Musicians in some parts of the world are looking for new ways to play to their audiences. They are discovering just how important an audience of some sort is to a musician.
Here in New Zealand we are grateful to be able to play to live audiences. Towards the end of last year the orchestra I play in held two concerts. One was to a paid audience at a stunning new venue in our city, built after the earthquakes of 10 years ago. The second was a free community concert to folks from a range of rest homes. Two quite different audiences. It got me thinking about the role of an audience when it comes to a performance. It is not hard to be a good audience, you just have to show your appreciation in some way. Both our audiences certainly did just that.
A wonderful audience can bring out the best in performers
Even as I reflect on these two concerts, I’m not just talking about a musical audience. Hearers in other contexts are also essential. You are also giving me an audience by hearing me out in this blog.
I noticed in our orchestral audience that our conductor, Philip Norman, would respond warmly in his chats to the crowd before we played a given piece, especially as they participated in what he was asking or talking about. As performers it gave us a sense of connection with the audience and I think it helped us want to do our best work for them.
I’m the same when I write this blog. I want to say how grateful I am for every one of you who have interacted with me in some shape or form over the last few years in response. If I have inspired even one person in their musical pursuits each time I write, then I’m happy.
An audience of one can be very powerful
As a parent of a child learning an instrument, do you realise how incredibly valuable it is that you actively, intentionally listen (turn off your phone) and engage with what your child learned at their lesson that day? Honestly, I can tell when children don’t have an audience of even one person. The pupil is doing the task of playing music but there is not the same joy of making music. And when you do listen, please… don’t immediately comment on the mistakes that are made. It is so helpful to comment on something positive after the first playing, no matter what. Then, you will be better received in pointing out how they can make it even better than the first time.
A good non-musical audience helps a performer perform well as they practice
An example of this was back when I was studying music at university. My four non-musical flat mates had to put up with all I was working on at both the piano and the double bass. The double bass was assigned a special venue—outside, in the laundry (especially for any practice before 8am!) The piano was in the house, so I just did what I needed to there. But my cohabitants often affirmed my playing to the extent that I wanted to be playing something nice if they had to listen. I realised that a non-musical audience can be very encouraging to a musician in that the musician gets much more positive feedback. A performer is so much more self conscious of mistakes if there are other musicians about.
An audience of musicians
There were a couple of orchestra members—one a fellow bass player with an injured shoulder—who couldn’t play in our concert this time. We felt sorry for them because our perception as performers is that listening is not as much fun as actually playing. But both these folks just loved being in the audience because they had been at most of the rehearsals and consequently knew the music and were able to sit back and hear the overall sound of the whole orchestra without a sole focus on their own contribution. They heard lovely aspects of the music they had not noticed before.
If you can, it is a good idea to encourage your child to perform a piece that you will record on video. This is a great way for them to see themselves as you see them. They may notice the music being out of time in places or how it just doesn’t sound right if there are mistakes. They can critique their own playing that way and will likely work on improving on their own initiative with that different perspective. As a young musician they can start to learn to see how their performances come across to an audience. If you would like them to have another audience, take a video clip with your phone of them playing a piece of music and send it through to me. I’d gladly give some free feedback to encourage them.
Back to the concert last year. One of the pieces we played was a favourite with my husband Robin, who edits this blog for me. After our performance he found a great YouTube recording of it which we both enjoyed watching. I think I played my part better in our second concert, simply because I had watched this video and was inspired by being an audience to the commitment and fervour of those performers. I should send a comment, to say how much I enjoyed it too!
So I thought I’d share that with you. It is Prokofiev’s Montagues and Capulets from Romeo and Juliet, played by the Royal Stockholm Symphony Orchestra and conducted by a delightfully theatrical conductor, Yuri Temirkanov. I like this videoed version because there is good highlighting of various instruments as they play their parts.
Musicians in some parts of the world are looking for new ways to play to their audiences. They are discovering just how important an audience of some sort is to a musician.
