Iris Chang

Holding a recital is a good opportunity for a performer who has

received music formal training. I generalize six stages that players can earn experience from the process of preparing a recital. By accumulating the experience through multiple recitals, a player will create music as much as she likes no matter on which occasions.

The first stage of preparing a recital, StageⅠ- , selects recital pieces. A complete recital has programs which includes at least one piece from each of the four musical periods: Baroque, The Classical Era, The Romantic Era, and The Contemporary Era. I believe that you are already nervous enough about the idea of playing in public, so you should select a recital piece that you are already learned and which you enjoy playing. Also, you would generally feel comfortable with the piece and because you like it you will be willing to perfect it so that you can play with confidence. In addition, don’t choose too long pieces to play; forty-five minutes to one hour is about maximum for everyone.

Next, the player enters StageⅡ- music preparation and practice. During

practice processes at home before the recital, it must have plenty of possibilities of making errors. These are opportunities to gain experience in working yourself out of problems. There are different methods in practice below. First, you had better use a metronome to play sections only up to performance tempo for tempo stability. Then, use various rhythms to play on problem spots repeatedly. Next, you should emphasis on playing the first few measures in your head before beginning. Furthermore, you would emphasis on transition sections. Specifically, you familiar with key, tempo, and meter changes, introduction of second theme, and one movement into another. Moreover, you also emphasis on other potentially weak spots like page turns, da capos, etc.

After practice musical technique, the player passes through StageⅢ- music memory. In a formal recital, it is necessary to memory all pieces so that the player pays attention to the musicality of the pieces. However, memorizing music is not an easy thing to do because it requires using specific techniques and doing a lot of practice. First one way, naturally, you work in form and analysis is necessary. Likewise, a good player practices the piano while studying the analysis of a piece. You must understand how the theme develops by compare and contrast. What is more, knowing basics of keyboard vocabulary and common cadences are essential, as large variety of arpeggios and scales. Another way to memorize music is familiar with hand position of movement. Finger muscle memory especially is one of important parts not to omit. You have to force yourself to think about every note and change in hand, wrist, and arm position. You can play the piece very slowly; play with the right or left hand entirely staccato, and play without regard to dynamic changes; that is, play it piano. According to the both ways, your brain does work before your hands instead just playing notes.

When you have prepared the music programs, you pass through Stage Ⅳ- prepare for recital attire and advertise the recital. At first, ladies should wear a dress; gentlemen should wear a coat and tie instead of shorts, jeans, or sweatshirt. Try out your clothes ahead of time by playing your pieces in them. Your clothing should allow sufficient movement for arms and shoulders. Steer clear of sleeves without cuffs which may slip down your arm and cover your wrist and heel of your palm, thus making playing more difficult. Moreover, players avoid wearing capes, feather boas, sequins on the bodice, bracelets, or shoulder-touching earrings in order to not break your attention when doing cross-hand playing. Besides these, you don’t wear a pair of new shoes and make sure your shoes don’t squeak or slip off the pedals. Next, when you’ve reserved your performing hall, you had better rapidly design posts, consult with printing offices, and communicate with sound and video recording companies for advertise your recital.

Before holding a recital, the player should expect what catastrophes may happen and have planed for deal with them-StageⅤ. There may be unexpected noise like people whispering or cough and movement like squirming in seats; these could possibly make the performer to feel nervous or be interrupted. As a result, at least two or three weeks before a recital, the performer have to train herself to keep playing until end even if she make an error during practice. Besides, the performer needs to identify several points in a piece to which the player can jump in case of a problem. Performing for tape recorders or camcorder is another good exercise. Playing for friends and family members is a practice as well. Those plans and practice ways are suggestions for a successful recital.

Before a recital, the performer surely has jitters. That is StageⅥ- handle nervousness before a recital. Undoubtedly, anyone who will perform before a recital must feel nervous. As a matter of fact, jitters are good things to help your body ready to play. The performer has to have the attitude that you are willing to be sharing your music with audience. Then, wears the performance dressing and shoes to do rehearse stage walk and playing in the certain time of the recital before the last few days. The practices help pre-accommodate the emotion and circumstance of the recital.

Finally, the player enters the last stage-StageⅦ- on recital day. The recital day is important, the performer has to maintain calm in both psychology and physiology. Therefore, do not perform for anyone, record playing, or practice too much. After getting up and eating a regular breakfast, then you use rhythms on particular problem sections and practice from the beginning to the end with very slow speed. Next, wear all your attire and rehearse in the performing hall. Meanwhile, be familiar with the atmosphere and acoustics. After that, you can either take a nap if you have extra time or ready to dress and make up. You also prepare light and nutritious meals to support the energy of the day and finish eating at least two hours before the recital. At the beginning of the recital, you stride across the stage with your smile and confidence. You sit down on the bench and adjust it. Then you raise your hands and place them on the keyboard and begin to play. When you enjoy the music you are playing, you can hear the dynamics, phrase shaping, articulation, and other details instead caring about audience’s opinion.

By preparing all details of a recital completely and rehearsing carefully, the

player can enjoy in playing the piano in a performance. Besides this, performing experiences are one of the elements needed to become a great pianist. As the seven process of preparing, the performer not only has learned a lesson but also has had a successful recital. What is more, she will have more confident and enthusiastic in music.