Is formal performance a goal or a reward?
Finding the line between the two can be particularly difficult when working with younger performing arts students. As students age and gain more experience, they eventually come to realize that learning and improvement are the primary goals leading to a worthwhile performance. However, younger students generally lack the necessary experience to understand the value in learning for improvement sake.
So, how do we apply performance in a way that benefits younger students most?
There are many different approaches to this, but in my experience one of the best ways is to give the students a performance as a reward for their work. This is a very difficult line to tread as an educator for several reasons.
Selecting the Music
It sounds easier than it is. In order to provide a reward setup, the music must
be challenging enough to push the students without being so far out of reach
that they either give up or strain themselves. Given additional health
concerns, it is also necessary to take into consideration the amount of
available preparation and practice time that will not trigger overuse habits
(this is particularly relevant during one- and two-week summer camps).
Additionally, how the students feel about the music will make a significant difference. While older students can push themselves to work towards a piece they dislike in order to gain that particular skill, younger students need some sort of positive emotional investment in a piece. For this reason, I typically prefer things that sound fun, but still include elements for stylistic and phrasing development.
Rehearsals
One of the biggest things I've learned through experience as an educator is
this: Ask your students questions!!
Young educators often think rehearsals and lessons are about telling students what to do and not do. However, this frequently leads to students who do not understand what they are doing, which leads to robotic playing and an inability to self-lead growth.
Asking questions accomplishes several tasks. First, it encourages students to start thinking about what they're doing rather than going through the motions. More importantly, it also begins to develop their ears - can they hear whether or not they're in tune, or playing together across a section? Can they hear the differences in their articulations? Drawing their attention to things in this manner gives them something to listen for, and adds to their overall abilities as both ensemble and solo performers.
Beyond that, giving students things to listen for also draws their attention towards actual improvements in their playing (solo and ensemble). This encourages learning as the goal by giving students small, tangible victories during every rehearsal, rather than waiting until the performance to feel good about their playing.
Performance Day
Leave the technical coaching in the rehearsal hall! At the end of the final
rehearsal, give your students one or two overall things to listen for and
accomplish during the performance (ex. "Stay on top of the beat at letter
A," or "Remember the dynamic changes at the end!"). These goals
will give them things to continue striving for and feel good about when they
perform.
However, performance day and the performance itself should be about the "reward" sensation. By allowing it to be fun and relaxed, students get to feel as though their work was meaningful and paid off, rather than feeling like their post-performance relief is the goal. For students who tend to push too hard and cause strain leading into performance, the relaxed vibe will allow them to disassociate "strain" from performance, encouraging healthier physical and emotional self-use overall. For those who tend to overprepare, overthink, and underperform, taking the pressure off of performance day encourages them to remove pressure and strain from their preparation phase, and generally allows them to feel like they can take more creative and artistic risks during performances (a goal for any music educator!).
Overall, these techniques help shift young students' focus towards their own improvement and abilities, and encourages them to become healthier, more creative, and more independent performers. For educators, we also get to experience the joy of seeing these factors translate into our students' lives as human beings.
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t's not just small businesses and restaurants that have been hurt by COVID-19, Social Distancing, quarantines, and lockdowns – ALL of the arts community has been hit hard as well. Musicians, dancers, actors, visual artists, sound engineers, and all associated crew have all lost performance gigs, freelance income, teaching work, gallery exhibition opportunities, and other vital means of income (and expression) in this time of crisis.
So, what can we do as a community to help keep the arts alive when we make it to the other side?
The following are a series of suggestions that may appeal and have value to various creatives. This may be from actual distance-based income, but they also provide the opportunity to build an online presence, audience, and community through which future work may be more rewarding and lucrative.
This may be the most obvious one, but many people have been afraid to attempt this. To be completely honest, it is not the ideal setting; however, if this is something you have hesitated to attempt out of fear of a lack of productivity, I encourage you to at least try. You may be surprised at how much you are still able to provide to your students! (For payment suggestions, see #8 below).
An example of this would be what I observed a colleague of mine doing the other day: he made a very brief (less than 1 minute) video of himself playing a popular song and posted it to his Instagram account with a caption along the lines of “name that tune.”
With so many people currently on social media and desperate for something happy and enjoyable, simple games like this could increase traffic to your page thus growing your audience and ability to self-promote. Beyond that, it also gives you a chance to do something fun, a reason to keep your skills sharp, and the joy of being able to produce something positive during a very difficult time!
