INCOMING MEGA PERFORMANCES!
Next Mega: Friday May 29th, Saturday May 30th and Sunday May 31st!
We’ve created this page to help answer the common and even un-common questions as your students prepare for a performance in these next several weeks - read on below!
The Basics - Performance? Who, what? Where, when?
What is a mega performance?
Music Pillars puts on performances quarterly in order to give your students opportunities as real musicians performing. However, this isn’t just any student recital - it is a MEGA performance! Our team puts in hard work behind the scenes to create an experience complete with professional accompaniment by our Music Pillars staff, audio/video recording, screen projections and stage lights, complete with a live audience to attend (with a ticketing platform for ticket purchases). We are putting in lots of time to provide not just show-day fun, but selecting the right pieces (and writing their notations) for each level, recorded tracks in class, information to send home - and that’s just the tip of the ice-berg.
DOES MY STUDENT HAVE TO PERFORM?
What good is being a musician if not being able to share your music with others? This is where preparation meets opportunity - we cannot emphasize enough how important it is to take this opportunity for your students GROWTH. It is more than just playing keys or strings or otherwise - it is an opportunity for them to show up authentically as musicians and get some recognition for their hard work!
What are they performing?
Group Piano Students (PX): An email is sent out in the first week of obtaining their music with a PDF of this information. Your students are given 2-3 songs to be working on (found in their binder):
One “Main” song in their binder
One song from their PX Song Book
One “Bonus” song in their binder (Level 3-6 only)
One Solo song of their choosing from their PX Song Book (some notes below):
Students must tell teachers which song they want as their solo - we are encouraging students to have 2-3 options in mind to get approved - we will assign them first come first serve.
Levels 1-2 can choose an additional solo song (two total) if they would like - this is encouraged since they have one less song!
Levels 4-6 may choose a Solo that is not in their Song Book - a teacher will approve it in class!
These songs are listed per level in the PDF emailed to all families, and a physical flyer sent home.
NOTE: If your student has graduated, plan to stay in the SAME level until Mega performances have concluded - but get your new books to be practicing at home!
(+ picture of PX music choices)
PX Vocalists: There is an opportunity for students not currently enrolled in vocal classes to sing along with their Group Piano peers! More information on this below, but they will be singing the music the PX students are playing.
Group Guitar: Information coming soon
Individual Piano/Vocal/Guitar/Drums: Ask your students! If they are working on it in class consistently, that is probably the song we are practicing for a performance.
When is my student performing?
Our performances are happening at a variety of times on Friday, May 29th (vocalists+), Saturday, May 30th (PX+) and Sunday, May 31st (PX+).
For more questions on exceptions, see below
(+ picture of schedule)
Day of Performance Questions
What time should my student be there?
Please have students arrive no later than 30-minute prior to show-time. We need this time to rehearse through the show order with everyone and get students comfortable with performing. Students that show up as the show is starting may not be allowed to perform.
What should my student wear?
We want all performers to wear business casual. There’s no other requirement here - we just want them to look and feel their best!
What should my student Bring?
We encourage the same items that students would bring to their lessons:
a water bottle
their music binder
their PX book
their instrument (only if it’s a guitar student that usually brings their own)
When does my student perform if…
…they graduated PX levels?
We have learned that students that graduate in the middle of Mega Programming (the 6ish weeks we are working on music in class before the performance) are much better off staying in their current level in order to continue working on the Level-Specific sheet music they were assigned for their group class. We will give them their new books so that they can begin working on their new level (as deserved!), but they should plan to stay in their current level class until Mega Performances have concluded. NOTE: Even if students want the challenge, programming becomes tricky due to different levels having different performance times - there may not be room for them to change after we hit the 4-weeks-out mark!
…we are unable to make their current assigned time?
We understand that schedules can get busy! We will do our best to accommodate a time change for students. However, not every Level performs at every show time, and we are capped at 5 students per level per performance, so it is not as simple as moving a student over (as much as we would like for it to be!). For this reason, any changes in schedule are made on a first-come first-serve WAITLISTED basis, and requests to change must be received no later than 15-days prior to the performance. Please find the Mega Coordinator email below to contact with your student’s full name and Level if you are looking to change.
..they have a sibling at a different time?
We did our best to place all current siblings in the same time frame, but if this happened to you then please email the Mega Coordinator email below with your students’ first/last names and the Levels they are in so we can do our best to accommodate them. The sooner you email, the more likely we can make this change. Please note, not every Level performs at every show time, and we are capped at 5 students per level per performance, so it is not as simple as moving a student over - we promise to do our best!
(+PICTURE OF LEVEL TIMES
MEGA COORDINATOR: EBRUNING@MUSICPILLARS.COM
Learn to Sing, Act, and Dance.
LIFE SKILLS
Believe it or not, joining Musical Theater as a youth is more about developing life skills than anything else. Here are just a few of the things that we have seen with our own students.
going from a “don’t look at me” body projection/non verbal communication to a confident, beautiful, physical stance that projects confidence and engagement not just on stage but off stage in real life.
becoming much quicker “on your feet” in thinking, conversing, and engaging people through dialogue
learning how to use inflection and variation in tempo of speech, and therefore becoming far more interesting and engaging to listen to (both on and off stage).
and so much more!
