As we have recitals coming up, I want to talk about Performance Practice!
Usually, when we do normal focussed practice, we stop when we make a mistake and correct it (repeating the rough part over and over, in order to smooth it out).
When we’re practicing to perform a song, we focus on playing through any mistakes and not revisiting them until after the whole song! This is a performance mindset. Although it can be tempting to revisit the mistakes as they happen, we won’t be doing that while we’re performing, so we have to practice not doing it! Please note that this is meant to be done after memorizing.
During performance, we will achieve about 70% of the highest level that we achieve during practice (both video performance and in-person). The more we perform, the closer to our best we achieve (so it’s possible for seasoned performers to achieve over 90% of the standard that they practice at!) The more we do it, the more we can stop focusing on the technicalities and more on enjoying our time in the spotlight!
Practicing for video performances can be expedited because we can simulate that environment (recording ourselves) repeatedly, leading to an easier time “getting used to” the performing feeling, whereas we don’t have a live audience to watch us practice getting better at this. The process of recording a video recording that we’re proud of for an online recital often results in a ton of practicing! It’s also a wonderful way to do Performance Practice for an in-person event because of the simulation of being in the spotlight - that all eyes are on you. And at the end, you have a video that you’re proud of!
I credit Instructor Isaac Hernando for the inspo for these tips!
5 Steps to Performance Practice (FPRPR)
Focus → have a small routine that you do before every time you play your song (eg. Bow, take some deep breaths, put your hands on the instrument, think about the first 5 - 10 seconds of the song).
Perform once → play through your mistakes (without going back to fix anything). To add stakes and a feeling of nerves, record yourself on video.
Reflect → Think about, write down or talk to a parent or friend what you feel went well and what didn’t. Watch the video (if you took one). Confirm these points. You can give yourself a mark out of 100 if you wish!
Polish → “regular practice” – polish your mistakes (fix them).
Repeat → Perform again! And record again. Repeat these steps as many times as desired. Watch your mark (from Step 3) improve as you do!
A wonderful example of Performance Practice!
There you have it! It’s best to have a song memorized 4 weeks before you need to perform it live or record your video. And you can start working on Performance Practice as soon as you do!
Cheers,
Kimberly Wong
Owner
Volo Academy of Music