It’s officially the Holiday Season! It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. It’s also the perfect time of year to engage in service within the community.
We believe in the power of music as a tool for serving others, especially during the Holidays. Learning a piece of music with the intention to share it with others or as an act of service is such a unique opportunity, one we hope each of our students will experience.
So if you or your musician are looking for a way to put those long hours of practice to good use, look no further. Here’s our top three suggestions for serving with music this season...
Charities and non-profit organizations often host fundraisers, parties, or other big events during the Holidays. Many smaller and/or local non-profits operate on a very small budget, so volunteering to play music at these events is a great way to get some performance practice while supporting a cause that’s meaningful for your family.
Depending on the needs of the organization, you and your student can organize a group of friends to perform as a small group, or they can simply perform as a soloist.
Most importantly, take the time to research organizations in your area that are important to your musician. Maybe it’s a local animal shelter for your pet-loving pianist, or an organization like Big Brother Big Sister that works with young adults the same age as your aspiring violinist. Either way, this is a great time of year to get involved while also fostering a love for musical performance.
Many school music groups have a tradition of performing at hospitals or assisted living centers during the Holidays, which is a great way to bring some Holiday spirit to members of the community who are often overlooked.
But your student can also get involved on their own by offering to perform outside of the big Holiday events. For those separated from their families due to illness or increased care needs, it’s often the quiet Wednesday evenings or Saturday mornings that can feel the loneliest.
Volunteering to play during these “slow” times can be very impactful, especially this year, when some of the traditional performances may still be on hold due to COVID-19 concerns.
Performing as a soloist in an environment where social distancing is possible may be the only opportunity for residents of a care center to enjoy listening to Holiday music this year, making it a truly meaningful act of service.
If your student isn’t quite ready to give a Holiday performance, they can still find ways to incorporate their love of music into serving others.
If there is a local musical performance happening in your community, they may need ushers, greeters, or guides to help everything run smoothly. Larger performance venues may already provide these services, but smaller venues often rely on volunteers from the community.
Some venues may also need individuals to help differently-abled guests access their seats safely, even if that just means helping keep pathways clear and directing patrons away from seating areas designated for the differently abled.
Not only does this type of volunteering help support your local music community, it can help normalize performing for students struggling with performance anxiety. Sometimes a beginning performer just needs to see how it’s done before they can feel confident enough to perform in the future.
At The Piano Place we are committed to providing a high-quality, personalized musical education for each of our students.
But we are also dedicated to “making more than musicians.” This means seeing music lessons as an opportunity to build self-confidence, self-esteem, and the ability to see music as a way of engaging in the community.
We hope you find ways to incorporate music as you brighten both your communities and homes this Holiday season. And we’re especially excited to work with you in the upcoming New Year!
