Successful piano teachers know that building a community among studio families is the key to a lasting business. A sense of belonging will keep students coming back year after year after year.
And the perfect setting for fostering a sense of community is a piano recital. During a recital your entire studio is in one room. You must seize this opportunity and strengthen those bonds.
Today we’re sharing one idea that will not only accomplish this task, but will keep your students engaged and interested throughout your entire recital. Your young students will be focused on other performances in a mindful way, all the while, passing on warm fuzzies to their peers.
Build Community With Piano Recital BINGO
Today’s printable will help your students get to know their peers, build feelings of confidence and pride, become present and mindful listeners during live performances, and accentuate performance goals.
To use Piano Recital BINGO print out multiple copies of the activity sheet (click on the image below to download – it prints well in color or in black and white) and then distribute the sheets, along with pencils, as your students arrive at the recital (students only, not other audience members). Note: I Highly recommend selecting a senior student to do this task for you!
At the beginning of the recital read the descriptions inside each box on the activity sheet and then explain to your students that, as the recital progresses, they should fill in each box with the name of a performer who matches the description in a box. For example, if a box says, “Used lots of dynamic contrast,” the students should fill in the name of a performer who played her piece with lots of dynamic contrast.
Instruct your students to: 1. Use their recital program as a reference when filling students’ names into the boxes, and 2. Fill in every box by the time the recital is over.
At the end of your recital, collect all of the sheets. Give a small prize to any student who has written a name into every box and achieved a Piano Recital Bingo.
Following your recital, post them in your studio (be sure there is an even distribution of names and add in some of your own completed sheets if some students didn’t get mentioned). Finally, encourage your students to find their names on the sheets during their next lessons so they can bask in their warm fuzzies! 🙂
Patricia says
Hi guys,
What age are the Chopin series geared for?
Do you have resources for teenage/older students?
Andrea says
Hi Patricia! The Chopin Sessions is a teen book. You can view a flip-through preview to see levelling at http://www.pianobookclub.com by clicking on “May Preview” in the main image. Yes we have other teen resources too! You can check them out in the teen part of our store: https://www.teachpianotoday.com/book-category/teen-music/
Susan says
I *love* this and will be using it in a couple of weeks at my recital. You come up with the best ideas — thank you!
Andrea says
Hi Susan! So glad you’ll be using it 🙂 Enjoy your coming recital and thanks so much for reading our blog!
Susan says
Okay, I did use it yesterday. Loved it! Since the recital ends our lessons for the year, after the recital I collected these and cut apart all the squares, and sorted them by student. Then I took a photo of all the”votes” each student got and emailed them to the parent so the kids could see all their “compliments.” Thanks again for this nice idea.
Andrea says
Thrilled you were able to put it to such good use, Susan 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to write!
Annette says
Recital is on Sunday. Perfect timing! Thanks!
Andrea says
Yay! We were hoping that we’d catch many of you before your recitals were over 🙂 Enjoy!
Nancy R. says
I can’t say enough wonderful things about the SightReading Superpowers and Barnyard Brooke series !!
My students love, love, love these !
I think the same concept would be great for younger students as well. Maybe one for the little girls based on a “tea-party” for all the stuffed animals on her bed.
Or one for little boys about firemen…or trains, planes, and trucks.
I’ve put the students’ pages in binders for them and every week they come through the door ready to show me their progress and begging for the next “installment”. I let them use the hole-punch and add the new pages to the binder 🙂 Thanks, Andrea, for this
terrific resource.
Barbara says
This is so perfectly brilliant! And of course, right on time for my Mother’s Day Recital.
You guys are priceless!
Andrea says
Hi Barbara – thanks so much for your comment! We’re so glad you’ll get the chance to use it 🙂 Enjoy your recital – what a lovely idea to have it on Mother’s Day.
Mary McG says
Yet, another wonderful activity that will keep the students actively listening, throughout the recital! I do something similar, in that I also give the audience one, (It’s a group of about 30), and ask them to listen or look for certain things, such as the contrasting dynamics, a trill, fast piece, flowing piece, a Bach piece, nice bow, posture, smile, etc.! I think that I will now add to include the student’s name, and use as a warm fuzzy. I love it! Thanks for sharing, again!
Andrea says
Hi Mary – sounds like it will fit perfectly with what your audience is already used to! Enjoy your recital 🙂
Leslie says
Can you please clarify…EACH student how has the entire bingo board filled out will get a prize? or only the student who has the same student’s name to form three in a row?
Andrea says
Every student should have the entire board filled out to get what we call a “piano recital bingo” 🙂
Laurie says
I think this is a fun idea, but I would use it at my piano recital rehearsal the day before the actual recital. My recital is already passed, but a good idea for next year.
Michelle Miller says
I was just thinking this would be an awesome recital rehearsal activity, too!! Now I’m torn which one to use it for! Such a great idea!
Ginny Wold says
This is terrific, Andrea! I’m looking forward to using it this weekend. Do you have any handout that works for the younger crew who don’t read (so well) that will also participate in my recital?
Andrea says
Hi Ginny – no we just had the time to create the one, however I would imagine Mom or Dad sitting beside them could quietly assist 🙂
Lorraine says
I love this idea! I’m also very vigilant about avoiding stereotypes. Any chance of making this in green or purple or blue or orange? I think we have enough pink girlie stuff in the world 🙂
Anna Fagan says
What fun! My recitals are on Saturday, so this is perfectly timed for me – thanks!
Andrea says
Hi Anna! Great 🙂 Have fun and good luck with your recital!
Nancy says
I love this! I just have one question… at the church where we hold recitals, the piano is not particularly visible to most of the audience, so kids won’t be able to see each other’s piano posture. Is there any way you could offer this as an editable file so I could replace that box? Either way, thanks for the awesome ideas! 🙂
Leslie says
what are some of your ideas/suggestions for prizes?
Andrea says
Hi Leslie – we have a whole Pinterest board of suggestions for student gifts/rewards/prizes 🙂 https://www.pinterest.ca/teachpianotoday/piano-student-gifts-and-rewards/
Drema says
What an absolutely fabulous activity!
Saundra says
I would love to have a full Bingo card with more than the 9 boxes. With a larger recital it does leave a lot of students out of the challenge.
Saundra says
But a fabulous activity!!