We practice, practice and practice again, still something often seems to be amiss when we stay in front of the audience.
We practice our music at home in order to be ready when the right moment comes, but we almost never think and practice what we do before and after we play our pieces. Every detail, every movement on the stage makes a part of our performance. It starts with the first step on the stage and it ends with the last.
Do you know that the first impression is what determines how the audience perceives you? 3 – 5 seconds, just a quick glance, and yet the person’s impression about you is already formed… before you have even made a sound. If you have a tense body language, your listeners will never believe you feel like a fish in the water on stage. This opinion is incredibly hard to change; you can deliver a stunning performance, but if the first impression is negative one, it will be incredibly hard to convince the listener about your musical abilities.
Here are some tips that may help you make a great first impression, they will give you a boost of healthy self-confidence and your audience will love you even more!
After your exhibition it’s very important to show a gratitude to your listeners. It’s fantastic if you have had a great performance, but even if you have had something similar to the worst nightmare you still have to conclude your exhibition in the best manner.
Like in Charlie Chaplin’s song – Smile if your heart is aching, smile even though it’s breaking… - that’s exactly what you have to do! You never know how the audience has perceived your performance, maybe they didn’t even notice you struggling. (Don’t let your sour face betray you!) And even if they did notice, they still would like to see you glad you did your best... Keep your sad face and tears for later!
These are little and simple tips, but they can help you enormously to connect better with your listeners. You’ll feel more confident and performing will bring you more happiness than ever!