Creating Post Recital Goals
As musicians we know what it means to prepare for a performance, memorizing, adding dynamics and effective phrasing. We focus intensely while we prepare to perform. However, what do we do with our time between performances? How can we find focus in the practice and in the work for the sake of the work?
Reflect on the last performance you gave and create goals from that experience. Was there anything that could have gone better or differently? What did you feel really good about? Did all that practice pay off? Remember there is no need, in this line of questioning, for harsh self-critique. But rather, it is an exciting moment of discovery.
From there, we can create goals for our next pieces. Remember, the larger goal is to become consistent. Your technique should carry you challenge after challenge, and this quiet time between recitals is the perfect time to work on those techniques.
We have all summer to improve simply for the sake of improvement and to take on the challenges that we may have been anxious about. This way, when we do start our intensive practicing for the next recital, not only have we improved our techniques, but perhaps we have added new ones. The more we repeat this process after a performance we will find there are always new goals.