Here in New Zealand we are grateful to be able to play to live audiences. Towards the end of last year the orchestra I play in held two concerts. One was to a paid audience at a stunning new venue in our city, built after the earthquakes of 10 years ago. The second was a free community concert to folks from a range of rest homes. Two quite different audiences. It got me thinking about the role of an audience when it comes to a performance. It is not hard to be a good audience, you just have to show your appreciation in some way. Both our audiences certainly did just that.
A wonderful audience can bring out the best in performers
Even as I reflect on these two concerts, I’m not just talking about a musical audience. Hearers in other contexts are also essential. You are also giving me an audience by hearing me out in this blog.
I noticed in our orchestral audience that our conductor, Philip Norman, would respond warmly in his chats to the crowd before we played a given piece, especially as they participated in what he was asking or talking about. As performers it gave us a sense of connection with the audience and I think it helped us want to do our best work for them.
I’m the same when I write this blog. I want to say how grateful I am for every one of you who have interacted with me in some shape or form over the last few years in response. If I have inspired even one person in their musical pursuits each time I write, then I’m happy.
An audience of one can be very powerful
As a parent of a child learning an instrument, do you realise how incredibly valuable it is that you actively, intentionally listen (turn off your phone) and engage with what your child learned at their lesson that day? Honestly, I can tell when children don’t have an audience of even one person. The pupil is doing the task of playing music but there is not the same joy of making music. And when you do listen, please… don’t immediately comment on the mistakes that are made. It is so helpful to comment on something positive after the first playing, no matter what. Then, you will be better received in pointing out how they can make it even better than the first time.
A good non-musical audience helps a performer perform well as they practice
An example of this was back when I was studying music at university. My four non-musical flat mates had to put up with all I was working on at both the piano and the double bass. The double bass was assigned a special venue—outside, in the laundry (especially for any practice before 8am!) The piano was in the house, so I just did what I needed to there. But my cohabitants often affirmed my playing to the extent that I wanted to be playing something nice if they had to listen. I realised that a non-musical audience can be very encouraging to a musician in that the musician gets much more positive feedback. A performer is so much more self conscious of mistakes if there are other musicians about.
An audience of musicians
There were a couple of orchestra members—one a fellow bass player with an injured shoulder—who couldn’t play in our concert this time. We felt sorry for them because our perception as performers is that listening is not as much fun as actually playing. But both these folks just loved being in the audience because they had been at most of the rehearsals and consequently knew the music and were able to sit back and hear the overall sound of the whole orchestra without a sole focus on their own contribution. They heard lovely aspects of the music they had not noticed before.
If you can, it is a good idea to encourage your child to perform a piece that you will record on video. This is a great way for them to see themselves as you see them. They may notice the music being out of time in places or how it just doesn’t sound right if there are mistakes. They can critique their own playing that way and will likely work on improving on their own initiative with that different perspective. As a young musician they can start to learn to see how their performances come across to an audience. If you would like them to have another audience, take a video clip with your phone of them playing a piece of music and send it through to me. I’d gladly give some free feedback to encourage them.
Back to the concert last year. One of the pieces we played was a favourite with my husband Robin, who edits this blog for me. After our performance he found a great YouTube recording of it which we both enjoyed watching. I think I played my part better in our second concert, simply because I had watched this video and was inspired by being an audience to the commitment and fervour of those performers. I should send a comment, to say how much I enjoyed it too!
So I thought I’d share that with you. It is Prokofiev’s Montagues and Capulets from Romeo and Juliet, played by the Royal Stockholm Symphony Orchestra and conducted by a delightfully theatrical conductor, Yuri Temirkanov. I like this videoed version because there is good highlighting of various instruments as they play their parts.
Enjoy!
Whether you are applauding a musical rendition, done online or in person, or responding to a blog you subscribed to, you are a vital part of the whole performance. It’s just not the same without you.