CAS Project

14 December 2018

The recital went very well. I was extremely nervous when I arrived, but I soon got into a groove of speaking loud enough so that the residents could hear what I said as I introduced the different performers. Along the way, I felt very rushed trying to get each of the performers notified of when their turn was. I didn't want to make too much noise or step in front of someone, and ruin the performance. In the end, it turned out just fine, and despite having to reorder the list of players during the performance (one person did not arrive until after I had scheduled them) everyone got their turn to play. I had also been nervous about the duet which my brother and I played, but we performed it beautifully. After all the pianists had finished, my brother told me that the entire time I copied the timbre and patterns of voice which my piano instructor normally uses in her recitals. So, even if I haven't yet fully developed my own styles for giving recitals, I know that should I ever need to organize, perform in, and run one I have all of the necessary skills.

12 December, 2018

The recital is two days away! I am very excited, as I have recruited two other IB diploma students to also participate, among other pianists. Currently, I am finalizing the order of the performance. Thankfully, my piano teacher is guiding me through the process because it is difficult to manage scheduling conflicts, as well as to decide how to begin or end the recital. I also have two participants who will be playing the same song, so I am planning on separating their two songs so that it doesn't get too boring and repetitive. It would be a shame to have the audience tune out, as both of them are such talented players.

Altogether I have thirteen performers, including myself. I am feeling nervous from the newness of it all, but also excited because I can really see what goes into doing something like this. And, as an adult, I will now have the skills to set up a recital!

December 6, 2018

I recently discovered, after further communication with the activities director, that there will be a "Happy Hour" for the residents, so unlike previous recital I've been in there will not be theater like seating, but a lot of tables where the residents--around 20 the director suggested to me-- will already be sitting and eating. She will try to set up chairs around the room so that we can have seating for the performers and their parents, as we will have some young students attending.

Sadly, I have also decided that I will only be playing my Christmas duet with my brother and not my other piece in addition to this. I just decided this yesterday with my instructor because I still have a lot of work to do and we do not want the nerves of trying to coordinate the recital to affect my piece, which was already teetering on the brink of being ready

26 November 2018

After a few phone calls and emails, I have managed to get into contact with the activities director at Valle Verde at have a date set for the recital--December 4th at 4pm. Also from my piano teacher, I have received at least 10 people to be in the recital! I am excited about this because I don't want to have too many or too few people. I am working with my teacher to figure out how to create a bulletin to invite other students that are not already her students.

12 November 2018

So after deciding to schedule the recital at Valle Verde, I have struggled to get in contact with them. I was eventually able to get to their answering machine to leave a message about scheduling the recital and why I am interested in doing it.

October 2018

I have confirmed with my piano instructor that she can be my supervisor for my CAS project. Also, she noted that it is never too early to get onto the schedule, as most retirement communities will plan the month's events far ahead of time. I am currently thinking to change venues for the recital from where we have had the last 3 or so because, while the facility is very nice and quite welcoming, there are never more than a handful of non-familial audience members. In an effort to create a more formal, performance-like scenario, I would like to have the recital at this facility called Valle Verde--somewhere that we've never had a recital at before.

September 2018

As my CAS project I would like to coordinate a piano recital in a retirement community. Ever since I began piano lessons with my teacher, Leanne Simandle, I have been performing all of my recitals in retirement homes. As a young kid it was awkward for me to interact with the elderly residents afterward, but over time I have really grown to have a heart for the elderly in the community, especially as they generally do not receive very much respect in this society. Because of this, I think it is a really beautiful thing to have interactions between the young and the old and because our community no longer fosters this in the same way as in centuries past, I would like to do my part in facilitating this very natural building of relationship. Also, it makes it easier to do this through something that both the young and old can relate to--music!