Performance preparation

When you are preparing to perform some music for someone, you need to practice!

You practice carefully until you can play or sing your song correctly (all the right notes) and it is “shining brightly!” To “shine brightly” means that your performance sounds good enough that it will make someone feel happy to hear it!

It’s kind of like inviting a guest into a room. You want that room to be as clean and lovely as you can make it. It doesn’t have to be perfectly decorated. You just make it as nice as you can. You tidy up spots that need tidying, and maybe you put some flowers in a vase on the table if you have some. Or you turn on the heat or fireplace to warm things up a bit on a cold winter day.

When it comes to music, there may be some spots that need “polishing” to sound better. Perhaps your hands or fingers or voice don’t know all of the notes. Perhaps you need to listen to a recording of the music to help you learn the notes. Perhaps you need to practice one measure at a time: tiny places over and over until they are correctly in your brain, and you are able to play them correctly. Working on making the phrases sound musical and lovely are like putting fresh flowers in a vase on the table. It just makes things sound nicer! Your audience can enjoy your performance more, just like a guest will feel more comfortable in a clean and lovely room.

Here are links to ideas for preparing for a year-end class performance for your Delicious Music class: