Well, for me, another Christmas recital is in the books. It was tough but successful. Nine hours of music spread over five recitals, paired with a newborn that eats every 45 minutes… a juggling act to say the least!
But compared to past music recitals, it was a cakewalk.
Last year the worst floods to hit our region in over a hundred years landed right on the day of our Christmas recital. While the show still went on, those families without amphibious vehicles were forced to stay home 🙂
But it gets worse. In 2009, a treacherous snowstorm forced me to cancel our Christmas music recital… which not only meant I had to contact 200 families to ensure they didn’t brave the elements, but also meant I had to reorganize the entire recital following the holidays.
So was that rock bottom? Nope! In 2008, the church where we were holding our Christmas recital contacted us the day before to inform us that they had accidently double-booked our recital with a funeral… are you kidding me! (I had even phoned to confirm the week prior). Needless to say, I was left scrambling for a venue and did indeed pull it off.
So, as you all well know… music recitals are a ton of work. But when I see a big, tough biker dad, grinning from ear to ear as he videotapes his little princess playing Mary Had a Little Lamb… it’s suddenly all worth it!
Wishing you all the best with your recitals this holiday season!
Christine says
This year we had our Christmas Recital, get this, at the mall! A local piano retailer donated the piano, and our students delighted in playing festive tunes for the shoppers. Best part – no one had to sit through twenty different versions of Jingle Bells! We had so many compliments from the public (who loved the live music), and many of our parents and students commented that the low-stress atmosphere was a nice change. Plus, we attracted quite a few families looking for music lessons! We will definitely be keeping this as an annual event.