As professional musicians and music teachers, when we think about music education, performance opportunities and preparation are often at the forefront of our minds. We are accustomed to school concerts given by the choirs, bands, and orchestras we direct, as well as recitals common in private studio settings. However, when it comes to our Piano Lab classes, it can often be a mixed bag. Some teachers approach it as a non-performance elective designed for students who don’t want to participate in performances. Others approach performance as a requirement when learning a new instrument. So in this article, let’s look at the very legitimate reasons teachers do and don’t include performance requirements, ways to support novice musicians in their first performances, and several models for formal performance in Piano Lab.