If you're heavy into Instagram and/or have any connection to any sort of fitness page, you are probably aware by now that there has been a virtual hurricane of “Free Online Workouts”. There is no reason that creatives can't do similar things to increase awareness of our mediums.
An example of this would be things like practice guide videos for learning or building specific techniques (ex. movements for building stronger pointe or the progression for building rapid, light staccato). Be sure to explain the concepts you wish to relay and not just a general “prescription” for movements or activities; this will not only help people to understand what it is they are actually trying to accomplish, but it also highlights the fact that you are knowledgeable about your subject on a deeper level – a good selling point if someone comes across the video who is looking for a private instructor!
Have you seen the “See 10 Do 10” challenges on social media? Push ups, dog pictures, and other activities are already flying around the internet as an attempt for people to feel connected to their friends. So why not build something similar for the arts?
Challenge other performers to record video of something that is common to your medium. Musicians, what about etudes and excerpts? How about flexibility and form work for dancers? Actors, call on your most commonly studied scripts or mirror-practice techniques! Visual artists, too – what have you always wanted to reproduce, and who does it better – you or your friends?
And we can expand beyond colleagues and professionals – challenge students and amateurs as well! “See 10 Do 10” scales for musicians, paradiddles for tap dancers, wicked laughs for actors, or simple illustrations for arts students. Especially for the younger students, it can help to both keep them calmer and more productive while also reinforcing their connection to their medium.
In general, creatives are a bit of a paradox: we are simultaneously social creatures with antisocial tendencies. My personal feeling is that a lot of us are drawn to our medium partially as an expressive tool, and partly because it helps us feel connected to other people.
So, at a time when connection is simultaneously excessively “easy” through media and excessively difficult due to isolation, an online community of actual human beings who are looking to interact with each other is more critical than ever.
Consider this: most media is designed to sell you an idea or a product with little interest in actual interaction. Even the major social platforms have become more of a “soapbox” tool than anything else – you state your opinions in a way that does not allow for nuance or emotion to come through, and people react often without thought.
So what if, instead, we created smaller groups where people know one another, and where there is a reason to treat each other with empathy and kindness? Where you can post your work or questions or feelings without fear of being immediately ridiculed, because you are in a place where people want to help each other grow? “Hey everyone, I have been struggling with this [technique]. Here is what I have been doing. Here is a video of me doing it. Do you see/hear something I'm missing?” Or: “Hey everyone, I'm feeling really down... all of my performances have been canceled, my students are cutting back on their lessons, and I'm starting to wonder if my [medium] has any value in this world at all.”
Imagine the good we could do for one another with a support group for those feelings.
And as with the Online Challenges mentioned above, this doesn't have to be limited to other professionals! For instance, I know that my local orchestra (Tallahassee Symphony) has received a lot of support from our regular subscribers because they are acutely aware of the difficult position the orchestra is in. What better way to thank them and keep connected with them than to start an online group where they are welcome to interact with the performers they love? It can be an additional space to post creative videos and demonstrations, for audience members to ask questions or patronize requests (see #8 below), and in general an open forum to bridge the gap between the stage and the seats.
Students and amateurs as well, could benefit from such groups. If you have a large studio, ensemble, or a group of colleagues with studios, an online community to share practice, performances, and build social bonds can keep them calmer and healthier as well as encouraging them to remain invested in their medium. Remember, during times like these students can have a lot of questions and self-doubt about the worth of their creative endeavors as well!
At some point in our lives, most professional creatives have had people ask about how their time is actually spent in a given day. For example, many people are surprised that musicians typically practice every day and usually more than once. So now that people are online more than ever before, what better time to answer these sorts of questions!
The bonus to this concept, too, is that you don't actually need a prompt. Yes, it's better if you're answering a question someone actually wanted to know, particularly if it's a patron who wants to know how much you practice, how long a certain piece took to finish or master, etc., because then you know you are building a bond directly with someone who is interested. However, most people in our modern society don't even know what questions to ask – so you can provide information you know they wouldn't know!
In general, people are more likely to support individuals or endeavors they understand. By showing them what life is actually like for you in your field, you can help bridge the gap and improve relations with students, patrons, and potential future audience members. Show people how much we actually work for our medium, the amount of knowledge and skill actually required to do what it is you do. And do explain it in common language – not as a means of speaking down to people, but as a means of being more approachable.
