Performance Opportunities
Importance
Performance opportunities provide students with a goal. While performance opportunities are important, they must be carefully managed. The focus of lessons must remain on developing basic skills that lead to good musicianship.
Performance opportunities are also about the student sharing music they have learned with others. To effectively share music, students need to be confident in their skills. Building confidence is done by attending consistent weekly lessons, regular practice sessions and being in an environment that supports each student’s individual learning process.
Video Recordings
Recitals are not held for a variety of reasons. As an alternative, students record a mock live performance. Some students have also found opportunities at church, family or other community gatherings to perform.
Video of the performance is discussed during lesson time. Rather than just remembering the performance, recording allows students to see and discuss how preparation influenced their performance. This assists in setting future goals for music study. Recordings also allow students to see how much they have progressed while encouraging the use of recording to improve their playing.
Each mock live performance is meant to be a positive learning experience. They are not intended to be stressful, embarrassing or frustrating. Please view them as an opportunity for growth.
In a live performance there would only be one chance to perform. A mock live performance means that the student is to only have one opportunity to record themselves. The video should be in a raw format and not edited. Use either a phone or tablet to record video.
Please do not send me video. The video should be brought to the lesson on a device owned by the student or the student’s family.
Scheduling
By changing to a format where students record video of themselves, it allows students to have as many or few performance opportunities as they wish. Most importantly, this removes scheduling barriers for students.
Expectations for Students
Students should plan to complete two (2) performance opportunities each year. Any student who wishes to participate in more than two (2) performance opportunities may do so if they are well prepared and the teacher is in agreement.
Performance opportunities may be assigned to students if they have not already participated in two (2) performance opportunities.
Please be aware that a student may be asked to memorize music for some of these performance opportunities.
Depending on the circumstances, student and teacher may agree it would not be beneficial to do performance opportunities. This can be for a variety of reasons.
Students should start using the following practice strategies two (2) weeks before a performance opportunity:
Play the work at least once a day without stopping.
Have someone distract you while performing. Your goal is to not stop playing. This helps prepare you for possible distractions during performance.
Sometimes clothing creates an unexpected challenge while playing an instrument. It is strongly recommended to practice performing in the same clothing you plan to wear for the mock live performance to prevent this from happening.
Ask family or friends to be a practice audience. Practice announcing the work being performed. Someone in your practice audience could even record the performance for you!
Record your performance on the date you chose. Please remember this is a mock live performance, so you only have one chance to record.