As we prepare our students to be on stage in a few weeks, I am reminded of how vital Performing Skills are for the students. Frequently an inquiring parent will tell me 
that their child is so shy that they will not say their name outside of their house. My reply is, “No worries. They don’t have to perform in the classroom or on stage. But if they do… they will earn a reward.” That approach works wonderfully.
That is a result of “Positive Peer Pressure.”
In a classroom environment, if everyone else is doing something for a “prize” then the shy student usually follows along quite joyfully. This presses them gently forward past their shyness into performing. Once they take that drastic first step then they become more comfortable and love to perform.
Performing … a vital life skill enables the child to perform in many non-musical settings, creating ease and comfort in front of others for the rest of their life. Let’s get ready to have fun and do our best!