Similar to “Ask a Creative” and the Instructional Videos, these are going to be typically fairly short recordings (or singular images, depending on your medium) showing you doing what it is you actually do. Practice demonstrations – especially if edited well – can show how intensive or difficult your work actually is, as well as your dedication to your medium regardless of your level. It also provides audience members with a sort of “behind the scenes” look at what happens in the practice room – much in the same way that things like open orchestral rehearsals hold appeal to them!
Patronized performances or visual artwork is similar, but you are instead providing a “finalized” version rather than a practice rendition. I have taken this concept directly from YouTube streamers: they produce the content they are already working on and post it for the general public (like practice demos), but accept donations and “patronized” requests as well. For example, one researcher posts videos discussing his active work on Ancient Norse history and mythology, but will provide additional videos on separate Nordic topics if patronized to do so.
Creatives have the opportunity to turn the current crisis into a productive one in much the same way: provide videos of yourself and increase your contact with the community of patrons and audience members, then allow them to donate to your work and request a patronized performance or piece. For a clarinetist like me, this may mean something like posting instructional videos on articulation and circular breathing, demonstration videos of me working on my next expected recital piece, and then allowing a patron to fund a video performance of Stravinsky's Three Pieces. Similarly, a ballet dancer could instruct pointe, demonstrate balance work, and accept funding for a home performance of one of the Nutcracker solos. And an artist in the drawing medium can instruct perspective, demonstrate shape practice, and take a commission on a portrait (ideally one that could be shared to the public with a watermark and given digitally to the patron).
The remaining question up to this point is: how do we receive payment with all of this online work and the general inability to meet in-person for payments?
There are some more well-known routes, such as Venmo and PayPal, as well as more traditional routes like a mailed check. I also encourage people to look into alternative digital methods of receiving funding such as Patreon and sites like GoFundMe. I have never personally used the latter of these suggestions, but I know that many YouTubers have found support to continue their work regardless of a lack of ad revenue from YouTube by accepting patronage through things like Patreon.
One last, less-common consideration are things like digital-to-monetary tipping using services such as the Basic Attention Token (BAT) on the Brave browser (if you haven't heard of it, it's a browser by the original developer of FireFox) or, if you are comfortable with it, other digital currencies. Although I am not super familiar with digital currencies in general, I know that users may earn BAT by viewing Brave-supported ads, which they can then use to tip people through a web domain or through through YouTube. This token can be linked to a bank account and converted to cash in the account. What this means is that if you are producing enjoyable content for users who are familiar with the browser, they are able to tip you using currency that requires minimal effort for them to earn and that you can convert into cash.
Creatives, we need to support each other and communicate with our students, audiences, and patrons now more than ever. If any of these suggestions help you in even the slightest, then this article has served its purpose. If you have any other suggestions or resources, please let me know through the link below – I would love the opportunity to share as much as we can to help each other out and would be glad to give you and/or your source credit for the information!
Have additional suggestions or questions? Contact Us!
Hard Times & Creative Arts: Survival of the Self
Let’s address the elephant in the room: right now, everyone has deep concerns over the possible spread of COVID-19 and/or the detrimental effects of widespread panic. As people hoard supplies and businesses temporarily close their doors, it is tempting to look at items and activities in your life and label them as “necessity” and “luxury” – things that you would not otherwise label in such black-and-white terms.
One of the things that might be tempting to label as a “luxury” are creative outlets, including but not limited to musical or dance practice, lessons, or performances, theater activities, and visual art supplies or lessons. But before you cut ties with your creative side, let’s consider a few things.
Historically, people have used Creative Arts to SURVIVE difficult situations
It may sound self-serving for a performer to argue the importance of the arts to survival, but there is a historical background to this phenomenon and plenty of studies easily accessible online to back up this claim.
In U.S. history alone, difficult situations were not only overcome partly through the use of the arts, but helped to develop some of the most uniquely American styles of performing. Blues and jazz music grew out of a combination of the hardships and cultural mixing in the South from the pre- through post-Civil War eras. The height of the Swing era and the foundation of the American Cinema as part of popular culture were skyrocketed due to the Great Depression. And World War II in particular is noted for having a significant need for performers and entertainers for overseas troops.
War, slavery, and the worst economic depression the U.S. has ever seen increased and improved the performing arts, rather than shutting them down entirely. Why? Because creative outlets are not only a “distraction” from difficulties, but offer a way to cope with and express emotions that are otherwise too hard to process or else toxic if bottled in.
