Your fingers brush smooth piano keys as the audience watches. You take a breath before your fingers burst into motion.

This is exactly what an NIU music student feels while playing a recital.

All students looking to obtain a master’s degree in music have to play a recital, and those looking to gain a performer’s certificate must play four. Those studying piano also have to accompany students who play other instruments.

Both the master’s degree and the performer’s certificate usually take two years to complete. About 15 to 20 students study piano at the graduate level at NIU each year.

Qinglan Chen is one student who is preparing for a recital in early November, but she said she’s not too nervous.

“If you practice four hours a day, you don’t need to worry about recital,” Chen said.

Chen will play several compositions, including ones by Bach, Chopin and Hayden. And because she’s from China, Chen also will play a piece from her native country.

After receiving a performer’s certificate, Chen plans to go back to China to look for a teaching position. She currently holds a graduate teaching position at NIU.

“I really enjoy teaching,” she said.

William Goldenberg, presidential teaching professor, is helping Chen prepare for her recital.

“She is an excellent pianist,” Goldenberg said.

Goldenberg also is supervising another graduate piano student from China, Jiafeng Yan, as he prepares for an upcoming recital. Yan also accompanies students who play other instruments.

“Jiafeng is in great demand as an accompanist,” Goldenberg said. “He can play all the difficult music.”

For recitals, there has to be a minimum level of difficulty and the player must show that ability to play in different styles, such as Romantic and Baroque.

“The most important thing is that the student play expressively and be able communicate the meaning to us, as well as the composer’s intent,” Goldenberg said.

The School of Music offers many performance classes to give students the practice they need to play expressively.

Graduate recitals last about an hour. Faculty members in the area of the graduate student’s study attend the recitals and must approve the recital after its completion.

Because of the pressure, some students experience stage fright.

Yan said he is a bit nervous, as this recital will be his first one at NIU.

“As you progress as a performer, I think the stage-fright level decreases,” Goldenberg said. “I know I used to get it much worse when I was younger. People become desensitized to playing for audiences.”

Before a recital can take place, a student’s teacher must approve his or her readiness, and then a date must be scheduled. April is an especially busy month for recitals, because it’s just before graduation.

“If you want to play in April, you might have to take what time you can get,” Goldenberg said.

Chen will play her graduate recital at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Music Building’s Recital Hall, and Yan will play his at 8 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 1 at the same place.