Creating your own festival for students is a great way to not only give students an extra performance opportunity, but to also increase your income.
New Orleans has a big competition coming up in April where the students have to play three memorized pieces for a judge. Creating the festival gave my students extra motivation to memorize at least one or two pieces that they will perform again in April.
Students who received a superior rating at the festival will receive a trophy at the Spring recital.
With your own solo festival, think about your expenses before you set your fee for your students. Expenses include:
- Paying the judge
- Building fee (If you use a building other than your home or studio)
- Awards (Medals and ribbons are cheaper than trophies)
I recommend charging at least $15-20 per student for the event so that you can make a profit.
Don’t be afraid to make a profit! Think of all the time you spend organizing the event and being present the day of the festival. I also wrote about another teacher who created her own festival here. You can even invite other teachers to participate.
It’s important to note that you don’t have to have a commercial space to do this. With a small amount of students, you could easily do this from your home.
Here are the two forms I used for the event. I’m including the Word documents in case you want to edit them. Feel free to email me if you’d like them in another form!
Solo Festival – Sign up Sheet
Solo Festival – Adjudication Form
Lauren teaches piano to students of all ages in New Orleans, LA. Teaching is her passion. She enjoys creating resources for her students and is the author of Ready for Theory®.
