Updated to include the date
Students and other readers,
First of all, please accept my apology for letting this blog go for so long. I won't divulge all that's been going on, but being busy is a part of the long time between posts, but only a part. The other part is simply "out of sight, out of mind". I'm hoping to work blogging into a schedule, so that I get you one post a week. Thank you if you're still following this.
With that said, the first thing is to remind everyone that our Spring Recital is Sunday, May 4 at Pfafftown Baptist Church, 4336 Transou Road, Pfafftown, NC 27040. The recital begins at 3:00pm. I encourage those participating to arrive early enough to assure you can be there AND relaxed/acclimated by 3:00pm. It will not be a long recital, but thanks to all of you who are participating.
I've typed up three posts here before that I encourage EVERYONE to please read again. Click on each link below to review.
Recital Etiquette, Where to Sit, Etc
More recital basics.
and finally:
How to ensure you'll play your best.
Showing posts with label student recitals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label student recitals. Show all posts
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Save the Date - Winter/Spring performance opps
There are 3 opportunities for you to perform in the first half of this year.
1. Sunday, February 2nd - 3:00pm, Young Artist's Musicale - at Piedmont Music Center, Winston-Salem. First come-first serve for limited availability.
2. Sunday, April 13 - 3:00pm Young Artist's Musicale - same place and situation as above.
3. Sunday, May 4 - 2:30pm - Spring Recital - all students of all ages are welcome to participate, no limit. Location TBD.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Recital Wrap-up, Playing in Public, Summer Planning
RECITAL WRAP-UP
Congratulations to the 14 students who participated in the Spring Recital this past Sunday, May 19! I hope to see more new faces the next time we have one. Performance experience is much like real life. It's tempting to say, regardless of how you did this past weekend, that every time you perform will get easier and you'll do better each time. The reality is that there are too many factors. How nervous you are, how focused your concentration is, how well you've slept, how confident (without being overconfident) you are, and how well (not just how much) you've practiced will all determine how you do on any given day. This is why you can play perfectly one recital and not do so well the next. It's also why if you didn't play your best one recital, the next time you play might be really well.
Here are several things you can do to get better at performing in public.
1. Practice well. More practice is better than less practice, but that's not the same thing as practicing well. A big goal of practice should be to identify mistakes early and to work on what is causing the mistake, not just the mistake itself. Every mistake you've allowed yourself to make has the potential to show up when you're nervous. Fix the tendency to make them, and you'll play it right every time.
2. Memorize regularly. You have enough stress in life and even in lessons for me to actually assign memorization. To play well without music on a regular basis, you need to apply yourself to memorize something regularly. If this is difficult for you, try just 1 or 2 measures for a start. Later on, I'll likely write on proven methods of memorization, but for now try anyway you can. A good practical thing to memorize is if you have a page turn. Memorize several measures before and after the turn so you can be early or late turning the page. Take something you learned a while back and already know how to play well with the music and commit it to memory.
3. Watch your hands when you play. This is related to the above point. Every teacher I know says you should keep your eyes on the music, and not your hands when you play. This is correct...when you are FIRST learning the music. Sightreading well is impossible if you insist on looking at your hands more than the music. However, If your goal is to get off the music, then you need to get your eyes off the music. You may need to do this gradually.
4. Slow down and breathe. Breathing gets shallow when you get nervous. Take slow and deep breaths to clear your mind. Move slowly to and from the instrument. Set a tempo in your head before you play a note. This isn't the same suggestion as saying to play everything slowly. No, you should play everything up to tempo, but control your tempo.
5. Your audience supports you. Keep this in mind whenever you play. Who comes to hear you play? Not your enemies; not the people who can't stand you. It's people who care about you, and people who love music. An audience isn't a collection of judges. Instead, it is a group of silent cheerleaders. How can you possibly get nervous when you think of your listeners as a resource of support? I think the day I realized that was the day I stopped feeling fear in front of audiences. My nerves are now excitement. Remember this rule anytime you play for someone else.
