Sharing Talent 4

(part 4 of 4 from the article Sharing Talent with Others)

How can I prepare my child for a more formal recital?

  • Practice the performance piece several times each day in the week or two leading up to the recital.
  • Don’t practice too long and hard the day of the recital, or even the day right before.  Use those days to calm down!
  • Make sure your child gets enough sleep the night before, and try to plan your schedule so that the hours before the recital are not filled with too many other activities, errands, or rushing around trying to avoid being late!
  • Talk children through the experience—what they will wear, where the recital will be, who else they might see there,  how they will act when they play, and how they will act when others play.
  • If I forget, remind me to talk with your child about the recital experience as well!
  • Build confidence with the recital game.  Have your child focus on playing the recital piece the best they can while you try as many ways as you can to distract them.  Drop books, start conversations, and ring the doorbell!