Alfred Author
I’m going to have the audacity to suggest that you add at least one more performance to your already busy schedule! Hear me out.
Every time your group performs they have the opportunity to become better musicians. There’s something about playing in front of people that cannot be reproduced in rehearsal. And, there is much more than the music; there is the shared experience. It can be the subject of discussion for years: ‘Do you remember the red bow-ties?”; “How about that bus ride?” and so on. The group can buiild a shared history, common stories, more successes, more friendship, and better musicianship.
If you’ve come along this far, you may be thinking, “This idea isn’t that crazy.” In that case, here are just a few suggestions to fuel your imagination. First, check the school calendar for events already planned that are that are close to your performance. For instance: The PTO meets 2 nights before your concert? Then hold an open dress rehearsal an hour earlier and invite them to come in and hear your rehearsal. Have a string quartet offering songs as the PTO enters the building. How about playing in the cafeteria during lunch, where the students get to play for their peers? Or play on the morning announcements. Shopping malls regularly schedule school performing groups, and retirement homes would never turn down a free concert! Have a middle school group perform for the elementary group. Have the high school orchestra play for the middle school.
Well, at this point, I hope your imagination has taken off and you are at least considering the possibilities of getting a couple extra performances in this holiday season. Good luck and have fun teaching and playing music!
Alfred Music Blog 