Our First Ever Instagram Live Concert

Last night we had our first ever Instagram Live Concert, and what a concert it was!! Of all the different ideas we have had for activities to keep our students engaged and entertained during lockdown this was always my favourite and I am so glad it went as well as it did.

During the planning of the concert I was amazed by the enthusiasm of our students and their parents and the willingness for them to try something new. We had students who performed at the start of the concert who stayed on to watch the rest of the performances. We had relatives and friends of the students who were playing, who logged in to watch. We even had parents of students who weren’t playing in the concert who logged in and showed their support.

One of the great aspirations I had for the Instagram live concert was that friends and family members who maybe don’t live locally so wouldn’t normally be able to attend one of our concerts could watch this online. Also that friends and family who were isolating separately during the lockdown would get to see their friends/family performing. All of the comments and messages throughout the show were so enthusiastic and encouraging and it just highlights what a positive and supportive culture we have at our school.

I’m sure a number of the students who performed felt nervous beforehand but none of them showed it! Everyone who performed had a big beaming smile which was brilliant to see and the feedback that we have had is that they really enjoyed playing. I always think this experience of performing, especially at a young age, can be so advantageous in other areas of life such as public speaking or doing presentations at work, or even playing music in front of a sold out stadium full of fans!

One thing I really love about our school is the inclusivity and I always enjoy seeing this presented at our concerts. Last night was no different. We had students performing of a variety of different ages, instruments and genres. Two of our students had written the songs they were performing. Some students sang golden oldies and others modern pop songs. There was no planning involved in creating this variety, it just happened naturally.

We already had a number of students interested in doing a 2nd Instagram Live Concert and immediately after last night’s concert we had four more students express their interest after watching it. So keep your eyes out for the next one!