To: "VOCALIST" <vocalist>
Subject: Re: creating your own opportunities (Was Nursing Homes)
Date sent: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 17:46:13 -0800
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

> I have several friends at school with me who are eager
> to perform...yet don't get to at all.
> Unfortunately , our school is very small......and my
> teacher tells me that optional recitals are a no-no
> second semester, due to the fact that all the juniors
> and seniors are giving theirs.

Molly,
That's funny. You'd think optional recitals would be not allowed if the
school were BIG - b/c there would be too many other students doing required
recitals. I've performed optional recitals at school, although it sure has
been hard to convince the office to allow them to be scheduled, just b/c of
all the other required recitals that need to be put in there!
You could try doing a recital in a church. I have investigated that - a
lot of churches are wonderful venues, w/ good pianos. The churches I have
looked into charged between $50-100 for rental for the evening, and a couple
of them agreed that whatever donations (a recital by donation is always an
idea) i collected at the door would go to the church. Either way, it isn't
TOO costly. And now that I have been a regular soloist at a local church, I
have been offered the facility for free to do a recital - an offer which I
havne't yet had the opportunity to take up.....
I have also heard of recitals being performed at local community
centers. When I was younger, one of my piano teachers rented out a large
room in a local community center. The instrument was fairly good, and if
you do a bit of decorating (the room was very bare), the occasion could be
very pleasant, and enjoyable for all. The room she rented easily could have
fit 80 people or more, and again, the piano was decent.
You could also try holding a recital in a very large house, if you know
anyone who would lend out their living room. It would be a smaller and
intimate recital, but I have had friends who say that they have held
recitals in homes that seat 50 or so people.
Hope this helps!

Fiona