Recital & Recording Guidelines

Performing in front of a live audience is an important part of the Community Music School experience and is key to developing well-rounded musicians. CMS encourages students of all levels and ages to perform when they are ready, with permission from their teacher. Numerous free performance opportunities are available, including both in-house recitals and community events. Thanks to our generous donors, all CMS recitals are free for students who perform and free for the public to attend. Participation is not required, but is strongly encouraged.

Check out past performances on our YouTube channel.  

Share events with family & friends from the CMS Events Calendar.

See all upcoming recitals on our Calendar of Events page

• The teacher must approve the student’s performance and submit the appropriate Google Form before the deadline.  See each recital event page for the form link.  Also note the deadline and forms to request piano accompianment below.
  • Limit submissions to two short pieces for beginning students (under 2 minutes each), or one longer piece for intermediate and advanced* students (not to exceed 5 minutes).
  • *For advanced students, consideration may be given for a longer piece with Executive Director approval. Please email your request to kelly@cmslv.org.
• For in-house recitals, students are assigned seats in order of appearance in the program.
• Photography/video recording of your student is permitted. Please respect other performers and audience members.
• A reception is held following each of our in-house recitals. Families are encouraged to bring additional refreshments for the reception.
• All CMS recitals are free and open to the public.

Code of Conduct for CMS Recitals & Performances

• Students should dress appropriately for a performance.  Formal gowns and suits are not required; however, do not wear jeans, sweat pants, denim, shorts, or tank tops.
• Students should arrive by the posted time to warm up and check in with CMS staff.
• We encourage students and their families to stay for the entire recital so our students can learn to be good audience members and enjoy the performances of their fellow students. If you absolutely must leave early, please do so quietly, in between, and not during student performances.
• Audience members should silence all cell phones and refrain from talking and entering/exiting the hall during the performance.
• Do not enter or exit the recital hall while a performance is in progress.

Health & Safety Plan, effective 9/21/22

• Community Music School strongly encourages everyone to wear face masks, but does not require masks in our building. 
• All singers are required to wear masks during their performances. 
• The Dorothy H. Baker Recital Hall will be equipped with at least two MedifyAir air purifiers with HEPA and UV filtration.  Windows and doors will also be open to allow for air flow. 
• Since students will be sharing music stands and the piano, they are required to use the provided hand sanitizer before and after their performances. 
• Read the full Health & Safety Plan

Piano accompaniment for instrumental and vocal students is available for CMS recitals. If your teacher is unable to accompany you, we strongly recommend that you use one of our accompanists, to help you prepare for the performance and learn how to collaborate with a professional musician. 

To Request Piano Accompaniment

•  Review the guidelines below, then your teacher must complete the appropriate recital form at least 2 weeks prior to the recital deadline.  Please respect the advanced music deadlines below.

•  Current accompanists available are:

Kelly Hooper, piano     Biography   Contact
CMS Teaching Days:  Monday – Saturday

Griffin Woodard, piano     Biography   Contact
CMS Teaching Days: Tuesday, Thursday

Lynda Chen, piano     Biography   Contact
Accompaniment Scheduling by Request for 2024 Spring Recital & 2024 Year-End Recital

Vincent Trovato, piano     Biography   Contact
Accompaniment Scheduling by Request

•  Students must provide the performance music to the accompanist as follows:

Beginner/Intermediate – at least two weeks prior to the performance
Advanced – at least one month prior to the performance

•  Students should be prepared to rehearse with the accompanist at least one to two weeks prior to the recital.  The student’s teacher should be present for the rehearsal if possible. 

•  After the accompanist receives the request form, they will email the student/parent and teacher to schedule the rehearsal. 

•  For Virtual Recitals:  Recordings with the accompanist must be scheduled at least 1 week before the video submission deadline.

•  Fees for accompaniment:

Beginner $20.00, includes 15-minute rehearsal & performance
Intermediate $25.00, includes 30-minute rehearsal & performance
Advanced $35.00, includes 30-minute rehearsal & performance

If additional rehearsal time is required, CMS will apply a fee to the student’s account equal to the student’s regular lesson tuition.

