Cincinnati School of Music · October 2026
Halloween at CSM
The Halloween costume contest, teacher spotlight George, student photos, October recitals, and practice advice for parents.
Halloween Week · October 26–31
🎃 CSM Halloween Costume Contest
Win 4 tickets to The Nutcracker!
Cincinnati Ballet with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Sunday, December 20 · 6:30 PM · Music Hall
From Anna & Joe
If your kid has been planning a costume since August, this is their month.
Halloween week is always fun around here. Kids show up to lessons dressed as princesses, superheroes, dinosaurs, movie characters, and things we would never have thought of on our own, and somehow there is still piano, violin, guitar, drums, and voice happening in the middle of all of it.
This year we wanted to make a bigger deal out of it, so we are turning it into a contest. Wear a costume to your lesson during Halloween Week, send us a photo, and you are in the running to win 4 tickets to The Nutcracker at Music Hall.
We also have recitals coming up on October 18, so October is shaping up to be a very CSM month: a little busy, a little chaotic, and a lot of fun.
Anna & Joe
How to enter
Wear your costume to your lesson during Halloween Week.
That is it. Take the photo at the lesson and send it in. If you want a couple more chances in the drawing, use Instagram too.
And yes, CSM is open for all lessons on Saturday, October 31.
📧 Email your costume photo = 1 entry
Send it to info@cincinnatischoolofmusic.com.
📱 Post + tag us on Instagram = 2 more entries
Have a parent/guardian post the costume photo and tag @CincinnatiSchoolofMusic.
Do both and you get 3 entries total.
One email entry + one qualifying Instagram post per student.
Entries close Sunday, November 1 at 11:59 PM. We will draw one winner at random on Monday, November 2.
A little inspiration
Costume lessons are very much a real thing around here.
A few more reasons not to be shy about showing up in full costume.
Coming up first
October Recitals · Sunday, October 18
Before Halloween week gets here, we have recitals on the calendar. They are at St. Barnabas Church, 10345 Montgomery Rd, with performances at 2:30 PM, 4:00 PM, and 5:30 PM.
Recital spots are limited and filling up quickly. The 2:30 PM recital is already full, with space still available at 4:00 PM and 5:30 PM. If your teacher has been talking with you about performing, now is the time to get on the program.
Teacher Highlight
George
George is a long-time CSM faculty member who recently celebrated 10 years of teaching with us! Not only is he a wonderful teacher, George is also a sharp dresser. His student, Langston, decided to show up to his lesson in a bow tie, just like his teacher.
After more than 10 years at CSM, what still makes teaching enjoyable for you?
“The most enjoyable thing for me is seeing students entering the stage where they are no longer just Twinklers, but are beginning to play standard repertoire pieces, and play them well! When I trained with Shinichi Suzuki on one occasion, he had something like 50–60 string players of all ages stand up and play the same difficult solo! That’s a dream of mine, and I’m getting pretty close to seeing it happen!”
What part of teaching gives you the most satisfaction?
“My greatest enjoyment comes from moving from purely technical mechanics and begin exploring how the music is put together, letting it inform their performances.”
Most important October question: what are you dressing up as this year?
“As far as my Halloween look, I may start growing my pencil ’stache (I have to use mascara to make sure it’s black!) and come as Zorro this year!”
From Halloweens past
We have been doing this for a while.
A few favorites from the early CSM Halloween years.
2014
2014
2015
Parent tip
Parents, don’t become the second teacher.
If you hear mistakes during practice, know that they’re part of the learning process and don’t need correcting every time.
Your main job is encouraging and facilitating practice at home.
If a section keeps causing trouble, have your student make a note of it and bring it to the next lesson. That keeps practice at home supportive and gives the teacher a clearer picture of what the student can do independently.
Welcome
Welcome to our new students who joined CSM in September!
Will S. • Eleanor E. • Sienna L. • Lina O. • Waylon L. • Sawyer S. • Adina S. • Layla M. • Ana O. • Tessa F. • Vivi G. • Eliana M. • Liam K. • Nora S. • Ada B. • Ethan T. • Ambrose D. • Zeynab T. • Tristan C. • Jack B. • Eve C. • Logan P. • Laurie W. • Eliana R. • Lukas R. • Serena L. • Brian L. • Thea B. • Dana M. • Kaytlynn F. • Lizzy S. • Anisa D. • Dovud D. • Julieta F. • Sahaj M. • Zela S. • Aariv A. • Keshat A. • Erik K. • Maria P. • Brooklyn W. • Mia R. • Mars G. • Casey M. • Nkechi E. • Joce R. • Mallory S. • Thomas M. • Naomi C. • Cameron B. • Emily L. • Emilee W. • Ibrahim A. • Poonam S. • Ilan Y. • Braxton H. • Harper D. • Ben C. • Aya E. • Eli H. • Noelle O. • Brynn J. • Anita C. • Jose M. • Della W. • Thomas R. • Iymona I. • Sam M. • Dimitri F. • Rhisha M. • Isabel W. • Hudson B. • Cashton F.
October at a glance
Dates to know
OCT 18
CSM recitals at St. Barnabas · 2:30, 4:00 & 5:30 PM
OCT 26–31
Halloween Week at CSM · wear your costume to your lesson
OCT 31
CSM is open for all lessons on Halloween (Saturday)
NOV 1
Costume contest entries close at 11:59 PM
NOV 2
Winner drawn
Quick reminder
Costume + lesson + photo = your crack at The Nutcracker.
Email = 1 entry · Instagram tag = 2 additional entries · 3 total if you do both.
ANDERSON · MAINEVILLE · MASON · MONTGOMERY
513-560-9175 · CincinnatiSchoolofMusic.com
No purchase necessary. One email entry and one Instagram bonus post per student. Instagram is not a sponsor of or affiliated with this promotion. Contest photos may be shared on CSM’s social media pages.