HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR FIRST CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT

Everyone experiences their first classical music concert as an emotional moment. The stress is there even before you start to play: being well-prepared lets you avoid serious anxiety and panic and give it your all to live fully in the moment and show the listeners a good time. Here are some tips to help you prepare for your first classical music concert.

Prepare a Stylish but Comfortable Outfit

Unlike rock music, which is also a state of mind and is expressed through staging and behaviour, classical music is sufficient in itself. When it comes to attire, until recently, it was customary to wear white shirts, black tailcoats, and bow ties, and to meet a certain standard. This look obviously has its importance, but the musician mustn’t forget to opt for clothes that are also comfortable, especially when it’s their first concert.

Transform the Stress Into Positive Energy

Since your back is against the wall, try to see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty. After all, this concert will let you present the fruits of your labours and the extent of your passion for music with listeners who share it.

Stage fright is an integral part of the event, especially when it’s your first concert, and you need to accept it, because it isn’t bad for the musician. It lets them give it their best, put their whole heart into it, and unleash a sensitivity and emotion that wouldn’t have this palette of colours without the jitters.

Of course, this requires finding a way to manage it, so you don’t get overwhelmed and lose control. But generally speaking, simply trying to see past it and focusing on the music works pretty well.

Know Your Pieces Like the Back of Your Hand

Appearing in public means exposing yourself to the judgment of others. The stress associated with the feeling of giving your first concert is serious enough to not add other reasons to be nervous, such as not having worked on your pieces enough. Furthermore, it’s said that you have to be 150% prepared in order to give back half of that on stage. The musician mustn’t forget that, during a concert, they’re no longer in the quiet comfort of their living room, but laid bare in a large room, exposed to the eyes and ears of an audience that may be numerous. It’s better to work too much on your pieces than not enough, because one thing is certain: you can never be too prepared.

Get Used to Playing Outside Your Living Room

Taking advantage of outings to play your program for an audience outside the house is a great opportunity to learn to play your pieces in front of an audience and outside your home. An evening on the beach or a picnic in the park are both opportunities to practice and help reduce your stress on the day of your first concert. Of course, this is easier for the guitarist or the flutist than for the pianist, who must find other ways to replicate the conditions of the concert as much as possible. For example, they can organize a public dress rehearsal in the concert hall or a similar venue.

Playing your first classical music concert is an emotional moment that you’ll keep in your memory for your whole life. Good preparation helps get rid of the bad stress and maintain control over your methods for giving the best of yourself.