Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum Do you give out recital awards or prizes?

I used to give out recital trophies when I had a small teaching studio. They were about $5 per student plus shipping, and I got their names engraved on them. They were always a big hit, and students worked hard for them. But now that I have close to 40 students, I'm not sure that I want to fool with trophies at each recital (shipping alone on 40 trophies is going to kill me!). I am in a new area now and no one knows I used to give out trophies LOL, so I could set a new precedent here by just giving out certificates, or something else.

Do you give out certificates at recitals, or trophies, or some other award? Or nothing at all?

One tricky thing is that our winter recital is in early December, so I'm trying to figure out if I should give the kids a combined recital/Christmas gift, or separate them.

I'd love to hear what other teachers do, especially those with large teaching studios! How much do you budget for each student?

This past year I gave out "Symphony" candy bars (large Hershey) after each child performed at my piano parties. This year I think I'll switch to "Old Kentucky Chocolate" bars since they are fabulous. It costs about $1 per student.

I've given out "Symphony" candy bars before, too!

And, "Butterfingers!"

And, "Dots" to remind kids to count their half note dots. (Dotted quarter notes)

Candy with a message, who knew?

I always give certificates. Not for any kind of award, "best of" etc.... but I write the names of the pieces that they play each year. The kids have told me that it's fun to see what they play from year to year. Sometimes they'll hear something that they played and go home to see what year they did it It's easy and inexpensive. I think they're about 6$ for 25 of them, I calligraphy on them so they look fancy

Great idea about the Symphony candy bars LOL!

I found some certificates online that are just as Ebony said, about $6 for 25, so for $12 I can take care of all my students. I wish my local music store carried them, though.

I was getting ready to buy some items from Friendship House but their shipping is ridiculous!! And no teacher discount. Boo.

Great idea, E&I about the certificates with the names of their piece on it. I might have to try that.

The last few years I've been creating tree ornaments for each student. I buy ornaments in bulk at Hobby Lobby and either use paint or glitter to personalize it with the child's name and the year. I let them put it on my tree wherever they want and at the last lesson before the holidays I let them take it home. It's always a big hit to find their ornament, put it on the tree and see it fill up with all my other students' names. I have no idea what the cost would come out to for each student, but I think the personalized touch is meaningful.

I give out certificates at the Spring recital, along with MTNA Music Study awards. This is such an honor to those kids that earn their 2, 4 and 6 year awards. I should have a couple of 8 year ones before they graduate, too. I can just imagine the look of adoration on the eyes of the young ones when they get those!

I don't give out awards but in the spring recital program I list all of their accomplishments for the year. So under their name and piece it would also say, guild program, high school music contest, scholarship winner, graduating senior, etc. depending on what they have done throughout the year.

Oh, these are great ideas!! Thanks for sharing them!

TrophyDepot has free shipping on orders over $95. A 6" tall trophy like this is only $3.49 with free engraving.

Wow CY, that's a great find. I might do those instead and just build it into the recital fee. Getting a trophy is always more fun than getting a certificate LOL. Thanks!!

I know this sounds awful, but kids know when everyone gets a trophy, the trophy isn't so special. And when everyone gets a certificate, it's just a piece of paper.

I used to do in-studio competitions (adjudicated!) and handed out trophies. Bad idea. Very bad idea. Now I just do plain recitals, with nothing attached. No door prizes. No "everyone gets a trophy" trophy. And no certificates.

But I still provide food! Just ask your students what they like the most about recitals. THE FOOD!!

If you are going to build into the recital fee, you might just get the taller one for about $7.

I think most kids love trophies. Certificate is like of cheap unless it's a thicker cardboard paper with a frame.

How about just have different size of trophies? The top performers get bigger ones and the bottom performers get the smaller ones. I know my son and his friends love trophies. The certificates they received usually end up in the recycle bin.

I know kids love trophies. That's why I make them do competitions, where they can _earn_ their trophies. They also cherish the trophy more if they know they had to work for them.

AZN, I can see your point about earning them. But, I have a lot of beginners and young students, and for many, this is their very first piano recital. I think it's important that they have something to show for their achievement, in order to foster a positive recital experience. The few students who saw the trophy (by accident on my computer today!) got sooo excited about it LOL. So for my purposes, I think the trophies will be great for the winter recital. I may not hand out trophies at the Spring recital, but I do plan to hand them out at this one.

In the past, I've given students the smaller size trophies (shown above) when they completed through a certain level of books (let's say Primer thru Level 2).

I would include the cost as part of the registration/enrollment/materials fee that I charge each year.

I usually give out really nice certificates of participation. The stock paper I get from Paper Direct. Also, MTNA has award certificates for completion of 2, 4, 6, 8, etc., years of lessons. Also quite nice. Students like them, they are easy to store or display without being kitschy or gaudy.

Geez I must really be old. When I was a kid, the reward for recital participation was...(no, not a rock ) ...recital participation!

State music competition we got small medals for "I" ratings...and small pins (with 2nd year, 3rd year etc) for "I" ratings in the local adjudicated auditions.

The only trophy I ever got was for "Outstanding Pianist" in my high school graduating class (don't be impressed, there were only 24 of us and only 2 pianists...I mostly got it because I was more willing to stay after school for accompanying). Yes. I still have the trophy...and it's beside my piano 28 years later. Apparently trophies are motivating!

My last teacher hands out a musical genealogy chart for her students...begins with Chopin and traces down to her and then ME. I have thought about continuing the lineage to my students but it seems too gimicky somehow.