SUMMER PLANNING
With school about to be out for a few months, this always brings up a few questions. Do you teach in the summer? Can I take time off and resume in the Fall? Is it better to continue taking lessons or take time off? Do I have to practice in the summer? How can I practice when I'm at camp/the beach, etc?
Do you teach in the summer? Yes. I teach year-round. Count on no lessons for July 4, but there are no other days I plan to miss as of this moment.
Can I take time off and resume in the Fall? Yes. My policy is that you must pay a two-week minimum whether you attend or not to maintain your spot when you return. If you choose to take time off without payment, then you would need to find a new vacant time when you return.
Is it better to continue taking lessons or take time off? If you are progressing at all, it's always better to continue. It's virtually a law of nature that the more time you take off from lessons, the more time will be needed for review just to get back to where you are. However, if lessons and/or practice time have been frustrating, you won't be hindering progress with a break. It may be just what you need.
Do I have to practice in the summer? Let's answer this as if you're at home and have much more free time. Why wouldn't you practice? In fact, why not practice more? The number one reason I hear from students for not having practiced well in a particular week is that they had too much homework. This is not a problem in the summer. In fact, this is an OPPORTUNITY! Practice like you never have before!
How can I practice when I'm at camp/the beach, etc? If you're on vacation, I'm not going to suggest that you should practice hard, but it's possible and not unreasonable to take 10-15 minutes each day and do some mental practice. You can practice scale fingerings, for example. You can take a piece or two with the music, and play it on a table or desk as if you were playing on the keyboard. This has been shown to be roughly 80% as effective as playing on a keyboard or piano.
Congratulations to the 14 students who participated in the Spring Recital this past Sunday, May 19! I hope to see more new faces the next time we have one. Performance experience is much like real life. It's tempting to say, regardless of how you did this past weekend, that every time you perform will get easier and you'll do better each time. The reality is that there are too many factors. How nervous you are, how focused your concentration is, how well you've slept, how confident (without being overconfident) you are, and how well (not just how much) you've practiced will all determine how you do on any given day. This is why you can play perfectly one recital and not do so well the next. It's also why if you didn't play your best one recital, the next time you play might be really well.
Here are several things you can do to get better at performing in public.
1. Practice well. More practice is better than less practice, but that's not the same thing as practicing well. A big goal of practice should be to identify mistakes early and to work on what is causing the mistake, not just the mistake itself. Every mistake you've allowed yourself to make has the potential to show up when you're nervous. Fix the tendency to make them, and you'll play it right every time.
2. Memorize regularly. You have enough stress in life and even in lessons for me to actually assign memorization. To play well without music on a regular basis, you need to apply yourself to memorize something regularly. If this is difficult for you, try just 1 or 2 measures for a start. Later on, I'll likely write on proven methods of memorization, but for now try anyway you can. A good practical thing to memorize is if you have a page turn. Memorize several measures before and after the turn so you can be early or late turning the page. Take something you learned a while back and already know how to play well with the music and commit it to memory.
3. Watch your hands when you play. This is related to the above point. Every teacher I know says you should keep your eyes on the music, and not your hands when you play. This is correct...when you are FIRST learning the music. Sightreading well is impossible if you insist on looking at your hands more than the music. However, If your goal is to get off the music, then you need to get your eyes off the music. You may need to do this gradually.
4. Slow down and breathe. Breathing gets shallow when you get nervous. Take slow and deep breaths to clear your mind. Move slowly to and from the instrument. Set a tempo in your head before you play a note. This isn't the same suggestion as saying to play everything slowly. No, you should play everything up to tempo, but control your tempo.
5. Your audience supports you. Keep this in mind whenever you play. Who comes to hear you play? Not your enemies; not the people who can't stand you. It's people who care about you, and people who love music. An audience isn't a collection of judges. Instead, it is a group of silent cheerleaders. How can you possibly get nervous when you think of your listeners as a resource of support? I think the day I realized that was the day I stopped feeling fear in front of audiences. My nerves are now excitement. Remember this rule anytime you play for someone else.
