Building a performance - Fiona Williams

As musicians, performance is at the heart of what we do. We want to share our music making with as many people as possible. But building a great musical performance is about more than just knowing which notes to play. We all know how a piece of music can transport us emotionally and make is feel happy, sad, at peace or giddy with joy. And at Pelican we know that a perfectly plucked open string piece played on a half-size violin can move the audience to tears of joy just as a Bach can pull your heart strings, Beethoven can stir the soul and Bernstein set your toes a-tapping. 

So how do musicians build to a brilliant performance.

* Practice - know your piece. This isn't just about learning the notes and where to make it loud and quiet. It's about interpreting it - using music to tell a story or paint a picture in your audiences' minds - to really try and bring it alive. Try inventing a story to go with your music - it could be based on the title of your piece or about the feeling that it gives you when you play it. Make each line or phrase of music a different part of the story. Tell your story out loud as you play and see how that changes the way you play. Or paint or colour a picture of your music. What images does it conjure in your mind? Then describe your picture while you play - perhaps "this loud bit is where the dragons live" or maybe "this fast bit is two kites flying in the sky". 

* Rehearse in front of a safe, supportive and willing audience - perhaps the neighbours (let's be honest, they'll have heard it as often as you have!), grandparents, siblings, mum or dad. And mum or dad again. Perhaps you're part of a club or go to church and they will let you play for your friends or the congregation. Failing all else, how about an audience of Sylvanians? The more you play in front of people, the less scary it becomes.

* Ask your friendly practice audience for positive and productive feedback. Which bit did they like best? Did they understand the story or the picture? What did the music make them feel like? Is there anything they would like to hear again? 

* Don't just rehearse the piece. Practise the whole thing from coming into the room. Stand in position, introduce your piece in a loud, clear voice. "My name is Jenny and I'm going to play Three Blind Mice". Then play your piece and at the end, bow and leave the room. Every little detail counts!

* If you're playing with someone on the piano for you, practice with the accompanist if you can - or even along with a CD or backing track. It's really worth getting to know what the whole piece sounds like together - the pianist will want to help you make the piece sound as good as possible. Share your story or picture with them too.

* Treat your big day like a Big Day. Get a good night's sleep the night before. Eat well. Drink plenty of water. You'll play best when you are at your best. And plan everything you need the day before: What are you going to wear? Where is your music? Have you packed your instrument with spare strings or reeds. Get everything ready so you're not rushing around on the day.

Then the Big Day arrives. Are you feeling ready now? Or are you still a bit nervous? Actually finding the courage the stand on stage and play your first, second or even hundredth piece can be a challenge.

I used to be an opera singer. As a performer, I have stood in the wings waiting nervously for my moment on stage. Now, as a director, I am responsible for helping other singers and actors create their performances. They also get nervous before the start of the show. So do I!

No matter how much we practice. No matter how beautiful or startling our stories. No matter how detailed our preparation, there's no escaping the fact that stepping out on stage is nerve-jangling!

So to create a brilliant performance, we also need to keep the butterflies in check. 

* Remember the audience is on your side. They really want you to do well. They want to applaud and cheer. Enjoy that.

* Nerves are normal, but try thinking about them as excitement, not fear. 

* Channel your inner Gareth Southgate or Owen Farrell and give yourself a pep talk before you go on stage. You Have Got This! 

* Being nervous can make you hands sweaty and send your heart beat racing. So when you practice at home, recreate these symptoms. Run around the garden until you're breathless then come straight in to play your piece. If you can do it under pressure you can do it any time!

* If you make a mistake - Don't Worry! Just keep playing. The audience probably won't even notice, so don't draw attention to it, just move on and keep yourself focused on the next bit. 

And when it's all done - celebrate. You Did It. You got on stage and played your piece. Well done you.

Practice Makes Perfect - Agnes Hamilton

What's the hardest things about learning an instrument? Practice. So for our first Blog post, I'll jump right in and give some guidance on how to best support your child.

