Andrew and Hanson were the last of three Book Recitals on our first day of Spring Term Book Recitals. Here are their reflections on the experience:
~from Hanson
When I discovered I had an upcoming recital, I was overjoyed to be able to perform the pieces I had spent so much time practicing, as well as the learning opportunities provided by the numerous joint lessons and rehearsals on teamwork and technique.
Before the recital, I meticulously practiced all of my solo and collaborative pieces to avoid becoming a burden to my partner. I was also looking forward to playing with my partner, Andrew, because it would allow us to get to know each other better and learn how to work with people other than our close friends and family.
During the recital, I remembered all of the different queues, ritards, and techniques I was supposed to use, and they all worked really well with Andrew. The audience was occasionally distracting, but I gave the recital my undivided attention, and the many hours of preparation paid off.
Although I made a mistake and forgot an entire section, Ms. Sonomi and Andrew were able to follow along, demonstrating that we made an excellent team and were able to collaborate effectively.
I felt like this was one of the best recitals I would ever give, thanks in large part to the amount of practice I put in with my mother. It was truly heartwarming at the end of the recital when the audience cheered and congratulated us, particularly those from my family.
~from Andrew
This year, I had my book 3 recital. It was quite similar to the previous two, but instead of playing lots of solos, this recital was mainly focused around duo pieces and making music with your partner. I like this way of recitals a lot because it really shows that working together can create a better tone than playing alone.
The recital wasn’t always smooth sailing. I had lots of trouble keeping up with Hanson during Bach Bourree. I think this is because I didn’t practice much, or maybe because it was the newest piece of music I had just learned. But on the other hand, I think I did quite well during Martini Gavotte. I think this is because my part had to start 2 beats after the main melody, which caused some confusion at first.
Overall, I think this recital was a fun experience, and I wish to have more duo pieces and solo pieces in the next recital.
