music

Music Recitals and Performance Opportunities: Top 5 Reasons to Perform

By Emily Kline

When I get a call from a parent about music lessons many times they ask about performance opportunities. Whether your music instructor offers piano, voice or guitar lessons, performing for an audience can have many positive results. Here are some top reasons to participate.

1) It teaches the value of goal setting and achievement. As you start your lessons, work closely with your teacher to understand their style and experience with performance opportunities. Set some goals to work toward that will challenge you but not cause anxiety. Break down the goal into bite size pieces especially regarding the piece’s tempo, emotion and touch. Allow enough time to master the piece, particularly if you’re memorizing it, but don’t have so much time you’re tempted to procrastinate.

2) It builds confidence. As you successfully perform in front of others (who are all pulling for you), you’ll have the confidence to perform again. This confidence is transferable to other areas of life such as public speaking and school presentations, job interviews and networking, as well as the many impromptu times at home and work where you need to express opinions. Evaluating your performance with your teacher afterwards is also a key part of building confidence. When performing a piece, perfection is difficult but achievable, so graciously accept praise from others without deflecting it by highlighting minor mistakes (which most people miss anyway). If your performance was less than perfect and especially if mistakes were obvious, move on and learn from them with the help of your teacher. Shifting your practice plan to address mistakes is common and ultimately builds confidence.

3) It sets a good example. Other students with less skill observe students at a performance opportunity and walk away inspired. When you perform, you’re setting a positive example for them. Many musicians use the memory of better prepared and talented peers to practice longer and with more focus. It may take years for you to discover (or you may never know) the impact you had on someone.

4) An important life experience. The old adage “practice makes perfect” holds true with performance experience. Each of your past performances was essentially practice for the next. These principles are transferable to other areas of your life such as relationships, employment, service, and other hobbies. The more you perform, the easier it becomes. Your teacher will challenge you to not only perform in comfortable surroundings but to consider competitions and opportunities to showcase your rapture in large audience settings. You’ll be able to draw upon the past successes to help encourage and prepare you for new performances. Watch past recordings of your performances and record your practice sessions. Your self-evaluation and teacher evaluation will help identify areas to improve.

5) Rewarding for family and friends. It’s very likely that family and friends want to experience your performance. Private performances at family gatherings or at someone’s request are good to do because they are often impromptu performances. Showcasing your talents at more formal opportunities in front of family and friends is often an occasion that can mean a great deal to your own family. For decades, my husband’s grandmother attended many of her grandchildren’s music recitals, school concerts, and other performances at nursing homes and church services. She kept the printed programs for her scrap books and to show others (she was known for hoarding extra copies to mail to distant relatives). Think of the smiles and applause of friends and family as motivation to push through the occasionally tough practice session.

Of course there are other good reasons to perform in front of others. As you prepare for your next performance, partner with your teacher on all aspects to make it a positive experience in your musical journey. It’s likely you’ll have multiple teachers over the course of time so learn from each of them. Little details about the venue, attire, manners, dry runs, positive thinking, sheet music and much more will build confidence and make the experience one you’ll want to repeat for yourself and others who support your musical journey.

Advice for Great Music Practice Sessions

By Emily Kline

Success and enjoyment with playing an instrument is best achieved when the student (you or your child) has embraced the principles surrounding practicing. Young and old musicians alike benefit from creating and implementing a customized regiment. Advice on specific practicing techniques and styles vary, but generally, the following advice will set your foundation for progression and enjoyment.

Get Organized

Planning and adjusting your practice goals should be ongoing and a partnership with you and your instructor. What will you practice? How long and how often? What time or times of day work best for your schedule and when you’re most alert? Should you work on more than one piece at a time? Where is the best environment for your sessions? What additional materials or tools will help your session? How will you record your progress and questions? All these questions need to be addressed and revisited periodically by the student (and parents at times) and the instructor.

Consistency

Repetition and challenge will help you grow as a musician. Closely tied is the consistent time you allocate for practice. This does not necessarily mean daily but missing months of practicing will not foster progress. It’s better to practice four times a week consistently than to set a goal of every day that when a day is missed, you feel a sense of failure. Busy life schedules often prevent a daily, uninterrupted 30 minute session so it’s better to practice in three 10 minute chunks than to give up on the day because the day is full. Journalizing your short sessions will help you remember the baby steps toward the weekly goal. Cramming your entire weeks’ worth of practice into one afternoon rarely works.