As music teachers we throw the term "practice" around a lot, as if everyone knows what we mean but actually the word practice means tonnes of different things in different contexts. In very basic terms it equates to "homework"  when learning an instrument and it really is the only way a student can  improve. To put it into context, at school, children might learn a new math’s skill on Monday, then they have a lesson every day for the rest of that week, where they revise and hone that new skill until its embedded.

When learning an instrument, students see their teacher once a week so pupils need to embed that knowledge on their own, for the rest of the week. Without that vital practice, it's almost impossible to see progress week to week.

Don't worry! It's not impossible and we're here to help!  Here are my top five suggestions for achieving successful practice.

1. Set A Routine

We know how busy family life can be and sometimes finding a space to practice can seem impossible. As a child I learnt 4 instruments, did 3 forms of dance class and had a full academic calendar, but I always knew when my practice time was. Setting a specific time during the day is the best way for a child to build music practice into their weekly routine. Try to keep "work time" and "rest time" sacred and separate, then your child won't resent practice for encroaching on their down time.

2. A Little Goes A Long Way

Regularity is more precious than duration. We see more improvement in a child doing 15 minutes every day than a child doing 45 minutes 3 times a week. My loose guide would be:

Beginner to grade 1 = 10 minutes a day

Grade 1 to 3 = 20 minutes a day

Grade 4 - 6 = 40 minutes a day

Grade 6 + = 45 to an hour a day.

However this doesn't work if it's not regular! You should aim to be doing this a minimum of 5 times a week.

3. Set Time Limits

Divide your practice time into chunks. Your teacher will probably have given you more than one task to complete and,let's be honest, scales and studies always end up at the bottom of the list. If you set time limits for each task it means you'll always tick each thing off and everything gets attention. For example, at preparing for an exam you might spend 5 minutes on each piece, 5 minutes on scales and 2 minutes on sight-reading. So literally set a timer and move on once that alarm goes! It will make practice feel so much more manageable and the time will go a lot faster! 

4. Set Manageable Goals and Rewards

Don't run before you can walk. If you have struggled to get into a routine with practice so far, start small and set out the goals clearly so they are easily achievable . Even starting with 10 minute a day, will be a huge improvement and your child will see the benefits almost immediately. Discuss a small reward for achieving this and stick to it. Never underestimate the power of stickers!

5. Give Us Feedback

Tell your teacher what your practice goals and routines are so that they can celebrate and encourage improvement.  Jot a note in their red practice book telling the teacher what your child has done well and what they've struggled with. This will really help your teacher direct their attention in the best way. Equally if you have a week where the routine has gone awry let them know! Then your teacher can be understanding and help your child not worry  that their practice hasn't been as good that week. If your teacher doesn't know then they can't give  the best support even though they want to!

My sister making practice look stylish since 1995

I'll leave you with a personal story: 

As a child, the only thing I said I wanted to be was a violinist, I would fantasise about the beautiful dresses women wore to perform, and was sure I was going to marry Maxim Vengorov  (Google him). I loved performing and my identity  was "Agnes is good at music". However, I would  do everything in my power to avoid practice...My sister and I would work together being look outs to see whether our parents were coming to listen, and we regularly  beefed up the amount we had done. BUT, the routine and normality of practice was so ingrained, that even so we managed to succeed and thrive. My point is, it's completely normal for your child to find excuses not to practice and not to take themselves off under their own steam. 

Our teachers are some of the most highly trained musicians out there, studying at the most prestigious institutions, playing on the most celebrated stages and all of them will have stories about how they didn't want to practice.

Before you question your child's interest in their instrument  because they never want to practice, take a step back and think about this. The biggest motivator for a child is feeling like they are good at something, and the praise and feedback they get through that.

The tool and key to achieve this is practice. Good luck! And keep us updated with your wins by tagging us @pelicanmusic and using the #practicewins