Yesterday ROCKED. As Richard would say, it was "dude awesome." Fifteen MMVSers got together to figure out what makes a performance truly memorable and bring some of that to their own performances. The answers ranged from "energy, emotion and originality" to "professionalism, ability to handle mistakes, and vocal range/power." Ultimately, we agreed that there are four keys to an awesome performance.
Preparation (Seeking perfection through lessons, practice, rehearsal, song selection, research of venues and getting to know your strengths/weakness)
Experience (Gaining professionalism by working the microphone, managing your monitors, handling mistakes on stage, getting over your nerves and reading the crowd)
Action (Movement, stage presence, stage set-up, expression, dynamics, crowd interaction, band interaction. What you do, visually, to make the audience feel something)
Connection (Connecting with the music, the audience, and yourself. This is when the magic happens.)
You guys made some great points about these four categories. You all seemed to agree that while "connectivity" is what makes a good performance a great one, you could never truly get there without preparation, experience and action.
Funny - that's the point that I was gonna make!
Next we were treated to a brief performance from every student in attendance. Everyone volunteered and everyone was inspiring! We did not critique technique. We talked about how we felt as audience members - and as performers - during each song. I hope you all learned that even though you might be nervous or in unfamiliar situations,
you can still make a roomful of people feel like they are "having oatmeal in front of a fire" or "instantly happy and excited" just by sharing a bit of who are you are inside.
Lastly, we were treated to a little chat with Kicking Daisies' managers, Brian Murphy and Rich Herzfeld. They talked about the importance of connecting with the audience - not just impressing them. We also talked about the hard work involved and how amazing you all are for being committed to your passion for music. It sets you apart, and I'm so proud to know you!
All in all, I thank you for a great day and I hope you had a great time.
Please take a moment to post your feedback to comments. You are shaping the MMVS workshops and programs for 2011!
If you didn't attend the workshop, please answer all that apply.
1. How did you feel about your performance before you sang vs. right after you sang at the workshop?
2. What were the most important things you learned?
3. Was there a performance that was special to you? That really moved you?
4. What areas of performance (Preparation, Experience, Action, Connection) do you feel come easily to you? Which ones are you committed to working on in 2011?
5. What topics would you like to see covered in the future workshops? What activities would you like to do with your fellow MMVS artists?
