The following information offers some great advice on all aspects of live performance, from how to choose a piece to play, how to prepare and how to deal with performance nerves. If you are involved in musical performance of any kind, or you just want to know more about performance skills you should read this.
LIVE PERFORMANCE is an integral part of any musicians’ life and playing an instrument or being part of a band or ensemble is hugely rewarding on so many levels whether you are seasoned professional, a keen amateur or a music student studying for exams. Unfortunately live performance is all to often seen as something to be feared. This should not be the case and by following these simple guidelines you will find that your performance ability will progress, you will become more confident and you will be able to enjoy taking part in live performances.
CHOOSING A PIECE TO PERFORM.
Choose pieces that you can learn to play confidently and comfortably and that showcase your ability. Do not choose a piece that is too difficult but do not choose a piece because it is easy. You should aim to perfect your chosen piece with a solid technique and a clear understanding of the musical and dynamic qualities. Ultimately, you should aim to enjoy your performance.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL REQUIRMENTS
Instruments, music, amplifier, effects pedal, power supplies and batteries if necessary. Make sure any technical specifications have been given to the relevant person several days before you are due to play.
By ‘Warm up’ we mean to awaken all the areas of the body that are needed for performance. We all accept that athletes will spend time preparing themselves for physical exertion and musicians need to do the same. It is essential to warm up fingers, voice, and/or lips with warm-up exercises such a scales, studies and by slow and controlled playing/singing. In addition gentle stretching is also an excellent method of warming up and releasing tension in preparation for performance.
Remember to stay focused. Your ‘warm-up’ session is not the time for last minute practice and do not use the time to play something entirely unrelated to your performance.
HOW TO DEAL WITH BEING NERVOUS - RELAXATION AND BREATHING
Nerves can pose a huge problem to the performer – especially if you are unprepared. Being fully prepared and knowing your piece inside out will help ease anxiety about making mistakes and will make for a more enjoyable experience. Breathing exercises and relaxation techniques can help control anxiety caused by fear of performance. We will investigate some of these methods during our performance classes. If possible, allow yourself some personal quiet time before your performance. This is a great way to focus and de-stress.
The key to a good performance is to captivate the audience. This needs to be done from the moment you take the stage. Introduce yourself and the piece you will play in a confident manner. Make sure you know the name of your piece and who wrote it. “This is a piano piece by Mozart” is not adequate. You must know the name of the piece and the composer, and to be able to pronounce them properly if they are not your native language.
The following points should help you.
1. Introduce yourself and your piece. Be clear and confident.
2. Before you begin make sure you are comfortable. Adjust any seating or standing position to suit your needs. It is perfectly acceptable to make the audience wait a short while for you to be comfortable
3. Take a few moments to focus on your performance. Think of the first few bars, considering tempo and dynamics.
4. Begin when you feel ready (but do not take too long).
Once you are comfortable and settled you are ready to begin. With the right preparation and personal practice you should be able to play with confidence and enjoy performing.
NB. Make sure you are interpreting the music correctly and creating the right atmosphere. If you are playing a very serious piece of Beethoven it would be inappropriate to smile and make eye contact with the audience, but this might be more appropriate if you are performing an upbeat popular song.
When you have finished playing allow yourself a few seconds to let the music fade away – a deep breath in and out is enough. Do not just get up and leave the stage. If there is audience applause make sure you acknowledge this before leaving the stage. It is customary to say a quick “thank you” to an audience.
In the event that something should go wrong, if you may play a wrong note, forget your words or get a song arrangement wrong you should try to correct yourself quickly and calmly and most importantly – do not let the audience know. An audience will very quickly forget a mistake if you continue playing and often they will not even notice. Once again practice and preparation will make it less likely that you will make errors during performance.
It is important to follow some basic rules is you are participating in, or watching a performance.
Respect to performers: If you are in the audience or at the side of stage be sensitive to performers needs. Talking, excessive moving about or laughing during a performance is not acceptable and can have disastrous effects on a performers concentration.
Respect to your audience. The audience has taken the time to see you play. They will always be on your side and want you to succeed so give them something to enjoy and remember. You will not make a positive impact if you shuffle on stage looking miserable and glower throughout your performance. Whether you are doing a solo recital or playing as part of an ensemble it is important that you present yourself well and make a good impression.
Your playing and performance ability will improve the more you do it. Try playing to friends, family or other students and ask for constructive comments.
Be positive! If you are listening to a fellow musician play be sure to give them ideas for improvement. Boost their confidence by pointing out the good points and let them know when you hear progress.
Support each other. Its takes guts to perform and for some of us, just getting up in front of an audience is a giant step and this deserves acknowledgment and positive reinforcement.
A little encouragement goes a long way.
Remember! You are doing something wonderful. Enjoy yourself.
titsay
andulkaphoto
amandla
gummygunk
izzy806
areudirty