It’s the beginning of the school year and a new concert season. Recital preparation may be so far removed from your mind that you are more concerned with planning your next Halloween costume than which Bach Sonata you’d like to perform. Au contraire! This is actually the very best time to create your recital road map. You have months to plan it out and the freedom to read through potential repertoire carefully. You might also have a decent idea of what your workload may look like in the coming months and when the best time will be to host your next performance. In this blog, I offer recital preparation tips to help you design a roadmap, enforce your practice plan, and help you cross that recital finish line with grace and style. Armed with a great plan, this will be your best performance yet!
First things first - select your recital date. Think about your responsibilities for the next few months. Where is your life going to be a bit more crazy? Avoid scheduling your recital around other major life and/or family events or even around super stressful exams. Adding a recital to a stress mountain could cause a life avalanche. Pick a date far enough into the future that you have more than enough time to prepare, practice, and perfect your repertoire.
Book your venue. Where will you host your recital? Will it be at a school? At a church? Is there a rental fee for the space? Contact the manager of the venue to make sure you are on the calendar well in advance. Set the date and commit it to your planner.
Select your repertoire. This is a little tricky but a lot of fun! Let your creative side take the wheel! What pieces are you looking forward to learning? Put your sight-reading skills to the test. How can you create balance in your program between pieces written in different styles and/or genres? Can you form a themed recital featuring the works of a particular country or from a specific group of composers? What other interesting programs can you dream up? Save that virtuosic showstopper for the finale!
Book an accompanist. Even if you don’t quite feel ready to start rehearsing with them, make sure to get on their calendar now. If you do not yet have an accompanist, now is a great time to find one. Ask around! Contact flute friends in your area, music shops, music schools, and Facebook accompanist groups for recommendations. Make sure to work out all of the details including where you will meet, accompanist fees, schedules, when the recital will be, and any other necessary tidbits. Also make sure they have copies of all the music.
Devise a practice plan. Write it all out. How often do you commit to practicing your recital repertoire per day? What pieces need the most attention? Work on these first and bracket all of the super complicated technical passages. These will be your practice priorities. Remember to leave some room in your plan for flexibility. Sometimes life doesn’t care about your practice plan. This is why it is important to work on the difficult passages first. Practice them slowly, in chunks, and rewrite passages where appropriate.
Schedule at least one day per week that is devoted only to practicing your recital repertoire. Orchestra and band music can wait for another day! This is focused practice time. Use this time to think creatively about your repertoire. How can you make it better? How can you make it sound unique? Where can you incorporate tone color changes? Think outside of the box.
The fun part - Plan out your recital outfit! Will you opt for traditional concert black or will you add a pop of color? Are you planning any mid-concert outfit changes? A word of warning about shoes - be sure to keep them comfy. Select a stylish pair of flats over heels. These are much better to retain steady posture and comfort during long pieces. Trust me - nobody wants to play the entire Carmen Fantasie battling blisters.
Super secret/change your life tip: Create a pre-recital affirmation soundtrack! What is this, you ask? Using the voice recorder on your phone, record yourself giving positive messages to yourself. A personal pep talk, if you will, for you by you. This is a very powerful technique! When you hear yourself saying positive messages such as “you’ve got this,” you are basically silencing your inner critic. Listen to your pre-recital affirmation soundtrack on your commute or before rehearsals with your accompanist and watch your confidence soar.
About two weeks before your recital, make sure you can perform your entire program from start to finish twice in a row. This will help you build up stamina for your performance. Record yourself! This will also help recreate the performance environment. Jitters be gone!
One week before your recital, practice everything slowly. Now is the time to chill out. Ease those nerves by infusing your playing with beauty and calm. This is a great way to combat the inevitable nervous rushing. When we are freaked out, sometimes those runs literally run away with us. Chill out and trust yourself. You’ve got this!
On the day of the performance, be a hydrated Zen master. Drink a lot of water. Just do it! Also get plenty of sleep the night before. Everything else in your life can take a back seat (barring any emergencies, of course). Continue to chill out by doing some yoga or, if you are into Alexander Technique or Body Mapping, book a session with your favorite guru. Meditate and do a few deep breathing exercises while listening to your affirmation soundtrack.
Don’t stress about the small stuff. Instead delegate! Hosting a post-recital reception? Enlist a family member or friend to pick up the food, set it all out, and decorate the space. You don’t need to be stressing about mushroom canapés while also stressing about Mozart.
Arrive at the venue plenty early, but not too early. As a reformed perfectionist myself, I’ve had many performances when arriving hours before led to silent nervous anticipation and imagined worst case scenarios. These extended quiet moments are ripe for your inner critic to tell you last minute lies. Instead, arrive at a reasonable time that gives you a decent amount of warm-up time and one last opportunity to listen to your affirmation soundtrack.
Just before taking the stage, remind yourself that you are not performing: You are simply sharing. A recital is like an upscale version of show and tell. You’ve prepped. You’ve planned. You’ve crushed it in the practice room. Now share what you love with your friends and family. Enjoy the moment!
No matter how your performance goes, celebrate it! You just performed a recital! That is a huge accomplishment. Soak in your well-deserved praise! You’ve earned it. Nice job!
How do you prepare for a recital? What techniques have worked best for you? Which techniques are you excited to try next? How will you plan for your next performance?
Happy Fluting!
About the Author, Rachel Taylor Geier:
Rachel Taylor Geier holds a DMA in Flute Performance from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, an MM in Flute Performance from San Francisco State University, and a BM in Music Performance from DePauw University. Former applied instructors include Immanuel Davis, Linda Lukas, Anne Reynolds, and Rhonda Bradetich. Dr. Geier currently teaches and freelances in Davis, California and hosts a popular Flute Friday Blog Series.
