Performing out in the public can be such an exhilarating and rewarding experience for us musicians! Sometimes though, we all tend to psyche ourselves out and become unexpectedly nervous before an event. Here's a recent personal story about just such a situation, that ties in from the previous blog (I apologize if this ultra long). So about 2 Saturdays ago, 3 fellow musicians and I performed at our high school alma mater for a big joint concert showcasing each of us for around 30 minute blocks. The main premise of the whole concert was to justify the arts in my hometown's school district, and to show that a dedicated musician can make a living off of music and "make it" in the real world. This event had been planned for a whole YEAR in advance, and the entire time we were all in constant communication about different performance ideas, how the concert would flow, what each of us was planning to wear, etc.
Flash forward to about 3 months out, the organization that was hosting and putting this concert together started hyping it all up and bragging about us, like we were some famed platinum-certified artists (well maybe not, but it started to feel that way!). I started hearing from my parents that the organization put up our professional head shots on the town's two digital signs that announces upcoming shows at the high school, and articles for the concert were being featured in local newspapers. The high school's thespian club director even reached out to us about having some of her students interview us about our high school experiences and current professional lives. Oh, and did I mentioned they had us sign contracts and paid us big bucks just for 30 minutes of solo time? And because of all this hype and marketing, I for one started to feel the pressure and get a case of the butterflies. Later on, I discovered I wasn't the only one! Now, this wasn't from being under-prepared: like I mentioned, we all had a whole year to prepare! All of the expectations and the bar that was set for us made it feel so grand and serious that the pressure to perform flawlessly felt very palpable. The only other time I felt this way was my junior year recital at Ohio State, where I had to memorize all my music for 35-40 minutes, all alone on stage, as a requirement for my bachelor's degree.....talk about PRESSURE! In addition, as I mentioned in the last blog, one of the vocalists emailed me her music for me to accompany on piano, about a month and a half out, and another vocalist sent me her music only 2 weeks after that, each having about 8-9 songs. So suffice it to say, I was practicing like a MADMAN in those few weeks! (Thank God the 3rd vocalist gave me his only accompanied song months ago!) Well, the day of the show arrives. I'm fairly confident in reality, but my mental state is in shambles. I'm so worried and nervous, my only driving force is to get to the auditorium ASAP and not only get acclimated to the Yamaha piano there, but practice every single piece and song leading up to showtime. The other musicians arrive, I rehearse with the vocalists, and before we know it, it's mere minutes before the start of the concert! I'm pacing back and forth, trying to focus on the MOUNTAIN of music before me. I'm trying to remember all of the edits the vocalists made in their songs, the nuances they would take, as well as the differing styles and technical hurdles in my own solo pieces. 7:30pm....our MC (my former band director) announces the first act. She leads, walking onto the stage, I follow; and so begins the musical gauntlet I endured for the next hour and a half! Yes, I was on the stage THAT LONG! I remember by the time I did my solo act, I heard a small voice in my hand telling me to breathe, relax, and enjoy the music....which I did! And by some miracle, I made it out alive! Not only that, so many friendly and familiar faces were waiting for me on the other side that told me how impressed and inspired they were by my performance! And they couldn't believe the sheer amount of music I cranked out. The main highlight for me, and I'm sure it was for the other musicians, was being reunited with our former piano/vocal teacher from our high school days, Mrs. S. She was so emotional, tears streaming down her face, and told us repeatedly how proud she was seeing us all on stage and how fulfilled she was knowing we're living our dreams through music. So, if any of you out there have a BIG performance, musical or otherwise, don't sweat it! Be brave, relax, breathe, and just enjoy the moment! Know that your friends and family have your back, and that if you've prepared and you're passionate about what you're doing, you'll blow everyone out of the water! "Break a leg!"
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About this blogHello world, this is your friendly musician friend and teacher, Joseph! This is where I share my thoughts and feelings about anything and everything music-related. Enjoy! Archives
September 2022
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