TEACHER FEATURE: Alexandra Schock’s Themed Piano Studio Recitals

This Teacher Feature spotlights my local piano teacher colleague and friend, Alexandra Schock. In this interview, Alex shares about the themed recitals she hosts featuring her piano students each spring. Inspired by her approach after meeting her three years ago, I’ve experimented with themed recitals of my own (see here, here, and here). Perhaps you’ll be inspired to try them too! –Joy

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Tell us about yourself and your piano teaching.

What was the original impetus for using themes for your piano studio recitals, and why do you continue this tradition to this day?

I often think back to the excitement I felt as a child anticipating or experiencing fun events such as holiday festivals, birthday parties, prize boxes, or scavenger hunts. These events stand out in my mind as some of my favorite memories of childhood. I remember the butterflies of excitement and the pure joy of being wholly absorbed in the magic. I try to incorporate this kind of magic into my recitals, hoping they become such positive experiences for my students that they leave a lasting imprint.

This desire to create special memories for my piano students gave me a blueprint for how to design my studio recitals. The idea for my first themed recital came from my childhood dance recitals, where the dance studio chose a different theme each summer and selected costumes, props, and music accordingly. I realized incorporating themes into my own studio recitals would help achieve this goal of creating memorable experiences. In fact, I used two themes from previous dance recitals — Around the World and The Four Seasons — for my own studio recitals.

Beyond creating magic and inspiration, I believe themed recitals reduce performance anxiety. The theme evokes a festive, relaxed atmosphere and provides a welcome distraction from nerves. Even amid anxiety and missed notes, I hope the positive feelings prevail.

What are some favorite themes from past years’ recitals?

First, here is the full list of past recital themes I’ve used:

• 2025: Colors of the Rainbow
• 2024: A Musical Feast
• 2023: The Four Seasons
• 2022: Under the Sea
• 2019: Around the World
• 2018: Once Upon a Time
• 2017: Animals!
• 2016: A Night at the Movies

My favorite themes so far have been Around the World and Once Upon a Time.

Tell us about your process for searching out and selecting appropriate recital pieces for students according to a given theme.

I start the process during the summer when my teaching load is lighter. Over a few weeks, I work a couple of hours at a time, going through my entire library to find pieces relating to my theme. When I find a relevant piece, I mark it with a post-it note and place it on a separate shelf. Once I have pulled all of the relevant music, I sort the pieces by level. Then I review all books in a student’s level and select pieces I think they would like best.

Most students above an elementary level choose a piece by the end of January at the latest. Sometimes students pick a piece as early as November if they are nervous or want a challenge piece. I determine when to start preparing their recital piece(s) based on many factors—such as a student’s maturity level, frustration tolerance, the piece’s level and length, and the amount of practice a student typically practices each week.

If I don’t have pieces that fit the theme at an appropriate level that a student likes, I search for alternative music to purchase. If I am struggling to find pieces for a particular theme, I have found it helpful to ask ChatGPT to give recommendations. For example, I unexpectedly struggled to find pieces for my Colors of the Rainbow recital. I asked ChatGPT to give me lists of pedagogical piano pieces with a color in the title. Finding repertoire can take time, so I start very early to ensure I have time to find music that each student loves.

Can you tell us more about the possibilities of working within a recital theme, in terms of decorations and other details for the event? How do these touches make the recital feel like a special day?

To make a themed recital special, I go beyond selecting themed pieces. I also decorate the venue, create themed programs, give themed student presents, and dress according to the theme. When possible, I incorporate themed reception food, and I’ve recently started including themed games.

Here are more details on how I use the theme as a launching pad for the event experience as a whole.

1. Attire

Dressing up in themed attire is always fun. I frequently dress according to my theme and encourage students to join me. For my Once Upon a Time recital, I wore a crown and one of my students came dressed as a knight. For my Four Seasons recital, I wore a snowflake dress and a student attended in full rain gear.

For my Under the Sea recital, I wore a mermaid dress and a parent even came dressed as a fisherman. For my food-themed recital, I wore a dress with lemons.

2. Decorations

My goal is to create a party atmosphere, and I think decorations transform a recital into a true celebration. Decorations completely change the feel of an event, making it more special, exciting, and memorable.

