Performance Practice!

I hosted a virtual recital last month and had SUCH a great time listening to the rewards of each student’s diligent practice— I was really an incredibly proud teacher! But in the days leading up to the recital there was one thing I noticed many students seemed to be saying…. “I am not good at recitals!” I heard these words over and over again! So many students seem to think think this that I believe it’s worth taking a minute to write about.

Basically, it boils down to an issue of practice— and I don’t mean piano practice, I mean PERFORMANCE practice. How do we become better at something? Usually by doing that thing over and over again, trying different methods and approaches to that thing! For instance, were you instantly a pro the first time you tried riding a bike? Or rollerblading? Were you flawless the first time you tried to draw a picture or bake a cake? The answer is usually a resounding NO! Imagine if Michelangelo gave up sculpting after his first attempt because it wasn’t his masterpiece ‘David’, or if Vincent van Gogh never picked up a brush after his first try because it didn’t look like ‘Starry Night’, or if Beethoven never wrote another piece of music after his first composition because it didn’t sound like his 9th Symphony. Just like sculpting, painting, and composing are skills that develop the more the artists invests time in improving those skills, so it is with performing— you will become more skilled a performer the more you practice performing!

So how do you practice performing? Set a date to FaceTime a friend and play your piece for them! Try sitting your parents down one evening and play a practice performance for them— I’m sure they would love it! You can also flip on a recording device and perform your piece for the device and then go back and watch it or listen to it after you’re done. Each of these situations creates just that extra little bit of pressure that mimics the feeling of being onstage with all eyes on you. I usually NEVER perform onstage without at least doing 10-15 practice performances— they are an absolute necessity when I prepare for performance as weak spots or unclear moments are revealed with each run through. I love when these spots show themselves in practice performance because then I can go and work on them before the real deal! I encourage you to try this before your next performance and see what exciting things you learn before you take the stage!