How Muddy Buddies Inspired My Spring Recital
Yes, you read it correctly. The irresistible sugar-coated cereal treat inspired my spring recital. And for that, I am very thankful as my idea bank had stalled.
Our son and daughter-in-law brought the yummy snack as dessert for our Sunday evening family dinner a couple of weeks ago. As we dug into the mix, we were pleasantly surprised by the twist on the standard peanut butter and chocolate medley. These buddies were LIME flavored and somehow just as addicting as the traditional.
After a handful—more like 3 handfuls—I determined that these lime buddies would be the grab-and-go snack offered at my spring recital.
A long time ago, I decided to substitute a refreshment table with a packaged snack that students could take and enjoy on the way home.
If you’ve provided refreshments at a recital, you know how much fuss this grab-and-go snack idea eliminates!
A week before the recital, I got busy shopping for the ingredients and followed this recipe.
Then I slipped down the Canva rabbit hole and designed tags for the bags of goodies. Check out the “key” lime tag below.
I made four batches which were about two batches too many.
The next day my arm ached from the stirring, cutting, and attaching the tags. Netflix kept me company as I bagged the buddies.
Once the snack was determined, a lime theme emerged. Notice the front and back of the program below.
I also included two more pages: one showcasing the drawings of the seven composers students learned about during Off Bench time with the videos featured in my Get Inspired! Episode 25.
Thanks to the power of Puzzel.org, I generated a customized crossword puzzle featuring composer names and music elements for the audience to complete as they listened to the performers.
The lime theme got me anticipating our son Carter’s June 3rd wedding in Key Largo, so ferns seemed appropriate to deck the stage with a tropical vibe.
Treat bags sat below the ferns and served as a reminder to students to grab a couple of muddy buddy bags before they left.
Senior student Kaitlyn arrived early to practice for her duet (see video below), so she posed behind the trophy table.
All students received a trophy for participating, some received trophies for their achievements in the National Federation of Music Clubs festival, some earned a Crumbl cookie for completing the 30-piece challenge, and the wrapped boxes are for my two graduating seniors.
It’s my tradition to give seniors a piano music box. Along with it comes a card. Besides a handwritten note, the card includes a QR code printed on an Avery sticker. When scanned, the QR code brings the seniors to their YouTube playlist. It’s a playlist of videos I’ve taken of them preparing for past recitals. The playlist begins with a video of me talking to them (recorded on Loom) and telling them how much I’d rather not part ways. As you know, saying goodbye to seniors is hard but is also a natural rite of passage.
Sigh.
Kaitlyn arrived early and so I asked her to pose with the trophy table.
Behind Kaitlyn in the photo below, you see chairs near the piano. I call these “on deck chairs” where pianists sit and watch the pianist performing before them. This saves tons of time as the audience does not have to wait for students to travel from their chairs and climb five steps up to the stage. It also gives pianists a chance to breathe and settle before performing.
I also moved chairs to the best camera angle in the house and invited the family to sit there when their pianist was performing so they’d have a clear shot of the “limelight.”
Each pianist received their trophies after they played. Before they left the stage with their trophies, I shared a “first” about each of them.
Here are just a few firsts:
One pianist played a piece by Haydn—the first time his name landed on my program.
One pianist is my next-door neighbor. He lives in the house where Nana and Papa lived for decades. They took care of our three boys as little guys. When Nana and Papa passed, new neighbors moved in, and they had two babies. One baby is now seven years old and walks over for lessons on Tuesdays.
Another pianist played a composition by another one of my students—never happened before and pretty cool!
Kaitlyn performed her original song with her friend and fantastic singer, Carly. Again…this hasn’t happened before.
Before the recital began, I made notes of what I wanted to say before and after the recital and I’m high fiving myself for remembering something important. Finally, I remembered to remind everyone that before they grab a snack, we have to grab a picture.
Both senior piano students performed original work. Miriam an original composition and Kaitlyn, an original song. Carly Lepard, who sings in the video below, helped Kaitlyn with the lyrics and melody. Kaitlyn chose the chords and patterns in the accompaniment. She wants to register her song “Who He Is” with CCLI as both our church and her church are eager to sing the song during services.
To prepare for this recital, I recorded students to simulate the pressure of an audience. After the second recording, they listened to both and determined their best.
This training prepared each pianist to play through any errors and perform with confidence.
I added their favorite to their growing playlist on my YouTube channel. Keeping everything unlisted protects their privacy and avoids copyright issues.
The best thing about this tradition? I have a spectacular ongoing performance collection showcasing each student’s musical growth.
These playlists are priceless keepsakes. I’m so pleased that QR codes and some stickers allow me to share a link to the playlist easily.
I hope this lime-themed post inspires you to keep things simple and focused on what matters—students in the LIMELIGHT making music and performing their best.
Let me know your ideas in the comments or if you have questions.
