Helpful Tips for Performing at Music Recitals

It has been proven that performing music makes people smarter and happier. Whether you are playing in a music lesson, practising at home, or playing on stage for an audience, music just makes you feel good!

Recitals are the perfect venue for sharing your music with others. It gives the performer an outlet for their music. Recitals are also quite rewarding and exciting. The excitement of performing in front of others can be a wonderful experience.

Performing music live in front of an audience does not have to be a scary experience. It can actually be quite fun! Here are some helpful tips for teachers and students alike:

Practice makes progress. Daily practice is the best way to prepare for a recital. It's better to do a couple of shorter daily practice sessions than one longer one. If you cannot practice everyday then make a practice schedule, one that is reasonable and manageable.

Handle your nerves. Meditation is a great way to deal with nervousness. If you cannot meditate then take a walk. Taking a short walk by yourself is another great way to help calm yourself before performing.

Show up early. It's always a good idea to show up early for a recital especially if you have never played the instrument at the venue. Trying out a piano or drum kit you have never played before will help you get a feel for the instrument before you actually perform. It's also a great opportunity to warm up.

Never stop playing! Never stop playing at anytime during your performance. Play through your mistakes and don't think about them. When you stop playing during your performance it draws attention to the mistakes that were made. The last thing you want to do is make your mistakes obvious. Just remember. The show must go on!

There are a few more things students and teachers can do to help ensure that everyone has a positive experience when participating in a student music recital.

First and foremost, it is imperative that students get to choose the music they would like to perform. This will keep them motivated and hopefully inspired.

Secondly, allow students to do some improvisation with the music they have selected. This is a great way to strengthen a student's understanding of the music. It also gives them a chance to play around with some scales or chord progressions.

Thirdly, suggest students create a medley of their favourite songs. A song medley is a varied mixture or variety of different sections of different songs all put together as a single larger piece of music. Performing a song medley can relieve stress and anxiety associated with having to memorize one larger piece of music in its entirety. Instead, students can play short sections of different songs. They can choose the most recognizable parts of these songs which will in turn make the memorization process easier. A song medley can be viewed as a musical puzzle of contrasting parts. When certain parts are put together in just the right way it can sound amazing!