This past year, Cockeysville Music hosted three series of Digital Recitals via YouTube live.
Students were asked to record themselves from their homes the week before the event, then these videos were stitched together and streamed "live" at a scheduled recital time. Instead of bowing, students introduced themselves and their piece to the camera, and ended with a wave and salutation - "Thanks for listening!" or "Be well, good luck!" We also took advantage of the pre-production time, and encouraged creative camera views, family guest appearances, and even distanced duets.
We found this to be a very effective (and very fun) way of sharing music with each other during the months of distanced lessons. Students were able to relax and watch their performances excitedly from home with their families, many of whom commented in the live chat throughout the stream with applause emojis, some nerdy commentary from the teachers, and students trading rep ideas. Particularly worthwhile was the ability to include family and friends from far away, who would normally not be able to attend a live recital (this has us even considering streaming future live recitals, as it got students excited to share their music in a novel way and connected family during a time of isolation.)
Now that we've gotten the hang of it, some of the teachers have also hosted smaller events throughout the year, like listening parties, group classes, and competition practice performances. We look forward to including virtual performances with regularity in the future, and making the most of both in-person and long-distance tools.