recital order

[kenneyk]

I am about to have my first recital for my students.  I will have 15 students playing. They range in ability from early beginer to intermediate.  Their ages are from 7 to 14 years old. 
I am trying to figure out the best order for the recital.  I'm not sure if I should go by age or level.  Does any one have any suggestions?  Thanks!

[debussy symbolism]

Greetings.

Definately age- from lowest to highest. That way you can not face the whole "oh they are better than us" fiasco. I hope that it will be a good recital.



Best.

[ilikepie]

I'd have to say level would be easier. I think it servers as a motivation to practice. Randomly.

[ingagroznaya]

I'd have to say level would be easier. I think it servers as a motivation to practice. Randomly.

Avoid going by age and leave the leveled playing for big formal school recitals. With 15 students go for a show. Make it fun. Forget formalities. Base your performance solely on pieces - fast, slow, serious, outrageous. Surprise the audience before they will go to sleep listening to 7 beginners poking at a key. Only the first one will be cute.

Don't place someone who's clearly younger but much more advance right next to older kid who is a beginner. With 15 performers you have enough room to play.

I now start my recitals with most advance student and end with one. First few pieces sets the tone and grabs attention. The only thing worst then tons of mistakes made by your students on stage is uncollected audience. More experienced players often have more confidence and it's a performer who sets the atmosphere. Younger kids, as cute as they are don't silently ask for focus and respect as they walk on stage. It's all in the demeanor. Insist on standing ovation ( if your audience is not trained yet ). Good recitals are nothing, but a mass hypnosis. Teach them how. Hypnotize and have fun!

Good luck. Sincerely.
I'm really looking forward to mine!

[keyofc]

Kenny,
I had my first formal last year.  I did it by level.  I think it's the best way.  I listened to other recitals and found that most of them did it this way and worked. 
What if your oldest one is at the lowest level and you do it by age?  They will feel humiliated if someone half their age has already played something 10 x better.  They can start feeling it's "too late" for them.  But if they do it early in the recital, they will just see how they can grow.
If you do it by level, you slowly build and everyone judges their music (consiously or unconsciously, I believe) with what they heard right before they played and right after.
I think overall it's better for the students, and for those who listen.

You gradually build and end with the best student so everyone feels they heard the best as they leave.  The higher the level you are at, the longer you can wait without being as nervous, I think.

I think that the least experienced ones are happier to get their piece played and then they can relax.

This is off the question,  but I read that if you have 4 in the same family - try to disperse them as much as possible.  This way the parents are obligated to stay and not just leave right after their kids play.

The very first is honored that he is the very first to play!  Really, he was really excited about it.  It was a lot of fun.  There was an edition in Keyboard Companion magazine that helped me in this and a few people on the forum too last November or December edition.

I hope this helps.

[pianowelsh]

HEHEHEHEHE!! Neither.  Alphabetical order then they have no say and its luck of the draw - or almost! If their fragile consciences are so delicate they will never stick at or learn anything!! Ultimately if you keep the atmosphere informal and encourage a community spirit with everyone praising oneanother for where they are at then it works.  Music isnt primarily for comparison its for enjoyment.. It everyone is going around with nuerosis about im not as good as so and so and so and so said that person X cant play the piano but then Mr Z says that X plays better than so and so   then it dosent matter how you arrange the order it will still be a horrible atmosphere. Everyone needs encouragement to stand up infront of their peers and play - its hard and potentially very embarresing. As teachers we need to make it a less threatening environment and encourage each one to give their best - if that means memory lapses and pauses and small inaccuracies..then so what..applaude their courage for stepping up and in the quietness of the lesson give constructive points on which to build.

[hyrst]

I have just held my young students' recital - it was such fun, and the kids were asking whne the next one was going to be and groaning becuase I said there wouldn't be another one this year!

I organised the programme to make the most of each student's level - although I finished with the oldest and best student (and then I also played).  I asked all my students when they would like to play (first, or middle) - one of them actually asked to go first, so that solved the problem of who to start with.  I thought that was probably the hardest position to fill - as these students were playing for the first time ever, and a couple were extremely nervous. 

Once I had a starting player, I worked it out by considering the style and level of music - so that there was variety for the listener.  There was no progression of level - if anything, it was alternating between lower standard and higher, but not so anyone could clearly see this alternation.  I had two students using backing tapes, so they would have fuller sounds.  I separated them with a little beginner - so there was a focus on each individual - there was no monotony of sound broken by subsequent, thinner tones of a beginner.   Each piece wsa placed to give variety from the last piece,and in so doing there was no sense of gradation.

Everything worked so well, and I was very proud of my students.  They were all nervous, but they played with big smiles and regained their place without hesitation when they made mistakes.  I was so impressed with them!  Parents were delighted and supportive - it was a lot of work but the best time ever!

Annah

[burstroman]

Why not experiment? There will be other recitals to try other ways.  It is not a one time shot.