Recitals Open Opportunities

Ken Smith is a Beaverton, Oregon dad. In this video he explains the importance of recitals at Oregon Music Academy and how music lessons and performing have helped his daughters overcome fear and enjoy getting up in front of a crowd.

Public speaking and performing in front of an audience is a common fear of adults. The nurturing environment at OMA helps kids beat this stage fright before it sets in. Whether your child is shy or outgoing, you’ll appreciate the performing opportunities that are available at OMA and how our positive teachers are here to help your child make progress and really shine. The life-skills your child learns through studying music translate to other areas of their life and open endless possibilities and opportunities. Contact us now to get learn more and get started.

“Sierra went from not knowing how to play the piano to
all of a sudden playing ode to joy two months later in front of a crowd. “

Ken Smith,
Beaverton, Oregon Dad

Video Transcript

I’m Ken Smith and I have two daughters – a six year old and a ten year old and they both go to OMA. The six year old for piano and she’s been going for about six months and the ten year old for guitar who’s been going for four years.

I would definitely recommend OMA to others, mainly because of the diversity of their teachers and how all of them that we’ve been exposed to have been a positive experience.

Believe it or not they even enjoy the recitals. I though that would be the nerve racking part for them, but they’ve really enjoyed it. I would have loved to have that experience at that age of getting in front of people and doing something like that. I think that’s one of the most important parts of OMA – is doing the recitals.

Since Maya’s first recital, she did well and she enjoyed it and now she’s at the point where she does talent shows at school, she’ll go up at this talent show at this family camp we do every summer, play and sing. She’s in the Sherwood choir and sings quite a bit with them and she does solos with them. I feel like all of that started from her first recitals that she did here. Because that was here first point of exposure at that level.

For Sierra, who we thought was going to be the shyer of the two, we were worried about her first recital and she got up there and she nailed her song perfectly and just smiled and walked off. And we’re like, “Ahh! that was great!”

And again it was just something I wasn’t exposed to at that age and I wish I was. And it’s always fun to watch them.

The other part of it besides just the recitals and the elimination of fear is the discipline to learn something starting from scratch. They see and feel their own progression. They take baby steps but they can see themselves making progress. Again that’s what the recitals really show.

Sierra went from not knowing how to play the piano to all of a sudden playing ode to joy two months later in front of a crowd. They see that progress and they’re very proud of that progress. That hopefully will transfer to school and other things they try and do.