When you are preparing for performance, practising your pieces in a variety of ways can help!
Here are seven different things you could give a try:
- Try it like a performance: walk to the stage, set yourself up, bow, perform the piece, bow, leave the stage. Rehearsing the performance routine can make it much calmer on the day!
- Video your performance: record yourself playing the piece all the way through, then review your recording and see how you went! Is there anything you would like to change?
- Mini-Concert: ask a parent or friend to listen to you perform your piece. Doing this in advance helps you to practice your performance skills in a low-risk environment (and your parent/friend gets a special preview performance!)
- Practice Musically: review your piece focusing on your musical performance. Consider all articulation and dynamics. Really listen as you play and make it musical.
- Rest: it is important for your brain to have time to recharge between practices. Try doing a performance practice and then come back to it again later in the day.
- Distraction: Can you perform your pieces and continue to focus when someone walking through the room? Ask someone in your family to wander through the room, cough, clap or generally be anything other than quiet while you focus on performing your pieces.
- Play it slow/play it fast: Sometimes when we perform, if we are nervous, we might start playing the piece too fast. Try playing your piece slowly, then try faster, then at your performance tempo. An awareness of your tempo and setting your intended tempo prior to beginning your piece will help to stabilize your performance.
One of the most important things to remember is that early preparation can’t be replaced by last minute practice. Start preparing your piece in advance and try these ideas in the lead up to your performance day!
Happy performing 🙂