Dear Friends,

There'd be no music without performers.
To perform, most folks take auditions somewhere along the line.

Two fundamental truths...

...that don't help one little bit when your knees start shaking, your hands get cold, your mouth dries out, you can't catch your breath, and your fondest hope is - to disappear.

Yes! It's performance and audition time! O joy!

Well, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. Performing in an ensemble is usually more fun than fearful. And performing or auditioning as a soloist can actually be a stimulating and positive experience if we're totally prepared and have a positive attitude.

I've done a great deal of performing and auditioning as both flutist and conductor, and have learned a lot about how to present myself and my music in those situations. In this Tip, I'd like to share what I've learned. If you have other approaches that work well, please let me know and I'll add them to this Tip.

As I mentioned, the keys to confident and successful performing and auditioning are total preparation and a positive, realistic attitude. Let's look at each one:


PREPARATION: PREPARE LIKE CRAZY

1. Make sure that you have no technical problems - none! If you do, you're focus on the trouble spots coming up. Under the pressure of the situation, you're sure to make the same mistake(s) you did at home, and you're likely to continue thinking about the mistake(s) you made! You might even beat yourself up for making them, for not practicing more, etc. etc.
   
   And all this will be happening while you're playing or singing the performance or audition! I confess to knowing how it feels to be walking onstage knowing I wasn't fully prepared. Fortunately, it happened when I was quite young and the feeling was so terrible (and I played so badly) that I haven't done it again since.
   
   

   Remember: technique is nothing more than the means to express the music. Technique in speaking means knowing how to create words physically and combine them grammatically. Think about how painful it would be to listen to someone who constantly stumbles over words and grammar: it would be almost impossible to concentrate on the thought s/he was trying to express. Same thing with music!

   
   
2. Make sure you have prepared the expressive part of your playing or singing as carefully as the technical part.
   
   If you do, your mind will be where it should be - on sharing the music's message - not showing how well you are able to executive the piece technically.
   
   Be sure you're identified the mood and message of every phrase in the work you're performing. If you do, your singing or playing will then have the same kind of logical flow that (hopefully!) your speaking does. When you do this, your listeners will be drawn into the music and your performance or audition will be much better.
   
   The best performances I've attended have been the ones where I left totally wrapped up in the music...even to the point of forgetting about the artist(s). But then I realized how great the artist was to be able to do this!
   
   
3. Play the piece(s) through a zillion times.
   
   You not only have to practice hard spots, sections, etc. You also have to practice "playing the piece through." This is vital. Vital! Frequently, young musicians play a piece through from beginning to end for the first time only at the concert or audition. If you've done that, you know what a shock it is (and, usually, what a disaster!).
   
   Then, perform your program through as many times as possible in front of as many people as possible. If you can't always organize a crowd, don't pass up a single chance to play the music through from beginning to end without stopping. A few people will do just fine. Even one. And that one can be your dog or cat!
   
   The idea is to perform the music so much that you know profoundly - not hope or try to convince yourself - that performing your program is easy, natural, and something you do terrifically as a matter of course.

1. Visualize the experience for weeks in advance: see yourself going through the performance or audition in great detail, including how you'll feel, look, what the space is like, etc.;
2. When you think about the upcoming performance or audition: smile. This will help you to have a positive association. This really woks - try it!
3. Get plenty of sleep for two nights before;
4. On your way to the event, go through each piece in your mind;
5. Take plenty of time: don't rush. This is so very important, yet many young musicians fail to claim the time that is theirs. Take a few breaths before you start in order to calm yourself and get comfortable - and to give the listeners time to focus on you;
6. If you can, pick out a sympathetic-looking member of the audience or audition jury, and "play or sing to" that person. This will help you focus on the music - not how well you're going to do - and will scale the experience down to the one-on-one dimension;
7. Enjoy yourself. Listeners love to see happy performers, not those who seem to hate what they're doing. P.S. You'll do much better, too!