How To Be A Good Performer

5/31/2024

In a previous blog post, I talked about some important things about being a good audience member. But what about being a good performer? States, regions, and countries hold performance contests for voice, choirs, instruments, and ensembles of various sizes and combinations. Sometimes music needs to be memorized, sometimes you can have the music in front of you. So how do you become a good performer? What would be important for that? Let's find out.

Know Your Music. Really know your music! Learning music requires lots of practice, research, and work with your teacher. If you know your music, it gives you the confidence and stage presence to not only perform but to share that music with your audience. It also gives you the ability to adjust if mistakes happen. If you are focusing only on your music, are you involving the audience? If you are in the audience, and the performer never looks out of their music, are you going to feel like you are part of the performance? If you are performing with or in a group, are they going to appreciate it if you make lots of mistakes or don't know your part well enough to keep up? So, again, really, really know your music!

Be Present with your audience. That means acknowledging them, sharing with them, and appreciating them – after all, they took time out of their busy schedules to come to see or hear you! Granted, sometimes it can be intimidating to look at your audience and feel nervous. If you can, find a familiar face in the crowd, maybe one that is smiling and enjoying the performance, and focus on them. Or if the venue is dark, focus on an area in the center near the back and imagine a smiling face. Then, try to enjoy yourself get into what you are doing, and share that with your audience!

Keep the Mood Going for your audience. How do you do this? First, when do you start singing or performing? When you open your mouth and music comes out? The breath before you start singing or performing? No! You start performing when you walk out on stage, and, if you're already there, when your accompaniment or group starts. You should already be IN the mood of the song! The same thing goes for the END of the song, too. When does the mood end? When you stop singing or playing? No! When your accompaniment stop, or your group stop? Closer, but still, no. It's when your conductor, group, or audience applauds, or you as a soloist, end the mood! If you are performing a very emotional piece, and your audience is engaged, there is often a moment after the sound stops that the “music” and the emotion keep going! The last thing you want to do is ruin the mood by shuffling papers and getting the next song ready! Instead, relax, smile, and enjoy the applause and the moment!

Those are three ways that you can be a good performer and keep audiences coming back for more!

If you want to learn more about how to develop your performance skills at the Music & Language Learning Center, schedule a free consultation with us today!