Getting Ready for a Recital

Lights, Camera....

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Playing your pieces for others can be so much fun and very rewarding!  

...The thrill of playing on a stage...The joy of applause from the audience...The rush of having played your best and feeling accomplished.  Recitals can be a great experience!

When we go to a recital or concert, it's easy to think that it's easy for the performers.  Their music sounds amazing, they look calm and composed, they are smiling.  Nothing to it, right?  

The fact is that many hours of preparation go into a performance that sounds great and looks easy!  Here are some tips to preparing for a fabulous recital experience.

• recitals are fun and rewarding

• there is a lot of preparation to make them sound great and look easy!

Choose Music that You Love and Feel Comfortable Performing.

Music selection is extremely important.  

If you love a piece of music and feel comfortable playing it all the way through, it's a contender for playing at a recital!  If you've just finished learning a piece, and feel a bit uneasy during parts of the piece - you have two choices:  select a different piece, or practice this piece extra - a lot extra, like 50 times per day extra.  

How you practice a recital piece is also important!

Be sure to practice your piece in smaller chunks (aka sections) so you don't get tired, or lose your focus while you practice.  Get to know each section very well, like a good friend! And be sure to follow all of your teacher's suggestions, like slow practice, or paying extra attention to something specific.

Some good practice strategies for pieces you'll be performing:

• have many different spots in the music that you're comfortable starting, label these sections

• be able to play each section of the piece hands separately,

• be able to play each section of the piece extremely slowly,

• memorize each section of the piece,

• think of your piece as a string of smaller pieces, or sections.  Bring out the music in each section,

• close your eyes as you are playing and really listen to the sound - enjoy it!

• tell yourself a story about the piece, imagine it's a soundtrack for a scene in a movie or video,

• play through the whole piece without fixing anything that goes 'wrong,' -- the past is the past!  (Use this strategy only after you've achieved 100%  accuracy on individual sections.)

*Did you notice that practicing in sections is very important?

Practice Performing

The more we do something, the easier it gets.  If you never play for anyone except your teacher, playing at a recital might feel overwhelming.  The good news is that every performance prepares you for your recital!  Playing your piece for others, or even imagining playing for others is very helpful!  The secret is to feel as invested in playing it your best as you will feel when playing in front of an audience.  

Also, know that it's ok to play a wrong note or two, just keep playing!  Playing every note perfectly is less important than playing musically and having an enjoyable experience while doing it!! Being able to keep playing and leaving mistakes in the past is a skill, you'll get better at this the more you do it! (Using the practice strategies listed above will help you cope with random unexpected notes, so be sure to try them!)

Here are few ways you can get some performace practice in:

• play for a family member,

• play for a friend,

• record yourself playing, and listen back to see if you are happy with all of the sections,

• share your recording on social media, or email it to a friend,

• call a distant friend or family member and have them listen while you play for them over the phone,

• play for a small group of friends at a gathering,

• play your piece on a piano at a music store - do this every chance you get!

• play for your class at school,

• BONUS TIP: wear the shoes or the entire outfit that you'll wear at the recital!  This can help you feel extra comfortable on recital day!

On Recital Day

The day of your recital will be very exciting!  You want to feel at ease - as much as possible.  

Chances are you'll feel some kind of way that's different from a regular day. You might be more excited, or more nervous, or more scared, or more eager -- these, and other ways of feeling, are all normal. Some people don't really get worked up and others do.  We're all different.  Some of us want to talk about it, some want to work through it quietly.  

It's a good idea to tell your family what will help you feel ready to go to the recital.  Things like being ready to go with plenty of time to arrive, park, use the washroom and get settled are a good start.  

One thing to avoid is over-practicing on the day of the recital.  Play a little bit early in the day, not too fast, not too much pressure, just like a regular practice session, and then leave it.  You're ready!  Don't overthink the day.  You've chosen well, you've prepared and you've got this!

• it's ok to feel some new feelings,

• don't rush to get there, allow time to get settled,

• don't over practice or cram on the day of the performance, you're ready!

After You Play

The audience will applaud your performance, now is your chance to smile and take a bow!  You did it!!  You should be very pleased with such an accomplishment.  Most people do not get the opportunity to be a solo musician. You're doing something extraordinary!

• smile

• bow

• you're extraordinary!