Everything You Asked About Studio Showcase: FAQ

Studio Showcase successfully celebrated our first year of official existence with its 25th showcase! Sincerest gratitude goes out to everyone who came out to the one-year launch. It was a special event with a special live student performance, and it wouldn’t have been the same without all of you. Particular thank yous owed to our excellent student Wuxi Fang and her teacher Catarina Do Amaral for their participation and partnership - this program can’t happen without studios as excited as theirs was to be a part of it!

I was asked a few really good questions multiple times at the post-showcase gathering, so I thought I’d make the second blog post an FAQ.

Q: How much does it cost a student to be featured in Studio Showcase - is it really a free lesson/performance program every time?

A: Yes, it costs the student absolutely nothing and that will never change. We accept voluntary donations, but on principle the program hosts both completely free music lessons and free performances for the students, and we even allot transportation stipends when necessary so it doesn’t cost anything for the student to get there. 

Q: I know a music student who would love to participate in a showcase, how do you choose who gets this opportunity?

A: In most cases we leave it up to the partnering studio teacher to select their students. If asked, we encourage selection by need - which student who would benefit from participating is least likely to have an opportunity like this otherwise? Sometimes certain venues will prefer younger or older students and so we’ll specify that when selecting studios; we’re happy to accommodate what the venue thinks will be most entertaining and beneficial for the local community!

Q: Is this really the first time you’ve met the student?

A: Yes, in almost every instance, their Studio Showcase performance is the first time the teaching artist meets the student and hears them play! That’s a huge part of the authenticity of the experience. Every student who participates in Studio Showcase has a primary music instructor who is different from the teaching artist on that day, and working together to help the student, while fostering partnership and trust between their two teachers, is a central goal of these live music performances. We strive to prove that the spontaneous learning moments you witness at our programming can happen anywhere, with or without a prior relationship with the student, and have just as much power to be life-changing. Artists draw inspiration from multiple sources, and providing this kind of unique open music lesson experience to a student at a young age is not only phenomenal for the audience to observe, but also enormously beneficial for the student’s growth as a musician. 

Q: How much do you prepare for a studio showcase?

A: Assuming what the student will and won’t require before I hear them play can color my interpretation of their needs, seem arranged in a specious way, or otherwise affect the overall magic of the whole showcase. Given that, I try to do as little specific teaching prep work as possible. I love to know what they’re performing in advance to make sure I am familiar with the music, ready to provide contextual information, and able play some of the more challenging bits if I think it will be necessary to model anything for the student; however, it feels a bit fake to predetermine a talking point, and I always want the audience to be involved in the discovery process with us. 

That said, the general preparation to teach an open lesson effectively is a comprehensive life’s work. Teaching artists who specialize in this type of teaching have spent large parts of their careers studying both our instruments and the principles/skills required to make a true impact. For me, my life’s joy is teaching, and everything I do is informed the feeling of sharing knowledge and experiences. My academic and professional journey was extensive and is never over in my quest to continually improve as an educator. So all in all, indeed most of my waking hours are spent prepping for Studio Showcase. 

Q: I loved what I saw but don’t have extra income to give - aside from donations, how can I contribute to the program?

A: First, simply come enjoy our public events! Studio Showcase brings free live music performances and open lessons to communities near you - we created it with audience education top of mind; remember, the program is for you as much as it is for the students. A common refrain amongst classical musicians is that we have too many people who love to play the music and what we need is more patrons to simply appreciate it - I don’t agree, I think the more participants of any kind the better - but the larger point stands that interest and support of concertgoers and learners grows exponentially the more eyes we get on it. 

Another way is to connect with us and discuss how you can help us bring Studio Showcase to a new space - we’re always excited to branch out to a local venue you have a connection with. Open lessons also provide enormous benefits as a private leadership event for your company or as a workshop at a conference as well, so if you’re involved with one of those, or work for an organization that you think would benefit from stellar educational/leadership content, let us know! One of the reasons Studio Showcase is poised for rapid expansion is that the program can happen anywhere, anytime. There are music students everywhere, so all we need is a room with a piano - or not even that if the showcase features other instruments! 

👉 Contact us here to bring Studio Showcase to your community or with any other questions!

Many thanks again to all who came out on Sunday to see the program in action. Hope to see you on September 28 at the Darien Library!