CMS will apply accompaniment fees to the student family’s credit/debit card or ACH account on file in TeacherZone in the week following the recital.  

The teacher must review the student’s video and submit the Google Form before the deadline.  Limit submissions to two short pieces for beginning students (under 2 minutes each), or one longer piece for intermediate and advanced students (not to exceed 5 minutes).

PROPER ATTIRE  Follow the CMS Code of Conduct for Recitals and Performances as outlined in the Student Policies and Procedures. Students should dress appropriately for a performance.  Please do not wear jeans, denim, shorts, or tank tops.

RESOLUTION A resolution of at least 1280×720 in .mov or .mp4 format is preferred. Please keep video file sizes reasonable (e.g. under 500 MB for a 3-minute piece).

AUDIO  Audio-only files may also be submitted, but video is preferred.  If using a recorded backing track, make sure the volume of the track is appropriate for the volume of your instrument.

STABILIZE If recording on a cell phone or tablet, stabilize the device on a tripod or other solid object to minimize camera shake.

LANDSCAPE  Record your video in landscape (horizontal) format.  If you are not able to record in landscape format, please ensure that your video is uploaded in a high enough resolution to accommodate for cropping to fit 1280 × 720.

FRAMING  Frame yourself with enough space at the bottom of the screen so the caption does not cover your hands (especially for piano students). See example.

LIGHT  Your primary light source should be in front of you. Be sure there is not a bright window or other bright light source directly behind you.

CLUTTER  Clear away any household clutter in the background.

INTRODUCTION  Before beginning your performance, acknowledge the camera, and introduce yourself and your piece(s).  Be sure to speak slowly, loudly, and clearly.  At the end of the recording, you are welcome to acknowledge the camera with a final bow or wave.  The volume of your introduction should be the same as the volume of your performance.

TRANSITIONS  Leave at least 3 seconds before and after the piece to allow for editing smooth transitions.

QUALITY  We may edit or omit any files with poor video or audio quality, or we will request that you submit a new recording. Videos cannot be re-recorded and re-submitted after the deadline.

FILE NAME  Name the file with the student’s name (First Name, Last Name) and title of the piece. If submitting two beginner-level pieces, submit each piece as a separate video, named appropriately.

UPLOAD YOUR VIDEO  Before the deadline, upload your file(s) to the appropriate Google Drive folder above.  If uploading from desktop, drag and drop the file into the folder or use the “+ NEW” button in the top left of the screen.  If uploading directly from your mobile device, you must download the Google Drive app, and then use the “+” in the lower right to upload the file.

TEACHER REVIEW & APPROVAL  After uploading your video, on desktop, right-click the uploaded file and either “Share” or “Get Link” to email the link to your teacher for review and approval.  On mobile, access the share options by clicking on the three dots next to the file name.  No videos will be included in the recital without teacher approval.

TEACHER SUBMISSION  Once your teacher reviews and approves your performance, the teacher will move the files to the “Approved” Google Drive folder.  Only approved videos will be included in the final recital.  Be sure to allow your teacher enough time to review and approve your video before the deadline.  If your teacher requires you to re-record your performance, the new video must be recorded and approved before the deadline.  No videos will be accepted after the deadline.

We look forward to your performance!

Performing in front of a live audience is an important part of the Community Music School experience and is key to becoming a well-rounded musician. CMS encourages students of all levels and ages to perform when they are ready, with approval from their teachers.  

We encourage both new and returning students to sign up for this free 45-minute workshop.  We will cover the basics of preparing for a live musical performance, including seating, how to enter and exit the performance space, how to bow, and how to be an engaged member of the audience.  Students may also have the opportunity to perform part of their recital pieces in front of their peers.

We highly recommend that new students attend this workshop before performing in their first CMS recital. Existing students who would like a refresher course on performance basics are also welcome.