How to Prepare for a Concert Class Performance 101 ;) – Nicole

Performing in Concert Class can be intimidating, but everything is going to be okay! Yesterday, I had my first solo performance in Concert Class, and all I could say is that it was a good one! I had a few mistakes on articulation and memory lapse in a few bars on my Scarlatti Sonata, but it’s all good! Usually, no one notices, unless you show it on your face, play the same bar again, or stopped playing your piece.

Here’s how I worked up towards performing in Concert Class:

1. I worked out when I wanted to memorise my pieces, or to perform

I had a goal, an achievement in order to get my pieces ready. So, I made a prediction that I could be prepared by Week 8, and would be performing without my score by then.

It wasn’t a good goal in general, performing at Week 8. So, I suggest to give yourself until Week 9 to perform for first years. But nevertheless, if you feel that you’re ready, then go for it! Again, I highly suggest for future first years in first year to perform at Week 9. That way you feel like you’re ready, feeling secure about your piece, and etc.

Having a goal is important, as it really motivates you to achieve something for music, or any thing in general. But knowing how to achieve that goal is what truly sets the bar of your expectations and priorities.

2. A week before my performance in Concert Class, I invited/asked my friends, teacher, family to hear my piece

Performing in front of your peers, teacher and family sets up a bar of how ready you are. I started asking my friends to come in my practise sessions, and listen to my pieces multiple times. Once or twice a day of performing in front of your friends/family is more than enough.

3. Ask your friends, family and teacher for feedback, always!

If it’s good feedback, keep at it. If it’s feedback about improvements, work on it hard. Feedback on improving whatever you need to do is important. You got to make it right, in order to sound good and perfect prior to your performance.

4. I video recorded myself 

It’s good to hear back on how you played your pieces, and looking back on how you expressed your performance/piece. Try it. It’s not so bad actually. Video recording yourself counts as a ‘performance practise’ actually. 😀

5. I worked hard on fixing those troubled phrases/touch/technique etc.

That tip self explanatory. I sometimes spend around 5 to 7 minutes repeating the same bar, over and over again to get it perfect. Nek minute, when I perform in front of my friends on the day of my performance, THE PROBLEM STILL HAPPENS, AND IT’S TOO LATE TO CHANGE THE FINGERING ON MY TRILLS ON MY SCARLATTI PIECE! UGHHHH!!!! But it’s all good. I changed my fingering for my trills in my Scarlatti Sonata today, and it sounds better now. Hahaha. Why didn’t I change it earlier?!?!!

6. I played the ‘memory game’

A way to test your memory is to play from backwards, working towards the beginning without your score. So, you start from the last line, following by adding more lines.

For example,
Last line to the end
Second last line to the end
Third last line to the end
ect.

It’s a little tuff. But hey, that’s a faster, challenging way to memorise, or even test your memory.
This will always help out with securing your piece a lot.

7.  I understood what was going on in my piece

So, what I mean by this is memorising left hand and right hand notes, followed by memorising the melody.
A way to memorise everything is to hum or sing the notes/melody in each hand, or annotating the chords or parts.

For instance, in my Scarlatti Sonata, I had reoccurring motifs, imitation, parts, etc. So, it was easy to recall whenever I performed. Same with my Chopin Etude, the form of my Etude is Ternary form (A B A), there were simple chords, and nice arpeggios, octave leaps and nice pattern of phrases.

Knowing your piece really well (chords, motifs, phrasing, form and etc.) is very handy during your performance, especially, when you accidentally had a memory lapse! You could simply either make up something, or play what was the chord originally? Well, all you can do (if you had a memory lapse) is just keep going if that happens. Hahaha.

8.  BELIEVE AND HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF!

Having confidence and faith in yourself is the most important thing psychologically.

9 days before my concert class performance, I had a good feeling that I’m all set for next week’s Concert Class performance (yesterday’s performance). However, my confidence shot down in the drain after I had memory lapses in my piano lesson; I tried too hard in getting my pieces ‘perfect’, and it turned into a forced performance (notes were played REALLY heavy). After my piano lesson, I was being so hard on myself, that I made a stupid decision of deferring my performance (which you’re not allowed to – it’s against the terms and conditions, unless you have a medical reason).

I changed my mind on deferring my performance, because…

  1. I’ll be not able to perform in Concert Class for the entire year
  2. It would be illogical deferring my performance, just because I had a bad lesson.

I know, it’s silly of me making that decision. I had a tuff, long day, and I was making irrational decisions on that day when I was being emotional, and mentally tired. Silly Past Nicole.
*Present Nicole smacks Past Nicole’s head from behind*

Anyways, when I got over it those sad, depressing thoughts, I picked myself up, and worked my hardest for my goal to be a reality. When I worked on those problems/issues, my piece became better, and better, but with a few technical difficulties in a few bars. Same goes to performing in front of my friends/family/teacher – I felt more confident and comfortable performing my Scarlatti piece in front of an audience.

Before I finish my blog post, I’d like to wish all the best for those first years in my cohort, who is going to perform in future Concert Classes! We’ll be there to support you, if you let any one of us (first years) know!

Also, thank you all for supporting prior to my Concert Class performance, and on the day of my performance! It really means so much to me. I would’ve done it without your unconditional support/feedback! I’ll be looking forward to be performing in next week’s Concert Class!

Music suggestion for this post? ‘Thank You by Jason Chen’

I’ll catch yah later!

PS: I’ll be writing weekly! So, my blog posts will be publishing between Fridays and Sundays. So watch out for my blog posts in the future! 🙂

– Nic