SUMMER PLANNING
With school about to be out for a few months, this always brings up a few questions. Do you teach in the summer? Can I take time off and resume in the Fall? Is it better to continue taking lessons or take time off? Do I have to practice in the summer? How can I practice when I'm at camp/the beach, etc?
Do you teach in the summer? Yes. I teach year-round. Count on no lessons for July 4, but there are no other days I plan to miss as of this moment.
Can I take time off and resume in the Fall? Yes. My policy is that you must pay a two-week minimum whether you attend or not to maintain your spot when you return. If you choose to take time off without payment, then you would need to find a new vacant time when you return.
Is it better to continue taking lessons or take time off? If you are progressing at all, it's always better to continue. It's virtually a law of nature that the more time you take off from lessons, the more time will be needed for review just to get back to where you are. However, if lessons and/or practice time have been frustrating, you won't be hindering progress with a break. It may be just what you need.
Do I have to practice in the summer? Let's answer this as if you're at home and have much more free time. Why wouldn't you practice? In fact, why not practice more? The number one reason I hear from students for not having practiced well in a particular week is that they had too much homework. This is not a problem in the summer. In fact, this is an OPPORTUNITY! Practice like you never have before!
How can I practice when I'm at camp/the beach, etc? If you're on vacation, I'm not going to suggest that you should practice hard, but it's possible and not unreasonable to take 10-15 minutes each day and do some mental practice. You can practice scale fingerings, for example. You can take a piece or two with the music, and play it on a table or desk as if you were playing on the keyboard. This has been shown to be roughly 80% as effective as playing on a keyboard or piano.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Recital Basics
Tomorrow is the date of the Spring Recital at Pfafftown Baptist Church, 4336 Transou Rd, Pfafftown, NC at 3:00pm.
Here are some things to remember:
Performers: Early means on time, "on time" means late
Good performers not only don't show up late; They don't even risk the chance of it. Aim for arriving 15 minutes early. If you're running late, you still have a safety window. However, if you arrive on time, you can relax in your surroundings and get used to being there before the recital begins.
Remember Stage Presence
Don't sit down before you take a bow. Don't leave the piano before you take a bow. In the case of the latter, it doesn't matter how you think you did. Sometimes we don't perform as well as expected, and in our self-disgust we forget our etiquette. Always remember your stage presence.
Don't try for better than ever, just as good as normal
The best you've ever played your piece(s) ever is as good as you can expect in a performance. Don't try for the miraculous flawless all-star performance. You'll feel deflated after the first mistake. The tension will cause more mistakes to come. Relax. Trust your preparation, and remember that practice time is over once you play. You're not to even consider monitoring your mistakes or trying to improve it. You have all the way until you leave the house tomorrow to improve and prepare. That's all you can do at that point. Trust it, and show it off.
Give yourself room to fail
With all that said above, you will probably make a mistake. You might, just might play a note-perfect piece with your best ever playing, but that's not super common. So many things have to go right for a flawless performance. If you expect something wrong might happen, you won't be caught off guard. Remember, you might not mess up, but give yourself permission to do so. Public performance is just as much about selling your wrong notes as playing the right ones. You'll know your mistakes far better than nearly everyone who is listening.
What to Wear
There is no required dress code, but a recital is considered at least a semi-formal event. Suggested dress is button-up shirt, slacks and dressier shoes for guys. Coat and/or tie are optional. Girls should consider a dress or a dressier casual look. If you don't own anything like this, wear the best you have.
Good luck to everyone, please remember to review the Recital Etiquette before tomorrow. Have fun, and I will see you soon!
Here are some things to remember:
Performers: Early means on time, "on time" means late
Good performers not only don't show up late; They don't even risk the chance of it. Aim for arriving 15 minutes early. If you're running late, you still have a safety window. However, if you arrive on time, you can relax in your surroundings and get used to being there before the recital begins.
Remember Stage Presence
Don't sit down before you take a bow. Don't leave the piano before you take a bow. In the case of the latter, it doesn't matter how you think you did. Sometimes we don't perform as well as expected, and in our self-disgust we forget our etiquette. Always remember your stage presence.
