Recitals

When

Recitals are held 3 times a year, at the end of October, Valentine’s Day, and early June. For specific dates, see our calendar.

Time

Recital times may vary. Sign up through your student portal.

Where

Recitals are held at the Music Exchange at 1537 Howe Ave, in Sacramento.

Who

All students are expected to participate in recitals. Family and friends are welcome to attend and celebrate students!

What to wear

Students are expected to dress up for recitals; semi-formal is best. Students must adhere to the dress code (below). This helps the occasion feel important and special to the students!

     For the October recital, students are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes, or to dress up and/or paint their faces for Fall, Harvest, Dia de los Muertos, All Saints, or anything your family celebrates! Please adhere to the costume dress code.

What to bring

Students should have their music with them, paper-clipped open to the appropriate pages. Students are encouraged to play from memory, but having the music with them is a great back up. At this time we are unable to hold a reception, but we hope to do so again in the future.

What to expect

Recitals are under an hour, followed by a group picture. Students are expected to stay for the length of the recital, please plan accordingly. The experience of hearing other students play, especially more advanced students, is another huge and inspiring benefit of recitals, and is a way we all support each other.

Why are recitals important?

Recitals are a great benefit to our students in so many ways. First and foremost they are a way for us to celebrate our students’ accomplishments and encourage their progress and success! They work so hard, it is always so fun and wonderful to hear them not practicing, but performing in a beautiful setting. It is also a gift and a thank you to students’ families for helping, guiding, and encouraging students in the learning process.

Recitals are inspiring! I love for students to get to hear each other: to look forward to what may be ahead for them, to know what’s possible and set new goals, or to hear new pieces they are dying to play. This is great for parents, too!

Recitals help build skills. Conquering nerves and fears is no small feat, and doing so in a way that allows one to be open, expressive, and play with control translates into every area of students’ lives. Stage fright can be so challenging! We talk a lot about how nerves feel and how to conquer them, which helps students build confidence and face their fears in so many things.

Recitals are community building!

What if…?

I hear often from parents that they don’t want to “force” their child to perform, that they just want their child to have fun, or that their child has stage fright or anxiety, or that they themselves had bad experiences performing as children. So why do we make recitals mandatory? For all of the reasons mentioned above regarding skill building and community/inspiration; and because we believe in the importance of celebrating your child’s hard work and accomplishments, and in teaching them the joy and value of sharing their music. That said, we emphasize a compassionate, low pressure, fun atmosphere in our recitals. We want to set students up for success while acknowledging all the whacky and hard parts of this journey they are on, and help them understand that every musician goes through the same thing, to one degree or another. They are not alone, and we are there to support them! Our recitals are a celebration! …and a lesson in both pride and resilience. For more competitive or goal- and performance-oriented students, we offer the opportunity to participate in adjudicated events and competitions throughout the year (inquire with your teacher).

Dress code for Heart Beats Music School Recitals

  • Knee length dresses, skirts or dress slacks and tops

  • Dress slacks and tucked-in, buttoned, collared shirt or sweater.

  • Coat and/or tie optional

  • Not permitted: jeans, cargo pants, shorts, workout clothes, sports uniforms, t-shirts, bare midriffs, or tops that are low cut, backless, or strapless

  • Shoes: Dress shoes

    • No athletic shoes, sneakers, casual sandals, flip-flops

    • For online recitals, shoes are encouraged but not required

  • All students

    • Neat clean hair, pulled back from face

    • Short nails

    • Make sure to practice in your recital clothes and shoes

    Students are required to adhere to the dress code for all Heart Beats Music School Recitals, as well as all MTAC Recitals and Festivals, including Certificate of Merit. Adherence to the dress code helps foster an environment of professionalism and respect for students’ accomplishments. Failure to comply with the dress code will result in the student not being allowed to participate in that event. In the case of an MTAC festival or competition, infringement of the dress code may result in disqualification from the event, and forfeiture of fees. 

Costume Dress Code

  • Costume may not promote or suggest violence

  • No weapons (knives, swords, guns, etc)

  • Respectful

    • Costumes may not be demeaning to any ethnic group, race, religion, nationality, differently abled persons, gender, or individual

    • No costumes containing inappropriate language

    • No crude or revealing clothing

    • No bare midriffs, no short shorts, underwear, or speedos, etc

    • Costumes shouldn’t restrict movement or performance

    • No masks—(student must remove mask while performing)

    • Costumes cannot promote the use of drugs, alcohol, or weapons of any kind