For my first themed recital, I used modest decorations—mostly streamers, balloons, and party store finds. Before my second themed recital, I began teaching the children and grandchildren of professional decorators, who elevated my decorating game significantly. For the first recital they attended (animal-themed), they provided large potted trees to create a jungle atmosphere. I added animal footprints, balloons, and streamers.

After that family stopped lessons and I no longer had convenient access to professional decorations, I began creating large balloon garlands. Balloons are affordable and always festive. Thanks to following professional balloon groups on Facebook, I learned how to make balloon garlands and arches (hint: the balloon garland kits and strips don’t work well).

I also sometimes create my own props. For my A Musical Feast recital, I created oversized candy props—cotton candy, Smarties, and lollipops—to decorate the stage and photo booth areas.

3. Food

Each year, I ask families to bring a dish to share. I have them sign up in advance to ensure variety and minimize duplicates. We often end up with a feast. When possible, I match the reception food to the theme—though this can be challenging. The only time I truly succeeded was with the Around the World recital, which featured an amazing assortment of international foods like baklava and samosas.

For my Colors of the Rainbow recital, I provided a colorful selection of sodas. This coming year’s theme is Movie Night, and I’m planning popcorn and other movie theater treats.

4. Presents

Each year, I create gift bags for my students to take home after the recital. I usually start collecting items a year or two in advance—both decor and gifts—to acquire items at reasonable prices. I’m continually on the lookout for clearance items that fit future themes.

My favorite gift bags so far were from the Around the World and Four Seasons recitals. For Around the World, I bought a packet of real international bills and gave each student currency from several countries. I also included various international candies with a description of each. I unknowingly bought one candy that smelled and tasted like sulfur or rotten eggs, which the kids thought was hilarious.

For The Four Seasons, I gave items relating to each season. To represent spring, I gave my students twist-fly butterflies. I wound them up and tucked a butterfly between notebooks in each bag. When students opened their bags, the butterflies flew into the air. I also collected seasonal candy throughout the year and included Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, and Christmas candy.

Occasionally, I hand-make the gift bags. I was particularly proud of my Once Upon a Time gift bags.

5. Programs

My programs always reflect the recital theme. My favorite past programs were for the Around the World and Once Upon a Time recitals. The Around the World program featured a world map with stars marking where each student’s piece originated. We “traveled” around the world by continent.

6. Name Cutouts

Every year, I purchase cutouts and put each performer’s name on one. At the end of the recital, students take theirs off the wall and bring it home.

7. Photo Booth

Some years, I have incorporated a photo booth and/or themed photo props.

8. Games

This past year, I incorporated a game for my Colors of the Rainbow recital reception. I separated Skittles by color and soaked them in water to remove the colored outer coating. Students and their families tried to guess each Skittle’s original color. The top two winners selected a prize.

Which themes have been the easiest and hardest to work with?

The easiest themes for finding pieces were Animals!, Under the Sea, and Around the World. The hardest themes for finding pieces were Colors of the Rainbow and A Musical Feast.

The easiest themes to find gifts for were Around the World, The Four Seasons, and Animals!. The hardest theme to find gifts for was A Musical Feast.

What do you enjoy most about doing themed recitals? How have your students and their parents responded to your recitals and themes?

I personally get so much joy from preparing and executing themed recitals—everything from shopping and decorating to planning the event itself. While not everyone may enjoy doing something quite so elaborate, I still think themed recitals are worth trying, even on a smaller scale.

Themed recitals bring focus to repertoire selection, helping students discover pieces they might not have found otherwise. A theme gives the studio a shared goal and creative focus. It can also connect musical concepts to broader ideas—like seasons or cultural traditions. Audiences appreciate them too, as themed recitals feel cohesive, meaningful, and memorable.

I love seeing the excitement in my students. As the recital approaches, my younger students often ask about their gift bags. On the big day, they’re thrilled to discover what’s inside, see the decorations and photo booth, and enjoy treats. Parents and grandparents frequently approach me during the reception to comment on the impressive decorations, asking if I did everything myself and how long it took. Even siblings who might otherwise seem bored at recitals get involved and enjoy themselves.

If you’ve never tried a theme recital before, I encourage you to start small and see how your students respond—you might be surprised by how much it enhances the entire recital experience.

Thank you, Alex, for sharing with us about your themed recitals. They look incredible, and so inspiring. Your students are lucky to have you!

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Your turn: Have you ever held a themed recital for your piano students? Tell us about it in the comment section below.