10 Amazing Benefits Students Gain through Musical Performance
- Goal-setting — Students who perform in recitals need to be able to set and reach musical goals in a limited time frame. This tends to result in better practice habits, increased focus on learning, and more willingness to push through challenges to get a piece ready for performance.
- Perseverance — The amount of practice required to prepare a piece for performance teaches students to push through and keep trying even when things get challenging, and it enables them to hone their skills as they aim for excellence in their playing. Many teachers notice a significant advance in students’ level of playing after they take part in a recital.
- Self-Expression & Communication — Performing music is not just about being able to play a piece accurately. Often the best and most engaging performers are not the ones who can play a piece “perfectly” without missing a note, but those who can draw the audience into their love of music through their own individual interpretation and expression of it. Anyone can do this!
- Vulnerability & Courage — Performing can be difficult, especially for young children and first-time performers. It requires courage for students to face the fear of being on stage in front of a lot of people, and vulnerability to express themselves in front of others with the potential of making mistakes or experiencing performance anxiety. Sometimes the first few attempts are scary and difficult, but time and time again we have seen these students find their stride and become wonderful performers eventually!
- Compassion & Empathy — Since students at recitals not only play their own pieces, but also get to listen to others perform as well, they learn not just the skills of a good performer, but also how to show the compassion, empathy and support of a good audience.
- Performance Experience & Stage Presence — Playing in recitals is an important part of helping students develop stage presence and gain confidence in front of an audience. Students who have experience performing musical pieces in front of an audience are much more likely to be comfortable with public speaking and presentation when they grow older.
- Celebration & Recognition for Hard Work — Music students have to put in a significant amount of time, effort and focus to learn to play well. Recitals and performance opportunities celebrate their musical achievements and recognize the hard work it took to get there. Students are further motivated to continue learning and practicing when their efforts are acknowledged and appreciated by parents, teachers, and peers. At The Music Studio we try to make this experience extra special for students by awarding trophies for each recital they participate in.
- Reflection — When students perform in a recital, they are naturally inclined to reflect on their past recitals and how far they have come. Maybe their level has advanced a lot, or they gained more confidence on stage. Perhaps they watch other students play and remember being beginner-level students or first-time performers too. This chance to reflect on how far they have come also allows students to dream of how far they may go in the future, giving them further motivation about learning music.
- Inspiration & Community — Students enjoy the special support of family, friends, peers and teachers during recitals. Their own efforts and achievements are celebrated, and they are welcomed into a community of other aspiring musicians among their peers. For many students, this is an inspiring and motivating experience.
- Confidence — Over and over again, teachers see an increase in students’ confidence about playing music after they participate in recitals. The experience of learning, practicing, polishing and performing a piece, which is often a significant challenge, causes students who may have doubted their own talent or abilities to realize that in fact they can, and when they begin to believe that, they focus better and make progress much more quickly.
