6 (non-recital) performance ideas for adult pianists

When you take piano lessons as a kid, part of the learning process almost always involves performing in the instructor’s studio recitals. These experiences can be motivating or terrifying (or both!), but most students find that a performance goal helps them learn a piece of music more deeply than simply playing for the teacher each week. Many young pianists also learn another important thing when they play publicly—namely, that music is a communal activity and that it’s meaningful to share it with others.

Adult learners (whether “returners” or beginners) frequently lack the opportunity or motivation to play in recitals. This may be ideal for some pianists, but others find that they miss being able to share what they learn with other people. Thankfully, this isn’t a binary world where the options are recitals or nothing. I taught many adult students and while few of them chose to participate in formal recitals, all but one of them sought other ways to play for others. Here are some performance ideas they adopted. Maybe these suggestions will be helpful if you’re looking for ways to share your favorite music with friendly listeners.

Video performances

Fear the tight-wire act of playing live? Consider making an informal video of your performance and uploading it to your own personal YouTube channel. As nearly every cell phone comes with a recording option, videos are easy to create. The best part? You can record it over and over again until you’re happy with it, and you can decide who gets to view it once it’s on YouTube. Mark the video public, and it’s available to everyone. Set it up as private, and you control who sees it.

Online performance

Crave the excitement of performing live, without having to leave your home? Consider performing for family and friends over Zoom or FaceTime. Having even one or two listeners feels like a performance, and the music you share can be a rewarding way to make someone else’s life happier—especially loved ones who live far away or are shut-ins. Some of my favorite past performances were given over the phone to elderly family members.

Start or join a playing group

Whether you discover a local piano playing group through your instructor, a music store, or through websites such as MeetUp, piano groups are an excellent way to connect with adult players, present your music, and hear what others are playing. No playing group in your area? Consider starting your own. This is also a creative way to make like-minded friends.

Hold a casual musical soirée

My late friend Widney Moore was the pianist who taught me this tip. At least once a year she invited friends to her home to sip wine, nosh on nibbles, and listen to her play. These events were so much fun that her soirées became coveted social events. We always knew we’d hear great music and encounter passionate, artistic people at Widney’s events, and her playing improved each time she held one.

Make a recording

Feel you’ve learned several pieces so well that you’d like to have a permanent record of your performance of them? Consider making a recording. In the past, this required players to rent time in a recording studio. Now, thanks to technology, excellent recordings can be made in your own home using just a laptop computer, programs such as Garage Band, and a few microphones. For the technology adverse, many high school and college musicians are skilled in this area and would be thrilled to earn a bit of money for a few hours of work.

Collaborate with other adult musicians

Have a friend who plays another instrument or sings? Or how about a friend who is also a pianist? Whether it be playing piano duets or collaborating with another instrument, it can be immensely rewarding to create music with other people.

Whether you try one (or more!) of these ideas or come up with some of your own, I encourage you to take a risk and play your pieces for friendly, receptive listeners. The joy and enthusiasm we bring to music we love is infectious. We may hear the mistakes we make, but most of our listeners care more about the love we pour into the notes. It matters little if we’re great players. What matters is that we’ve discovered something that makes us come alive, and that we’re willing to share it with others.

Update: Enthusiastic pianist and No Dead Guys reader John Stangle offered a 7th suggestion. In John’s words, “As an adult beginner, I have been able to share my modest music with hospitals and senior care homes. These facilities welcome my live music as long as I am well prepared.”

Got another great idea? Share it!