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Compliment Cards: A New Piano Recital Tradition

Recitals last weekend were SO much fun! We had almost 70 students perform, as well as several of our piano teachers. We heard lots of amazing performances – but today we want to share something we did a little differently this time around: compliment cards!

We got this idea from a fellow teacher (click here to read her original post) and had so much fun with it. The idea is for each students and parent to write a quick note or two to other performers at the recital sharing what they liked about their piece or performance. We had each student write to the person who played before them; parents were also able to write to their own child(ren) and to other performers.

This activity served a couple of great purposes. First of all, everyone was encouraged to give specific comments rather than general compliments like “good job.” This helps audience members listen actively for things that they can praise. As a performer, focusing on someone else also helps take your mind off your own nerves or performance anxiety! Piano can be kind of a solitary activity a lot of the time, so we love seeing our students build friendships through compliment cards. Lastly, reading the compliment cards after the recital is SO fun! Students hear applause at the end of their piece, but the compliment cards continue the positive reinforcement and self-esteem boost the week after the recital.

Here are a few examples of compliment cards – students got them from parents, friends, and other students.

So this week at piano lessons means not just choosing new recital pieces, but also reading the compliment cards! Cameron is 6 and played Hedwig’s Theme from the Harry Potter movies for the recital. He’s only 6, but he did a great job reading his cards. Check him out!

We’re excited to keep this tradition going in the future. Check out our Facebook page for more pics from the recital!