Summer Festival Preparation: Learning Repertoire
The festival atmosphere of being continually immersed in an environment of what feels like lots of new people, new experiences and plenty of music making can be a great time of exponential growth for a musician. But without preparation, it can quickly become overwhelming, instead of energizing.
In this third part of our series on summer festival preparation, we’ll cover a few pointers on preparing musically for the experience.
Get to know the music
Learning a piece of music begins even before you involve your instrument. The first step is looking over the music, ensuring you have all the right parts in full. A brief read through of the music will give you a sense of whether there are any particularly tricky passages, any concepts you may be unfamiliar with, or any areas you might particularly enjoy. Read any programme or conductor’s notes that you may have been provided. You might also want to look up some information about the composer and the piece itself to get a sense of its historical and stylistic background. Actively listening to recordings of the piece can also be helpful, informing you of existing interpretations, or give you some awareness of what the accompaniment or other parts of the ensemble sound like around your part. Especially with ensemble music, this can give you an awareness of what the piece sounds like when everyone comes together, and how you fit into that.
Take care of the basics
To get the most out of a lesson or rehearsal, you want to already have the basics taken care of. Before you arrive, you want to have already practiced the essentials - learning the notes/intonation, rhythm, articulation, bowing, etc. aiming for accuracy. Practicing with a metronome is essential. The goal isn’t to have the piece performance-ready, but to be prepared enough so lessons, coachings, and rehearsals can focus on areas of interpretation and ensemble playing you would otherwise not be able to work on alone.
Identify areas for work
As you work on the basics, challenging areas will become apparent to you. Note the maximum tempo you can play these sections as you continue to make progress in your practice. Your teacher or coach can help you with these passages in lessons and rehearsals. Remember to note the exact section in the music, and what questions you have. While it may seem obvious in your individual practice right now, it may not be as easy to recall off the top of your head once you’re in the festival environment.
Want more ideas for building a practice routine? Explore the Workshop on Efficient use of Practice Time and the series on Efficient Practice Skills available in The Virtuoso’s Lounge.
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