Let me guess: you have a fairly new student, you opened your March invoice for Tamraloo Studios and were surprised to see a $60 fee added to your total! It’s like I read your mind, right? Read on to find out ALL the details pertaining to the hottest ticket in town happening May 19th and 20th :-)
Tamralooo’s Spring Showcase is a tradition that hearkens back almost 30 years to when Miss Tamie would hold mandatory piano and voice recitals in her living room in Everett, Washington. In those “olden days”, students would learn two pieces, one memorized, one not, and Tamie would set up her kitchen chairs, bake some cookies, and enjoy an hour of listening to her students showcase what they’d been learning over the year for their parents. As her student roster grew, so did the recitals - from her home to her church to Jessup, and finally, to Granite Spring Church in Lincoln California, when Showcase currently consists of five separate performances highlighting 500 students' hard work over the 2022-23 music lesson season. Although the numbers have grown and the process has changed slightly, that warm and wonderful feeling of celebrating your students' growth and achievements has become even more special and Showcase has become an event to look forward to with excitement and anticipation.
What should you expect when your child participated in Showcase? Each student will aim for performing one memorized piece of music, regardless of the genre or instrument. We understand that situations may occur and sometimes music is used, but our goal is to memorize, even if it's just a few measures of music. Each student will have an opportunity to have their portrait taken by a professional photographer https://www.facebook.com/catherinebitterphotography, which will be displayed onscreen during their performance and printed in the color program. Each participant will learn how to introduce themselves and their pieces, play for an audience, and bow afterward. Students will receive a keepsake to remember their performance by, and then enjoy a “feast” afterward as we congregate together around apps and desserts. The process is simple and streamlined so that all can participate, from our teeny tiny beginners to our seasoned performers.
As with any performance opportunity, Showcase always comes with a little nervousness and apprehension. Let me put your mind at ease: this is NOT an adjudicated, stuffy, scary event. Showcase is designed to be a joyful occasion to share with one another. It has nothing to do with perfection or competition and everything to do with doing your best, receiving a huge round of applause, and learning to do new things. Participants will walk through what they will be doing weeks ahead of time with their instructors so that by the time they perform, the routine will be old hat. We schedule students according to when their teacher will be in attendance, so they have that special familiar face present. We also make every effort to keep siblings together so families only have to attend one showcase. Putting together Showcase is a huge jigsaw puzzle of matching students and families to teachers, and although we cannot take showcase assignment requests, know that we put in hours upon hours of work to make attendance easy for you. Other than your recital fee, we do not charge for guests and encourage you to bring any and all who would like to attend. Showcase is NOT a moneymaking venture - it is a gift from Tamraloo to each of your students in gratitude for their hard work all year long.
Every student enrolled in Tamraloo is automatically enrolled in our May Showcase, but we understand that there are exceptions. If you or your student is over 18 or has attended lessons for less than 6 months, you may opt-out. Likewise, if you will be out of town or otherwise unable to anticipate on May 19 and 20th, feel free to opt-out. If you are concerned about Showcase for any other reason, please contact us so that we can work through any nerves, anxiety, fears, etc, that your student might have. In most cases, these issues can be resolved easily and Showcase can be a fantastic experience for everyone involved. We want to make Showcase the highlight of your year! We’ll see you on May 19th or 20th!