Preparing Your Band for the Summer

Music is a performing art....It isn't there in the score. - Michael Tippett, composer

Elite performers plan assiduously and prepare in depth before, during, and after their performances - Shirlee Emmons and Alma Thomas, performance coaches

We are starting to put the the cold weather behind us. After months of steel pan practice indoors, we are ready to take our instruments to the streets and the public. Our venues will vary this year. Chances are good you'll see steel pan at a farmer's market, music festival, or fair near you. We are excited because this is one of the tenets of the Steel Pan Collective's vision - to encourage steel pan players to perform.

In a book by Gerald Klickstein called The Musician's Way, he emphasizes how artistic performers are prepared performers. He offers some great suggestions that not only cover performance, but practice techniques and wellness.  I like the book because it helps you not freak out in rehearsals and during performances. Here are his five facets of performance preparation.

• Artistic Preparation - Klickstein talks about choosing music high in quality, within your or your band's capability, and arranged in a lineup that engages listeners. Your practice skills should encompass the music you will be playing and enable you to learn and interpret the music deeply. Your presentation style should also be polished before stepping on stage.
• Technical Preparation - He adds technical prep is born in the practice room. It covers everything from having proficiency with your instrument to being able to easily set up and modify your concert environment when you get on site. 
• Mental/emotional preparation - Klickstein talks about recognizing your feelings prior to the performance date. Are you nervous, excited, worried, or ambivalent? He says thorough mental and emotional prep arm you with positive feelings and helps you generate clear thoughts on stage. His book offers several suggestions on things you can do. 
• Physical preparation - Being physically ready to perform is especially important for pan players. Not only is strength required to cart our instruments around, but we still have to go out and perform. If we show up fatigued, injured, or starving, we'll have nothing left to give to audience. Klickstein says physical preparation entails coordinating your rest, diet, exercise, and practice schedule similar to the way athletes do. 
• Organization preparation - Once your performance date is set, getting organized begins. In addition to the things mentioned previously, there are scheduling rehearsals, arranging transportation, printing programs, and lining up publicity. Knowing what you want to accomplish and organizing for it is key.  

I highly recommend you get a copy of his book or go to his website for more details on preparation.

Have a great performing summer. Look for more news from the SPC in the coming weeks. Some good stuff coming up. (Hint: Think Website!)