Performance Opportunities

Fall Festival – October 22

Pianothon TBA, but it’s happening!

Students at Orphan Pianos participate in events throughout the year.

1. Group Lessons – These events take place each month except in a month with a scheduled recital performance. Group lessons are free. They are often used as a substitute for a makeup lesson. The students may choose to perform for one another followed by a discussion of the piece. Pieces do not need to be at performance level. This is a lesson, so if there is something particularly difficult or interesting about a piece, we will find it and discuss it for the benefit of all the students attending. Occasionally these events are themed. If parents would like to provide snacks to share, it is always well-received and greatly appreciated.

2. CCMTA Fall Festival – This event takes place every October. Students may choose to participate in Fall Festival at Kennesaw State University in conjunction with the Cobb County Music Teachers Association. Students will perform their piece privately in front of a single judge for comments and a score. This is a non-competitive event, and repertoire is not limited. I encourage every student to participate in this event. The non-refundable fee is usually around $15 per student.

3. CCMTA Pianothon – This event takes place every December. This is our Winter Recital performance at Towne Center Mall in Kennesaw. Cobb County Music Teachers Association provides a piano for the students to play as part of a fundraiser for scholarships for students wishing to attend music school. The fee is usually around $13 per student. Please note: the mall is not an ideal performance space, and there WILL be distractions. Expect people to sing along and make comments. It is not appropriate to ask mall passers-by to be quiet for our performance.

4. CCMTA Auditions – This event takes place in February. This is a competitive performance for a judge. Students will be compared to their peers in their age group in Cobb County and ranked. This is only for those brave students who are truly dedicated to their work. The competition is fierce. That being said, it is a fantastic experience to meet the participants and talk with them about their work. If the student scores well AND PASSES THE THEORY EXAM, they will be advanced to the regional level of the competition in March. More on that can be found here. High School Senior piano students and High School vocal students may only participate at the state level at University of Georgia in April.

5. Spring Recital – This event takes place in April or May depending on the calendar. I will likely divide the students into groups of 10 in order to shorten performance length. Each student chooses two songs to perform. This is a formal event. It may take place at the Orphan Pianos studio or another local venue.

6. Field Trips – At least once a semester I will provide a field trip opportunity to interested students to go see a show or visit the Renaissance Festival.