How to Practice

Over time, you’ll learn how you practice best. How long can you sit without your mind wandering? What time of day is best (most feel the most alert in the morning)? Can I practice in a busy place or do I need absolute silence? Do pieces that I love to play help me practice longer and enjoy the instrument? Do my pieces challenge me and stretch my skills? Setting yourself up for a successful practice session takes all these questions into consideration. Some answers you’ll discover after a few experiments but the key is to customize an approach that is fun and polishes your skills.

Ask your instructor how they practice and what works well for them and other students they teach. Teachers understand that the real learning happens during practice sessions and not during the lesson. It’s frustrating for teachers to review the same pieces each week and not see improvement. They want the student to succeed so ask for practice session advice they think will work for you.

Many teachers encourage students to tackle the most difficult pieces or techniques first in your practice session because your mind and muscle memory are at its freshest at the beginning. For many songs, this is often times not at the beginning of the piece. Working slowly through the difficult sections and then adding in the easy parts offers the most learning and a faster route to mastery. Taking notes on the sheet music and in a practice journal are critical to learning. The best musicians mark their music to remind them of the important spots and avoid repeating mistakes. Building up your speed to the intended pace is one of the last refinements to playing a piece. Many successful musicians take time away from their instrument to research a particular piece and think about the composer’s intent with notations like tempo and accents.

Final Thoughts

Many musicians have struggled at times with practice sessions and have felt stuck in a rut with their progression. The internet and other sources offer much help for specific for your instrument and hurdle. Your instructor is your biggest cheerleader and coach regarding your practice sessions because of their experience with you and other students. If you practice your plan consistently and take the coaching of your instructor, you’ll flourish as a musician.

“Should I Buy a Piano or a Keyboard for Piano Lessons?”

By Emily Kline

The phone rings at noon on a Monday. “All Things Musik, this is Emily, how may I help you?” The curious mom on her lunch hour says, “Hi, my child wants to take piano lessons but I don’t know where to begin.”

Inevitably, one of her questions is about buying a piano. Although All Things Musik is not a piano retailer I have advice for families asking this important question.

I think the two big questions to think about when considering a piano purchase are:

1. Do you think your child or children will take piano lessons (and practice) for many years?
2. How much do you want to invest (yes, it’s an investment) in a piano?

There are several related questions that fall under the umbrella of these two questions.

First question: Do you think your child or children will take piano lessons (and practice) for many years? If the answer is “I don’t know” then you may want to consider a bargain basement priced piano or a quality keyboard. The principle advantage of keyboards is their portability. They’re low maintenance, and with headphones you won’t be hearing the sometimes rough practice sessions. A good keyboard should have 88 weighted keys and a foot pedal. Expect to pay at least $450 for a new keyboard.

If your child loves taking lessons after a year or so (or you insist they stick with it for a while) then a piano purchase is probably right for you.

Second question: How much do you want to invest (yes, it’s an investment) in a piano? A quality, well maintained acoustic piano tends to hold its value and depreciate slowly or even appreciate. Many consider a piano a focal point in their home’s interior design and a piece of furniture. Beautiful grand and upright pianos can cost thousands to purchase but often last for generations. If taking out a huge loan for a grand piano is not for you, there are many good pianos on the private market or from reputable retailers like Schmitt Music (in Edina, Rochester, Brooklyn Center and elsewhere in Minnesota). These retailers stand behind their new and used pianos and cater to all budgets.

Technology is making its way into piano and keyboard manufacturing. Like a home computer, keyboards processors and parts won’t stay the latest and greatest very long. Expect the value of your keyboard to drop by half after 18-24 months. Many piano makers like Yamaha and Kawai are offering hybrid acoustic-digital pianos. Hybrids are excellent and affordable choices for tech-savvy kids who want that “cool” factor and parents want virtually no maintenance costs.

When considering a piano from a private seller, do your homework first. Read online reviews about the make and model. Ask the seller about the piano’s history. Ask how often it was tuned. Ask where it was in the house (heaven forbid it was in a garage). Ask why they’re selling it. Before you make the decision to buy, consider having a professional piano tuner inspect it. A cracked sound board or a horribly out of tune piano can affect your initial investment. All Things Musik can recommend a tuner who can inspect the instrument.

Part of your investment in a piano includes regular tunings. Humidity levels, the age and condition of your piano, and other environmental factors in your home can affect your tuning schedule. Once a year is minimal but your tuner can recommend otherwise. A well maintained piano will provide decades of beautiful music!

Whether you buy a keyboard or a piano, starting your child out on the right foot by providing an instrument they can enjoy practicing on regularly is very important.