Creative Outlets build Resiliency of Character and Decrease Anxiety
For this one, I will point specifically to the research done by Dr. Brené Brown – research professor and chair for the University of Houston’s College of Social Work. (If you have not heard of her, I 100% recommend looking her up and listening/reading as much of her work as you can.)
In her “Power of Vulnerability” lecture, Brené discusses the need for creative activities for adults and children alike: how an overwhelming number of emotional scars in the adults she studies come from painful artistic criticism during youth that continues to harm and otherwise affect people throughout their lives. She also says that it is never too late to begin pursuit of creative activities as an adult, and that doing so can build mental and emotional resiliency.
If creative pursuits can build mental and emotional resiliency to survive daily life, just imagine the effects they can have during more difficult situations! And once we take into consideration that anxiety and panic decrease the immune system’s effectiveness, the ability to build resiliency and decrease anxiety becomes critical to individual health.
There are SAFE methods for continuing your practice!
If you are a member of a vulnerable population, or if you are worried about possibly exposing a vulnerable family member, there can be concerns over attending a class or meeting an instructor in-person. The good news is that we live in a digital age where communications are quick and easy to access!
In order to continue providing instruction in a safe environment, most instructors will offer the ability to take lessons or classes ONLINE using applications such as Skype or Zoom. Although it is not ideal (and I personally prefer in-person), audio/video quality through most phones, tablets, and computers nowadays is good enough for an experienced instructor to provide quality lessons remotely. When you combine this with online payment applications such as Venmo, PayPal, and Zelle, we come to a point where students can continue to safely interact and study with their instructors while continuing to practice social distancing and/or during a self-quarantine situation!
So what now?
If you are currently studying or practicing a creative art, or if you are interested in starting up, reach out to a local or trusted instructor and ask them what their current offerings are. Even if in-person facilities are unavailable, most instructors will work with students to continue providing any needed support or lessons in a way that is viable for the individual and their scenario. We are all in this together, so let’s make sure we take care of our whole selves while we’re at it!
Interested in online clarinet or saxophone lessons? Curious about
online coaching? Want more information on creative outlets and self-care?
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The legendary strength coach Louie Simmons is quoted as saying, “When you attempt to build capacity on dysfunction, you are actually deepening the attractor state of your compensation. Thus, you are building compensation, not capacity.”
What does this mean for performing artists? Let’s break it down:
What is dysfunction for performing artists?
For the purposes of this article, we will define dysfunction as anything that negatively impacts any aspect of your ability to perform. This can include, but is not limited to: errors in embouchure, a weakness in one of your hamstrings, excess tension in your bow hand, gripping in your neck while orating, or muscular imbalance in a critical area. These are generally things that your instructor or mentor will have addressed with you to the best of his/her abilities, and things that you are likely working on correcting.
What is involved with “Building Capacity”?
In this context, building capacity would refer to anything you do to increase the load on your system to achieve a “conditioning” result. For all performers, this would include increasing your practice volume (i.e. adding more hours) and/or increasing practice or performance speed. For musicians, extending your range or expanding dynamic capacity may also apply. Dancers may add in increasing flexibility, balance, static holds, or other highly technical movements. Actors may also include dramatic movements, dialect work, or postural changes.
So how does it apply?
When we experience dysfunction in our performance, the human body typically attempts to compensate through other means that are generally unhelpful long-term. If left unchecked, these compensations may even develop into full-blown injuries.
Therefore, if we find ourselves in a state of dysfunctional performance, we will generally find ourselves making unnecessary physical compromises. In this situation, adding in “capacity building” activities – especially high volume practice – does not actually improve our performance abilities; rather, it increases our subconscious dependence on our compensation.
What can I do about it?
The first step is being aware of your dysfunction in the first place. If you are not yet working one-on-one with an instructor or mentor in your performance medium, it is definitely worth your time to seek one out. If you already have one, you most likely already have a plan in place to discuss the dysfunctions that he/she is able to address.
If you have a dysfunction that your instructor can not help you with, such as a muscular imbalance requiring physical training or an injury requiring medical examination, seek out an expert to address these issues outside of your standard lesson or practice time.
Lastly, create a practice plan with your mentor and stick to it. There is often temptation to increase load due to personal or peer pressures, or out of panic or anxiety. A good practice plan including goals and focuses for each session is far more valuable long-term than aimless, panicked, high-volume sessions!
