Why I'll Never Do Another Recital

How the KLVS Showcase Experience has transformed my Studio, and my teaching

Sarah C performs in a KLVS Showcase

It was three years ago, in the early spring. I was out for a walk on the bike path near my house, as I am wont to do.

I had been thinking a lot about the shape that my work in my recently-transitioned-to adults-only voice studio had been taking. I had been hosting traditional recitals for my Studio twice annually for nearly a decade at this point…and it just wasn’t feeling aligned anymore.

Sure, I mused, recitals can be a great opportunity to “show what you know”, but it’s a lot of anxiety and preparation over just one or two songs. In my experience, these high pressure, all-or-nothing type situations led to anxiety, perfectionism, and a lot of performance disappointment - for students of all ages.

As I walked, my thoughts floated. I knew that my current students were ready for more, vocally and artistically, and that I had a real opportunity in front of me to push the growth edge of their confidence. It came to me that what I really wanted for my Studio community was a performance experience that would be more than just a recital.

I thought, we should do a long-form performance.

It was on this walk that the idea for the KLVS Studio Showcase Experience was born.

In that first season, I invited my Studio members to dream up a concept and curate a solo set of 10-20 minutes of solo music. The sky was the limit in terms of theme, genre, shaping, and style. Each student chose songs and themes that were uniquely relevant for them, and we worked over a period of 2-4 months to develop, hone, and prepare their sets.

The inaugural Showcase Series proved to be a huge success, and the wins were innumerable - increased confidence, joy, ownership, exploration, stamina, artistic self realization, self trust, and more.

We are now 3 years into this grand experiment, which has turned out to be the only vocal capstone event I will ever do with my adult singers.

Why? Recitals can be fun, or even chill, in the right circumstances.

But, typically, it’s so much pressure, for so little reward.

And it perpetuates both the master/apprentice model, and the culture of striving for perfection in music.

Now, I’m all about quality results, but perfection is a myth. What do you remember when you see a great performance? The flaws, the mistakes, the flubs?

No. If you even noticed those imperfections in the first place (debatable) - You remember the impact. How you felt in that moment. How the artist on stage moved you.

Our industry (especially coming from a classical background) has historically been way too focused on getting it right at the expense of all else.

What if instead, we could focus on getting it real? Being in the moment? Having all that skill and confidence and technique to back you up, so that you are free to communicate in an extended moment through the music that you love?

This is what the Showcase has done for the singers in my Studio community.

We are now in our third season of doing Showcases, and I’ll never go back. To singers who are new to the program, it can seem a daunting task. But, I work with them every step of the way, and relentlessly cheer them on and advocate for them as they develop confidence, clarity, and self expression through the process.

And for the singers who are now returning for their second or third Showcase performance? They are now offering more songs, exploring new genres, expanding their vocal range, and creating even more cohesively themed programs. It’s a joy to witness and be a part of this growth with them.

So, here’s where I come to an invitation.

Since I dreamed this idea up, the KLVS Showcase Experience has become a well established offering within my studio.

There are are two commitment levels available:

• A full year-long membership for new students, which takes you through everything from the basic fundamentals of building a vocal technique to finding your artistic identity to producing your own solo showcase

• A four-month Showcase Accelerator program, which I am piloting this year, which is designed for experienced, established, and professional singers.

Both of these programs are rolling/open, and you can enroll any time.

So, if you’ve been longing to get (back) up on stage, and are curious about what your voice can do, or what you might be able to accomplish with the right direction and encouragement to push you just a little bit further than you’ve ever gone before, a little bit out of that comfort zone… there is a place here for you. Reach out to chat.