguments can be made in favor of public performance. Some piano teachers cite increased poise, confidence and motivation as benefits to students, (5) while others assert that successfully dealing with the rigors of recital preparation and performance equips children with skills they will need as adults, when they may be faced with equally intimidating situations, such as making speeches or interviewing for jobs. (6) Moreover, many musicians and psychologists contend that anxiety is not necessarily a bad thing. At certain levels, it serves in some individuals to increase attentiveness and enhance performance. Finally, students who are destined to pursue piano professionally will benefit from public performance, as it can serve to prepare them for future contests and auditions.

In a broader sense, performance is seen by many as the ultimate manifestation of musicality. David Elliot values performance because he believes that "our musical thinking and knowing are in our musical doing and making. (7) He adds that when a performer's musical abilities are matched by the music he or she performs, the self is completely engaged and drawn toward the next level of complexity. In other words, performance can lead to personal growth. (8) Bennett Reimer, too, underscores the value of performance by equating it with creativity, that is, bringing music to life through one's individuality. He also notes numerous "secondary benefits" that performance accords young people. Among these are discipline, responsibility, the feeling of belonging to a community and, again, personal growth, which Reimer describes as "experiences of unified, deepened, refined, extended, organized inner feelings." (9) Finally, all elementary music teachers should feel compelled to offer their students public performance opportunities, for in its Content Standards for Grades K-4, the Music Educators National Conference includes, "Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music." (10)

Clearly, there are valid reasons underlying the assumption of public performance as an element of piano instruction. While the arguments for character building may not apply in every case, the argument that Reimer and Elliot make for self-growth probably does. Perhaps the most compelling reason to encourage public performance, however, is that, at some point in their lives, most musicians want to share the music they love with others. For this reason, piano teachers should find ways of helping their young students view performances as opportunities to share, not as ominous obstacles to overcome.

The first step a piano teacher might take toward developing this outlook is to question the traditional recital format: the large auditorium, the stage, the solo and memorization. Instead, teachers may choose to have mini-recitals for a few students and their families in the studio. In a 1994 article for American Music Teacher, Ellen Lee describes such an event. Each year, she hosts a Halloween party for her youngest students and their families.

Throughout the course of the evening, she and her students take turns playing seasonal music. Students may play with or without music, some play duets, and the purpose is for everyone to have fun. Lee notes that at one recital, a beginner asked, with obvious trepidation, "What if I mess up?" Lee's response was, "You'd better, because everybody does ... even me!" (11) Surely, her comments did much to defuse some of the pressure her student was feeling. Other teachers, too, have taken public performance out of the recital hall. Robert Cento regularly takes groups of his students to retirement homes to perform. Not only are these concerts an alternative to traditional recitals, but also they allow students to see that what they do as musicians has great value in the wider world. Furthermore, as students focus on sharing their music, not on their fears, their confidence as performers is allowed to grow. (12)

Even teachers who choose to retain traditional recitals can do much to make these events a positive and valuable feature of their students' education. First, teachers must always remember that recitals will probably be utterly new and foreign to their elementary students and, as teachers, they are responsible for preparing their students musically and psychologically so the students have every chance of success. Foremost, teachers must take into account every student's individual abilities, strengths and weaknesses. Common sense suggests that students with short attention spans should not be expected to perform lengthy pieces, and some students should not be required to perform from memory. Students who fall apart when on stage by themselves may shine when playing duets. In every case, students and their well-being should be the piano teacher's first priority. Next, teachers can ensure that early recital pieces are well within students' abilities. Each child should walk on stage thinking, "I know this piece; I can do it." (13) Furthermore, teachers should guide students as they learn their recital pieces in the same manner as they guide all learning. If the piece is to be memorized, the teacher should impart various means by which concert artists learn their music, such as memorizing each hand separately. Rather than viewing special care as something only accorded recital pieces, which "raises the stakes," students should sense that this is how all music learning is approached.

In addition to preparing students musically, teachers can prepare their students mentally for public performance. They can begin by dispelling any negative ideas students might have about performing in public, presenting it, instead, as an opportunity to share music with others and, as Zolper notes, "a celebration of achievements." Next, teachers can familiarize students with recital formalities at their lessons by doing such things as going over the logistics of getting on and off the stage and coaching post-performance bows. (14)Teachers can encourage students to practice these formalities at home, as well, and to include an imagined performance in their practice routines. Certainly, dress rehearsals with other performers in the recital venue are essential, especially for elementary students and first-time performers. If possible, teachers should allow enough time for all performers to play the recital instrument and get used to the new space. Teachers also should work with parents to ensure that young performers are getting enough rest, eating healthfully and able to arrive at the recital hall early and refreshed. (15)

Performing for others is too often presented by teachers and, thus, perceived by students, as a test in which their poise, appearance, musical ability and worth are being judged. Rather than contributing to the image of recitals as being all-important, succeed-or-fail events, teachers might serve their students much better by presenting public performance as yet another opportunity to share music with others ... lots of others. If students inhabit this sort of atmosphere at the elementary level, the less they may dread recitals, the more they may enjoy performing and the happier they will make the music-loving public.

NOTES

(1.) Stephen Zolper, "Preparing Students for Recitals," Clavier (March 1995): 13.

(2.) Ibid.

(3.) Keith Swanwick, Teaching Music Musically (London: Routledge, 1999): 86-87.

(4.) Joscelyn Godwin, Music, Mysticism, and Magic (London: Routledge, 1986): 48.

(5.) Robert Cento, "Recitals that Make Sense," Clavier (April 1996): 35.

(6.) Jim Kunitz, "Teaching Responsibility through Recitals," Clavier (March 1997): 24.

(7.) David Elliot, Music Matters: A New Philosophy of Music Education (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1995): 56.

(8.) Ibid., 121-122.

(9.) Bennett Reimer, A Philosophy of Music Education, 2nd Edition. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: 1989): 187-188.

(10.) Music Educators National Conference, The School Music Program: A New Vision (Reston, VA: Music Educators National Conference, 1994): 13.

(11.) Ellen Lee, "Teaching Tips," American Music Teacher 43, No. 6 (June/July 1994): 82.

(12.) Cento, 33.

(13.) Zolper, 13.

(14.) Ibid., 12-13.

(15.) Edmund Dawe, "The Stress of Recitals," Clavier (April 1998): 17.

Ruth Burnham has a master of music degree in piano pedagogy from the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music. She is an independent music teacher.