June has always been one of the most demanding months of the school year. Exams, control tasks, final projects. When it comes to music and music schools, the final concerts are the ones that mark the whole month. Of course, the repertoire cannot be prepared in those few weeks, because constant exercise in the previous months is just as important and necessary. But this finish is crucial.
Essentially, all our work in the last few weeks is based on preparing the students for that day, when they will have their performance. Some students will have their first participation in a concert as the previous two years we had to skip those events. We all know the reason for it. Although, last year in June we did a kind of a video concert, which was not the same... actually, far away from the real experience of playing on the scene in front of people. Having an audience gives a completely different feeling.
The "different" feeling while performing applies to everyone. For us, adults, and also children. For those that are talented and the same, for the not that talented ones. However, there is a slight difference in the attitude between those that are skilled and prepared and those that are the same skilled but lazy. Those who think it's easy and can allow themselves the luxury of not practising. Even if they are self-confident when the day of the concert arrives some fear can come. In the end, the consciousness speaks, but it's late to study on the day of the performance.
The complete opposite of the latter is when a student is not talented but is hardworking. They struggle more in the beginning, it takes them more time to learn a piece and maybe they don't have that "something" that touches the soul of the audience. But, many times they perform better in exams and concerts.
In all these cases we, as teachers, have to recognize the problem on time and guide the students in the right way. If more study is needed, then we try to motivate (whatever way it is :D ) them to learn well that composition. If they already know the subject, but details and polishing are needed, then we work on that. All in all, a long and active process that requires a lot of energy, from both parts, teachers and students.
So, that is how my last weeks look like, motivating, motivating and you guess, more of that! Sometimes blackmailing motivating the older ones {teenage group} brings me a lot of fun! I know that in the end, they will learn well their compositions. The small ones need an additional effort and energy from us, as we have to prepare them for everything. How to bow, how to take a seat on the stage, what to do if they make a mistake, to be elegant, even to behave well {hahaha}. But it is all another story when they find themselves in the concert hall and not in the classroom.
The adrenaline level and excitement are at a high level. When the parents come to see their little ones, we are also excited and a bit nervous. Will all that we have been showing and teaching to the students give some fruits? Will they perform well as they learned? Those questions are the joy of a teacher, that at the same time gives also some interesting lessons through this last teaching month before the summer break.
So, dear fellow teachers from hive, what do your lessons look like in June? Is it the last month of the school year in your country? Do you have to prepare your students for exams, events, performances or similar? If you are not a teacher but a parent, what your children are expected to do in June? Do they have more exams? Let's share our experiences and help each other to survive this month :))
