Gaining performance experience. Options

[Guitarist]

I've been asked to perform for 1/2 an hour at a event, and only performed at the most for about 15 mins in length! 1/2 hour seems to be a long and lonely time to be up their.

Planning to take the dipp this year and have to get use to the length of performance. I'm thinking this would be a good idea to trial run the dipp piece, do you the think this is the best way to gain performance experience by throwing myself in the deep end?!

[liseypeasy]

I suppose it depends on how well prepared you are, and how confident you are with performing generally. As you say, you're going to have to get used to it, and there has to be a plunge at some point...think about where the concert is, whether it will be a forgiving / encouraging audience, is it in a cosy room or a bigger, more intimidating venue, how your own stamina and performance skills are, including dealing with anxiety and physical symptoms of nerves.

Maybe run through your recital in front of a couple of friends first to see how it feels? But I reckon, as long as you don't have a tendency to freeze or go to pieces (which could be quite difficult to recover from in time for your exam) I don't see why you shouldn't...decide to learn from it, see how badly it goes and use that to inform your continued preparation (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif).

[barry-clari]

I've been asked to perform for 1/2 an hour at a event, and only performed at the most for about 15 mins in length! 1/2 hour seems to be a long and lonely time to be up their.

Planning to take the dipp this year and have to get use to the length of performance. I'm thinking this would be a good idea to trial run the dipp piece, do you the think this is the best way to gain performance experience by throwing myself in the deep end?!

I did a lot of preparation for my diploma (ATCL clarinet) by doing a couple of public recitals, one of those was with a highly skilled and proficient clarinettist in the first half. It's certainly something I think you should seriously consider. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[owainsutton]

Maybe run through your recital in front of a couple of friends first to see how it feels? But I reckon, as long as you don't have a tendency to freeze or go to pieces (which could be quite difficult to recover from in time for your exam) I don't see why you shouldn't...decide to learn from it, see how badly it goes and use that to inform your continued preparation (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif).

Excellent advice - performing in front of family and friends is even better. If you cope with the nerves in that situation, you'll have no trouble in front of strangers! Try to get a separate performance with fewer friends, but the ones who are more informed and who will be able to give you more meaningful detailed feedback about your performance, too.

[ansatz496]

Depending on how "important" the recital is (i.e. the consequences of making serious mistakes), you may want to run through parts of your programme in more casual settings as well. Performing for the full half hour will give you an idea of the stamina you'll need, where in your programme you will get tired, etc. However, you don't say how well you know the pieces in your programme and how long you have to prepare for this event. If they aren't yet ready to be performed considering the time you have, you may want to hold off on something like this because it might be discouraging, or lead to low-quality last minute preparation that will have to be "unlearned" later.

[AnnC]

What does your teacher say? Mine would not let me take a diploma before I had given a public performance of the programme - with her there to take notes, because we often do things differently in that situation that we have never done in lessons, and we need to address these things for the dip.

[VH2]

What does your teacher say? Mine would not let me take a diploma before I had given a public performance of the programme ...

We often credit our teachers with more power than they really have. How could your teacher possibly stop you from taking a diploma exam?

[anacrusis]

What does your teacher say? Mine would not let me take a diploma before I had given a public performance of the programme ...

We often credit our teachers with more power than they really have. How could your teacher possibly stop you from taking a diploma exam?

But I can still identify with this one - I remember well as a medical student, wanting to go into a particular discipline, and thinking I could not do so because it would cause disapprobation at home: I guess a student musician intending to follow a career in music might risk being sacked by their teacher if entering for a diploma against advice, and someone still dependent on others for funds might not be able to convince them to invest in a dip if a teacher said no.

A teacher can certainly give some guidance as to whether they think you're ready to take such an exam: undergoing the experience of public performance will also guide you as to whether you're psychologically in the right place to give it a go, and as others have said, performing to others is not the same as practising in private. Playing to family can be a bit of a double edged sword though - if you live with them, they'll be so familiar with the sounds of your pieces that they'll be bored before they start, and in a way they also know you too well....I'd be inclined to try for friends first, as at least you get to choose them (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif).

[Sunrise]

I did this too, and it was well worthwhile (and my teacher made PAGEs of notes!!). But only do it if your pieces are pretty much there as you don't want to dent your confidence. As the others said, how important is it, how formal, does it matter if you mess up??

[AnnC]

What does your teacher say? Mine would not let me take a diploma before I had given a public performance of the programme ...

We often credit our teachers with more power than they really have. How could your teacher possibly stop you from taking a diploma exam?

Oh for goodness sake! It was a turn of phrase. All I meant was that that was the way we did things - and I was eternally grateful to her for her advice - it saved me a lot of money and disappointment. I also recommend that my students do the same. It's difficult to see exactly what people are doing when you are accompanying during lessons and people do different things under nerve wracking conditions. So a teacher's input prior to taking an expensive exam like a diploma is invaluable. What I don't understand is why students place more value on the opinions of other students (by asking advice on here) or audience members (family and friends, for instance) over those of their own teacher who is responsible for preparing them for the exam. Likewise it is better, in my opinion, to do the public performance when your pieces are up together, and of a standard suitable for public performance, so that it doesn't dent your confidence if things don't go quite right. Sorry - Sunrise has already said that.

[anacrusis]

AnnC - yes of course, a teacher's opinion should be the first sought - I still though advocate the idea of playing to friends (and family) - not to get an opinion, but rather to practise that element of performance which only comes with actually doing it for real, learning one's responses to the distractions which come from having an audience. When doing my "L", I did a pre-exam concert for friends, ones in whose presence I felt comfortable, in a proper concert hall though not my exam venue, as a first step in building up the pressure an exam situation presents. My son also recorded that concert, on video and our Minidisc, and that allowed me to view the performance more critically and to focus then on blips I'd not even noticed at the time. I also let my teacher see that, and asked a few experienced musical friends on here for advice, as well as going through it with my accompanist (and his page turner!). All of us picked up on different things, and I also got some much needed positive feedback, which helped confidence at a time which happened to be somewhat rough for me.

[AnnC]

AnnC - yes of course, a teacher's opinion should be the first sought - I still though advocate the idea of playing to friends (and family) - not to get an opinion, but rather to practise that element of performance which only comes with actually doing it for real, learning one's responses to the distractions which come from having an audience. When doing my "L", I did a pre-exam concert for friends, ones in whose presence I felt comfortable, in a proper concert hall though not my exam venue, as a first step in building up the pressure an exam situation presents. My son also recorded that concert, on video and our Minidisc, and that allowed me to view the performance more critically and to focus then on blips I'd not even noticed at the time. I also let my teacher see that, and asked a few experienced musical friends on here for advice, as well as going through it with my accompanist (and his page turner!). All of us picked up on different things, and I also got some much needed positive feedback, which helped confidence at a time which happened to be somewhat rough for me.

Brilliant idea!

[Guitarist]

Thanks for all your positive comments.

Little late replying to this thread, but I decided to go ahead and play!
I was really nervous at first, I played all the way to the end with only a few mistakes! good feedback from members of the audience.

Yet don't feel ready to sit the dipp as I think I need more performing skills!
Or I may just try and be willing to fail, as a starting point?! Do you receive feedback from the examiners? Like you would in grade situation.

My teacher only really comments on the pieces I play in terms of musicality ect...., maybe I should ask more questions in the lessons.