We had studio class on Saturday. There were five students who participated. A big thank you to the students for playing and to the parents for taking the time to bring them to the class.
Studio Class can take so many different formats. One option is just to let the students play and try out their new music. Another way is to treat it more like a masterclass with critiques of each piece. This is more of a college type format and is usually only beneficial to students who are playing at an intermediate or higher level. Another option is a graded studio class. This is where an outside teacher is brought in and they fill out an information sheet about the student while the student is playing. This more closes resembles a festival experience.
It is important to me that the students feel comfortable on stage. A student should never feel embarrassed during studio class. Even if it is in a masterclass type setting and the student is being critiqued in from of the audience, the teacher should not make the student feel like they played poorly.
Hopefully this year we will be able to tryout all the different formats of studio class. I think it would be a good learning experience.
Some photos from the studio class can be found here.