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I have two primary rules for getting through performance season intact:
The more you practice these rules, the more specific you will be able to tailor them to your own needs. But whether you’re just getting started or have been in the business for years, the following considerations may help you to refine habits and eliminate stumbling blocks.
Protect Your Sleep and Self-Care Routine
In other words, know when to say “no.” This is one of the most difficult lessons for many of us to learn, but the bottom line is that if you aren’t caring for yourself, you can’t help anyone else. Getting a reasonable amount of sleep (read: 8 hours minimum, if possible) allows your body to physically recover and your mind to stay sharp enough to handle all of the curveballs that come with this time of year.
Other self-care aspects to protect during in-season include basic things like nutrition, basic hygiene (one well-known strength coach advocates flossing as a way of increasing strength simply because it is a signal to yourself that you are willing to care for yourself), and an appropriate amount of break time (they can be small intervals, but be sure to take them).
Be Honest with Yourself about Your Needs
Only you can know what your needs are, especially in a stressful state like performance season. The following are questions that may help guide your considerations. Keep in mind that there is no wrong answer to any of these; they are simply prompts to promote self-honesty!
You may well have different answers to these questions depending on the day, but learning to identify what state you are in and what will genuinely benefit you can prevent the dreaded “crash” that can destroy performance success if it happens too soon, and can help stave off risk of illness and injury.
Address Your Physical Imbalances Gently and as Often as Possible
This particular subject will be addressed more in the upcoming “In-Season” YouTube video, which will be published Monday, December 16th. Be sure to keep an eye out for it!
Have questions? Feel free to contact us !
In athletics, there is a long-standing tradition of acknowledging competition/performance “seasons,” the necessary preparations leading into it, and how to best care for the athlete in-season. Although the concept of performing artists as “a different kind of athlete” has gained traction in the past decade or so, the conversations about appropriate preparation and in-season self-care are unfortunately limited due to other demands such as practicing, teaching, or otherwise earning a living.
As the height of holiday performance season can begin as early as mid-October and run through January, the best time to start preparing is now . So, what are some of the best things you can do for yourself for the upcoming demands?
1)
Shore up physical imbalances.
If you know you have a particular physical weakness that results in pain during
performance season, begin addressing it before the season starts. This will not
only allow you to increase your resilience for the upcoming strain your body
will be placed under, but beginning the work early means that you will also
have time for “deload” prior to the beginning of the season.
Effectively, through this process, you can put your body through moderately
intense training for several weeks to maximize your benefits, and still allow
yourself time to recover enough prior to your season to go into performances
healthy, rested, and ready to use your new abilities.
2)
Improve the quality and quantity of your
rest.
No one wants to go into the busy season tired – we all know how exhausted we
will be by the end of it, and starting out at a deficit makes the season
daunting and unenjoyable.
Sleep and rest are habits that require maintenance to remain at their peak. By
working towards rest in advance of the season, you not only allow yourself to
start the season feeling good, but you are establishing habits that will be
easier to maintain once the season starts. Remember, it’s okay to let yourself
sleep!
3)
Identify and prep your best nutrition.
Experienced performers know that nutrition tends to go out the window when
you’re juggling multiple jobs during the holiday performance season. However,
allowing nutrition to slide causes the body to undergo even more strain at an
already difficult time.
Although you may not be able to avoid poor nutrition altogether during the
season (and let’s face it, we all need a good treat now and then just to feel
human), establishing your best nutrition prior to performance season gives you
a significant advantage once it starts. “Good nutrition” can mean many things
to many people, but the best time to experiment with food and/or work with a
nutritionist is prior to performance season. Plus, once you know what foods
work best for you, the task of prepping meals for a week or two while you are
in season becomes significantly easier and requires less guesswork!
4)
Address and plan for trouble areas in your
domestic life.
Do you have other “life” areas that often “run away” from you when you get
busy, such as laundry, dishes, etc.? Do these areas then bring you to a
standstill, force you to become late to appointments, or otherwise spend your
precious cash when they spiral out of control?
Set up a plan and establish habits now
that will help you before you get there. If dishes are a problem for you,
consider limiting the number you are allowed to use in a day, and require
yourself to wash them daily. If laundry is an issue, try scheduling specific
times to start, change, or fold loads that works within your schedule. Small
changes and goals become easier to maintain over time; plus, if and when the wheels
start falling off in-season, there is a greater chance that the “fallout” will
cause fewer problems.
