What’s a “Spring Studio Showcase”?
The David M. Glasgow Spring Studio Showcase (DMGS3) is an annual opportunity for my students to gather together and show off the progress they’ve made over the past year. Family members and friends are encouraged and welcomed to attend—attendance is free, though I do gratefully accept donations to help offset the more than $3000 it takes to pay the band and technicians who help make the day magical!
When and where is this year’s DMGS3?
DMGS3 2024 is scheduled for 1:00 PM, Saturday, April 27, 2024 at the UUCV Meeting House in Boiling Springs.
What do I need to do between now and then?
- Please be sure you’ve completed a Planning Form that gives me biographical information, expected guest count, and other information.
- I’d also appreciate parents and family members who are willing to volunteer for a few behind-the-scenes tasks to help the day go smoothly. A list of available tasks and sign up for whatever interests you (including a wild-card “tell me how I can help” slot) is available at Signup Genius.
Are there special rehearsals for the DMGS3?
Kinda. There will be short rehearsals earlier in the day on the day of the Showcase, so singers can run their pieces with the band, and pianists can play on the actual performance instrument in the space, before the audience arrives. Please take note of the following:
- You need not wear your actual “showcase outfit” for the “dress rehearsal,” though I do recommend you wear the shoes you plan to wear, just so you don’t have any surprises when it comes to mobility or breathing!
- The “dress rehearsal” schedule does not correspond to “performance order” for the showcase itself. Instead, this order is determined by a number of factors, including students’ travel distance to the venue, band and ensemble combinations, other responsibilities on the day, etc.
- Once you’ve had a “dress rehearsal” run of each of your pieces, you’re free to hang out or to leave the building for lunch, sightseeing, or whatever. Just please be back in the Sanctuary by 12:50 PM for the group photo!
What should I wear? What’s the decorum at this event?
The DMGS3 is about having fun and sharing the fruits of our labors with an appreciative audience. Some students enjoy dressing up and “making an event of it”; others would feel awkward and self-conscious if they felt they had to wear clothing that’s outside their usual comfort zone. I will be wearing my trademark blazer-and-jeans combination; I encourage students and audience members alike to be comfortable and enjoy the event!
In some studios, students are expected to prepare a spoken introduction for each piece they perform. While I may request this of students who are preparing to enter college performance programs, I usually include necessary program notes in print form. This allows for a more streamlined event and takes some stress off my young performers!
May I record the performance?
I ask that you NOT try to record the performance in any form, video or audio. I contract professional audio and video engineers to create neatly produced videos of every student performance, so that friends and family can enjoy the experience live rather than through their smartphones! These professional video clips will be available on my website (Teaching → Spring Studio Showcase) within a few weeks after the event, and I’ll contact each performer with shareable links as soon as they’re ready!
Other than performing, what should students be prepared to do?
In order to keep things flowing smoothly, each student will have an assigned seat in the front row(s) of the space—students should look for their names when they arrive. As the audience applauds for the prior student, you can then move forward to the piano or microphone and get ready to amaze us! After you’ve performed, you’re free to return to “your” seat, or simply go back and sit with any family or friends who may have come to support you!
Sorry. You mentioned “snacks” earlier?
Yes, I did. It’s become a tradition for enthusiastic and generous parents to channel (some of!) their nervous energy into helping provide refreshments for after the Showcase. So if you have a killer brownie recipe that you’d like to show off—for some reason the taste of powdered lemon bars is deeply tied to my memories of childhood piano recitals—I eagerly encourage you to sign up to bring them! (Just note that UUCV does not allow food containing nuts in their facility, so leave the walnuts out of your brownies!)
Goodness! How on earth do you pay for all of this fabulousness?
I believe firmly that the value of this experience to my students is worth my investment. And I also feel very strongly that anyone who wants to enjoy this event should be able to attend, so I resist the idea of selling tickets or charging admission. But many who have attended past DMGS3 showcases have enthusiastically shared that they feel the event is worth paying for.
If you would like to help me express my gratitude to the many professionals who help make this event amazing, I would be very grateful for additional contributions above the minimum per-family Subsidy fee. You can make additional contributions by credit card or PayPal on this page. Whatever gift you feel is appropriate will be gratefully received and distributed among the many skilled folks who make this event amazing!