Millions of people watch and read about the Olympics. This time is particularly special for Tomoko and her family because in 2002 her daughter Beata and husband Charles exhibited their ice dancing expertise at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
In a
way, piano recitals mirror that same kind of high-stakes public performance. To motivate
students and give them opportunities to perform in public, Tomoko plans recitals twice a year to display her students’ efforts and encourage others to learn how to play the piano for their own enjoyment. As the
impresario for her students’ recitals, Tomoko chooses pieces according to each student’s ability, wherever they were on the performance spectrum. She puts together the program with a clear path in mind, and then matches the details, preparing all the music. Tomoko says: “I see myself as a designer and fashioner of the musical program.” It takes up to four months to get ready for the recital. “Students need time to memorize well, but they can’t peak too early,” Tomoko knows by experience. By the time of the performance, everyone is be excited: the students, the parents, and Tomoko herself. The recitals are stimulating, like a good game; all the students try their best. Tomoko concludes: “Recitals are not the time to criticize but rather a time to celebrate, like the holidays.”
