A recital is coming up, or you’ve just signed up for a competition. Here is a Performance Prep Timeline for the 6 weeks leading up to a performance! Your teacher will help you with these!
6 weeks away from live performance or video submission date: Start thinking about what you've mastered and memorized these past few months! Pick up the song again this week.
5 weeks away: Put the finishing touches to the song and make artistic decisions (finalize dynamics, phrasing, articulation, interpretation, etc.). Also start memorizing while you're at it!
4 weeks away: Memorize your song this week. It will likely already be mostly memorized due to the polishing stage. But deliberately memorize this week! Your teacher will coach you through it - recognizing patterns, dividing the song into small sections, etc. By the end of this week, you should be playing this song without the sheet music in front of you. Only refer to it when you need to (if there’s something your teacher wants to point out). The reason why we need to memorize so early is because in order to perform it comfortably, you need to have it securely in your memory, which takes a few weeks to seep in, to be sure to have a good experience performing, and that's ultimately what we want to cultivate!
3 - 2 weeks away: Performance Practice. In-Person performers - practice bowing as part of bowing performance prep (your teacher will show you). Build this into your performance routine!
2 weeks away: Shoot your video (online events). At least start shooting it! You will probably do many takes in order to get a video that you’re proud of! This is great practice even for live performers!
1 week away: Recital videos due (for our online recitals; submission due dates vary by event). Live performers - keep it up!
Event Date! You’re more than prepared for this date! Congrats!!!
Live performances - enjoy your time on stage!
Online recitals - get your popcorn out, chill out on the couch, and tune in online, commenting on your fave parts of performances, encouraging others on their awesome job and answering trivia questions as desired!
Kimberly Wong
Owner
Volo Academy of Music