This year, more so than any other, has been a year jam-packed with significant musical hurdles and changes for me. From performing an hour long examined recital marking the end of my degree, to starting a new degree at a completely different conservatoire, it has certainly felt like my Viola playing has changed a lot in what seems like a short space of time. As my first proper post, I thought I would share a few factors I found useful to bare in mind throughout this year’s musical events. A lot of these skills that are essential to becoming a musician are transferable ones, and as proven by numerous studies, positively impacts musicians who go on to be successful in other industries too. To an extent, there are skills I have picked up through learning music that I perhaps wouldn’t have picked up as quickly without it. So here’s a bit about what I’ve learnt, reflecting on a bit of a whirlwind of a year, hopefully to provide some reassurance to those in a similar position, and to give some insight into the technicalities and intricacies of being a musician for those of you that have maybe never picked up an instrument.
PREPARATION
To give myself the best chance of a successful final recital, it was important not to underestimate the value of time. Preparation is obviously an integral part of any big performance, not dissimilar to how anyone would prepare for a job interview, presentation or speech. Especially considering the volume of music to prepare for my final recital (45 – 60 minutes worth) as well as deciding a programme, my preparation for the recital started an academic year in advance, giving me enough time to avoid any chance of panic. Preparation also played a part at the start of this academic year, but less so in a physical sense. It was important for me to go into what can be a slightly daunting situation – meeting all new people, getting my head around a different building, course and place of study – with a positive mentality and open mind. It can make all the difference to the experiences that follow.
NERVES
Considering my final recital was the first of my exams open to the public, I knew there was a high chance of nerves kicking in. A great way to make the atmosphere more comfortable for me was to imitate it. Putting myself in a similar situation as much as possible in advance took away some of the stress and build up to the real recital. This meant multiple performances to anyone who would listen, mock recitals, practicing walking on and off stage, bowing and rehearsing in the hall of my recital. A feeling of familiarity and knowing I’d happily performed the recital several times in the weeks leading up to it made the whole experience less daunting.
IMPERFECTION
Imperfection is something I’ve come to terms with over several years, but even more so this year. You can have lessons with all the best teachers in the world, be listened to by your idols and be able to perform the most fiendish pieces you can find, and someone will always still have a correction, criticism or opinion on your playing, technique or interpretation that is opposing to everything you’ve worked on. Ultimately, you will never please everyone. We’re human, we’re all built differently, we all make mistakes and have our own ways of expression and so no one is ever going to be a carbon copy of another musician. And that’s okay. Embrace the opinions and advice, try things out and hand pick what you want to take on board. Find what works best for you.
ENJOY
Ultimately, when all the hard work has been put in, all that matters is that any performance, practise or musical experience is enjoyable. The goal of music is to provide entertainment and joy to those who listen, so if you’re enjoying your own performance, the likelihood is, it’ll be contagious and the audience, examiners, or anyone watching will enjoy it too. In the moment, nothing else should matter.
Look out for some fitness-related content next week!
Abi x