Concert Preparation

1. Prepare in Advance
Rehearsals are not the time to learn notes, but rather to put the ensemble together and work on musical matters such as balance, interpretation, style, phrasing, choice of instruments, and mallet selection. Parts should be well prepared in advance.

2. Be Flexible
Public performance forces you to keep going, to not stop for corrections, and not slow down when the part is difficult. It is very different than practicing in a room by yourself. This is the place to test nerves, concentration, organizational abilities, the capacity to rebound and continue playing after a crisis, and the ability to react to the conductor.
Unpredictable things happen at live performances--even to people with many years of experience. (I can attest to that!) Sometimes conductors make mistakes; people come in wrong or not at all (and that was your cue); soloists run out of breath or hold a note longer than at the rehearsal; someone jumps a beat; the balance may be different with an audience in the hall; someone drops a stick. Be flexible and adapt to changes around you.

3. Before the Performance
Eat something--not candy, but real food, preferably some protein; if there is only time for a snack, has some nuts or a banana.

· Prepare your music in the programme order.
· See that you have enough room to play comfortably.
· Position the music stand to be in a direct line with the conductor.
· Warm up carefully.

4. During the Performance

· Do not dwell on mistakes or misjudgments; keep your concentration intact.
· Do not focus on the negative things that happen.
· Do not allow yourself to be distracted.
· Maintain concentration when your part becomes easy after a busy passage, and especially when you are counting rests.

“Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes” – Oscar Wilde

5. After the Performance

Savour the things that went well during the concert and do not dwell on the mistakes. Enjoy the pleasure of the experience, but remember to address the mistakes and not let them happen again.

Evaluate your playing in order to solve any problems that surfaced. Be critical but not self-deprecating with phrases like, "I’m no good" or "I’ll never learn," etc. A blanket condemnation is pointless, self-indulgent and destructive. Pick out specific things that have to be worked on and use the experience to learn.

Solve the problems one at a time. Some may be corrected easily. Perhaps the page turns were difficult; photocopied sheets were not taped together and a page fell off of the music stand; the player in front blocked the view of the conductor, etc.

Finally, you never really "know" how to play a piece; each performance is a new experience. The creative person continues to change. With students, the changes are fast and furious and often cataclysmic. As one matures, the changes are not as radical and frequent, but do continue. True creativity is a continuing and developmental process.
You will never reach a state of "perfection." Occasionally you might be pleased with your performance, but the next concert is always a new challenge and something to look forward to.


IMPROVEMENT IDEAS
Practice in a room with full length mirrors. See which movements look good, and which come across as awkward. Practice facing the mirror, as you would do the audience in a live performance.
Channel all your nervousness into your diaphragm. Relax your neck, and your shoulders, and breathe slowly and deeply using your diaphragm to empower your performance. Put any tension you have there! When you breathe in, your stomach should push out. As you breathe out, your stomach should shrink. (Tip - your shoulders should not be moving when you breathe)

In the end, good stage presence is simple - don't be BORING. You're free to do whatever you like as long as it is visually interesting. All you have to do is spend a little time working on it, and you'll improve the quality of your live shows by leaps and bounds. That is "As I See it!"

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