Very soon, lots of our students will be performing for an audience for the first time. This concert is always a great way to showcase the amazing talent of both the students and the teachers at our school! Have a look at some previous performances on our youtube channel.
With AMEB exams also coming up, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about things that help you prepare yourself for performing in front of an audience, whether it is just one person or a crowd.
Six tips for performing in front of an audience:
- Figure out what you will perform: For examinations, this is partly limited by the syllabus but if you have a choice, it could be a piece you already know, or you could try something different and perform something you aren’t used to. This will improve your skills and allow you to stretch a bit out of your comfort zone. But also, don’t pick something too hard that you won’t be able to play, it must be achievable.
- Practice: Nothing is more embarrassing than forgetting lyrics to the song or make lots of mistakes, when you’re in front of an audience. The more you practice, the better you’ll memorize the words or the tune. If you think about what the song means and try saying the lyrics as if you were talking to a friend. This will help you connect the ideas. Ultimately, the more you practice, the more confident you will become and the less likely nerves will get the better of you.
- Perform in front of someone you trust: It could be a parent, a friend, or your grandparents. Try to perform confidently, loud and proud.
If you’re performing with music, try to stay in time. If you are performing with an accompanist — they are supposed to be following you but try and make sure you count and stay in time otherwise you make their job very difficult.
- Forget the audience: if you look at your friend in the audience it might make you more comfortable, but you do need to look at all the other crowd members as well. Don’t stare at one person in particular, like the lady with a funny hat. Instead, look randomly at people. Remember, you want to help everyone enjoy the music.
- Practice!: Practice as much as you need until you feel that you’re ready and that you have the piece correct every time you play or sing it. This means that when you are a bit nervous, your muscle memory will kick in and you are more likely to do a great job.
- Perform: It’s showtime! Get up onto the stage, and perform! Show them what you can do! Good Luck!
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