Don't try for better than ever, just as good as normal
The best you've ever played your piece(s) ever is as good as you can expect in a performance. Don't try for the miraculous flawless all-star performance. You'll feel deflated after the first mistake. The tension will cause more mistakes to come. Relax. Trust your preparation, and remember that practice time is over once you play. You're not to even consider monitoring your mistakes or trying to improve it. You have all the way until you leave the house tomorrow to improve and prepare. That's all you can do at that point. Trust it, and show it off.
Give yourself room to fail
With all that said above, you will probably make a mistake. You might, just might play a note-perfect piece with your best ever playing, but that's not super common. So many things have to go right for a flawless performance. If you expect something wrong might happen, you won't be caught off guard. Remember, you might not mess up, but give yourself permission to do so. Public performance is just as much about selling your wrong notes as playing the right ones. You'll know your mistakes far better than nearly everyone who is listening.
What to Wear
There is no required dress code, but a recital is considered at least a semi-formal event. Suggested dress is button-up shirt, slacks and dressier shoes for guys. Coat and/or tie are optional. Girls should consider a dress or a dressier casual look. If you don't own anything like this, wear the best you have.
Good luck to everyone, please remember to review the Recital Etiquette before tomorrow. Have fun, and I will see you soon!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Upcoming Recital Details
Time and Location
The Spring Recital will be at 3:00pm, on Sunday May 19, at Pfafftown Baptist Church; 4336 Transou Rd, Pfafftown, NC. If participating, you should arrive 15 minutes early. If you wish to arrive earlier, doors will open about 2:15.
Performer Traditions and Etiquette
Everybody performing in the Spring Recital this year is playing a solo and, according to the rules of tradition, should play from memory. Music will be permitted to review while at your seat, but please leave it behind when you walk up to play. Take your time in walking to and from the piano. Don't rush. Remember to bow before AND after you play. If you play two pieces, you should not bow in between pieces. Don't forget to adjust the bench. Don't settle for your one-time performance if you know it is too close or far from the piano to do your best. Performers, be sure to go to the restroom before the recital begins. Students have missed their turn in the past for underestimating how soon their turn would arrive while making a "quick trip". Family members should sit in pews in a way that does not make it difficult for the student to get out of the seat and up to the piano.
Audience Etiquette
The recital is a maximum of 40 minutes, probably less. The primary rule I would ask is that you arrive on time and stay through the end if at all possible. It is appropriate to applaud each performer as he or she walks up to the piano, and after they have played all their selections. It is not appropriate to clap after each selection when a student has more than one piece. Please allow silence after the first of multiple pieces. Avoid flash photography while a piece is being played. This can distract students who are already nervous. Video taping is permitted provided it doesn't obstruct anyone's view. If you share videos afterward on YouTube or another public forum, please be mindful of copyright laws. Only a few of the pieces being played are public domain. A good solution is to only post things privately where a link is required to view the video.
NEW - Seating Requirement
As the sanctuary will seat about triple what I'm expecting for the recital, I want to address an issue that has been a problem for me in past performances as a teacher, and that is sitting so close to the piano that the student doesn't even have to walk up to perform; They just stand up and they're already at the piano. "The walk" is as much apart of the recital experience as everything else. So I am more specific this year about where I want students to sit. Though I'm very close to going to a "all students sit together" policy, I want to try to keep students with families during these events.
This photo is from a Christmas service at the church several years ago, but will give you an idea of the sanctuary's layout when viewing the piano. The piano is on the left. The FIRST TWO PEWS on that side are off-limits to students. Family members, especially ones with hand-held video cameras are permitted to sit there, but Do not sit there if you are performing. In addition, please note this center aisle in the middle of the photo. It represents two of four ways to leave your seat and go to the piano. Another way is to sit on the right pews and exit the far right side (off the picture). This is okay. Another option is to sit on the far left and walk up the aisle closest the left windows (also off the picture). This is NOT okay. I will angle the piano in such a way that the audience on the right can still get a good view, but I appreciate everyone following these guidelines this year. There are plenty of seats, and again this limitation is only for the students. Family members can sit anywhere.
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