Should Music Teachers Perform on the Student Recital?

I've seen the question floating around the private music teacher zeitgeist lately - not surprisingly, as May is smack in the middle of recital season.

I've seen responses to this question that both support and oppose this idea, though on the whole the responses seem to lean towards the "yes, you should perform" option.

As a private music teacher for over 25 years whose given dozens of student recitals, I have some thoughts to share on this topic. So, to dive right in...

I DON'T recommend that private music teachers perform on the student recital.

Specifically, I discourage teachers from performing solos on the student recital, and I discourage this for a few reasons.

First, as accomplished musicians and experienced performers, teachers performing on student recitals provide an unnecessary contrast between our expertise and relative performance comfort, and our students' novice and relative insecurity. I don’t think this serves any good purpose, and can make it much harder for already nervous students to perform.

Second, there is the problem of where you should play in the program. A teacher playing before all students have performed may make students who play afterwards feel more nervous. Performing after all students have played, on the other hand, has the effect of stealing their thunder. Neither option is appealing.

If you're debating whether or not to perform on your student recital, I recommend you ask yourself these questions:

• What goal am I trying to accomplish?

• Is there another way to accomplish this goal?

• If performing at the student recital is the only way to accomplish this goal, is the goal worth the drawbacks?

I DO recommend that teachers play on the recital in roles that support the students.

I have done this for years and actually recommend it quite strongly as I think it has many benefits for the students. For example, playing a duet with a student gives both students and parents a chance to “see you in action” while providing a "performance buddy" for students who are new performers or simply too anxious to play a solo.

Accompanying a student is also a way to perform and support the student at the same time. Accompanied pieces enable you to support the student on stage, are fun to listen to for the audience, and provide programming variety.

If you’re comfortable doing so, I also recommend sharing your performance nerve insights with the audience. (I only recommend this if you're playing a duet with a student, as it isn't appropriate as an accompanist.) Just before you both play, you can share with the audience that you still get nervous, it’s perfectly normal even when we don’t show it, and experience makes it better. This is an invaluable teachable moment that students will appreciate and remember - trust me. 

I DO recommend that you provide parents and students with opportunities to hear you perform.

All this being said, it is important for parents and students to hear their teacher play. It’s also important for students to hear polished performances by accomplished musicians such as yourself so they have something to aspire to. 

Here are ways to accomplish this that don't involve performing on the student recital:

• perform for your students/parents in lessons to demonstrate a piece or technique that the student is learning;

• invite parents and students to performances you give throughout the year; and/or

• give a performance (online or in person) for studio members only

I understand that teachers who wish to perform on their student recitals generally have the best of intentions. But as someone who has struggled with performance anxiety myself, and has also taught many students who struggle with it, I think the downsides outweigh the upsides.

It would be much better for the students if you offered them other opportunities to hear your wonderful skills in action. And wouldn't you have more fun performing when you can focus solely on your own thing without simultaneously supporting your students? When you perform at separate times from your students, it seems like everyone wins.