How to write a great bio.

We have a long traditional at The Piano School of featuring student-written bios in every recital program. Here are a few tips for writing a great bio:

1. Complete all questions. There is a bio form just before Lesson 1 in your assignment book. You will notice that there are a few fill-in-the-blank questions preceding the space for your bio paragraph. Don't leave these blank.
2. Talk about what you really like. These bios will be treasures to you one day as they will provide a glimpse into your mind at several points throughout your growth. One day you will laugh at some of the things you used to be interested in or your career ambitions as a very young child. 
3. Show your personality. Are you a funny person or a serious one? Do you like to speak in foreign languages? Do you like to use certain words that are uniquely yours? Go ahead and showcase these things in your bio. 
4. Don't try to impress anybody. Your bio should be all about you...not about what you think other people want to hear. Do you like bacon more than anything? Do you collect toilet paper rolls? Do you wish you were a monkey? Do you want to be a famous explorer? Tell us about it! (These are things that students have actually written in the past, and they are great!)
5. Don't say "undecided" for your career ambition. Of course, you will not have to actually embark on the career that you list in your bio, so don't worry about choosing one thing now and another 6 months from now. That's part of the fun!
6. Do not restate information from the preliminary questions in your paragraph. The fill-in-the-blank questions that precede your paragraph will include your name, age, school, parents' names, and career ambition, so don't begin your paragraph with that same information. For example, "My name is ___, and I am ___ years old. I go to _____ school, and I want to be a ______ when I grow up." Instead, focus on other aspects of who you are.
7. Hobbies. Special Interests. Recent Experiences. Favorites. These are all perfect things to explore in your bio paragraph. No item is too trivial if it is important to you.
8. If you email or type your bio, remember to answer the preliminary questions! These are: Name, Age, School, Parents' Names, and Career Ambition. The paragraph following these questions should be about 60 words long. The other day when I reminded a student about this, she said, "But you already know how old I am!" I answered, "Yes, but all of my students' ages get lumped into a giant student casserole in my head, and I forget." Actually, I can look up your age, but please save me that time and include it with your bio.
9. Younger students may dictate their bios. If a student is too young to write out his/her own bio independently, an adult may take dictation. Just be sure to capture the child's actual voice and wording!

One more thing to remember. Your bios will be collected during the entire time you study piano with me. If you remain an active student until your high school graduation, I will share highlights from some of your bios at your final spring recital. There's something to look forward to!