Want more information on how to prepare for performance season? Contact Us!
“I am a perfectionist; therefore, all work I produce will be exceptional.”
This is a lie I used to tell myself, and one that I’ve witnessed in action in many other people with perfectionist tendencies.
As a society, we regularly have “perfection” sold to us as an ideal to seek – understandably so, as it is a phenomenal marketing tool. However, on a personal level, the quest for perfection sets us up for constant failure. If perfection is what you are after, then every time you seek to improve yourself you will be disappointed with the results. Over time, it causes us to give up entirely – what is the point of constantly going into the struggle for self-improvement if any progress you make is meaningless?
The answer is to give up the lie that is “perfection.” It doesn’t exist, and if it did, would we even know what to do with it?
If the goal is to be happy, then let’s give ourselves the chance to experience happiness on some level on a day-to-day basis. Small goals, small improvements, doing better than yesterday – that’s the win. Not only is it the win, but it allows us to set ourselves up for much bigger, long-term wins we did not really believe were possible.
Some examples of small, daily improvements include:
· Slight increases in smoothness or speed of a particular section needing practice
· Decreases in excess tension or pain for injured or injury-susceptible performers
· Feeling more alert or focused during a practice session
· Finding a situation in which you can be happy with your own practice without thinking about someone else (ex. peer, competitor, rival, instructor, etc.)
Long-term, I have personally noticed increases in happiness, productivity, and the willingness to practice self-care (including eating and sleeping habits) as a result of these small daily wins. When improvement is the goal, I want to do things like practice and go to the gym, because I know something good will come from it. Certainly there will always be bad days, but allowing even the bad days to become a learning experience that I can use the next day promotes continuing with the growth cycle, rather than allowing it to stack in the “loss” bin where motivation and self-love are obliterated.
Want to share your daily improvements and wins? Have a question about this article? Contact Us !
The space between performances is often when we reassess our weaknesses within our medium and create plans for improvement. Yet this can also be the perfect time to address the physical elements affecting your performance.
Although individual plans for maximizing performance health potential will vary widely, the following are some considerations that may be helpful.
1)
Challenge yourself!
No one makes improvements by doing only what they are already good at.
Since there are no performances looming on the horizon, this “Off-Season” time
is a great time to try working on things that are particularly challenging for
you.
2)
Establish attainable short-
and long-term goals.
To maximize your improvements during your designated “Off-Season,” create
attainable short- and long-term goals. This will help you to create a sense of
progress over time, as well as providing reference point for activity selection
(below).
3)
Select activities that will support your
goals.
It can be tempting when we get into the mindset of “challenging ourselves”
to do things that feel wild and crazy, just to see if we can do them. While
this can be great once in a while as a test, it is not something we want to do
as part of our daily training regimen.
To keep on the path of progress you most desire, instead try to select
activities that will clearly support your short- and long-term goals. A simple
question of “Will this help me get to where I want to be?” is often enough to
confirm or alter a physical training plan.
4)
Test new methodologies.
If you have heard about a methodology that seems to be working for your
colleagues, but you have not yet had the opportunity to try, the “Off-Season”
is also a great chance to experience it! Whether it be training with Tuned and
Toned, an Alexander Technique instructor, or a Feldenkrais practitioner, the
calmer state provided by “Off-Season” can assist with the learning process.
Even if you later decide that the methodology is not the one for you, you will
most likely leave with a few new tools that can be helpful to you in other
areas of your life!
Want to know more about “Off-Season” performance preparation? Contact Us !
“Practice Makes Perfect.”
We’ve all heard the expression, and while it is not exactly false, it can be rather misleading. There is a frequent temptation to translate that expression as “do more practicing.” I’ve heard many variations from other instructors to attempt to undo this phenomenon, including “Practice makes permanent,” “perfect practice makes perfect,” etc., but these alterations do very little if the performer or student does not understand the role of intention in practice.
Consider the following example: a musician wants to perform a particular piece at the very brisk pace of 180 beats-per-minute (bpm). In order to achieve this, the student sits with the piece, their instrument, and a metronome, and proceeds to practice an entire passage with the goal of hitting 180 – we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say they even work on it at a slower tempo and gradually increase their speed. At the end of the practice session, s/he can play the passage at 180… but it’s messy, has no dynamics, and no expression. Was this an example of practice makes perfect?
