This post will be updated regularly as details develop. [last update: May 7]

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I can hardly wait for you all to hear each other.

Photography

There will be a professional photographer at each recital session, and the photos will be made available to you by about mid-June on a password-protected page on the website (or similar). With your consent, I’d like to add some of the best shots to the public pages. More to come on this soon!

Refreshments

Parents are invited to bring refreshments to their session of recital. If you’d rather be on setup or cleanup, I need that kind of help as well, so yes! If you and your spouse both plan to be on setup, claim two slots. Able-bodies kids also going to help? Cool. Just don’t claim a slot for your musician who needs to be warming up and settling down. Sign up here!

It really takes all of us to make this thing fly, so thank you!

The Basics

The recital will be split into three sessions over two days. Perform in one. Attend as many as you like.
Sign up for the number of minutes your performance takes. For example, if your performance takes about 3 minutes, you need 3 recital slots with your name on them.
Parents will be asked to either bring refreshments or pitch in on setup/cleanup. Sign up here!
Anyone who wants to come is invited to come. Does Grandma need a soft seat up front? Let me know now, and I’ll make it happen.
Look your best! Fancy shoes, makeup, ties, jackets, jewelry, or whatever makes you feel confident and as attractive as you can be — wear that. Just make sure you can perform in your outfit.
Performers should be inside the venue 20-25 minutes before showtime.
Singers will warm up as a group at 15 minutes before showtime in the green room. This will be a 5-minute exercise.
Amps, guitars, cables, or any props should be in place at least 10 minutes before showtime. Guitars should be tuned and amps should be adjusted for the room.
Guests should be seated by a couple of minutes before showtime because we will start on time, come heck or medium water.
Make sure nothing in your control will beep, flash, ring, or otherwise take us out of the moment. Double check this.
In general, wait to applaud until the current performer relaxes.
Breathe! Breathe some more!
Ms. Lauren will perform a different aria at each recital session. Which one will you hear?

Three Shows, Two Days, Two Venues

Make sure you know which venue you’ll be playing in.

7:00 pm, Friday, May 17 — Addison building (7405 S Addison Ct, Aurora, CO 80016)
10:00 am, Saturday, May 18 — Addison building (7405 S Addison Ct, Aurora, CO 80016)
7:00 pm, Saturday, May 18 — Dorado building (21750 E Dorado Ave, Aurora, CO 80015)

Improvisation

Everyone who is ready and interested is welcome to take a turn at improvising during the recital. This is optional. I will play lots of choruses of a 12-bar blues (or a ii-V-I if that’s what we practiced together) on the piano, and musicians will rotate through, taking 12 or 24 measures. Singers and non-amped guitarists will need to line up at mics while pianists can line up by the piano. Hear something awesome that somebody else just did? Riff on that, cats. Riff on that.

Once you blow, stay up at the front so we can all high-five afterward and take a bow together. It’ll be cool.

On Recital Day

Upon arrival at the venue, performers should go directly to the green room (follow arrows) to sign in. This is very helpful to me, so don’t forget to mark yourself present. Tune and warm up either in the green room or in one of the many side rooms, and then place your equipment in the performance space. Singers will have a 5-minute group warmup in the green room at precisely 15 minutes to showtime (this can include you if you are singing while playing your main instrument) — so this is a good time to warm up somewhere else if you are not singing.

Food should be taken to the serving area (follow signs).

Remember that everyone in the building is rooting for you and will listen with loving and eager ears. You are good at this, and this is as fun as you are prepared. So relax. Breathe. Make music.