Big sigh of relief. Overall impressions:
1)I love my students. I was a nervous wreck, getting ready, until they started coming in, and greeted me with hugs. Then I remember what a big deal this is to them, and how nervous they are. It's not about me.
2)Without fail, they made more nervous mistakes than I expected, but also some very beautiful music.
3)As much as I coached them, when they finish playing, their hands, instead of lifting off the piano and resting momentarily in their laps, grab for their music. (I have not been successful in getting them to memorize.)
4)I'm wondering why some of my students don't lift with their wrists - which is something I teach from day one.
5)I hate speaking in front of an audience, but have learned to fake it. My mind goes blank, I can't get out more than a few sentence, and smile a lot.
6) Everyone, students and parents, are happy when it's over, very proud of their kids, and happy with me as a teacher.
7)I could not do this without my husband running off to copy programs, transporting a cooler with juice, talking parents later, helping me clean up.
8)I deserve a very long nap.

Congratulations and rest well!

You'll gain experience and it will come easier.

Yep, now you can relax .... for a little while. You have just diagnosed the little things you need to work on.

Congrats on a successful day.

It WILL get easier over time! Kudos!

Congratulations!! The first recital is always the most nerve-wracking. It will become easier with time!

And as far as nervous mistakes go, during my last recital, a few of my most well-prepared students made some strange mistakes that had never happened before in our lessons - ever! You just never know what will happen at recitals, even with the most well-prepared students. Nerves can really get to them up on stage! And to us as teachers, too!

[quote=CarolR3)As much as I coached them, when they finish playing, their hands, instead of lifting off the piano and resting momentarily in their laps, grab for their music. (I have not been successful in getting them to memorize.)[/quote]

After seeing themselves in videos a few times, the kids begin to get the picture that they could move more slowly walking up and back to the piano, that they shouldn't grab their music and carry it with them while they bow, and in general they "mellow' out with a litle more reminders and praise when you see them doing something you liked. It must be adrenalin coursing through their veins that create these things. Having a performance class before the event seems to help too where they can "pace" their moves and you can work toward the example you want to see.

As far as needing their music because they are not memorizing, if you analyse the same and different in establishing form and repeatable ideas in the music, along with patterns:rhythm, fingering, melody, harmony (hands alone) the brain stores that information as they are practicing making it easier to anticipate and remember how a piece goes and also getting lots of muscle memory and aural (listening to the results) experience. So to me there are 3 points of teaching and using focusing: the intention, the present moment of doing, and the review/evaluation of what was heard. Did I do as I intended.

I teach form and analysis from the beginning lesson. "Look at all the TA's in your piece and each phrase ends with a half note. Isn't that interesting!" Or, "Line 1 and Line 2 are the same (A) and Line 3 and Line 4 are also the same as each other. That's helpful to know, isn't it. If you practice L1 and L3 5 times each, you probably will learn this piece quickly and be able to play it from memory."

I would not only say this, I would write it down in the notebook assignment in bright colored ink as how to practice instruction.

It's amazing what the power of suggestion can do in a piano lesson.

I think it's great that your hubby was there pitching in with you! I don't know that my husband has missed any special events in my years of teaching - he knows the recital routine very, very well.

Remember the high points of your event and tuck them away in your things to treasure. The other not so wonderful things that happen are all potential learning experiences.

For instance, I learned early on to bring a box of kleenex and place it on the first row of seats as you come away from the piano. My kids know they are there for the taking should they need one. Been known to happen.

Good luck in your future recitals.

Betty

Maybe for the teacher on a logistic basis, but definitely not for the students entering middle school or [gasp!] high school. The more self-awareness a student gains, the more nervous he/she gets at recitals.

Nevertheless--congrats, Carol!! All your effort is worth the trouble, and your students and their parents do appreciate your work.

Don't worry! I once saw a kid actually stand up and shuffle around to the back of the bench while still holding down the last chord, so keen was he to make a quick exit

Well done on surviving your recital! However they played you know that they have learnt a lot and improved by performing, and that's what it's about. But yes, concerts take a lot of energy.

Thanks for your encouragement and suggestions. I do hold a workshop the week before specifically to work on performance skills, and that helps a lot. Everyone knows what to do - but doing it in the heat of the moment is different! My goal is to work toward everyone having their pieces memorized. Most of them really do, but just are afraid to let go of the music. But recitals would go so much smoother without the paper flying every which way, getting forgotten on the piano, delaying bows (they know to take their bow before collecting their music, but they don't all remember).

Work through this whole process as though it's a dance routine or a cheerleader practice so that it becomes an unthinking habit when leaving the bench. The routine being practiced. I'd like more opportunity to do that with my kids. And, next time I will start it about 4 weeks in advance of an event.

Is it just the new and elementary students who do this, or do the 3rd year and higher kids do it too? Perhaps the student has to care a little bit about their image and deportment?

If you can get the first performer to take a great bow and set the pace for the recital, does that help?

I think starting 4 weeks ahead of time is a good idea. Also, I think I need to spend more time, all year, talking about how to take their hands off the piano and release the pedal when they conclude a piece, and have them practice it repeatedly. Most of them know this, and all I need to do is raise an eyebrow and they will do it properly. But, right, a recital is different.
My older kids are definitely better at this than the younger ones. I'd say that 95% of them do take a decent bow.