Music is one of those things that is many things to many people. But one thing we can all agree on is that music is a fun social activity that’s great for all ages. And nothing is more social than a community event to have fun entertaining and gaining performance experience at the same time!
Performance is a vital part of any music student’s journey. The time right before any performance is usually filled with last minute practicing, anticipations, nervous energy, and even more last minute practicing. Some students look forward to these community event, while others dread them – but music is meant to be shared! And learning to make music is all the more rewarding when it is shared.
When students perform in a community event in front of friends, teachers, and family, they become great entertainers, but they also gain a bunch of benefits for themselves. Here’s just a few:
Something to Work Towards
Something changes in all students when they first hear they will be performing for their community. Aside from the normal sense of urgency and nervousness, now students also have to contend with a deadline – something people working in the “real world” must deal with on a daily basis. With a performance to look forward to, students should start practicing a little more often. Whether they’re taking classes online, at home, or at a school, the pressure to get a song right in time is a fantastic motivator!
Students become more open to soak up information more than ever, and once performances like this become routine, students are more likely to keep up the new level of effort thanks to the positive and rewarding experience performing can be.
Performance Experience
One of the main goals of taking part in a community event where students can perform is to gain valuable performance experience. Whether a student’s goals are to become a professional musician, or just a good one, performing in a lot of live shows is an important part of reaching those goals. Performing in a live setting, even like a simple community event, there are a lot of things to get used to.
Performing in front of an audience isn’t easy, and students will need a lot of practice, both on their instrument, and simply being in front of people. When a student is new to performing, they will undoubtedly feel a lot of anxiety and nerves, but the more they play in front of a crowd, the easier it becomes. Students learn to play through mistakes, and to take a gracious bow and smile for the audience. Valuable experience is gained with each performance.
Learning by Mistake
Performing live, whether for the first time or the hundredth, can be a daunting task. Regardless of whether the student plays guitar, piano, drums, or even sings, once they’re on stage, under the bright lights and in front of dozens (or more) pairs of eyes, the nerves kick in and, at least as far as the student is concerned, all their flaws are on display. Whether those flaws are an off-key note, or a hand-stretching chord that they didn’t quite practice enough.
This whole experience helps give students an amazing opportunity to find where their weaknesses are, and work on them until they become strengths for the next performance.
“The Show Must Go On!”
Performing in a community event, especially one where there are multiple acts performing, things inevitably get a little disorganized. The old phrase “the show must go on” has become cliché for a reason – sometimes the show simply must go on through all the chaos. When unexpected issues crop up, whether they’re with equipment, the sound system, staff, timing, or any number of other small problems, students must learn to keep their composure and put on an excellent show anyway! This experience helps make performing routine, and teaches students to handle the pressure with grace.
Getting Inspired by Peers
One of the great things about community events that feature performances by music students is that often younger or more novice students are placed closer to the beginning of the show, with the more experienced students coming towards the end. With this setup, the beginner students get to see what the more advanced students are doing after their performance. This gives the beginner students a chance to too see a great performance that they will be capable of playing themselves in the future – with a little time, practice, and effort.
The motivation of seeing what they could be doing soon is usually enough to get students pumped and ready to work hard. With time this motivation will increase as their performance skills and experience increase.
Gaining Pride in Their Effort
One of the most important benefits that comes from performing in a community event is the sense of pride students can gain from the whole experience. They have worked hard in their lessons and with their practice and have faced the worst of their own musical fears. The moment when the audience breaks into smile filled applause is a magical one that the student will wish could last forever.
That special feeling of accomplishment and appreciation for the work that has been done makes it all worth it. It’s moments like this that motivate students to push themselves towards the next challenge. When this appreciation comes at a younger age, students become fearless in their music, and their self-esteem can be boosted like nothing before.
Support from the Community
Community events with student music performances aren’t just for the students; the audience is invested too! For music students of any age it can be a huge morale booster when their family and friends take an interest in their passions and attend events to show their support.
Music lessons aren’t just about learning to play music – they’re also about creating an interest and passion for performing, but there’s only so much lessons can do without places for students to perform!
We’ve got a number of upcoming events featuring performances by students from The Music Studio if you’d like to show your support! Visit out Facebook Page for more information!