Crossing genres, we can apply similar situations to acting and dancing. Is it enough for an actor to simply memorize the words in their script, without comprehension and emotion? Is a dancer really able to perform that solo if s/he looks stiff and uncomfortable?
Part of the answer lies in intention, as in what is the specific intent for a practice session. In order to accomplish that, we first need to change our focus from “perfect” to “better,” but that is a topic for another blog article.
Instead of attempting to get a specific result based on a particular metric (i.e. 180bpm, memorizing just the words, etc.), we need to narrow down what we are intending for each session, and allow the sessions to build over time. For the music student, perhaps that means only learning half of the passage up to 80 on the first day, but beginning with questions like: “What is this piece of music trying to convey to the audience? Do I understand what is being said? Can I bring my personality as a performer into it, with dynamics and articulations, at the slower tempo?” We can even use smaller questions such as “How much pressure am I using in my right index finger when I play the first two bars?” or “Can I keep my air support constant while I’m articulating?”
Bringing specific intentions to each session allows us to focus in on what needs addressing right now , without worrying about tomorrow or forcing long-term metrics in too short of a period. It also allows us to create scenarios where we can leave our practice feeling happy and accomplished, rather than getting bogged down in the volume of work left – when the goals are small enough to be achievable on a given day, practice becomes a winning situation rather than feeling like “work.”
Want to discuss intention and practice with us? Send us a message! Contact us .
Getting your Mental Game focused under pressure
So, you’ve recently learned of a performing opportunity that you would like to pursue, only to discover that there is an audition for which you are one of the last to receive the materials. It’s happened to all of us, and suddenly we are left with only a week or two to prepare a full audition’s worth of material.
The temptation at this point is often to panic and rush through “learning” everything as quickly as possible, often to the detriment of our overall performing abilities as well as our personal well-being. However, this sort of “rushed learning” frequently backfires during the audition, causing us to underperform and feel as though we wasted our time rushing for no reason. But that doesn’t mean we have to give up on the audition altogether!
The following are some helpful tools for last-minute preparation that can help lead to success and avoid panic and a sense of overall failure:
1)
Triage the Your Weaknesses
Identify the areas where you will likely have the most significant amount
of trouble. Those are the areas to work first. You can put the whole thing
together later – start with what is most likely to get you eliminated in the
first round.
2)
Create Small, Rapidly Achievable Goals
Think of your preparation as a condensed, mini-cycle of learning. In
healthy day-to-day practice, we are looking to create a solid foundation on
which we can build nuance and expression. A condensed cycle should be no
different: lay down the groundwork on day 1 for day 2 to build on.
For example, if you know articulation is your weakness and you are asked to
prepare an excerpt with lots of it, don’t worry about getting it perfect on day
one. Start with something attainable, like coordinating finger and tongue movement
in session 1, and work on the specific style of articulation once your
coordination is comfortable. It’s about not trying to do too much at once!
3)
Organize Your Practice Sessions
Again, it’s about not doing too much at once. Give yourself a very specific
amount of time to work on a particular piece of material, only work on one or
two things per session, and know that you can come back to it later.
For example, if you are given 4 excerpts to prepare, try splitting the excerpts
across multiple practice sessions. Take the two most similar items, and put
them in different sessions, so that each time you practice you are working on
contrasting elements. Splitting similar items across sessions can also help
prevent fatigue and avoid injury; for example, if you have two excerpts with
heavy articulation, putting them back to back might cause issues with position
and technique breakdown – especially if you have problems with tongue motion.
4)
Listen to or Watch Professional Recordings
Especially when pressed for time, professional recordings can be of
enormous assistance to the learning process. Effectively, it allows you to
mentally practice while avoiding the physical and mental strains of an actual
session. And by choosing your favorite professional performers, you get the
added bonus of hearing or seeing various examples of artistic nuance that you
may wish to adopt in your own performance!
5)
Practice Performance
Lastly, put yourself in small, low-pressure performance settings prior to
the audition. This is something we tend to do prior to any performance, but
keep in mind that you are likely to feel extra pressure due to the last-minute
nature of your audition. Find a friend or family member that you feel
comfortable with, and ask them to listen to you play. They do not even need to
provide feedback – it’s more about getting in front of someone and going
through the motions of the audition. By practicing performance, we can help
steady our nerves, and get an idea of what the materials will feel like during
the audition.
Good luck, and happy practicing!
Have questions, or want more information on audition preparation? Contact Us