[jaycee]

I was in piano recitals, too. Parents dressed us all up and each of us performed our ‘pieces’. Parents also gave their child a special gift. We had refreshments like cake and punch. And I can always remember I was nervous doing my selection and happy when mine was over!

I also remember my teacher was hateful and fussed at me a lot.
She was just out of college, just married and expecting her first child. She took all her frustrations out on the students, I suppose. She made me cry several times and I always begged Mama to let me quit.

[left that other site]

My First recital piece was Fur Elise. I practiced it constantly on my Mother’s lovely Steinert Spinet Piano which had a lovely soft action. I had it Perfect! So WHAT did my wicked eevil Piano Teacher do? She rented an 11 foot Steinway Concert Grand piano for the event. The action was so heavy and stiff that I was unable to put ANY nuance or dynamics into the piece! It was heinous, and I was so embarrassed I though I would DIE. I also wanted to sing “The Shadow of Your Smile” as my solo vocal, but the teacher said it was too sexy for a 6th grader, and she forced me to sing “Somewhere My Love” from Dr. Zhivago instead. I really don’t enjoy these things UNLESS I am running the whole show! (LOL)

[yorkie]

Speaking of recitals, JC and ML, my daughter wanted ballet lessons before she could barely walk. We accommodated her with classes with the best teacher we could find.

When she was four years old, (and after a year of lessons), they had their first recital, at a lovely place, with a huge stage.

The auditorium was rented at this University Building.

The teacher had lighting specialists, back-drop made to order, orchestra, makeup artists, made sure all the tu-tus fitted perfectly, and each child had been drilled and drilled until the performance went perfectly - in rehearsal.

Then the BIG night finally arrived!

The auditorium was packed with moms, dads, siblings, aunts, uncles, friends and the teacher was SO excited!

Well, after the third little girl came on stage with the wrong steps the second girl pushed her, and told her she did it wrong! The third girl pushed her back, and said loudly, "I DID IT RIGHT, DUMMY!"

At that point another girl came out and screamed, "You don't call MY friend a DUMMY!" and she socked her.

By then, all 16 little girls were on stage, and a free-for-all started! It ended up with a big pile in the center of the stage - pink tu-tus and little legs and arms flying in all directions, with all the children yelling at each other.

The teacher started crying, the orchestra stopped, the audience broke out in mass laughter, and my father (who had traveled a long way for his first grandaughter's recital), started crying, he was laughing so hard.

So much for perfection from children. LOL!!!